Ruler Biographies

Contemporary era

Hibatullah Akhundzada

b. October 19, 1967

Supreme Leader of Afghanistan since 2021

Early Modern era

Charles III

January 20, 1716 – December 14, 1788

King of Spain from 1759 to 1788

Jayendrabhā

Queen of Upper Chenla (Land Chenla)

Queen Indrani

Queen of Upper Chenla (Land Chenla)

Nrpendradevi av Sambhupura

Queen of Upper Chenla (Land Chenla)

Modern era

Emperor Kōmei

July 22, 1831 – January 30, 1867

Emperor of Japan from 1846 to 1867

Ancient era

King David

1040 BCE – 969 BCE

King of Israel and Judah

Ancient era

Tutankhamun

1343 BCE – 1324 BCE

14th century BCE (18th dynasty) Egyptian pharaoh

Leonidas I

d. 480 BCE

King of Sparta from c. 489 BC to 480 BC

Ancient era

Julius Caesar

100 BCE – 44 BCE

Roman general and statesman whose rise ended the Republic

Ancient era

Augustus

63 BCE – August 19, 1914 CE

First emperor of the Roman Empire and founder of the Julio-Claudian dynasty

Ancient era

Commodus

August 31, 161 CE – December 31, 192 CE

17th Roman Emperor (180–192)

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)

Medieval era

Suleiman the Magnificent

November 6, 1494 – September 6, 1566

The tenth and greatest Sultan of Ottoman Empire (1520–1566)

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

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 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

Peter the Great

May 30, 1672 – January 28, 1725

Tsar/Emperor of Russia from 1682 to 1725

Medieval era

Vlad the Impaler

1431 – December 14, 1476

15th-century ruler of Wallachia

Medieval era

Hongwu Emperor

October 29, 1328 – June 24, 1398

Founding emperor of China's Ming dynasty; ruled 1368–1398

Modern era

Haile Selassie

July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975

Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974

Modern era

Mir Osman Ali Khan

April 6, 1886 – February 24, 1967

Last Monarch of the Kingdom of Hyderabad (1886-1967)

Medieval era

Taejo of Joseon

October 11, 1335 – May 24, 1408

The first king of Joseon Dynasty in Korean history

Modern era

Yaa Asantewaa

1832 – October 17, 1921

Ashanti Queen Mother and military leader

Medieval era

Sweyn Forkbeard

April 17, 963 CE – February 3, 1014

King of Denmark, England, and Norway

Medieval era

Philip IV of France

1268 – November 29, 1314

King of France from 1285 to 1314 (1268–1314)

Medieval era

Alfonso VI of Leon

1040 – July 1, 1109

King of León (1065 to 1109), of Castile (1072 to 1109), and of Galicia (1071 to 1109)

Medieval era

Urraca of Leon

1081 – March 8, 1126

Spanish queen

Medieval era

James I of Aragon

February 2, 1208 – July 27, 1276

King of Aragon (1208–1276)

Medieval era

Peter of Castile

August 30, 1334 – March 23, 1369

King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369

Medieval era

Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor

980 CE – January 24, 1002

Holy Roman Emperor from 996 to 1002

Medieval era

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

March 22, 1459 – January 12, 1519

Holy Roman Emperor (1459-1519)

Medieval era

Stefan Dusan

July 26, 1308 – December 20, 1355

Emperor of Serbia 1331–1355

Medieval era

Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor

September 21, 1415 – August 19, 1493

Holy Roman Emperor and Austrian archduke and duke (1452–1493)

Medieval era

Halfdan Ragnarsson

c. 900 CE – 877 CE

Viking leader and commander of the Great Heathen Army

Ancient era

Ur-Nammu

c. 2000 BCE – 2094 BCE

Sumerian king

Ancient era

Thutmose I

c. 1600 BCE – 1493 BCE

Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty

Ancient era

Tomyris

c. 600 BCE – c. 600 BCE

Queen of the Massagetae (fl. 6. century BCE)

Gyges of Lydia

d. 652 BCE

King of Lydia, 7th century BC; subject of story by Herodotus leading to him marrying Candaules' wife Nyssia

Medieval era

Bahram Chobin

c. 600 CE – 592 CE

Sasanian general and political leader (died 591)

Ancient era

Ahab

918 BCE – 852 BCE

King of Israel, the son and successor of Omri, and the husband of Jezebel (1 Kings 16)

Ancient era

Abgar V

c. 1 BCE – 50 CE

1st century AD King of Osroene

Dhu Nuwas

d. 530 CE

Yemeni king, last ruler of Himyarite Kingdom

Modern era

Umra Khan

1860 – 1903

Pashtun chief

Medieval era

Alexander Nevsky

May 13, 1220 – November 14, 1263

Political and military figure of Kievan Rus' (1246–1263)

Medieval era

Otto the Great

November 23, 912 CE – May 7, 973 CE

Holy Roman Emperor from 962 to 973

Medieval era

Louis IX of France

April 25, 1214 – August 25, 1270

King of France from 1226 to 1270 (1214–1270)

Medieval era

Harald Hardrada

1015 – September 25, 1066

King of Norway from 1046 to 1066

Medieval era

Lucrezia Borgia

April 18, 1480 – June 24, 1519

Spanish-Italian duchess-consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (1480-1519)

Medieval era

Baibars

July 19, 1223 – July 1, 1277

4th Sultan of Egypt from 1260 to 1277

Early Modern era

Tipu Sultan

November 20, 1751 – May 4, 1799

Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 to 1799

Early Modern era

King George III

May 24, 1738 – January 29, 1820

King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820 (1738–1820)

Modern era

Alexander II of Russia

April 17, 1818 – March 1, 1881

The 12th Emperor of Russia (1855–1881)