Chinese rebel leader
Chinese rebel leader
Chinese rebel leader who declared himself emperor of Liang and fought against the Tang dynasty.
Liang Shidu was a Chinese rebel leader during the early Tang dynasty.
He declared himself emperor of his own state, Liang, and led a prolonged resistance against the Tang court.
His forces controlled areas in modern-day Shaanxi and Gansu provinces for several years.
Despite initial successes, his rebellion was ultimately suppressed by Tang armies.
Liang's uprising exemplified the turbulent political landscape of 7th-century China.
628
Liang Shidu
Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno
Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno
Prince of Salerno who expanded his realm and influenced southern Italian politics in the 11th century.
Guaimar IV was a Lombard prince who ruled Salerno from 1027 to 1052.
He forged alliances with Norman mercenaries to strengthen his position.
Under his leadership, Salerno grew in power and territory.
He played a central role in the complex politics of southern Italy, balancing relations between Lombards, Byzantines, and Normans.
His reign marked a period of relative prosperity and cultural exchange.
1052
Guaimar IV of Salerno
Duke of Austria
Duke of Austria
Duke of Austria from the Habsburg dynasty and co-ruler of the family's hereditary lands.
Leopold IV was a member of the Habsburg dynasty, born in 1371.
He ruled as Duke of Austria and co-governed Tyrol and Further Austria alongside his brothers.
During his reign, he implemented administrative reforms and strengthened regional defenses.
He engaged in territorial disputes with neighboring states to protect Habsburg interests.
His patronage of monastic communities contributed to cultural and religious life in his domains.
1411
Leopold IV, Duke of Austria
last megas doux of the Byzantine Empire
last megas doux of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine noble and admiral, the last megas doux before the fall of Constantinople.
Loukas Notaras was a high-ranking Byzantine statesman and the megas doux, or grand admiral.
He served as chief minister under Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos.
Notaras played a critical role in the final defenses of Constantinople during the Ottoman siege of 1453.
Renowned for his diplomatic skills, he negotiated with foreign envoys in a desperate bid to save the city.
His tragic end following the city's fall symbolizes the demise of the Byzantine Empire.
1453
Loukas Notaras
megas doux
2nd Earl of Suffolk, English politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
2nd Earl of Suffolk
English politician
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
English nobleman and politician who served as the 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.
Born in 1584, Theophilus Howard inherited the title of 2nd Earl of Suffolk upon his father's death.
He held the prestigious office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, overseeing key coastal defenses.
Howard was an influential courtier under King James I and King Charles I, navigating complex political challenges.
He was known for his patronage of the arts and support for maritime trade in southeastern England.
Howard died in 1640, leaving behind estates that became centers of cultural and political life.
1640
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
American businessman and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
American businessman and politician
Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
American colonial governor and merchant who presided over Massachusetts Bay during the unrest leading to the American Revolution.
Born in 1711 into a prominent Boston family, Thomas Hutchinson trained in law before entering politics.
He served as the Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1769 to 1774, a period marked by growing colonial resistance.
A loyalist to the British Crown, Hutchinson opposed radical measures by colonial leaders and sought compromise.
His extensive correspondence and official papers provide key insights into the causes of the American Revolution.
Exiled to England after resigning his post, he continued to defend his actions until his death in 1780.
1780
Thomas Hutchinson
Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
American lawyer and politician, 7th Secretary of State of Illinois
American lawyer and politician
7th Secretary of State of Illinois
American lawyer and Democratic politician famed for his debates against Abraham Lincoln.
Stephen A. Douglas was born in 1813 in Vermont and moved to Illinois to study law.
He served in the U.S. Senate and popularized the concept of "popular sovereignty" for deciding slavery in new territories.
Douglas's 1858 debates with Abraham Lincoln elevated both men to national prominence and shaped the 1860 presidential race.
Although he lost to Lincoln in the 1860 election, Douglas remained a key figure in Democratic politics.
He died in 1861, leaving a legacy tied to the tumultuous events leading up to the American Civil War.
1861
Stephen A. Douglas
Secretary of State of Illinois
Chinese general and politician, 2nd President of the Republic of China
Chinese general and politician
2nd President of the Republic of China
Li Yuanhong was a Chinese general and politician who served as the second President of the Republic of China.
Born in 1864, Li Yuanhong rose through the ranks to become a high-ranking military official in late Qing China.
He joined revolutionaries during the Xinhai Revolution and played a key role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty.
In 1916, he was elected as the second President of the Republic of China, navigating a turbulent period marked by warlord conflicts.
Known for his commitment to civilian rule, he sought to stabilize the fledgling republic through constitutional governance.
His presidency faced powerful military factions and political turmoil, leading to his resignation and retirement.
1928
Li Yuanhong
President of the Republic of China
Russian civil servant and politician
Russian civil servant and politician
Mikhail Kalinin was a Soviet revolutionary and long-serving head of state, formally leading the Soviet Union from 1919 to 1946.
Born in 1875 to a peasant family, Mikhail Kalinin became an early Bolshevik and close associate of Vladimir Lenin.
He held ceremonial positions as Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and later as President of the USSR.
While his role was largely symbolic, Kalinin represented the Soviet state at home and abroad during tumultuous early years.
He survived political purges and World War II, maintaining his position through shifting party dynamics.
Kalinin's name was later given to the city of Kaliningrad in honor of his service to the Soviet state.
1946
Mikhail Kalinin
Australian politician who served as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia
Australian politician who served as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia
Samuel Rocke was an independent Australian politician who represented his constituency in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
Born in 1874, Samuel Rocke entered public service at a time of significant development in Western Australia.
Elected as an independent member, he served in the Legislative Assembly, advocating for the interests of his constituents.
Rocke focused on local infrastructure, education, and agricultural policies to support regional communities.
His tenure reflected a commitment to nonpartisan governance and grassroots engagement in politics.
He stepped down in his later years, leaving behind a reputation for dedication to public service until his death in 1963.
Samuel Rocke
independent
Legislative Assembly
Western Australia
Turkish general and politician, 9th Turkish Speaker of the Parliament
Turkish general and politician
9th Turkish Speaker of the Parliament
Kâzım Orbay was a Turkish Army general and politician who served as the ninth Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Born in 1887 in Istanbul, Kâzım Orbay graduated from the Ottoman Military Academy and served in multiple campaigns during World War I.
He joined Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the Turkish War of Independence, rising to a prominent military command.
After the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, Orbay transitioned to politics and was elected Speaker of Parliament in his ninth term.
He played a key role in shaping early republican policies and fostering civil-military relations within the new state.
Orbay retired from public life before his death in 1964, remembered for his dual legacy as both a military leader and legislator.
1964
Kâzım Orbay
Turkish Speaker of the Parliament
Danish-German economist, banker, and politician
Danish-German economist
banker
and politician
German economist and banker who stabilized the Weimar currency and served as Finance Minister under Hitler.
Born in 1877 in Germany, Hjalmar Schacht trained as a lawyer before turning to banking.
He introduced the Rentenmark in 1923 to end hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic.
Schacht served as President of the Reichsbank from 1923 to 1930 and again from 1933 to 1939.
He was appointed Minister of Economics and Finance in Adolf Hitler’s government but fell out of favor in 1939.
After World War II, he was tried at Nuremberg and acquitted of war crimes.
He continued to write on economic matters until his death in 1970.
1970
Hjalmar Schacht