a British general best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American Revolution. Born to an aristocratic family in England, he entered military service, seeing action in the French and Indian War, where he served alongside his future opponent more

a British general best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American Revolution. Born to an aristocratic family in England, he entered military service, seeing action in the French and Indian War, where he served alongside his future opponent George Washington in the 1755 Battle of the Monongahela. After the fall of Montreal in 1760, he was named its military governor. During this time he did not distinguish himself militarily, but proved himself to be a competent administrator.

a Swiss-American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. He was an important leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, serving in various federal elective and appointed positions across four decades. He represented Pennsylvania in the Senate and the House of Representatives before becoming the longest-tenured United States Secretary of the Treasury ...

a Swiss-American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. He was an important leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, serving in various federal elective and appointed positions across four decades. He represented Pennsylvania in the Senate and the House of Representatives before becoming the longest-tenured United States Secretary of the Treasury and serving as a high-ranking diplomat.

an Irish landowner and politician. From 1773 to 1789 he represented Dublin County in the Irish House of Commons. He was appointed to the Irish Privy Council on 29 December 1780 and created Baron Mountjoy on 19 September 1789 and Viscount Mountjoy on 30 September 1795, both in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Mountjoy was killed in action at the age of 53, leadin...

an Irish landowner and politician. From 1773 to 1789 he represented Dublin County in the Irish House of Commons. He was appointed to the Irish Privy Council on 29 December 1780 and created Baron Mountjoy on 19 September 1789 and Viscount Mountjoy on 30 September 1795, both in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Mountjoy was killed in action at the age of 53, leading his regiment at the Battle of New Ross. He was succeeded by his son Charles, who was later created Earl of Blessington

an Italian general, politician and nationalist who played a large role in the history of Italy. He is considered, with Camillo Cavour, Victor Emmanuel II and Giuseppe Mazzini, as one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland". Garibaldi was a central figure in the Italian Risorgimento, since he personally commanded and fought in many military campaigns that led ...

an Italian general, politician and nationalist who played a large role in the history of Italy. He is considered, with Camillo Cavour, Victor Emmanuel II and Giuseppe Mazzini, as one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland". Garibaldi was a central figure in the Italian Risorgimento, since he personally commanded and fought in many military campaigns that led eventually to the formation of a unified Italy. Garibaldi wrote at least two novels, characterized by an anti-clerical tone; he also wrote non-fiction.

the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de' Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood. As the eldest surviving brother of King Louis XIII, he was known at court by the traditional honorific Monsieur. On two occasions, he ha...

the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de' Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood. As the eldest surviving brother of King Louis XIII, he was known at court by the traditional honorific Monsieur. On two occasions, he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his brother and his Prime Minister Cardinal Richelieu. After waging an unsuccessful war in Languedoc leading to the Battle of Castelnaudary in 1632, he took refuge in Flanders.

an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was the final alcalde and first mayor of San Francisco, a governor of the Kansas Territory, and the 16th governor of Pennsylvania. Geary was active in the state militia as a teenager. In December 1846, during the Mexican-American War, he was commissioned in the 2nd P...

an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was the final alcalde and first mayor of San Francisco, a governor of the Kansas Territory, and the 16th governor of Pennsylvania. Geary was active in the state militia as a teenager. In December 1846, during the Mexican-American War, he was commissioned in the 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry, serving as lieutenant colonel.

was Duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539 known for his opposition to the Reformation. While the Ernestine line embraced Lutheranism, the Albertines (headed by George) were reluctant to do so. Despite George's efforts to avoid a succession by a Lutheran upon his death in 1539, he could not prevent it from happening. Under the Act of Settlement of 1499, Lutheran <...

was Duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539 known for his opposition to the Reformation. While the Ernestine line embraced Lutheranism, the Albertines (headed by George) were reluctant to do so. Despite George's efforts to avoid a succession by a Lutheran upon his death in 1539, he could not prevent it from happening. Under the Act of Settlement of 1499, Lutheran Henry IV became the new duke. Upon his accession, Henry introduced Lutheranism as a state religion in the Albertine lands of Saxony. Duke George was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

King of Great Britain and Ireland, Supreme Governor of the Church of England from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698. During George's reign, the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began a transition to the modern system of cabinet government led b...

King of Great Britain and Ireland, Supreme Governor of the Church of England from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698. During George's reign, the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began a transition to the modern system of cabinet government led by a prime minister. Towards the end of his reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole, now recognised as Britain's first de facto prime minister.

King of Great Britain and Ireland, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. As king from 1727, George exercised little control over British domestic policy, which was largely controlled by the Parliament of Great Britain. As elector, he spen...

King of Great Britain and Ireland, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. As king from 1727, George exercised little control over British domestic policy, which was largely controlled by the Parliament of Great Britain. As elector, he spent 12 summers in Hanover, where he had more direct control over government policy.

King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. Also Supreme Governor of the Church of England during that time. His life and reign, which were longer than any other British monarch before him, were marked...

King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. Also Supreme Governor of the Church of England during that time. His life and reign, which were longer than any other British monarch before him, were marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia.

King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover following the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten years later. Also Supreme Governor of the Church of England during that time. From 1811 until his acces...

King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover following the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten years later. Also Supreme Governor of the Church of England during that time. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father's final mental illness. George IV led an extravagant lifestyle that contributed to the fashions of the Regency era. He was a patron of new forms of leisure, style and taste. His charm and culture earned him the title "the first gentleman of England", but his poor relationship with both his father and wife, and his dissolute way of life, earned him the contempt of the people and dimmed the prestige of the monarchy.

an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States (1813–14), serving under James Madison. He is known best for being the namesake of gerrymandering, a process by which electoral dis...

an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States (1813–14), serving under James Madison. He is known best for being the namesake of gerrymandering, a process by which electoral districts are drawn with the aim of aiding the party in power, although its initial "g" has softened to /d?/ from the hard /?/ of his name. Born into a wealthy merchant family, Gerry vocally opposed British colonial policy in the 1760s, and was active in the early stages of organizing the resistance in the American Revolutionary War.

Adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier, he served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and was a pioneer of the English colonial empire in North America and the Plantations of Ireland. He was a half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh (they had the sam...

Adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier, he served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and was a pioneer of the English colonial empire in North America and the Plantations of Ireland. He was a half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh (they had the same mother, Catherine Champernowne), and cousin of Sir Richard Grenville. Gilbert was one of the leading advocates for the mythical north-west passage to Cathay (present-day China), an area noted in great detail by Marco Polo in the 13th century for its abundance of riches.

the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500, to May 19, 1526. His reign marked the nadir of Imperial authority during the Ashikaga shogunate. In 1500, he became Emperor upon the death of his father, the Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. However, because of the aftereffects of the Onin War, the Imperi...

the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500, to May 19, 1526. His reign marked the nadir of Imperial authority during the Ashikaga shogunate. In 1500, he became Emperor upon the death of his father, the Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. However, because of the aftereffects of the Onin War, the Imperial Family was left so impoverished that he was unable to perform the formal coronation ceremony. On the 3rd month, 22nd day of 1521, thanks to contributions from Honganji Jitsunyo, and the Muromachi Bakufu, the Emperor was finally able to carry out this ceremony.

the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Komyo's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 14th-century Nanboku-cho Emperor Komyo and go-, translates as later, and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Komyo". The Japanese word go has also been translated to m...

the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Komyo's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 14th-century Nanboku-cho Emperor Komyo and go-, translates as later, and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Komyo". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the second one, and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Komyo, the second," or as "Komyo II". Tsuguhito-shinno was granted the title of Crown Prince; and the following year, he became Emperor when Empress Meisho abdicated. His sister stepped down from the throne and the succession (senso) was received by the new monarch.

the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Seiwa and go-, translates as "later", and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Mizunoo". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the...

the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Seiwa and go-, translates as "later", and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Mizunoo". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the "second one", and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Mizunoo II". The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Go-Mizunoo's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugawa Hidetada and Tokugawa Iemitsu were leaders at the pinnacle of the Tokugawa shogunate.

the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Momozono's reign spanned the years from 1771 through his death in 1779. This 18th-century sovereign was named after his father Emperor Momozono and go-, translates as "later", and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Momozono". The Japanese word go has also been translate...

the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Momozono's reign spanned the years from 1771 through his death in 1779. This 18th-century sovereign was named after his father Emperor Momozono and go-, translates as "later", and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Momozono". The Japanese word go has also been translated to mean the "second one"; and in some older sources, this emperor might be identified as "Momozono, the second", or as "Momozono II". Hidehito was passed over when his father died. He was too young to be emperor at that time.

the 105th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from June 9, 1526 until September 27, 1557, during the Sengoku period. Go-Nara was proclaimed emperor upon the death of his father, Emperor Go-Kashiwabara. He began his re...

the 105th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from June 9, 1526 until September 27, 1557, during the Sengoku period. Go-Nara was proclaimed emperor upon the death of his father, Emperor Go-Kashiwabara. He began his reign at age 31.

the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1655 through 1663. Nagahito-shinn? became emperor when his emperor-brother died. This death left the throne vacant and the succession (senso) was received by the new monarch. The years of Go-Sai's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugaw...

the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1655 through 1663. Nagahito-shinn? became emperor when his emperor-brother died. This death left the throne vacant and the succession (senso) was received by the new monarch. The years of Go-Sai's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugawa Ietsuna was the leader at the pinnacle of the Tokugawa shogunate.

the 117th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771. In the history of Japan, Go-Sakuramachi was the last of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. Princess Toshiko acceded to the throne when Emperor Momozono abdicated in favor of his sister. Momozono's son...

the 117th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771. In the history of Japan, Go-Sakuramachi was the last of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. Princess Toshiko acceded to the throne when Emperor Momozono abdicated in favor of his sister. Momozono's son, Prince Hidehito (later to be known as Emperor Go-Momozono) was only 5 years old at this time. Hidehito's empress aunt was expected to occupy the throne until her nephew would be able to take on the burden of responsibility.

the 103rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1464 through 1500. Shortly after his enthronement, the Onin War took place. Temples, shrines, and mansions of court nobles, among others, were burned to the ground. The Imperial Court's finances dried up, and the Court declined. The Emperor supporte...

the 103rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1464 through 1500. Shortly after his enthronement, the Onin War took place. Temples, shrines, and mansions of court nobles, among others, were burned to the ground. The Imperial Court's finances dried up, and the Court declined. The Emperor supported Yoshida Family's policy of establishing a new kind of State Shinto which could add social and political cohesion in the country devastated by civil war.

the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Yozei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi–Momoyama period and the Edo period. Prince Katahito became emperor when his grandfather abdicated. The succession was considered to have been received by the new monarch...

the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Yozei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi–Momoyama period and the Edo period. Prince Katahito became emperor when his grandfather abdicated. The succession was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Yozei is said to have acceded (sokui). The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Go-Yozei's reign correspond with the start of the Tokugawa shogunate under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada.

a British nobleman and politician. Francis Godolphin was educated at Eton College, and at King's College, Cambridge, where he took his M.A. degree in 1705. His first public appointment was that of joint registrar of the court of chancery on 29 June 1698, which he held to 20 January 1727, holding also the place of one of the tellers of the exchequer from 1699...

a British nobleman and politician. Francis Godolphin was educated at Eton College, and at King's College, Cambridge, where he took his M.A. degree in 1705. His first public appointment was that of joint registrar of the court of chancery on 29 June 1698, which he held to 20 January 1727, holding also the place of one of the tellers of the exchequer from 1699 to 1704. He was chosen a member of parliament for East Looe in Cornwall on 1 December 1701, but on 4 February 1701–2 elected to serve for Helston, and sat for that constituency till 21 September 1710.

a British peer and politician. He was appointed Lieutenant-governor of the Scilly Isles from 1739 to 1766 and full Governor from 1766 to his death. He was also recorder for Helston from 1766 to his death. He was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) for the borough of Helston in Cornwall from 1741 to 1766, when he succeeded to the peerage on the death of his c...

a British peer and politician. He was appointed Lieutenant-governor of the Scilly Isles from 1739 to 1766 and full Governor from 1766 to his death. He was also recorder for Helston from 1766 to his death. He was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) for the borough of Helston in Cornwall from 1741 to 1766, when he succeeded to the peerage on the death of his cousin Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin.

a leading British politician of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was a Privy Councillor and Secretary of State for the Northern Department before attaining real power as First Lord of the Treasury. He was instrumental in negotiating and passing the Acts of Union 1707 with Scotland, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain. He had many other roles...

a leading British politician of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was a Privy Councillor and Secretary of State for the Northern Department before attaining real power as First Lord of the Treasury. He was instrumental in negotiating and passing the Acts of Union 1707 with Scotland, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain. He had many other roles, including that of Governor of Scilly.

an English nobleman and politician. In 1712 his father succeeded as 2nd Earl of Godolphin (Lord Godolphin had been promoted in 1706). As heir-apparent to the earldom, William assumed the courtesy title Viscount Rialton. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. On 9 June 1720, Hugh Boscawen, the Member of Parliament for Penryn, was raised to the House ...

an English nobleman and politician. In 1712 his father succeeded as 2nd Earl of Godolphin (Lord Godolphin had been promoted in 1706). As heir-apparent to the earldom, William assumed the courtesy title Viscount Rialton. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. On 9 June 1720, Hugh Boscawen, the Member of Parliament for Penryn, was raised to the House of Lords as Viscount Falmouth. Lord Rialton was elected to the House of Commons in his place on 24 June 1720, sitting as a Whig.

ruled the Tsardom of Russia as de facto regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. The end of his reign saw Russia descend into the Time of Troubles. Godunov's career began at the court of Ivan the Terrible. He is mentioned in 1570 for taking part in the Serpeisk campaign being an archer of the guard. The following ...

ruled the Tsardom of Russia as de facto regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. The end of his reign saw Russia descend into the Time of Troubles. Godunov's career began at the court of Ivan the Terrible. He is mentioned in 1570 for taking part in the Serpeisk campaign being an archer of the guard. The following year, he became an oprichnik – a member of Ivan's personal guard and secret police.

Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat from 1627 until his death. He was also Charles III Duke of Nevers and Rethel, as well as Prince of Arches. In 1600, as duke of Rethel, he founded, in Nevers, the Order of the Yellow Ribbon, soon forbidden by the King, due to its peculiar character. In 1606, he decided the foundation of Charleville and the Principality of...

Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat from 1627 until his death. He was also Charles III Duke of Nevers and Rethel, as well as Prince of Arches. In 1600, as duke of Rethel, he founded, in Nevers, the Order of the Yellow Ribbon, soon forbidden by the King, due to its peculiar character. In 1606, he decided the foundation of Charleville and the Principality of Arches.

an abolitionist and co-founder of Kansas State University and Manhattan, Kansas. Goodnow was also elected as a Republican to the Kansas House of Representatives and as Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state, and is known as "the father of formal education in Kansas." In 1848 Goodnow accepted a position as professor of natural sciences at the Prov...

an abolitionist and co-founder of Kansas State University and Manhattan, Kansas. Goodnow was also elected as a Republican to the Kansas House of Representatives and as Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state, and is known as "the father of formal education in Kansas." In 1848 Goodnow accepted a position as professor of natural sciences at the Providence Conference Seminary in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. He retained this position until December 1854, when he resigned at age 40 to move to Kansas Territory to support the creation of a Free-State town by the New England Emigrant Aid Company.

a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the main conspirators. His early involvement in English trade with and settlement of North America as well as his efforts in founding the Province of Maine in 1622 earne...

a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the main conspirators. His early involvement in English trade with and settlement of North America as well as his efforts in founding the Province of Maine in 1622 earned him the title of the "Father of English Colonization in North America," even though Gorges himself never set foot in the New World.

Starting at 15, Gorham served an apprenticeship with a merchant in New London, Connecticut, after which he opened a merchant house in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1759. He took part in public affairs at the beginning of the American Revolution: he was a member of the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) from 1771 until 1775, a delegate to the Provinci...

Starting at 15, Gorham served an apprenticeship with a merchant in New London, Connecticut, after which he opened a merchant house in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1759. He took part in public affairs at the beginning of the American Revolution: he was a member of the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) from 1771 until 1775, a delegate to the Provincial congress from 1774 until 1775, and a member of the Board of War from 1778 until its dissolution in 1781. In 1779, he served in the state constitutional convention. He was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from 1782 until 1783, and also from 1785 until 1787, serving as its president for five months from June 6 to November 5, 1786, after the resignation of John Hancock. Gorham also served a term as judge of the Middlesex County Court of Common Pleas.

founder and editor of the New-York Tribune, among the great newspapers of its time. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressman from New York, and was the unsuccessful candidate of the new Liberal Republican party in the 1872 presidential election against incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant. Greeley was the new Liberal Republican Party's can...

founder and editor of the New-York Tribune, among the great newspapers of its time. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressman from New York, and was the unsuccessful candidate of the new Liberal Republican party in the 1872 presidential election against incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant. Greeley was the new Liberal Republican Party's candidate in the 1872 U.S. presidential election. He lost in a landslide, despite having the additional support of the Democratic Party. He was devastated by the death of his wife, who died five days before the election, and died himself three weeks later.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he was a long-time leader of multiple reform movements, most famously the Reform Act 1832. His government also saw the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, in which the government purchased slaves from their owners in 1833. Grey was a strong opponent of t...

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he was a long-time leader of multiple reform movements, most famously the Reform Act 1832. His government also saw the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, in which the government purchased slaves from their owners in 1833. Grey was a strong opponent of the foreign and domestic policies of William Pitt the Younger in the 1790s. In 1807, he resigned as foreign secretary to protest the King's uncompromising rejection of Catholic Emancipation. Grey finally resigned in 1834 over disagreements in his cabinet regarding Ireland, and retired from politics.

an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. When the 15-year-old king lay dying in June 1553, he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, thus subverting the claims of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth under the Third Succession Act. Jane was imprisoned in the Tower of London when the Priv...

an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. When the 15-year-old king lay dying in June 1553, he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, thus subverting the claims of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth under the Third Succession Act. Jane was imprisoned in the Tower of London when the Privy Council decided to change sides and proclaim Mary as queen on 19 July 1553. Jane was convicted of high treason in November 1553, which carried a sentence of death, although her life was initially spared. Lady Jane Grey had an excellent humanist education and a reputation as one of the most learned young women of her day. A committed Protestant, she was posthumously regarded as not only a political victim but also a martyr.

one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of Banten, as well as the Sultanate of Cirebon on the north coast of Java. There is much historical uncertainty as to his early life and later career in the Indonesian Archipelago. Some say that he was born in Pasai, one of the earliest centres of Islam in Southeas...

one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of Banten, as well as the Sultanate of Cirebon on the north coast of Java. There is much historical uncertainty as to his early life and later career in the Indonesian Archipelago. Some say that he was born in Pasai, one of the earliest centres of Islam in Southeast Asia; whilst others say that he was born in Pajajaran, capital of his maternal grandfather's Kingdom of Sunda.

King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (Riksföreståndare) from 1521, during the ongoing Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Initially of low standing, Gustav rose to lead the rebel movement following the Stockholm Bloodbath, in which his father peri...

King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (Riksföreståndare) from 1521, during the ongoing Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Initially of low standing, Gustav rose to lead the rebel movement following the Stockholm Bloodbath, in which his father perished. Gustav's election as King on 6 June 1523 and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later meant the end of Medieval Sweden's elective monarchy and the Kalmar Union, and the birth of a hereditary monarchy under the House of Vasa and its successors, including the current House of Bernadotte.

the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power (Swedish: Stormaktstiden). He led Sweden to military supremacy during the Thirty Years' War, helping to determine the political as well as the religious balance of power in Europe. He was formally and posthumously given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great (Swedish...

the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power (Swedish: Stormaktstiden). He led Sweden to military supremacy during the Thirty Years' War, helping to determine the political as well as the religious balance of power in Europe. He was formally and posthumously given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great (Swedish: Gustav Adolf den store, Latin: Gustavus Adolphus Magnus) by the Riksdag of the Estates in 1634.

King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw as the abuse of political privileges seized by the nobility since the death of King Charles XII. Seizing power from the government in a coup d'état in 1772 that ended the Age of Liberty, he initiated a campaign to restore royal autocracy which was completed...

King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw as the abuse of political privileges seized by the nobility since the death of King Charles XII. Seizing power from the government in a coup d'état in 1772 that ended the Age of Liberty, he initiated a campaign to restore royal autocracy which was completed by the Union and Security Act of 1789, which swept away most of the powers once exercised by the Swedish Riksdag (parliament).

an important Native American leader of the Seneca people in the second half of the eighteenth century, playing a central role in the diplomacy and warfare of that era. At young age, he and his family migrated along the Allegheny River and finally settled in Logstown, an Iroquois village in Pennsylvania. The paternal half of his ancestry were decorated warrio...

an important Native American leader of the Seneca people in the second half of the eighteenth century, playing a central role in the diplomacy and warfare of that era. At young age, he and his family migrated along the Allegheny River and finally settled in Logstown, an Iroquois village in Pennsylvania. The paternal half of his ancestry were decorated warriors. Guyasuta made acquaintance with young George Washington (whom he called "Tall Hunter") in 1753 when he accompanied and guided him through Pennsylvania to the French Fort Le Boeuf, and is referred to as "The Hunter" in Washington's personal journals.

a British-born American founding father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress, was one of the signatories (first signature on the left) on the United States Declaration of Independence. He was also, briefly, the provisional president of Georgia in 1777, and Gwinnett County (now a major suburb of metropolitan Atlanta) was named for h...

a British-born American founding father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress, was one of the signatories (first signature on the left) on the United States Declaration of Independence. He was also, briefly, the provisional president of Georgia in 1777, and Gwinnett County (now a major suburb of metropolitan Atlanta) was named for him. Gwinnett was killed in a duel by a rival, Lachlan McIntosh, following a dispute after a failed invasion of East Florida.