September 13

Born in AD 64 as the cherished daughter of Emperor Titus and Arrecina Tertulla. Though she held no formal power, her status influenced the politics and culture of the Flavian court. Renowned for her beauty and wit, she became one of the most visible women of her time. Her untimely death cut short a life entwined with imperial intrigue and familial ambition. Today, historians study her as a lens into the lives of women in early Imperial Rome.

Born in AD 678, he ascended the throne of Palenque in his adolescence and ruled until 730. Under his guidance, the city witnessed the construction of grand temples, including the famed Temple of the Inscriptions. He secured his legacy through hieroglyphic inscriptions that chronicle his reign and diplomatic alliances. His leadership extended Palenque’s influence across the region, strengthening Maya political networks. Archaeologists today rely on his monuments to understand Maya civilization’s cultural and architectural advancements.

Born in 1087, John II succeeded his father Alexios I Komnenos as emperor in 1118. Known as John the Good, he led successful campaigns against the Pechenegs and Seljuk Turks. He reformed the empire’s finances and strengthened provincial governance to ensure stability. A patron of the Orthodox Church and the arts, he commissioned churches and supported scholars. His reign marked a period of relative peace and economic growth in the 12th-century Byzantine world.

Born in 1373, Minkhaung I ascended the throne of Ava in 1400 and reigned for over two decades. He led four major wars against the Hanthawaddy Kingdom in southern Burma, seeking territorial expansion. His rule saw both significant victories and strategic retreats, shaping the region’s political landscape. A devotee of Theravada Buddhism, he funded monasteries and promoted religious scholarship. His legacy endures in Burmese chronicles as a king who balanced power, piety, and perseverance.

Born in 1475 as the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, Cesare rose to prominence as a cardinal. He wielded papal nepotism to govern the Romagna region with both political savvy and military force. Renowned for his ambition and ruthlessness, he later traded his ecclesiastical office for a ducal title. His strategies and power plays are famously cited in Machiavelli’s The Prince as a lesson in realpolitik. He died in 1507 during a military campaign, leaving behind a controversial but enduring legacy.

Born in 1502, Leland studied at Oxford before joining the court of Henry VIII as a royal poet. Commissioned to survey and record manuscripts threatened by the dissolution of monasteries, he traveled extensively. His monumental Itinerary documents local traditions, genealogies, and historical sites across England and Wales. Leland’s scholarly rigor preserved countless medieval texts that might otherwise have been lost. He died in 1552, leaving a lasting foundation for antiquarian and historical research in Britain.

Born in 1521 and educated at Cambridge, William Cecil entered royal service as a skilled administrator. Under Elizabeth I, he served as Secretary of State and later as Lord High Treasurer, guiding domestic and foreign policy. He orchestrated the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, balancing Protestant and Catholic interests. A patron of exploration, he supported voyages that expanded England’s maritime presence. His financial stewardship and diplomatic acumen laid the groundwork for England’s Golden Age.

Born in 1594 in Modena, Manelli became a leading figure in Rome’s musical academies. He mastered the theorbo, bringing new expressive possibilities to continuo playing. His collaborations with librettists yielded some of the first public operas in Venice, including L’Andromeda. Manelli’s innovative styles influenced the emerging Baroque idiom across Italy. He died in 1667, leaving behind a repertoire that bridged Renaissance tradition and Baroque spectacle.

Born in 1604, Brereton was created a baronet in 1627 and served as MP for Cheshire. He became a key military commander for Parliament against King Charles I in the English Civil War. Brereton’s disciplined leadership secured crucial victories in northwest England and disrupted Royalist supply lines. After the conflict, he retired from public life, remembered for his strategic acumen and civic commitment. He died in 1698, his efforts contributing to the transformation of British governance.

Born in 1755 in Delaware, Evans displayed mechanical ingenuity from an early age. He designed the first fully automated flour mill using bucket elevators and conveyors. Evans patented a high-pressure steam engine, influencing the nascent American industrial revolution. His Young Mill-Wright and Miller’s Guide became a foundational text for early engineers. He navigated fierce patent disputes and built mills across the Eastern Seaboard before dying in 1819.

Born in Berlin in 1802, Ruge studied theology and philosophy under Hegel. He became a prominent member of the Young Hegelians and co-edited the progressive journal Der Deutsche Jahrbücher. Ruge advocated for liberal democratic reforms and social rights in the turbulent pre-1848 era. After the failed revolutions of 1848 he lived in exile in France and Britain, continuing his writing and political activism. He returned to Germany later in life, influencing generations of thinkers before his death in 1880.

Born in Cornwall, Connecticut, in 1813, Sedgwick graduated from West Point in 1837. He saw action in the Mexican–American War and taught mathematics and engineering at West Point. During the Civil War he commanded the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac with distinction. Sedgwick was known for his leadership at battles such as Antietam and Chancellorsville. He was tragically killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania in 1864, becoming the highest-ranking Union casualty.