March 01

Born to Raymond of Burgundy and Urraca of León, Alfonso VII ascended the thrones of León and Castile in 1126. His reign was marked by efforts to strengthen royal authority and reclaim territories from Muslim rule. He adopted the imperial title 'Emperor of All Spain' to assert his dominance over rival Christian kingdoms. Alfonso fostered a flourishing of arts and letters at his court in Toledo. He led military campaigns in al-Andalus and negotiated alliances with other European powers. Under his leadership, the kingdom experienced economic and cultural revitalization. He died in 1157, leaving a legacy of centralized governance and patronage of learning.

Born in 1432 as the daughter of Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra, she was raised in a cultured and politically active court. She married her cousin King Afonso V of Portugal in 1447, strengthening the alliance between Coimbra and the royal house. Isabella was known for her diplomatic skills and support of the arts, fostering a court renowned for poetry and music. Her steady counsel helped navigate Portugal through internal factions and external threats. She tragically died in 1455 at the age of twenty-three, an event that plunged the kingdom into mourning. Her legacy endured in the reforms her father enacted and the cultural flowering she inspired.

Born in 1456 to Casimir IV of Poland and Elizabeth of Austria, Vladislaus became King of Bohemia in 1471. He was elected King of Hungary in 1490, uniting two crowns under his rule. His reign was characterized by conflicts with the Ottoman Empire and internal noble revolts. Vladislaus was known for granting extensive privileges to the Hungarian nobility, which later weakened royal authority. He supported arts and education, inviting scholars and artists to his courts in Prague and Buda. His diplomacy maintained fragile peace among Central European powers. He died in 1516, leaving a complex legacy of territorial defense and decentralized governance.

Born into a courtly family, Stafford served under Mary I and later Elizabeth I. He became involved in Catholic-backed plots against the Protestant government. He was arrested and condemned to death but narrowly escaped execution due to his noble connections. His intrigues reflect the intense religious and political strife of Tudor England. After his release, he withdrew from public affairs. He died in 1612, leaving a legacy as a secretive conspirator.

Born in 1577 to a gentry family, Richard Weston studied law and entered royal service in his twenties. He held various diplomatic missions, including ambassadorships to Spain and the Dutch Republic. Knighted in 1618, he was created Earl of Portland for his loyal service to James I. In 1628 he became Lord Treasurer under Charles I, tasked with reforming the kingdom's debt-ridden finances. His pragmatic policies included raising new revenue sources and streamlining government accounts. Weston navigated complex political pressures between the crown and Parliament. He died in 1635, his tenure seen as a prelude to later fiscal controversies leading to the English Civil War.

Born in 1683 in Ansbach, Germany, Caroline of Ansbach married the future King George II of Great Britain and became queen consort in 1727. She was an intelligent patron of the arts and sciences, forging a close friendship with Isaac Newton and supporting the Royal Society. Her letters reveal sharp political acumen and deep interest in government affairs. In 1729, she served as regent in George II's absence, effectively managing state matters and earning the respect of ministers. She championed charitable causes and improvements in education and the arts. Her influence at court and dedication to intellectual pursuits helped shape the cultural legacy of the Georgian era.

Born in 1760 in Mouchamps, François Buzot trained as a lawyer before entering politics at the dawn of the French Revolution. He was elected deputy for the Third Estate in 1789 and joined the Girondin faction, advocating for a constitutional monarchy and civil liberties. As a member of the Constitutional Committee, he helped draft measures to limit royal power and uphold individual rights. Following the fall of the Girondins in 1793, Buzot fled Paris but was ultimately captured and faced execution. His commitment to moderate republicanism and legal expertise made him a notable figure of his turbulent era.

Philip Oakley Fysh was born in England and emigrated to Tasmania, where he built a successful merchant business before entering politics. He served as the 12th Premier of Tasmania from 1892 to 1894, championing economic development and infrastructure projects. Fysh then represented Tasmania in the first Australian Parliament after federation in 1901, advocating for free trade and national unity. A member of the Protectionist Party, he worked to balance regional interests during the early years of the Commonwealth. Fysh's leadership helped shape Tasmanian and Australian politics at a formative period in the nation's history.

Théophile Delcassé was a prominent French politician and leader of the Radical Party. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1898 to 1905, steering France toward the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom in 1904. Delcassé also held positions as Minister of the Colonies and Minister of War, shaping colonial and defense policies. His diplomatic skill strengthened France's alliances and enhanced its international standing. Though he resigned over disagreements during the Moroccan Crisis, his work laid the groundwork for the alliances that defined pre-World War I Europe. Delcassé's career exemplified pragmatic statesmanship in the Third Republic.

Born in 1906, Phạm Văn Đồng joined the struggle for Vietnamese independence in the 1920s and became a close associate of Ho Chi Minh. After Vietnam declared independence, he served in various ministerial roles before being named Prime Minister in 1955. He guided North Vietnam through critical phases of the Vietnam War, overseeing negotiations and wartime administration. Following reunification in 1975, Đồng managed post-war reconstruction and economic planning. Retiring in 1987, he was revered as a founding father of modern Vietnam until his death in 2000.

João Goulart (1918–1976) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as Vice President (1956–1961) and became the 24th President of Brazil in 1961. Known as 'Jango,' he pursued populist reforms including land redistribution and nationalization policies. His progressive agenda faced opposition from conservative forces and the military, leading to his ousting in the 1964 coup d'état. Goulart lived in exile in Uruguay and Argentina, continuing to advocate for democracy until his death. He remains a complex symbol of Brazil's tumultuous political history.

Gladys Spellman (1918–1988) was an American schoolteacher turned politician from Maryland. Elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1964, she became the first woman Majority Whip. In 1974, Spellman was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Maryland's 5th district, and was the first Democratic woman from Maryland in Congress. She focused on education, labor rights, and health care issues. Spellman's career was cut short by a stroke in 1981, and she left a legacy of public service and advocacy for working families.