Long before Barack and Michelle, or even Prince Charles and Lady Di, power couples were making headlines and history. These dynamic duos are not only found in popular culture, but in every sphere of human achievement: from politics to literature, science, design and economics.

In this series, we’ll explore the partnerships that forged empires, penned prize-winning prose, started revolutions and lit up the silver screen.

As we survey iconic couples from the worlds of arts and culture, the monarchy and politics, we’ll examine what each half brought to these power partnerships: from collaboration, to competition, to support, to inspiration.