10 Things You Didn’t Know About Elizabeth Taylor

Her violet eyes were eerily piercing, her love affairs were the stuff of legends, her acting range extraordinary. Today, the world learned that it had lost the icon of classic Hollywood and signature style, Elizabeth Taylor, who not only lit up the silver screen, but also touched hearts with her deep humanitarian commitments and unwavering support of AIDS research long before it was trendy. We'll never forget her viciously tugging on our heart strings as Maggie in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, or somehow reaching our souls playing Martha in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. With Elizabeth Taylor no longer with us, the world has lost the iconic Cleopatra—fierce, independent, always her own. In memoriam, here are 10 facts you may not know about one of the most fabulous women to ever live. Here's to you, Liz!

10. The New York Times' writer for Elizabeth Taylor's obituary actually died six years ago.

9. Her first marriage (of eight!) was to Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr., Paris' granduncle.

8. She was a close friend of star Montgomery Clift, and when he had the infamous car crash that disfigured him, he was leaving Liz's house. She found him, and saved his life.

7. She is actually Dame Elizabeth Taylor, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II.

6. Liz has owned some of the biggest bling to date:  the 33-carat "Krupp Diamond", the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, the Grand Duchess of Russia emeralds, the "LaPeregina Pearl", and the famous pear-shaped 69-carat "Burton-Cartier Diamond". In fact, she is known to be a jewelry expert.

5. She's the godmother of Paris and Prince Michael Jackson.

4. Liz was on Twitter: @DameElizabeth.

3. Her fourth marriage to Eddie Fisher was directly responsible for the dissolution of his marriage to Debbie Reynolds. But instead of disappearing as a shamed home-wrecker, Taylor took the role of the sultry empire-wrecker Cleopatra in 1959.

2. She gave a voice to one of the most popular silent stars of all time: Maggie Simpson.

1. She had purple irises and a double set of eyelashes.