wing of the archive
The Modern Era
The industrial and imperial centuries: inventors, statesmen, artists, and the makers of the modern world.
Modern era
Patrick Hillery
May 2, 1923 – April 12, 2008
6th president of Ireland (1923–2008)
Modern era
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
February 12, 1911 – March 21, 1978
Irish judge and 5th President of Ireland (1911-1978)
Modern era
Reuven Rivlin
b. September 9, 1939
10th President of Israel (2014–2021)
Modern era
Ezer Weizman
June 15, 1924 – April 24, 2005
Israeli politician, 7th president of Israel (1993–2000)
Modern era
Chaim Herzog
September 17, 1918 – April 17, 1997
6th President of Israel (1983–1993) – (born1918–1997)
Modern era
Ariel Sharon
February 26, 1928 – January 11, 2014
Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006 (1928-2014)
Modern era
Giorgio Napolitano
June 29, 1925 – September 22, 2023
President of Italy from 2006 to 2015
Modern era
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
December 9, 1920 – September 16, 2016
President of Italy from 1999 to 2006
Modern era
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
September 9, 1918 – January 29, 2012
9th President of Italy (1918–2012)
Modern era
Francesco Cossiga
July 26, 1928 – August 17, 2010
8th President of Italy (1928-2010)
Modern era
Sandro Pertini
September 25, 1896 – February 24, 1990
Italian journalist, resistance leader and politician, President of Italy from 1978 to 1985
Modern era
Robert Guéï
March 16, 1941 – September 19, 2002
Ivorian politician (1941-2002)
Modern era
Henri Konan Bédié
May 5, 1934 – August 1, 2023
President of Ivory Coast from 1993 to 1999 (1934-2023)
Modern era
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
October 18, 1905 – December 7, 1993
First President of Ivory Coast, from 1960 to 1993 (1905-1993)
Modern era
Daniel Kablan Duncan
b. June 30, 1943
Ivorian politician
Modern era
Kenneth O. Hall
b. April 24, 1941
Governor-General of Jamaica
Modern era
Howard Cooke
November 13, 1915 – July 11, 2014
Jamaican politician (1915-2014)
Modern era
Edward Zacca
July 26, 1931 – November 11, 2019
Jamaican judge (1931–2019)
Modern era
Florizel Glasspole
September 25, 1909 – November 25, 2000
Jamaican politician (1909-2000)
Modern era
Herbert Duffus
August 30, 1908 – October 25, 2002
Jamaican politician and judge (1908-2002)
Modern era
P. J. Patterson
b. April 10, 1935
Former prime minister of Jamaica, Jamaican politician
Modern era
Edward Seaga
May 28, 1930 – May 28, 2019
5th Prime Minister of Jamaica (1930–2019)
Modern era
Akihito
b. December 23, 1933
Emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019
Modern era
Hirohito
April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989
Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989
Modern era
Emperor Taishō
August 31, 1879 – December 25, 1926
Emperor of Japan from 1912 until 1926
Modern era
Emperor Kōmei
July 22, 1831 – January 30, 1867
Emperor of Japan from 1846 to 1867
Modern era
Hussein I of Jordan
November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999
King of Jordan from 1952 to 1999
Modern era
Talal I of Jordan
February 26, 1909 – July 7, 1972
King of Jordan from 1951 to 1952
Modern era
Abdullah I of Jordan
February 2, 1882 – July 20, 1951
Ruler of Transjordan and Jordan from 1921 to 1951
Modern era
Abdullah Ensour
b. January 20, 1939
Jordan politician, Senator
Modern era
Nūrsūltan Nazarbaev
b. July 6, 1940
President of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019
Modern era
Mwai Kibaki
November 15, 1931 – April 21, 2022
3rd President of Kenya (1931–2022)
Modern era
Daniel arap Moi
September 2, 1924 – February 4, 2020
Kenyan President (2nd) (1924-2020)
Modern era
Margrethe II of Denmark
b. April 16, 1940
Queen of Denmark from 1972 to 2024 (born 1940)
Modern era
Frederik IX of Denmark
March 11, 1899 – January 14, 1972
King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972
Modern era
Christian X of Denmark
September 26, 1870 – April 20, 1947
King of Denmark (1912–1947) and Iceland (1918–1944)
Modern era
Frederik VIII of Denmark
June 3, 1843 – May 14, 1912
King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912
Modern era
Christian IX of Denmark
April 8, 1818 – January 29, 1906
King of Denmark from 1863 to 1906
Modern era
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
b. June 15, 1943
Prime Minister of Denmark from 1993 to 2001
Modern era
Poul Schlüter
April 3, 1929 – May 27, 2021
Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993
Modern era
Beatrix of the Netherlands
b. January 31, 1938
Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013 (born 1938)
Modern era
Juliana of the Netherlands
April 30, 1909 – March 20, 2004
Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980 (1909-2004)
Modern era
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
August 31, 1880 – November 28, 1962
Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948 (1880-1962)
Modern era
William III of the Netherlands
February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890
King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1817-1890)
Modern era
Wim Kok
September 29, 1938 – October 20, 2018
Dutch politician (1938–2018)
Modern era
Ruud Lubbers
May 7, 1939 – February 14, 2018
Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1982 to 1994
Modern era
Teatao Teannaki
1936 – October 11, 2016
President of Kiribati (1936–2016)
Modern era
Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
June 25, 1937 – December 16, 2023
Emir of Kuwait (1937–2023)
Modern era
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
June 16, 1929 – September 29, 2020
Emir of Kuwait (1929–2020)
Modern era
Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
May 13, 1930 – May 13, 2008
Emir of Kuwait in 2006
Modern era
Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah
June 29, 1926 – January 15, 2006
Emir of Kuwait from 1977 to 2006
Modern era
Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah
April 12, 1913 – December 31, 1977
Emir of Kuwait from 1965 to 1977
Modern era
Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah
January 5, 1942 – September 14, 2024
Prime Minister of Kuwait from 2011 to 2019 (1942–2024)
Modern era
Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah
b. December 22, 1940
Former Prime Minister of Kuwait 2006-2011
Modern era
Bounnhang Vorachit
b. August 15, 1937
General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (2016-2021)
Modern era
Choummaly Sayasone
b. March 6, 1936
Former General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
Modern era
Khamtai Siphandone
February 8, 1924 – April 2, 2025
Former Chairman of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1924–2025)
Modern era
Nouhak Phoumsavanh
April 9, 1914 – September 9, 2008
Lao politician (1910-2008)
Modern era
Kaysone Phomvihane
December 13, 1920 – November 21, 1992
First General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (r. 1955-1992)
Modern era
Thongsing Thammavong
b. April 12, 1944
Prime Minister of Laos