And all along we thought she was blond

On this day in 1040, Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets of Coventry, England, in order to force her husband, the Earl of Mercia, to have a bit of mercy and lower taxes on his subjects. She asked that he reduce his overspending on elaborate public works, or to at least spend some of the money on art that the peasants might also be able to enjoy. He argued in return that the Greeks and Romans believed the nude body to be one of the greatest works of art and an expression of the purity and beauty of nature. He pledged to grant her request if she rode bare through the streets, and so the brave countess did just that. She rode clothed in nothing but her long, full hair, as the crowds turned away their eyes in respect.