Historical People

Discover the lives and contributions of influential figures throughout history.

Arts and Literature

Chinua Achebe

Nigerian novelist whose groundbreaking work "Things Fall Apart" gave voice to African perspectives and reshaped world literature

1930 - 2013

Key years: 1958, 1975, 2013

Frida Kahlo

Mexican artist who transformed personal pain into powerful surrealist masterpieces that redefined self-portraiture

1907 - 1954

Key years: 1907, 1925, 1954

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance polymath who epitomized the ideal of the universal genius through art, science, and engineering

1452 - 1519

Vincent van Gogh

Dutch post-impressionist painter whose emotionally vivid works became among the most famous paintings in the world

1853 - 1890

Key years: 1853, 1888, 1890

William Shakespeare

English playwright and poet whose works remain the pinnacle of dramatic literature

1564 - 1616

Education and Social Reform

Confucius

Ancient Chinese philosopher whose teachings on ethics, morality, and social harmony shaped East Asian civilization for over two millennia

-551 - -479

Key years: -551, -479

Helen Keller

Deaf-blind activist and author who overcame extraordinary challenges to become a global advocate for human rights

1880 - 1968

Key years: 1880, 1887, 1968

Mary Wollstonecraft

Pioneering feminist writer and philosopher who argued for women's equality and educational rights in the 18th century

1759 - 1797

Key years: 1792, 1797

Political and Military Leaders

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king who created one of the largest empires in history

-356 - -323

Cleopatra VII

Last pharaoh of Egypt who allied with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony in a bid to preserve Egyptian independence

-69 - -30

Genghis Khan

Mongol khan who created the largest contiguous land empire in history

1162 - 1227

George Washington

First President of the United States and Revolutionary War commander who established American democratic traditions

1732 - 1799

Ibn Battuta

Medieval Islamic explorer who traveled over 75,000 miles across Africa, Asia, and Europe, documenting the Islamic world at its peak

1304 - 1368

Key years: 1325, 1354, 1368

Joan of Arc

French peasant girl who led military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War and became a national saint

1412 - 1431

Julius Caesar

Roman general and statesman whose conquests and assassination transformed the Roman Republic

-100 - -44

Mahatma Gandhi

Indian independence leader who pioneered nonviolent resistance and civil rights activism

1869 - 1948

Key years: 1869, 1915, 1930 ...

Martin Luther King Jr.

Baptist minister and civil rights leader who championed nonviolent resistance and changed the course of American history

1929 - 1968

Key years: 1929, 1955, 1963 ...

Napoleon Bonaparte

French military genius and emperor who reshaped Europe and the modern world

1769 - 1821

Theodore Roosevelt

Twenty-sixth U.S. President who championed conservation, progressive reforms, and American global leadership

1858 - 1919

Key years: 1858, 1901, 1904 ...

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom to victory in World War II

1874 - 1965

Key years: 1940, 1945, 1953

Science and Technology

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921

1879 - 1955

Key years: 1905, 1915, 1916 ...

Charles Darwin

British naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection

1809 - 1882

Key years: 1859, 1871

Key years: 1898, 1903, 1911

Nikola Tesla

Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer who revolutionized modern technology

1856 - 1943

Key years: 1893, 1901

Srinivasa Ramanujan

Self-taught Indian mathematician whose extraordinary intuitive insights revolutionized number theory and analysis

1887 - 1920

Key years: 1887, 1913, 1920