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Every so often, a leader emerges whose legacy seems larger-than-life. Some of them inspire us and invite us to envision a better future, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Others had tumultuous lives and careers that read like a cautionary tale, such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry VIII. Still others were tyrants, politicians on the wrong side of history, and various other leaders whose examples we’d do well not to follow, like Russia’s Ivan the Terrible and Andrew Johnson, the first US president to be impeached.
If you want to know more about the people who stood out from their contemporaries, for better or worse, you’ve come to the right place. Our research on historical leaders examines not just who they were and what they did, but the lasting impact they’ve had on the world.
The Roman holiday was marked by religious observances before Julius Caesar's notorious murder.
By Orrin Grey
Read up on the man who defined the American ethos.
Mad for the monarchy? Get a behind-the-scenes look at the great royals of the past.
These women are fascinating figures in their own right.
Learn more about the civil rights icon.
By Grace Felder
These evening radio addresses revolutionized the relationship between the president and the American people.
By Orrin Grey
These may be the strangest cases of claims to power.
By Orrin Grey
What would the world be like if these plots had worked?
By Orrin Grey
He was the first Black man to hold the position, amid a long and impactful career as a soldier and statesman.
These 10 accomplished women led countries, wrote poetry, chronicled history, and made their own.
The Archduke was murdered by a Yugoslav nationalist, setting off an explosive chain of events.
These incredible women refused to wait on history's sidelines.
Margaret Rhodes looks back at her life alongside the monarchy.
The 33rd president had an admirable military career.
Showing a weakness made our founding father strong.
The 17th president narrowly avoided conviction in 1868.