The Greatest Conquerors in History timeline

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 treated his subjects equally and let the more than 40,000 Jews held in captivity in Babylon return home to Jerusalem. He created what may be the first charter of human rights, available to be seen at the British Museum. Cyrus died in 530 BC.

Was born in Carthage, in 247 BCE. His father died when he was 18 but Hannibal continued his father's conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.Hannibal led his army through Spain, the Alps and into Italy to conquer Rome.The ejercite of Rome was better and Fifteen years after arriving in Italy, Hannibal retreated back to Carthage in 203 BCE. The Romans finally defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in 202 BCE. After the war, Hannibal went into politics in Carthage but he still hated Rome.

He was born on September 23, 63 B.C. , in the city of Rome. After Julius Caesar was assassinated, he was named Consul, and formed a triumvirate with Mark Anthony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. He was not a battle king. However, under his rule, the Roman empire expanded into Hungary, Croatia and Egypt as well as securing Spain and Gaul. He added more land than Julius Caesar, and was worshipped as a god in Rome.

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.

William was born in 1028 in Falaise, which was part of the Duchy of Normandy. In 1050 William married Matilda of Flanders in a political marriage. They had four sons and five daughters. After winning the Battle of Hastings against King Harold II, he captured the city of London and was crowned king of England on December 25, 1066. He built castles throughout England to maintain control. William died while leading a battle in Northern France in 1087.

He was born in 1162, in Mongolia. His father was the khan of their tribe. He discovered that his family had been betrayed. A warrior killed his father, took up the role as a khan and kicked his family from his tribe. He built his own tribe and army to fight the Tartars. After conquering his greatest enemies, the Mongol tribes agreed to ally and follow Temujin, naming him "Genghis Khan". By 1215, he had captured Beijing, and the Mongols ruled over the northern part of China. Genghis died in 1227.

He was born in 1480, in northern Portugal, in a wealthy family. He led the first expedition to sail all the way around the world. In 1519, Magellan set out to find another route to Eastern Asia. He and around 40 of his men were killed in a battle in the Philippines in 1521. One of the ships, captained by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returned to Spain in September of 1522, with only 18 surviving sailors.

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. Captain Cook's second expedition took place from 1772-1775. His goal was to either discover the southern continent or prove that it didn't exist. The goal of this journey was to find a northwest passage across North America to Asia. James Cook was killed by natives at the Hawaiian Islands on February 14, 1779, after they had stolen a boat.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15,1769 in the city of Ajaccio, Corsica. He went to a military academy in France.
His military leadership in the battle was recognized by the leaders of France. He was an ambitious man and a brilliant general who became a dictator in France and conquered much of Europe. His army was too small and he was forced into exile. Napoleon was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. He died after six years of exile on May 5, 1821.