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Cyrus the Great was born around 580 BC in the land of Persia which is today the country of Iran. He became the first emperor of Persia, uniting the tribal Medes and Persians. He conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Judea. Cyrus saw himself as a liberator of people and not a conqueror. He treated his subjects equally and let the more than 40,000 Jews held in captivity in Babylon return home to Jerusalem.
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Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded Carthage's main forces against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. He is widely considered one of the greatest military commanders in world history. His father, Hamilcar Barca, was a leading Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War. His younger brothers were Mago and Hasdrubal, and he was brother-in-law to Hasdrubal the Fair, who also commanded Carthaginian armies.
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Octavian, as he was originally called, was the adopted son of the dictator of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar. Octavian came into power in the Second Triumvirate. This was three men ruling over the Roman Republic: Mark Antony, Lepidus and Octavian.
All three were loyal to Julius Caesar, the assassinated dictator, killed in 44 BC. -
Atilla was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, and Alans among others, in Central and Eastern Europe. He invaded the Balkans, Italy and France. Attila was planning to invade Constantinople in 453 AD, when he died suddenly. Some believe that he died as a result of internal bleeding caused by excessive drinking. After his death, The Hunnic Empire could not survive for long.
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Charlemagne, or Charles I, was one of the great leaders of the Middle Ages. He was King of the Franks and later was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day. He lived from April 2, 742 until January 28, 814. He conquered much of the Saxon territories expanding into what is today's Germany, so he is considered the father of the Germany Monarchy. He also conquered the Lombards in Northern Italy, took control of Rome and conquered Bavaria.
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William the Conqueror , also known as William I of England, was the first Norman King of England (1066–1087). He was also the Duke of Normandy from 1035 until his death.
At the Battle of Hastings William defeated Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. That event is shown on the Bayeux Tapestry. He changed the course of both Norman and English history. He and Harold fought to see who would have the English throne. Harold was killed at the battle of Hastings in 1066. -
Genghis Khan was a Mongol warrior and conqueror who unified the nomadic tribes of this ethnic group from North Asia, founding the First Mongol Empire, considered the second largest in history in terms of territorial expansion.
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Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 in northern Portugal in a wealthy family. He enjoyed sailing and exploring. He led the first expedition to sail all the way around the world. He also discovered a passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean that is today called the Straits of Magellan.
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James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in Marton, England. He was a British navigator and explorer who sailed and mapped much of the South Pacific. During his first trip, he visited Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. The Maori warriors in New Zealand wore tattoos on their faces. Some of the sailors got tattoos on their arms and started a tradition that continues today. Captain Cook's second expedition took place from 1772-1775.
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Napoleon Bonaparte was a French statesman and military leader who led many successful campaigns during the French Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars, and was Emperor of the French (as Napoleon I) from 1804 until 1814 and again briefly in 1815 during the Hundred Days. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions during the Napoleonic Wars. He won wars.
