When was the last time love inspired you to sacrifice absolutely everything? In this article we cover the most powerful love stories that changed the world. From tales written centuries ago to those that took our breath in the last few years, these captivating stories teach us that love, although old as the wind, is the most powerful feeling in the world.

Romeo And Juliet

Our greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet, teaches us the beauty and depth of young love and just how much some lovers will sacrifice for the sake of their love. Romeo and Juliet is the synonym for love. It was Shakespeare who coined the term “star-crossed lovers” in this tragic love story, a term very popular today when describing two lovers that regardless of their profound love for each other, they’re just not meant to be.

It was love at first sight for both Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Two young lovers from opposing families fall madly in love. As told in many plays and movies, we all know how their love tragically ends. Going against her family’s wishes to marry another man, Juliet, already secretly married to Romeo, takes a poison intended to put her in a death-like comma in hopes of reuniting with her beloved Romeo at the Capulet crypt. But Romeo unaware of this lays there in the Capulet crypt crying over the body of his beloved Juliet. Thinking she’s dead, Romeo decides that he can’t take another breath without Juliet by his side and drinks a poison that leaves his life-less body resting on top of Juliet. Juliet awakens to find her lover dead and unable to even think of life without Romeo she takes his poison and ends her life. There in the damp Capulet crypt laid the life-less bodies of two young lovers who chose death over a life without each other.

William Shakespeare penned the most tragic love story to ever be written and for generations beyond our sight, it will always capture tender sympathies because it will always play on the universal theme of love, hate, sacrifice, violence, and power. Even today, we still have our Romeos and Juliets, star-crossed lovers fighting prejudice and rebelling against the world all in the name of love.

Christopher And Dana Reeves

A true testament to one’s commitment to love and honor even through sickness and in health, the love story of Christopher and Dana Reeves teaches us that love endures it all even through life’s most tragic and challenging circumstances. Paralyzed from an equestrian accident in 1995, our beloved Superman, contemplated suicide but it was the love of his wife that kept him alive. In an interview he quoted her saying, “I’ll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You’re still you. And I love you.”

During his tragedy Dana never abandoned his side and together they founded The Christopher Reed Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury. After Reeve’s death in 2004, Dana was at the helm of his foundation but this amazing and brave woman later endured her most challenging battle when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005.

Dana described how his disability didn’t change their commitment to each other. “Had I given up and said, oh, you’re sick I’m not going to ever ask anything of you, it would’ve belittled him.” On March 2006, just 11 days shy from her 45th birthday, Dana Reeve loses her battle to cancer. Christopher and Dana Reeves teach us that love endures it all and it is through the immeasurable power of love that we find the strength to keep giving and living love.

Prince Edward And Wallis Simpson

The Cinderella stories of today are a pale comparison to one of Britain’s greatest love stories. On December 1936, the handsome King Edward VIII, gave up his throne in the name of love. Can love be so powerful to overthrow a country’s centuries-old royal tradition? It was for the charming Edward VIII who allowed his heart to dictate his destiny and fall for the twice-divorced Boston native Wallis Simpson. Just like a Cinderella story, they met at a party hosted by no other than Edward’s lover, Lady Thelma Furness, and the rest is history, literally.

The jaws of millions dropped when in 1936 he announced, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

Throughout the years, many rumors have unveiled a different story to one of Britain’s greatest love stories but one thing will always remain clear: King Edward fell madly in love and to be with the woman he loved he gave up his throne. As Prince Edward later wrote in his 1951 autobiography, “She promised to bring into my life something that wasn’t there.”

Cleopatra And Marc Anthony

The relationship between Cleopatra and Marc Anthony is still today one of the most captivating love stories of our time. As documented, Cleopatra was not only naturally stunning, but it was her magnetizing presence and intelligence that captured the hearts of not one, but two Roman leaders. Using her attributes for her country’s political interest, Cleopatra succeeded at having the Roman leader fall madly in love with her.

How in love was Anthony? If giving parts of Rome to Cleopatra and making his children with her kings and queen isn’t a true testament of love what is?

Just like Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Anthony and Cleopatra fought for their love and secretly married. Their whirlwind romance was destined to fail as the Romans felt threatened by Egypt’s growing power and Anthony’s abandonment of his Roman wife, Octavia. History tells us that during a battle against the Romans, Anthony received news that his beloved Cleopatra had been killed and unable to bare the loss of his true love, Anthony used his sword to end his life. Devastated by the loss of her love, Cleopatra also ended her life. Her last request was granted when she was buried next to the love of her life. These two historical lovers are still by each other’s side even after death.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

John and Yoko’s passionate and inspiring love for each other is often shadowed by the idea that Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles. While the media spent most of their time questioning them and accusing her of killing the world’s greatest band, they failed to see the powerful message of love and peace that Lennon and Ono were trying to share with the world. From their infamous “Bed-In” for peace demonstration to many other anti-war demonstrations, Lennon and Ono spent their entire time together rallying for a better world. Lennon was so committed to Ono that in 1969 he legally changes his name to John Ono Lennon- today he’s simply remembered as John Lennon.

She may not have been the Twiggy-type but Ono was Lennon’s greatest muse. Lennon and Ono’s passion and love inspired many things even John’s most famous song, Imagine. It’s said that it was Ono’s book The Grapefruit, which contained the words “imagine” that inspired John to write what is considered his greatest musical contribution.

Regardless what the world thought of them, Lennon and Ono were happy and very much in love. Their love inspired many generations to come and in a time when being free was in fashion their passion for a better world brought us what could be considered Lennon’s most popular and touching song, Imagine.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Romeo and Juliet at the Met: Live review (timeoutny.com)
• Dream in High Park: On the outside, feeling in (thestar.com)
• Verona — the Setting for Romeo and Juliet and an important opera (weuropetravel.suite101.com)
• Lily Collins joins ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (digitalspy.co.uk)
• When Romeo Met Juliet and Fighting the Red Baron | TV Review (guardian.co.uk)