Mata Hari
Dutch exotic dancer and spy
Died when: 41 years 69 days (494 months)Star Sign: Leo
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (/'m??t? 'h??ri/), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I.
She was executed by firing squad in France. The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale.
Her story has served as an inspiration for many books, films and other works. It has been suggested that she was convicted and condemned because the French Army needed a scapegoat, and that the files used to secure her conviction contained several falsifications.
Some have even stated that Mata Hari could not have been a spy, and was innocent.