On June 28, 1491 -- King Henry VIII born -- Tudor Dynasty

Today (June 28) is the birthday of England's Henry VIII, born in Greenwich in 1491. Of course, when he was born, he was only Henry, and as his father's second son, he was expected to become a cleric, not succeed him to the throne. But Henry's older brother, Arthur, died in 1502, when Henry was 11, and plans changed. He had seven years to prepare himself for the monarchy, and when he was crowned in 1509, just before his 18th birthday, he was a true product of the Renaissance: well-educated, athletic, tall, charismatic, an excellent jouster and hunter, and a graceful dancer. In short, he bore little resemblance to the portrait of a portly, well-upholstered monarch that most people think of when they hear his name.
He gave up participating in jousting and tournaments in 1536, after he was knocked unconscious for two hours. He also received a leg wound, which never fully healed, and that's when he began to take on weight. His courtiers began to wear padded garments themselves, to flatter him. By the end of his life, he was obese, probably suffering from gout and Type II diabetes. He suffered from mood swings and poor diet -- chiefly fatty red meats -- and by the end of his life could no longer get around under his own power. He died at 55.