Here’s What Nefertiti And Other Historical Figures Would Look Like Today (25 New Pics)

This bust of Nefertiti (believed to have been sculpted during her lifetime) is famous for its grace and beauty. Nefertiti lived from approximately 1370 - 1330 BC. She was an Egyptian queen and the wife of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Akhenaten is famous for his attempt to transition Egypt into a monotheistic society (worshipping only the sun god, Aten), instead of a polytheistic one.

Cyrus II of Persia was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, which at its height encompassed the areas of modern-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. During a reign lasting 30 years, Cyrus grew his empire by conquering surrounding territories. Something Cyrus is famous for is that he respected the customs and religion of each land he conquered, a move unprecedented at the time. This policy was a very successful model for establishing governments that kept the territories under control even after his armies had left. He is a well-recognized figure for human rights, military strategy, and politics. Cyrus even makes an appearance in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). A cult-like figure for modern Iranians, his tomb is a gathering point for those that revere him. He was alleged to have died in battle, but his Empires’ influence still lives today.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827, shown here at age 49 in 1820) doesn’t need much of an introduction. A famous composer and pianist, his music is some of the most performed classical music in the world. His work spans both the classical period and the romantic periods of classical music. Moving to Vienna at the age of 21 and gained a reputation as a virtuoso. Scholars generally divide Beethoven’s work into three periods: Early, Middle, and Late. The Early period can be seen as him honing his craft, and the Middle period shows individual deviation from the Classical styles of Mozart. During the Late period (which lasts until his death in 1827), his deafness increases, but it is widely accepted as his most innovative time. Written in his last years, his late string quartets of 1825–26 are amongst his final achievements. After some months of bedridden illness he died in 1827. Beethoven's works remain mainstays of the classical music repertoire

Nzinga was the Queen of the Kingdom of Ndongo and the Kingdom of Matamba in the 17th century, in the area of modern-day Angola. Born into the ruling family in 1583, her father trained her in military and political tactics from a young age. While her older brother was ruling the Kingdoms, he asked Nzinga to become the ambassador to Portugal for him, as the Portuguese had begun to colonize and infringe on their native area. When Nzinga assumed power over the kingdoms after her brother died, it was during a period of unprecedented growth in the African slave trade. The Portuguese continued to agitate and break treaties, taking slaves and other valuables. Nzinga was an astute and super-intelligent leader and often bent the allegiances of the Europeans to her advantage. Forging an alliance with the Dutch, she was able to defeat the Portuguese and drive them out. She also made her kingdom a safe haven for runaway slaves. Her reign lasted 37 years - she is considered a legendary figure in Angola to this day.

This portrait is disputed to be her (it may in fact be Mary Rose Tudor)

One of the most famous thinkers of all time, Aristotle (384-322 BC) contributed significantly to human knowledge. His reach touches logic, biology, ethics, aesthetics, and more. We don’t have any contemporary descriptions of his coloring, but luckily we have several surviving busts of his looks - of course this means estimating the hair and eye color, which is unknown. This work is in the Uffizi gallery, and is a Roman copy of the Greek original. Aristotle was taught by none other than Plato, and he spent 20 years as a student and later as a teacher at Plato’s Academy. Of his approximately 200 works only 31 survive. It is theorized that the surviving writings, because of their jumbled and dense structure, were meant to be lecture notes for his teaching rather than finished works. His writings were lost for many years after his death, and only after 300 years (in 30 BC) did Andronicus of Rhodes group and edit Aristotle’s works. Aristotle remains one of the most influential thinkers of all time, and contributed greatly to history.

Countess Elizabeth Báthory (Erzsébet Báthory) (1560 –1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman. She has been labeled as the most prolific female serial killer in history (documented, at least). She was accused at trial of torturing and murdering hundreds of young girls & women between 1590 and 1610. The stories of her sadistic murders were verified by the testimony of more than 300 witnesses and survivors, as well as many bodies. Eyewitnesses reported seeing her carrying out severe beatings, mutilation, burning, freezing, and starving girls to death. Because of her family’s status, she was not executed but rather imprisoned for the remainder of her life in Cachtice Castle. Folklore (although unsubstantiated) about Báthory has followed her throughout history, saying she bathed in the blood of virgins. Her legacy certainly lives on in modern popular culture.