Leaders & Statesmen
Rulers, presidents, and reformers who steered nations.
records written
Ancient era
Claudius
10 BCE – October 13, 1954 CE
Mayor of the Palace of Burgundy from 607 to 610
Ancient era
Trajan
53 CE – 117 CE
13th Roman Emperor (98–117)
Ancient era
Hadrian
January 24, 1976 CE – July 10, 138 CE
14th Roman Emperor (117–138)
Ancient era
Marcus Aurelius
April 26, 121 CE – March 17, 180 CE
16th Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 and Stoic philosopher
Ancient era
Commodus
August 31, 161 CE – December 31, 192 CE
17th Roman Emperor (180–192)
Ancient era
Diocletian
December 22, 244 CE – December 3, 316 CE
Augustus of the Eastern Roman Empire (244-311)
Ancient era
Constantine the Great
February 27, 272 CE – May 22, 337 CE
Roman emperor from 306 to 337 and first to convert to Christianity (272–337)
Ancient era
Justinian I
May 11, 482 CE – November 14, 565 CE
Eastern Roman Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 (482-565)
Medieval era
Empress Theodora
500 CE – June 28, 548 CE
Byzantine empress from 527 to 548
Ancient era
Boudicca
30 CE – 61 CE
Queen of the British Iceni tribe
Ancient era
Qin Shi Huang
259 BCE – 210 BCE
First Emperor of unified China, builder of the Great Wall's foundation
Ancient era
Liu Bang
256 BCE – 195 BCE
Founding emperor of the Han dynasty (256–195 BC)
Ancient era
Cao Cao
155 CE – 220 CE
Chinese warlord and statesman (155–220)
Ancient era
Zhuge Liang
181 CE – August 23, 234 CE
Chinese statesman and military strategist (181–234)
Ancient era
Ashoka
304 BCE – 232 BCE
Mauryan emperor who renounced conquest and spread Buddhist values
Medieval era
Charlemagne
April 2, 748 CE – January 28, 814 CE
King of the Franks crowned first Holy Roman Emperor, father of Europe
Medieval era
Alfred the Great
849 CE – October 26, 899 CE
King of Wessex (r. 872–901)
Medieval era
William the Conqueror
November 8, 1028 – September 9, 1087
King of England from 1066 to 1087, Duke of Normandy from 1035 to 1087 (1028–1087)
Medieval era
Richard the Lionheart
September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199
King of England from 1189 to 1199 (1157–1199)
Medieval era
King John of England
December 24, 1166 – October 19, 1216
King of England from 1199 to 1216
Medieval era
Frederick Barbarossa
1122 – June 10, 1190
Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 to 1190
Medieval era
Saladin
1138 – March 4, 1193
Sultan who united the Muslim world and retook Jerusalem with famed chivalry
Medieval era
Harun al-Rashid
March 7, 766 CE – March 24, 809 CE
5th Abbasid caliph (r. 786–809)
El Cid
d. 1099
11th century Castilian nobleman and military leader
Medieval era
Genghis Khan
May 31, 1162 – August 25, 1227
Founder of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history
Medieval era
Osman I
August 23, 1258 – August 1, 1326
Founder of the Ottoman Empire (died 1323/4)
Medieval era
Mehmed the Conqueror
March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481
Seventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1444–1446, 1451–1481)
Medieval era
Suleiman the Magnificent
November 6, 1494 – September 6, 1566
The tenth and greatest Sultan of Ottoman Empire (1520–1566)
Medieval era
Robert the Bruce
July 11, 1274 – June 7, 1329
King of Scotland (1306–1329)
Medieval era
Edward I of England
June 17, 1239 – July 7, 1307
King of England from 1272 to 1307
Medieval era
Henry V of England
September 16, 1386 – August 31, 1422
King of England from 1413 to 1422
Medieval era
Henry VIII
June 28, 1491 – January 28, 1547
King of England from 1509 to 1547 (1491–1547)
Early Modern era
Mary I of England
February 18, 1516 – November 17, 1558
Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1558 (1516-1558)
Early Modern era
Elizabeth I
September 7, 1533 – March 24, 1603
Queen whose reign made England a global power and cultural beacon
Early Modern era
Mary, Queen of Scots
December 8, 1542 – February 8, 1587
Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567 (1542–1587)
Medieval era
Ferdinand II of Aragon
March 10, 1452 – January 23, 1516
King of Aragon, Sicily, Naples, and Valencia (1452-1516)
Medieval era
Isabella I of Castile
April 22, 1451 – November 26, 1504
Queen of the Crown of Castile, from 1474 to 1504; first queen of a dynastically-united Spain, from 1479 to 1504 (1451–1504)
Early Modern era
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
February 24, 1500 – September 21, 1558
Holy Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556 (1500–1558)
Early Modern era
Philip II of Spain
May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598
King of Spain, Portugal, Naples and Sicily; King consort of England, lived 1527-1598
Early Modern era
Louis XIV
September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715
King of France and Navarre from 1643 to 1715 (1638-1715)
Early Modern era
Louis XVI
August 23, 1754 – January 21, 1793
King of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1791, then King of the French from 1791 to 1792 (1754-1793)
Early Modern era
Frederick the Great
January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786
King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786 (1712-1786)
Early Modern era
Maria Theresa
May 13, 1717 – November 29, 1780
Ruler of the Habsburg Dominions (1717-1780)
Early Modern era
Ivan the Terrible
August 25, 1530 – March 18, 1584
Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584
Early Modern era
Peter the Great
May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725
Tsar/Emperor of Russia from 1682 to 1725
Early Modern era
Catherine the Great
April 21, 1729 – November 17, 1796
Empress who modernized and expanded the Russian Empire
Early Modern era
Oliver Cromwell
April 25, 1599 – September 3, 1658
English military and political leader (1599–1658)
Medieval era
Vlad the Impaler
1431 – December 14, 1476
15th-century ruler of Wallachia
Medieval era
Babur
February 14, 1483 – December 26, 1530
Founder of the Mughal Empire (1526–1530)
Early Modern era
Akbar
October 15, 1542 – October 15, 1605
The third and greatest Mughal emperor from 1556 to 1605
Early Modern era
Shah Jahan
January 15, 1592 – January 22, 1666
The fifth Mughal Emperor from 1628 to 1658
Early Modern era
Aurangzeb
November 3, 1618 – March 3, 1707
The sixth Mughal Emperor from 1658 to 1707
Early Modern era
Shivaji
February 19, 1627 – April 3, 1680
Indian Maratha king and founder of the Maratha Swaraj (Empire)
Medieval era
Sejong the Great
April 10, 1397 – February 17, 1450
Fourth king of Joseon (Korea), creator of Hangul
Medieval era
Hongwu Emperor
October 29, 1328 – June 24, 1398
Founding emperor of China's Ming dynasty; ruled 1368–1398
Early Modern era
Qianlong Emperor
September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799
Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1711–1799)
Early Modern era
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
February 2, 1536 – September 18, 1598
Japanese samurai and daimyo (1537–1598)
Medieval era
Montezuma II
1466 – June 29, 1520
9th tlatoani of Tenochtitlan and ruler of the Aztec Triple Alliance (1466-1520)
Medieval era
Pachacuti
1380 – 1460
11th Inca Emperor
Modern era
George Washington
February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799
Commander of the American Revolution and first President of the United States