Happy Valentine's Day! (A Day Late)

I know you were all just waiting for this post. What shall it be on? Oh, the options, the options! We can talk about all sorts of love history. We can talk about how St. Valentine's "romantic" cards were all sent when he was   basically on death row. I could throw a bone to all the bitter people and focus on the Valentine's Day Massacre. I think, however, I'll do a Top Ten List instead!

Top Ten Couples in History

1. John and Abigail Adams. They are honestly my favorite couple ever. While John was off preaching treason in Philadelphia, Abigail was home in Massachusetts raising their children. Talk about a long distance relationship. "By 1762 they were exchanging frankly affectionate love letters full of mischievous humor. Their wedding, on October 25, 1764, began one of history's great partnerships. They were lovers, friends, counselors, and mentors to one another into old age. John did not resent his wife's abilities to manage a farm and raise a family without him during his long absences on the nation's business. Rather, he took considerable pride in her accomplishments. He told her she was so successful in budgeting, planting, managing staff, regulating live-stock, buying provisions, nursing and educating her children, that their neighbors would surely remark on how much better things seemed to go in his absence."
   (http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/abigailadams.html)
   Ultimate "awww" factor: you can read the compilation of their correspondence in My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. ("My Dearest Friend" was how the Adams' addressed their letters to each other.)
   
   
2. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: I love their story because it involves so many people. Both Roy and Dale were married previously. Dale, who eloped at 14, divorced her husband when he essentially abandoned her and their son. Roy's first wife from complications with after delivering their third child. Dale and Roy were married on December 31, 1947 and celebrated 50 years of marriage. In the early 1950's they had their first child, a little girl diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. Although their daughter didn't live past two, Roy and Dale were life long advocates for special needs children. They adopted several children (eat your hearts out, Brad and Angelina) and lost two more during their marriage. Happy Trails Foundation was created by them and still operates today. They wrote a truly beautiful book together called "Happy Trails."
   
   Ultimate "awww" factor: "Roy always grinned when he said that Dale must have really loved him, because when she married him he had three young children and 34 coon dogs."    (http://www.royrogers.com/roy_rogers_bio.html)

   
   
3. Pierre and Marie Curie: They might be the first nerd-love couple! In 1891, Polish born Marie moved to France to continue studies where she met Pierre Curie, who was the director at one of the laboratories. He once wrote to her, "It would be a fine thing...to pass our lives near to each other, hypnotized by our dreams; your patriotic dream, our humanitarian dream, and our scientific dream." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-kornbluth/the-love-story-of-marie-p_b_838476.html) They did the majority of their work together and, after his death (ultimately caused by radiation, as was hers in 1934) she took his place as the first female teacher at the college.
   Ultimate "awww" factor: You can read their love story in Joan Didion's very unique book, Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout. It is actually glow-in-the-dark and part graphic novel. The ultimate science-love-nerd-book. A+.
   
   
4. King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson: Edward met Wallis Simpson in 1931 and described her to be the "perfect woman." Shockingly high praise from the future King of England to a twice divorced (gasp!), American (gasp!), Roman Catholic (gasp!). Edward was crowned King of England in 1936, but with three strikes against her, was unable to marry Wallis Simpson. You'd think being King meant you could do whatever you wanted, but I guess not in England. Shortly after being crowned King of England, Edward abdicated the throne in order to marry Wallis. That bit of trivia was going to be my "Ultimate "awww" factor" but then I considered: Edward married the woman he loved, was NOT King of England during World War II (surely a dandy time to be involved in politics in England), got to keep a royal title when his younger brother made him a Duke, lived abroad in France, and, became the governor of the Bahamas. Nice, I'd give the throne too.
   Ultimate "awww" factor: Winston Churchill once said of Edward, "I saw him when she'd gone away for a fortnight. He was miserable, haggard, dejected... Then I saw him when she'd been back a day or two, and he was a different man - gay, debonair, self-confident. Make no mistake: he can't live without her." (http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/relationships/love-sex/wallis)
   
   
5. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall: one of pop culture's most famous couples, Bacall and Bogie  met when he was 45 and she was 19. They married the following year and had a happy union, welcoming a son and daughter. He died twelve years later from cancer. "When I reached Bogie, he took my hand - the enormous, beautiful white orchids I was holding were shaking themselves to pieces; as I stood there, there wasn’t a particle of me that wasn’t moving visibly…As I glanced at Bogie, I saw tears streaming down his face - his ‘I do’ was strong and clear, though. As Judge Shettler said, “I now pronounce you man & wife,’ Bogie and I turned toward each other - he leaned to kiss me - I shyly turned my cheek - all those eyes watching made me very self-conscious. He said, ‘Hello, Baby’. I hugged him and was reported to have said, “Oh, goody.’ Hard to believe, but maybe I did.” (http://oldhollywood.tumblr.com/post/134183086/lauren-bacall-humphrey-bogart-on-their-wedding)
   Ultimate "awww" factor: Bacall placed a whistle in Bogart's urn engraved with the words: "If you need anything, just whistle" reminiscent of her famous line to him.
   
   
6. Ulysses and Julia Grant: Ulysses "Sam" Grant was known for being a drunk, but it is often overlooked that he pretty much only drank while away from his wife, Julia. His reputation as a drunk is quite debated, but that is for another blog. The truth is Grant was very much a family man, he wanted Julia near him, even when on the battlefield. The day Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, he had invited the Grants to join him and Mary at Fords Theater. Grant declined as Julia wanted to return to New Jersey to see the children.
   Ultimate "awww" factor: Julia suffered from a condition that gave her the appearance of crossed eyes and considered surgery when Ulysses was running for president: "When the surgeon told her that it was “too late” to correct the condition, she expressed her regret to her husband. 'What in the world put such a thought in your head, Julia?' he asked.
   'Why, you are getting to be such a great man, and I am such a plain little wife,' she replied. 'I thought if my eyes were as others are I might not be so very, very plain.'
   Grant pulled her close. 'Did I not see you and fall in love with you with these same eyes?' he asked. 'I like them just as they are, and now, remember, you are not to interfere with them. They are mine, and let me tell you, Mrs. Grant, you had better not make any experiments, as I might not like you half so well with any other eyes.' Julia Grant never considered surgery again." (http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/02/general-grant-in-love-and-war/) 
   
   
7. Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett: Here's to two people who could have written sappy love poems that the rest of us would have actually wanted to read! In fact, that's exactly what happened, Miss Barrett penned packets of sonnets to Mr. Browning which he exclaimed were too beautiful not to share. They married in 1846, and despite opposition to their union, and wrote their greatest works during their 15 year union. Elizabeth died in Robert's arms.
   Ultimate "awww" factor: and women's expectations of all love notes jump...
   
   
8. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard: The duo connected in 1936 and were one of Hollywood's star couples. The married in 1939 over a weekend out of the public's eye and postponed their honeymoon until Gable was done filming Gone With the Wind. Tragically, their union was cut short when Lombard because the first female casualty of World War II when her flight back from a USO function crashed in 1942. “Upon hearing the news, Gable flew to the scene and had to be forcibly restrained from climbing the snowcapped mountain himself in an effort to rescue her. After Carole's body, along with the bodies of her mother and 19 others, was discovered, he reportedly sobbed, 'Oh, God! I don't want to go back to an empty house...'” (http://www.bonzasheila.com/stories/gablelombard.html) Gable, in his grief, left Hollywood to fight in World War II and, although he remarried twice after Lombard's death, was never the same according to friends and family. Upon his death in 1961, his fifth wife had Gable interred next to Lombard.
   Ultimate "awww" factor: The story varies, but when Lombard and Gable first began dating, Lombard had a car painted with hearts sent to Gable with a note reading, "You drive me crazy!"
   
   
9. Frank Butler and Annie Oakley:  "In 1881, the famous Baughman and Butler shooting act was performing in Cincinnati. Star of the show, champion Frank E. Butler, boasted that he could beat any local marksman and challenged the gathering. Butler was amused to see Annie Oakley taking his challenge. After missing his 25th shot, Butler lost the match and the bet. She not only won the competition but also his heart. He began courting Oakley, and they married on June 20, 1882. Butler abandoned his career to manage hers. They both joined the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Annie died in 1926 and her heartbroken husband died 18 days later after 44 years of togetherness."
   (http://www.smashinglists.com/10-heart-touching-and-legendary-love-stories-from-history/)
   Ultimate "awww" factor: This couple has an Irving Berlin musical about theme in Annie Get Your Gun.
   
   
10. Victoria and Albert: Totally my second favorite couple ever. I'm talking about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert...you know, they have a Five Diamond Restaurant named after them? He's famous of "being in a can", she has an entire time period and a famous lingerie store? Oh, they also had enough children to keep general peace in Europe for pretty much 100 years. If you haven't seen the movie, The Young Victoria, Go. See. It. Now.
    
    
    
    Ultimate "awww" factor: Victoria is crowned Queen in 1837. Since she was heir to the throne, she was automatically Queen without being married. Thus, a man could not propose to her, she must propose to him and he would not be King unless she named him such. Once she named him King, her role as Queen would be subservient to his as King. Hence, Albert was always Prince Albert. While this is very much like Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, you must realize Victoria and Albert were 200 years earlier. Oh yeah, she also stayed in mourning after his death for 40 years. For forty years the Queen of England wore only black. Now that's love.