Franz Ferdinand

Profession: Archduke of Austria

Nationality:

Biography: Franz Ferdinand was the Archduke of Austria-Este and heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was significant not only due to his status in the empire but more so for his assassination, which directly precipitated the outbreak of World War I.

Franz Ferdinand was known for his unconventional choices, particularly his marriage. Against the wishes of Emperor Franz Joseph, he married Countess Sophie Chotek in 1900. Sophie, being from a lower-ranking noble family, was deemed unsuitable. The match was only allowed as a morganatic marriage, meaning that while their children couldn't inherit the throne, Sophie would be granted the title of Duchess of Hohenberg.

The events of June 28, 1914, however, would forever mark Franz Ferdinand's place in history. While on a visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia, both he and his wife Sophie were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The assassination set off a chain of alliances and events that led to the outbreak of World War I just a month later. The war, in turn, drastically changed the political landscape of Europe, eventually leading to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the war's end in 1918.

Born: December 18, 1863
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: June 28, 1914 (aged 50)
Cause of Death: Assassination