Leaders & Statesmen
Rulers, presidents, and reformers who steered nations.
records written
Modern era
Damdin Sukhbaatar
February 2, 1893 – February 20, 1923
Mongolian military leader (1893-1923)
Ancient era
Trung Trac
September 13, 1914 CE – March 5, 1943 CE
Vietnamese military leader, first queen
Medieval era
Ly Thai To
March 8, 974 CE – 1028
Vietnamese emperor
Medieval era
Le Loi
September 10, 1384 – 1433
Founding Emperor of the Later Lê dynasty
Medieval era
Nguyen Trai
1380 – September 28, 1442
Vietnamese scholar and poet (1380–1442)
Early Modern era
Quang Trung
1752 – September 16, 1792
Vietnamese emperor
Modern era
Phan Boi Chau
December 26, 1867 – October 29, 1940
19/20th-century Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary
Modern era
Vo Nguyen Giap
August 25, 1911 – October 4, 2013
Vietnamese general and communist politician (1911–2013)
Early Modern era
Naresuan
1555 – April 25, 1605
King of Ayutthaya
Modern era
Mongkut
October 18, 1804 – October 1, 1868
King of Siam from 1851 to 1868
Modern era
Chulalongkorn
September 20, 1853 – October 23, 1910
King of Siam (1853-1910)
Medieval era
Anawrahta
May 11, 1014 – April 11, 1077
Founder of the Pagan Empire
Early Modern era
Alaungpaya
September 24, 1714 – May 11, 1760
King of Burma
Modern era
U Thant
January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974
UN Secretary-General from 1961 to 1971
Medieval era
Jayavarman VII
1122 – 1218
Cambodian king, considered by historians to be the most powerful Khmer monarch of all time
Medieval era
Suryavarman II
1094 – 1150
Cambodian king (1094-1150)
Modern era
Norodom Sihanouk
October 31, 1922 – October 15, 2012
Cambodian monarch and politician (1922–2012)
Medieval era
Gajah Mada
1290 – 1364
Prime minister of the Majapahit Empire (1290-1364)
Early Modern era
Diponegoro
November 11, 1785 – January 8, 1855
Javanese prince who opposed Dutch colonialism during the Java War (1825-1830)
Contemporary era
Sudirman
May 25, 1954 – February 22, 1992
Malaysian singer and songwriter (1954-1992)
Modern era
Mohammad Hatta
August 12, 1902 – March 14, 1980
1st vice president of Indonesia from 1945 to 1956 (1902–1980)
Modern era
Ki Hajar Dewantara
May 2, 1889 – April 28, 1959
Indonesian educator, activist (1889-1959)
Early Modern era
Gabriela Silang
March 19, 1731 – September 20, 1763
Filipina insurgent leader
Early Modern era
Diego Silang
December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763
Filipino insurgent leader
Modern era
Melchora Aquino
January 6, 1812 – March 2, 1919
Filipina revolutionary (1812-1919)
Modern era
Emilio Aguinaldo
March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964
President of the Philippines from 1899 to 1902
Modern era
Apolinario Mabini
July 22, 1864 – May 13, 1903
Prime Minister of the Philippines in 1899
Modern era
Gregorio del Pilar
November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899
Filipino general and politician (1875-99)
Modern era
Manuel Quezon
August 19, 1878 – August 1, 1944
President of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944
Modern era
Ramon Magsaysay
August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957
President of the Philippines from 1953 to 1957
Medieval era
Parameswara
1344 – 1414
The first king who established the state of Malacca
Modern era
Tunku Abdul Rahman
February 8, 1903 – December 6, 1990
First Prime Minister of Malaysia (1903-1990)
Medieval era
David the Builder
1073 – January 24, 1125
King of Georgia (1073-1125)
Modern era
Ilia Chavchavadze
October 27, 1837 – August 30, 1907
Georgian public figure and writer; a saint of Georgian Orthodox Church (1837-1907)
Modern era
Amir Kabir
1807 – January 9, 1852
Prime Minister of Iran (1807-1852)
Modern era
Mohammad Mosaddegh
May 19, 1882 – March 5, 1967
Former Prime Minister of Iran (1882–1967)
Modern era
Halide Edib Adivar
June 11, 1884 – January 9, 1964
Turkish social reformer and statesperson (1884–1964)
Modern era
Faisal I of Iraq
May 20, 1885 – September 7, 1933
1st king of Hashemite Iraq from 1921 to 1933
Modern era
Nizar Qabbani
March 21, 1923 – April 30, 1998
Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher (1923-1998)
Medieval era
Arwa al-Sulayhi
1048 – 1138
Yemeni queen and ruler (c. 1048–1138)
Modern era
Ahmed Orabi
March 31, 1841 – September 21, 1911
Egyptian army officer and revolutionary (1841–1911)
Modern era
Saad Zaghloul
1858 – August 23, 1927
Prime Minister of Egypt (1859–1927)
Modern era
Hoda Shaarawi
June 23, 1879 – December 12, 1947
Egyptian feminist and nationalist (1879–1947)
Modern era
Abd el-Krim
January 12, 1882 – February 6, 1963
War leader and president of the Rif Republic from 1921 to 1926
Modern era
Emir Abdelkader
September 6, 1808 – May 26, 1883
Algerian religious and military leader (1808–1883)
Modern era
Habib Bourguiba
August 3, 1903 – April 6, 2000
Tunisian politician (1903–2000)
Modern era
Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi
August 12, 1844 – June 22, 1885
Religious leader in the Sudan, self-proclaimed as the Mahdi (1844-1885)
Modern era
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
April 7, 1856 – December 21, 1920
Emir of Diiriye Guure and his Dervish Kingdom (1856-1920)
Modern era
Tewodros II
1818 – April 13, 1868
Emperor of Ethiopia (1818–1868)
Modern era
Taytu Betul
1851 – February 11, 1918
Ethiopian Empress Consort (1851-1918)
Medieval era
Askia Mohammad I
1443 – 1538
Emperor of the Songhai empire
Modern era
Yaa Asantewaa
1832 – October 17, 1921
Ashanti Queen Mother and military leader
Modern era
Behanzin
September 7, 1844 – December 10, 1906
Last king of Dahomey (1845–1906)
Early Modern era
Jose Maria Morelos
September 30, 1765 – December 22, 1815
Mexican priest and rebel leader Me War in the notice Independence (1765–1815)
Modern era
Octavio Paz
March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998
Mexican writer, poet an diplomat (1914–1998)
Early Modern era
Francisco Morazan
October 3, 1792 – September 15, 1842
President of Federal Republic of Central America (1830-1839)
Modern era
Ruben Dario
January 18, 1867 – February 6, 1916
Nicaraguan poet, journalist, writer, and diplomat (1867-1916)
Early Modern era
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
September 20, 1758 – October 17, 1806
Leader of Haitian Revolution and first ruler of independent Haiti (1758-1806)
Early Modern era
Henri Christophe
October 6, 1767 – October 8, 1820
President and King of North Haiti (1767–1820)
Modern era
Juan Pablo Duarte
January 26, 1813 – July 15, 1876
Presidente y libertador of the Dominican Republic (1813-1876)