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Today in History, Nov. 12

Portrait of Ivan III and Zoe Palaeologus by Viktor Muizhel.

541 years ago today, on Nov. 12, 1472, Zoe Palaeologus, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor and grandmother of Ivan the Terrible, arrived in Moscow after fleeing from Italy and got married to Ivan III. According to historians, she had a great influence on her husband and was one of the main supporters of the rebellion against the Mongol Tatars.

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