May 13

Emperor Ling of Han ascended the throne in 168 at age 13.\nDuring his reign, powerful eunuchs dominated court politics and fostered corruption.\nThe Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184, marking a major peasant uprising.\nLing's attempts at reform were undermined by factional struggles.\nHis death in 189 led to the collapse of central authority and the eventual Three Kingdoms era.\nHistorians view his reign as a critical turning point in Han decline.

Ulric II of the House of Andechs governed Carniola until his death in 1112.\nHe oversaw frontier defenses along key Alpine passes.\nHis alliances through marriage strengthened ties with neighboring duchies.\nHe managed feudal obligations to the Holy Roman Emperor.\nHis rule helped shape the early medieval identity of Carniola.

Matthias I succeeded his father in 1138 and ruled until his death in 1176.\nHe fortified defenses along Lorraine's borders with Champagne and Alsace.\nHe navigated feudal loyalties between the Holy Roman Empire and the French crown.\nHe supported monastic foundations and mediated disputes among local lords.\nHis leadership laid the groundwork for Lorraine's medieval autonomy.\nMatthias's rule brought relative stability to his duchy.

Robert de Ros was summoned to Simon de Montfort's Parliament in 1264.\nHe inherited lands in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.\nHe participated in the Barons' Wars against King Henry III.\nAfter the rebellion, he was fined but later restored to royal favor.\nHe supported local churches and town charters on his estates.\nRobert's political maneuvering marked the complexities of feudal England.

Theobald II inherited the duchy in 1303 amid succession disputes.\nHe reinforced fortifications along Lorraine's eastern frontier.\nHe maintained alliances with neighboring principalities and the French crown.\nHe resolved internal conflicts among Lorraine's nobility through diplomacy.\nHis sudden death in 1312 led to the accession of Frederick IV.\nTheobald's reign was marked by a period of relative stability.

Born in 1521 as Takeda Harunobu, he later took the name Shingen.\nHe implemented legal reforms and boosted agricultural productivity in Kai Province.\nShingen led successful campaigns against rival clans, notably at Kawanakajima against Uesugi Kenshin.\nHis cavalry tactics and strategic governance earned him a formidable reputation.\nHe managed his domain with a merit-based administration and network of castles.\nShingen died in 1573, leaving a legacy as a master strategist of samurai warfare.

Kojirō founded the Ganryū school of swordsmanship, emphasizing the nodachi (long sword).\nHe developed the famed 'Turning Swallow Cut', a swift overhead strike.\nHis skill attracted disciples and patronage across western Japan.\nIn 1612, he dueled Miyamoto Musashi on Ganryūjima island.\nMusashi defeated Kojirō using a wooden sword carved from an oar.\nKojirō's life and death have inspired countless works of art and drama.

Born in 1547, Oldenbarnevelt served as Advocate of the States of Holland from 1586.\nHe negotiated the Twelve Years' Truce with Spain, securing a temporary peace.\nHe defended provincial rights against the centralizing ambitions of Prince Maurice.\nIn 1618, he was arrested after a political conflict and tried for treason.\nHe was executed in 1619, becoming a symbol of republican ideals.\nHis leadership shaped the early constitutional structure of the Netherlands.

Born in 1632, Bourdaloue joined the Society of Jesus and honed his rhetorical skills.\nHe became a favorite preacher at the court of Louis XIV and at Notre-Dame de Paris.\nHis clear, moralistic sermons were widely printed and studied across Europe.\nHe balanced emotional appeal with logical arguments to influence his listeners.\nHis published works shaped the art of preaching and religious writing.\nBourdaloue died in 1704, leaving a lasting legacy in homiletics.

Born in 1659 in Bologna, Pistocchi gained fame as a virtuoso castrato singer.\nHe performed at major Italian courts and worked with leading composers.\nIn 1686, he founded a singing school and an opera troupe in Dresden.\nHe composed numerous cantatas, arias, and the opera 'Il Leandro'.\nHis works blend lyrical melodies with dramatic Baroque expression.\nHe taught and influenced a generation of singers until his death in 1726.

Daniel Solander was born in Sweden in 1736 and studied under Carl Linnaeus at Uppsala University. He moved to England and became the first Cambridge-educated botanist employed at the British Museum. In 1768, he joined James Cook's first voyage on HMS Endeavour and collected thousands of plant and algae specimens. His meticulous field notes and specimens laid the foundation for the classification of many Australian and Pacific plant species. Solander helped introduce Linnaean taxonomy to the English-speaking world and published extensively on plant diversity. His collections remain a cornerstone of botanical research today.

Eliphalet Dyer was born in Connecticut in 1721 and studied law before entering public service. He served as a colonel in the French and Indian War, leading Connecticut militia troops. After the war, Dyer became a prominent lawyer and was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Connecticut. He represented Connecticut as a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Dyer played a key role in shaping early American legal and political institutions and influenced Connecticut politics until his death in 1807.