Politics

Abel is the second son of Adam and Eve in Genesis. A devout shepherd, he offers God the finest of his flock. Slain by his brother Cain, he becomes the first murder victim in the Abrahamic tradition.

King of Colchis in Greek mythology, son of the god Helios and the Oceanid Perseis. Father of Medea, he is the guardian of the Golden Fleece and the main adversary of Jason during the quest of the Argonauts.

Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt (c. 1353–1336 BCE), Akhenaten revolutionized religion by imposing the monotheistic worship of Aten, the solar disk. He relocated the capital to Akhetaten (Amarna) and profoundly transformed Egyptian art.

King of Macedon from 370 to 368 BC, son of Amyntas III and elder brother of Philip II. His brief reign was marked by internal unrest before his assassination by Ptolemy of Aloros.

Pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty (c. 1391–1353 BC), he ruled Egypt at the height of its diplomatic and artistic power. His reign was marked by relative peace, intensive building activity, and exceptional cultural refinement.

Amon was the fourteenth king of Judah, son of Manasseh, who reigned around 642–640 BC. Like his father, he practiced idol worship and abandoned the Yahwist faith. He was assassinated by his own servants after only two years of rule.

A Macedonian princess born around 316 BCE, daughter of Ptolemy I, she became queen of Ptolemaic Egypt. Co-regent alongside her brother and husband Ptolemy II, she wielded considerable political influence and was deified during her own lifetime.

Emperor of the Maurya dynasty in the 3rd century BCE, Aśoka unified nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Devastated by the massacres of the Kalinga War, he converted to Buddhism and governed according to the principles of non-violence and dharma.

Aten is the solar deity of ancient Egypt, represented as the sun disk whose rays end in human hands. Elevated to the status of sole god by Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BCE, Aten stood at the heart of an unprecedented religious revolution.

Ay was pharaoh of Egypt around 1323–1319 BCE, successor to Tutankhamun. A senior official and priest, he played a key role at the close of the Amarna period by restoring the traditional worship of the Egyptian gods.

Bathsheba is a figure from the Old Testament, wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of King David after Uriah's death. As the mother of Solomon, she played a decisive role in the royal succession by interceding with David to ensure her son would inherit the throne of Israel.

Macedonian queen who became the wife of Ptolemy I, founder of the Lagid dynasty in Egypt. Mother of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, she was deified after her death and played a foundational role in establishing the dynastic legitimacy of the Ptolemies.

Eldest son of Adam and Eve in the Bible, Cain committed the first murder in human history by killing his brother Abel out of jealousy. Condemned to wander the earth, he received a protective mark from God.

Roman statesman and writer (234–149 BC), consul in 195 BC and censor in 184 BC. An uncompromising defender of traditional Roman values, he opposed Greek influence and pursued strict economic policies. He is also considered the first great Latin prose writer, known for his treatise on agriculture.

An Indian philosopher, economist, and political strategist of the 4th century BCE, Chanakya served as advisor to Chandragupta Maurya, founder of the Maurya Empire. Often called the "Indian Machiavelli," he authored the Arthashastra, a foundational treatise on politics and economics.

Founder of the Maurya Empire in the 4th century BCE, Chandragupta unified the Indian subcontinent after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty. He established the first great centralized empire in Indian history.

Fourth Roman emperor (41–54 AD), Claudius succeeded Caligula. Despite physical disabilities that long kept him on the margins of power, he proved to be a skilled administrator, reformer, and conqueror of Britain.

The last queen of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra VII ruled from 51 to 30 BC. A woman of power and learning, she allied herself with Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony in an effort to preserve her kingdom's independence against Rome.

Daughter of Scipio Africanus and wife of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, Cornelia (c. 190–100 BC) is the model of the virtuous Roman matron. She raised her twelve children alone after being widowed, refusing a royal remarriage. She is famous for pointing to her sons Tiberius and Gaius as "her most precious jewels."

A Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC, Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome. He formed the First Triumvirate with Caesar and Pompey in 60 BC. He died in the disastrous Battle of Carrhae against the Parthians.

Founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, Cyrus II unified the Median and Persian peoples. Renowned for his tolerance toward conquered peoples, he notably freed the Jewish captives held in Babylon.

Darius I (c. 549–485 BC) was the third great king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. He expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent, from the Indus River to Thrace, and profoundly reorganized its administration. He was defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

Demosthenes (384–322 BC) was the greatest orator of ancient Greece. An Athenian statesman, he vigorously opposed the expansion of Philip II of Macedon through his famous speeches, the Philippics.

A Phoenician princess from Tyre, Dido is the legendary founder of Carthage (in present-day Tunisia), according to Greek and Latin tradition. Made famous by Virgil's Aeneid, she embodies the figure of the queen-builder and the tragic woman abandoned by Aeneas.

Greek historian of the 1st century BC, born in Sicily, author of the Bibliotheca historica, a vast universal history encyclopedia in 40 volumes covering mythical origins through the age of Caesar.

Pharaoh of the Third Egyptian Dynasty (c. 2650 BCE), Djoser is famous for commissioning the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, the first great funerary monument built in stone in history.

Greek philosopher, physician, and statesman of the 5th century BC, from Akragas in Sicily. He is famous for his theory of the four elements (earth, water, fire, air) and two cosmic forces (Love and Strife). A major figure in Presocratic philosophy, he also had deep interests in medicine and natural phenomena.

Esimirin is an aquatic deity from the Ijaw (Ijo) mythology, a people of the Niger Delta in Nigeria. A spiritual figure associated with water and prosperity, she holds a central place in the beliefs and traditional rituals of this community.

Carthaginian general (246–182 BC), son of Hamilcar Barca, he is one of the greatest military strategists of the ancient world. He led the Second Punic War against Rome, crossing the Alps with his war elephants to invade Italy. His victory at Cannae (216 BC) remains one of the most studied battles in military history.

Hatchepsout est l'une des rares femmes à avoir régné en tant que pharaon d'Égypte. Après avoir assuré la régence pour son beau-fils Thoutmôsis III, elle prit le pouvoir vers 1478 av. J.-C. et gouverna pendant plus de vingt ans. Son règne fut marqué par la prospérité, de grands chantiers architecturaux et une expédition commerciale célèbre vers le pays de Pount.

Heraclea refers to several Greek cities founded in honor of the hero Heracles, the most famous of which is Heraclea Pontica. These colonial foundations illustrate the role of mythological heroes in shaping ancient Greek identity.

The last pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, Horemheb was first a general under Tutankhamun and Ay before seizing the throne. He restored the traditional order and erased the traces of Akhenaten's religious revolution.

Warrior queen of the Kingdom of Meroë (Nubia, present-day Sudan), Amanirenas led Kushite armies against the Roman legions of Augustus around 27–21 BCE. According to Roman sources and Sudanese oral tradition, she lost an eye in battle yet never surrendered, ultimately securing a peace treaty favorable to her kingdom.

Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty of ancient Egypt (c. 2589–2566 BC), Khufu is famous for commissioning the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. His reign stands as a symbol of the absolute power of pharaonic rule.

A secondary wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Kiya held a singular place at the court of Amarna in the 14th century BCE. Her identity and origins remain partly mysterious, though her name and likeness appear on several monuments from the Amarna period.

Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC, Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate with Octavian and Mark Antony in 43 BC. Gradually marginalized, he was removed from power by Octavian in 36 BC.

Wife of Emperor Augustus, Livia was one of the most powerful women in ancient Rome. For more than fifty years, she wielded considerable influence over imperial politics. Mother of Emperor Tiberius, she was granted the title of "Augusta" after her death.

A close advisor to Augustus and great patron of the arts in Rome, Maecenas supported poets such as Virgil and Horace. His name has become synonymous with support for artists and men of letters.

Makeda is the central figure of the Ethiopian tradition (Kebra Nagast), venerated as the legendary queen of the Kingdom of Sheba. Rooted in Ethiopian and Eritrean oral tradition, she is known for her encounter with King Solomon of Jerusalem, from which Menelik I would be born — the founding ancestor of the Ethiopian imperial lineage.

Eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, Meritaten lived during the Amarna religious revolution in the 14th century BCE. She became Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Smenkhkare and was abundantly depicted in the art of the Amarna period.

Narmer is considered the first pharaoh of unified Egypt, around 3100 BCE. He is credited with uniting Upper and Lower Egypt under a single crown, thereby founding the first Egyptian dynasty.

King of Babylon from 604 to 562 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II brought the Neo-Babylonian Empire to its height. He conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple of Solomon, and deported the Hebrews to Babylonia. A great builder, he is associated with the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Neferneferuaten was a queen of Egypt from the 18th Dynasty, probably co-regent or direct successor to Akhenaten around 1335 BCE. Her exact identity remains debated: she may be Nefertiti under a new name, or a daughter of Akhenaten.

Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari is one of the most celebrated queens of ancient Egypt. Her tomb in the Valley of the Queens, with its exceptionally well-preserved paintings, reflects her extraordinary status. Ramesses II dedicated the smaller temple at Abu Simbel to her, where she was depicted at the same scale as the pharaoh himself.

Daughter of pharaoh Hatshepsut and Thutmose II, Neferure was raised at the Egyptian court in the 18th century BC. Educated by the renowned royal steward Senenmut, she held the title of God's Wife of Amun.

Princess of Epirus and Queen of Macedon, Olympias was the wife of Philip II and the mother of Alexander the Great. A formidable wielder of power, she played a major political role during the Wars of the Diadochi following her son's death.

Phidias is considered the greatest sculptor of ancient Greece in the 5th century BC. He created the chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos and the statue of Zeus at Olympia, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Youngest son of Nestor, king of Pylos, Pisistratus is a character in Homer's Odyssey. He welcomes Telemachus at Pylos and accompanies him to Sparta to meet Menelaus. A figure of friendship and hospitality, he embodies the aristocratic virtues of the Greek epic.

Pompey (106–48 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who distinguished himself through his military victories in the East. A rival and later enemy of Caesar, he was one of the key figures in the fall of the Roman Republic.

Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 AD. He is best known for ordering the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. His governorship was marked by several conflicts with the Jewish population.

Ptah is one of the oldest and most important gods of ancient Egypt, a creator god and patron of craftsmen and architects. Venerated at Memphis since the Old Kingdom, he embodies creation through thought and speech. His triad with Sekhmet and Nefertum forms the heart of the Memphite cult.

Qin Shi Huang (258–210 BC) unified the Chinese kingdoms for the first time in 221 BC, founding the Qin dynasty. As China's first emperor, he standardized writing, weights and measures, and initiated construction of the Great Wall.

Legendary ruler mentioned in the Bible, the Quran, and Ethiopian tradition. She is said to have visited King Solomon in Jerusalem, drawn by his wisdom. An iconic figure of exchange between ancient Arabia, Africa, and the Near East.

Roxana was a Bactrian princess, the first wife of Alexander the Great, whom he married in 327 BC following the conquest of Bactria. She was the mother of Alexander IV, the posthumous heir to the empire.

Daughter of Emperor Ashoka, she was a Buddhist nun who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka around 246 BCE. She founded the first order of Buddhist nuns (bhikkhunis) on the island and brought a cutting from the sacred fig tree of Bodh Gaya.

Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334–2279 BCE) was the founder of the first empire in history, the Akkadian Empire. Rising from humble origins according to legend, he unified Mesopotamia under his rule and governed a territory stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.

Roman general of the 2nd century BC, victor over Hannibal at the Battle of Zama (202 BC). He brought the Second Punic War to an end and secured Rome's dominance over Carthage.

Seti I was the second pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, reigning around 1294–1279 BC. Son of Ramesses I, he restored Egypt's military and religious power following the Amarna period. He is renowned for his campaigns in Canaan and Libya, as well as for his magnificent temple at Abydos.

Shanakdakhete is the earliest known reigning queen of Meroë, capital of the Kingdom of Kush (Nubia), in the 2nd century BCE. A product of Meroitic civilization, she ruled in her own right, with no attested male consort. Her memory has been passed down through inscriptions in the Meroitic script and through the oral traditions of Nubian peoples.

Shiva is one of the three principal deities of Hinduism, forming the Trimūrti alongside Brahmā and Vishnu. God of destruction and transformation, he also embodies meditation, the arts, and fertility. His cult, rooted in the Indus Valley civilization, is one of the oldest in the world.

A short-lived pharaoh of ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty, Smenkhkare reigned briefly around 1338–1336 BC, succeeding Akhenaten. His identity remains one of the most enigmatic puzzles of ancient Egypt.

A gladiator of Thracian origin, Spartacus led the Third Servile War against Rome (73–71 BC), commanding an army of rebel slaves that threatened the very existence of the Roman Republic before being defeated by Crassus.

Pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian Dynasty (c. 1479–1425 BCE), Thutmose III is considered the greatest conqueror of ancient Egypt. He led seventeen military campaigns and brought the Egyptian empire to its greatest territorial extent.

Tiberius (42 BC – 37 AD) was the second Roman emperor, successor to Augustus. He reigned from 14 to 37 AD and withdrew to Capri from 27 AD onward, leaving power in the hands of Sejanus.

An Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, he reigned around 1332–1323 BCE. Ascending to the throne at approximately nine years old, he restored polytheistic worship after the Atenist revolution of Akhenaten. His tomb, discovered intact in 1922, is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Unas was the last pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, reigning around 2375–2345 BCE. His pyramid at Saqqara is world-famous for containing the Pyramid Texts, the oldest known corpus of religious writings in human history.

King of the Achaemenid Persian Empire from 485 to 465 BC, son of Darius I. He is famous for leading the second Greco-Persian War against the Greek city-states, notably at the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.

Granddaughter of Augustus and wife of Germanicus, Agrippina the Elder played a major political role during the principate of Tiberius. Her opposition to the emperor led to her exile and death in captivity in AD 33.

Agrippina the Younger (15–59 AD) was a Roman empress, sister of Caligula, and mother of Nero. She wielded considerable influence over imperial power, most notably by marrying her uncle, Emperor Claudius, and arranging for her son Nero to be adopted as his heir.

King of the Visigoths from 395 to 410, Alaric I is famous for leading the sack of Rome in 410, a symbolic event marking the beginning of the end of the Western Roman Empire.

King of Macedon and legendary conqueror, Alexander built one of the largest empires of the ancient world in less than thirteen years. Tutored by the philosopher Aristotle, he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire and extended his dominion as far as India, spreading Greek culture across Asia.

Augustus was the first Roman emperor, ruling from 27 BC to 14 AD. Grand-nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, he established a lasting political regime and brought peace after decades of civil wars. His reign marks the beginning of the Roman Empire and a period of cultural prosperity.

A Roman general of Syrian origin, Avidius Cassius was one of the finest military commanders of the Antonine period. In 175, he wrongly proclaimed himself emperor, believing Marcus Aurelius to be dead, and was assassinated by his own soldiers after only three months of rule.

Queen of the Iceni, a Celtic people of Britain, she led a major revolt against Roman occupation around 60–61 AD. At the head of a coalition of British tribes, she destroyed Camulodunum, Londinium, and Verulamium before being defeated by the governor Paulinus.

The third Roman emperor, Caligula ruled from 37 to 41 AD. After a promising start, his reign descended into tyranny and extravagance. He was assassinated by officers of the Praetorian Guard.

Roman Emperor from 211 to 217 AD, Caracalla is best known for the Edict of Caracalla (212 AD), which granted Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Empire. Despite his reforms, his reign was marked by political instability and his assassination in 217 AD.

Roman orator, politician, and philosopher (106–43 BC), Cicero is one of the greatest figures of the Roman Republic. He left a lasting mark on Latin literature through his eloquence and philosophical works, becoming a model of rhetoric for centuries to come.

Roman Emperor from 306 to 337, Constantine I is renowned for establishing religious tolerance toward Christianity through the Edict of Milan in 313 and for founding Constantinople in 330. He marks the turning point of the Roman Empire toward Christianity and the East.

God of love in Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of Venus and Mars (or Mercury, depending on the version). Armed with a bow and golden arrows, he strikes humans with romantic passion. His Greek equivalent is Eros.

A Greek biographer and doxographer of the 3rd century AD, Diogenes Laërtius is the author of Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, the principal source of knowledge about ancient Greek philosophers. His work compiles the biographies and views of more than 80 thinkers, from Thales to Epicurus.

Domitian (51–96) was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty. His authoritarian reign was marked by persecutions of Christians and senators, but also by efficient provincial administration.

A legendary empress of Japan, Jingū is said to have reigned in the 3rd century according to Japanese chronicles. Tradition credits her with a military campaign against the Korean peninsula, carried out while she was pregnant. Her historical existence is unattested and she belongs to Japan's founding mythology.

Hadrian was Roman emperor from 117 to 138 AD, successor to Trajan. A reformer and builder, he consolidated the Empire's borders and traveled to nearly all its provinces. A passionate admirer of Greek culture, he oversaw the construction of the Pantheon in Rome and Hadrian's Wall in Britannia.

Sixth king of Babylon (1792–1750 BC), Hammurabi transformed a small kingdom into a regional empire. He is best known for promulgating the Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest written compilations of laws in history.

Roman empress of Syrian origin and wife of Septimius Severus, she wielded considerable political influence and gathered around her a circle of philosophers and intellectuals. As the mother of Caracalla and Geta, she embodied female power at the very summit of the Roman Empire.

Roman general and statesman (100–44 BC), Julius Caesar conquered Gaul between 58 and 50 BC and established his political dominance in Rome. His assassination in 44 BC hastened the fall of the Roman Republic.

Justinian was a Byzantine emperor who reigned from 527 to 565. He is famous for codifying Roman law in the Justinian Code and for conquering vast territories. His reign marks the height of the Byzantine Empire.

A Vietnamese warrior of the 3rd century, she led a revolt against Chinese Wu occupation at the age of 19. Known as 'Lady Triệu', she fought for six months before being defeated in 248 CE.

Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 and Stoic philosopher. Author of Meditations, personal reflections on wisdom and virtue. Represents the ideal of the philosopher-emperor in ancient Rome.

Roman god of war and protector of agriculture, Mars is one of the most venerated deities in the Roman pantheon. Legendary father of Romulus and Remus, he embodies Rome's military power and its destiny of conquest.

Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, in the 14th century BC. She played an important role in the monotheistic religious reform of her era, promoting the cult of Aten, the sun god. Her idealized face, known through the famous bust, makes her one of the most depicted queens of Egypt.

The fifth Roman emperor from 54 to 68, Nero is known for a reign marked by persecutions of Christians and the Great Fire of Rome in 64. The last representative of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he consolidated imperial power against the Roman aristocracy.

Pericles (495–429 BC) was an Athenian statesman who presided over the golden age of Athenian democracy in the 5th century BC. A dominant political leader for more than thirty years, he transformed Athens into the cultural and artistic center of ancient Greece, most notably by overseeing the construction of the Parthenon.

Greek writer and sophist of the 2nd–3rd century AD, Philostratus of Athens is celebrated for his Life of Apollonius of Tyana and his Lives of the Sophists. He moved in the literary circle of Empress Julia Domna in Rome.

Ramesses II is one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt, who reigned for 66 years in the 13th century BC. He is famous for his colossal monuments, including the temples of Abu Simbel, and for the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites.

Last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Romulus Augustulus reigned in 475–476 AD, placed on the throne by his father Orestes. Deposed at around age 15 by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer, his abdication marks the conventional end of the Western Roman Empire.

Solon (629–559 BC) was an Athenian statesman and lawmaker who profoundly reformed the city of Athens in the early 6th century BC. His laws laid the foundations of Athenian democracy by limiting the power of the aristocracy and granting rights to citizens.

Tacitus is one of the greatest historians of ancient Rome. A senator and consul, he is the author of the Annals and the Histories, landmark works on the early Roman Empire. His incisive style and critical eye make him an irreplaceable witness to the imperial age.

Byzantine emperor who reigned from 408 to 450, Theodosius II is known for consolidating the Eastern Empire and his devotion to Christianity. He ordered the construction of the famous Theodosian Walls around Constantinople and promulgated the Theodosian Code, a landmark collection of Roman laws.

Legendary queen of the Tuareg people, Tin Hinan is considered by oral tradition to be the matriarchal ancestor of the Hoggar (Ahaggar) nobles. A founding figure said to have come from the Tafilalt region, according to stories passed down through generations, she is believed to have lived around the 4th–5th century CE.

Roman consul in 69 AD, Titus Vinius was one of Emperor Galba's most influential advisors. A central figure of the 'Year of the Four Emperors', he was assassinated during Otho's coup in January 69.

Trajan (53–117) was the first Roman emperor born outside Italy, from the province of Hispania. His reign is considered the height of the Roman Empire, marked by major conquests and a generous social policy.

Younger sister of Trưng Trắc, she co-led the great Vietnamese revolt against Han Chinese domination in 40 CE. A formidable warrior, she played a key role in the temporary liberation of the country before their defeat by Chinese forces in 43 CE.

Vietnamese national heroine who, alongside her sister Trưng Nhị, led a victorious revolt against Chinese Han rule in 40 CE. She briefly reigned over an independent kingdom before being defeated in 43 CE by the Chinese general Ma Yuan.

Vespasian (9–79 AD) was the ninth Roman emperor and founder of the Flavian dynasty. A general of equestrian background, he rose to power after the civil war of 69 AD. His reign marked a period of stability and reconstruction following the excesses of Nero.

Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in the 3rd century, Zenobia ruled as regent in her son's name and expanded her empire to Egypt and Asia Minor, openly defying Rome. Defeated by Emperor Aurelian in 272, she remains the enduring symbol of an indomitable Eastern queen.

A close companion of the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr became the first caliph of Islam following the Prophet's death in 632. His two-year reign consolidated the unity of the Muslim community and laid the foundations of the first Islamic state.

Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, Ali ibn Abi Talib was the fourth caliph of Islam (656–661). A central figure of Shia Islam, he is regarded by Shia Muslims as the first rightful imam. His caliphate was marked by the First Fitna, a civil war that gave rise to the foundational Sunni-Shia divide.

Flemish Cistercian nun (c. 1200–1268), abbess of the monastery of Nazareth near Lier. Author of The Seven Manners of Love, one of the earliest mystical works written in the vernacular Dutch language.

A 14th-century Italian writer, Boccaccio is the author of the Decameron, a collection of one hundred tales told by a group of people sheltering from the Black Death in 1348. A diplomat in the service of Florence, he was also a pioneering humanist and close friend of Petrarch.

A mystic and Swedish saint of the 14th century, Bridget of Sweden was a wife, mother of eight children, then a pilgrim and founder of the Order of the Most Holy Savior. Her divine revelations, dictated and spread throughout Europe, gave her exceptional spiritual authority.

An Italian mystic and theologian of the 14th century, Catherine of Siena played a major political role by convincing Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon and return to Rome. A Doctor of the Church, she left behind a remarkable body of spiritual and epistolary work.

Charlemagne (742-814) was a Frankish king who became the first Emperor of the West. He founded the Carolingian Empire and established an education policy that shaped the Middle Ages. His reign was marked by major territorial conquests and cultural reforms.

King of France (1422–1461), Charles VII is best known for his coronation at Reims in 1429, made possible by Joan of Arc, who restored French confidence during the Hundred Years' War. He continued the reconquest of French territory and ended the conflict with England in 1453.

Clovis I (466-511) was the king of the Franks who unified the Frankish kingdoms and founded the Merovingian dynasty. His baptism in 496 sealed the alliance between the Franks and the Catholic Church. He laid the foundations of what would become the kingdom of France.

Florentine poet of the 13th–14th century, author of *The Divine Comedy*, a masterpiece of medieval literature. Exiled from Florence for political reasons, he laid the foundations of the Italian literary language.

A Berber queen and prophetess of the Djerawa people, Dihya led the resistance against the Arab conquest of North Africa in the late 7th century. Known as the Kahina ("the seeress"), she is a central figure in Amazigh memory, preserved chiefly through oral tradition.

Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitou, Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124–1204) was Queen of France through her marriage to Louis VII, then Queen of England after her union with Henry II Plantagenet. A towering figure of the Middle Ages, she wielded considerable political influence and was the mother of several kings of England.

Founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan unified the nomadic tribes of Central Asia in the early 13th century. His conquests created the largest contiguous empire in history.

Reigning empress of Japan from 707 to 715, Genmei is one of the few women to have held supreme power in Japan. She is notably responsible for commissioning the Kojiki, Japan's first historical chronicle.

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400) is the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages, author of The Canterbury Tales. A diplomat and royal official, he brought the vernacular English language into high literature, leaving a lasting influence on English letters.

Pope from 590 to 604, Gregory I is one of the greatest pontiffs of Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. A reformer of the Church, he organized the evangelization mission to England and left a remarkable theological and liturgical legacy.

Hugh Capet (940–996) was a French nobleman who founded the Capetian dynasty by becoming King of the Franks in 987. He brought an end to the Carolingian dynasty and established a new royal lineage from which all kings of France would descend until the Revolution.

Legendary ruler of the Kingdom of Semien, Gudit led a revolt around 960 CE that overthrew the Aksumite dynasty of Ethiopia. This warrior queen is said to have reigned for several decades over the Ethiopian highlands, leaving a lasting mark on the collective memory of the region.

Mongol princess of the 13th century, great-niece of Kublai Khan and daughter of Khan Kaidu. A legendary warrior and wrestler, she challenged her suitors to wrestling matches and remained undefeated, winning horses with each victory.

Empress of Japan who reigned twice (749–758 then 764–770), she is one of the very few women to have occupied the Japanese imperial throne. A devout Buddhist, she actively promoted the spread of Buddhism throughout the country and commissioned the construction of numerous temples.

Grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan founded the Yuan dynasty in China and ruled from 1260 to 1294. He expanded the Mongol Empire to its greatest extent and opened China to international trade, most notably welcoming Marco Polo.

King of France from 1226 to 1270, Louis IX is renowned for his piety, his commitment to the Crusades, and his reform of royal justice. Canonized in 1297, he embodies the ideal of the medieval Christian king and strengthened the prestige of the French monarchy.

Title held by the queen mother in the Kanem-Bornu Empire (present-day Chad and Nigeria), a figure of female political authority in the Kanuri tradition. According to Kanuri oral traditions, the Magira served as advisor and regent to the mai (king), embodying an institutionalized form of female power within one of the largest political structures of medieval sub-Saharan Africa.

Founding goddess of Inca civilization, according to Quechua oral tradition. Wife of Manco Cápac, she is said to have emerged from Lake Titicaca and taught women the art of weaving and domestic skills, thereby establishing the Inca social order.

Mansa Musa (c. 1280–1337) was the tenth mansa (king) of the Mali Empire, one of the largest and wealthiest empires in the medieval world. His pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324–1325 revealed to the world the extraordinary riches of his kingdom.

Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire from 1030 to 1040, son of Mahmud of Ghazni. He led numerous military campaigns but was crushed by the Seljuks at the Battle of Dandanaqan (1040), hastening the decline of his empire.

Mehmed II, known as the Conqueror (1432–1481), was an Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, bringing the Byzantine Empire to an end. He modernized Ottoman administration and transformed Constantinople into the capital of his empire.

Legendary heroine of the Yoruba people of Ilé-Ifè (present-day Nigeria), a figure of African oral tradition. According to legend, she sacrificed herself to infiltrate the ranks of Ifè's enemies and liberate her people through cunning and courage.

Born around 571 in Mecca, Muhammad is the founder of Islam and the prophet of the Muslim faith. A merchant turned preacher, he received what he believed to be a divine revelation at the age of 40 and united the Arab tribes under a new monotheistic religion.

Sister of Sundiata Keita, a figure from the 13th-century Mande epic. According to griot oral tradition, she accompanied her brother into exile and played a decisive diplomatic role in the reconquest of the Mande against Soumaoro Kante.

King of Manding in the 12th century, Naré Maghann Konaté is best known as the father of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire. According to Mande oral tradition, a prophecy foretold that he would father a conqueror who would unite the Mande peoples.

Pepin the Short (714–768) was the first king of the Carolingian dynasty. He overthrew the last Merovingian kings and founded a new dynasty that would dominate Western Europe for several centuries.

King of France from 1180 to 1223, Philippe Auguste is one of the greatest monarchs of the Middle Ages. He strengthened royal power, vastly expanded the royal domain, and won the decisive victory of Bouvines in 1214. His reign marks the beginning of medieval France's rise as a major power.

Regent of Japan under Empress Suiko (593–622), he promoted the spread of Buddhism and Confucianism, promulgated Japan's first constitution, and modernized the state by drawing on the Chinese model.

Razia Sultana was the first and only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate (1236–1240). Daughter of Sultan Iltutmish, she governed unveiled and on horseback, defying the conventions of her time. A revolt by Turkish nobles led to her downfall and death in 1240.

King of England from 1189 to 1199, Richard the Lionheart was a medieval monarch renowned for his leading role in the Third Crusade (1191–1192). He embodied the chivalric ideal of his era, though he spent very little time in England during his reign.

Saladin (1138–1193) was a Muslim sultan of Egypt and Syria and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. He is renowned for uniting the Muslim world and recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, bringing an end to the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem established after the First Crusade.

First wife of King Naré Maghann Konaté in the Sundiata epic, Sassuma Bérété is a figure of political ambition in the Mandinka griot tradition (13th century). A fierce rival of Sogolon, mother of Sundiata, she seeks to place her son Dankaran Touman on the throne of Mande.

A central figure in the Mande epic tradition preserved by griots, Sogolon Kondé is the mother of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire in the 13th century. Said to be ugly yet endowed with supernatural powers, she embodies hidden strength and maternal dignity in the oral tradition of the Mande peoples.

Founder of the Mali Empire in the 13th century, Soundiata Keïta united the Mandinka peoples and defeated King Soumaoro Kanté at the Battle of Kirina (c. 1235). His epic, passed down by griots, is one of the great works of African oral literature.

King of the Sosso Kingdom in the 13th century, Sumanguru Kante was a formidable ruler who dominated West Africa following the fall of the Ghana Empire. He was defeated by Sundiata Keita at the Battle of Kirina around 1235, an event that marked the birth of the Mali Empire.

A Turco-Mongol conqueror of the 14th century, Tamerlane founded an empire stretching from Anatolia to India. His military campaigns, marked by extreme violence, reshaped the map of Central Asia.

Mandinka princess of the 13th century, daughter of Sundiata Keita according to the oral traditions of the Kouyaté griots. She is celebrated as a guardian figure of the Manden Charter, the first proclamation of rights in the Mali Empire.

Theodora, empress of Byzantium alongside Justinian I, is one of the most powerful women of late antiquity. Born into humble origins, she became co-regent and played a decisive role in Byzantine imperial politics, most notably during the suppression of the Nika revolt in 532.

Archbishop of Canterbury in the 12th century, he clashed fiercely with King Henry II of England over the rights and freedoms of the Church. Murdered in his cathedral in 1170, he was canonized as early as 1173.

A close companion of the Prophet Muhammad, Umar ibn al-Khattab became the second caliph of Islam (634–644). His reign saw a lightning expansion of the Muslim empire, from Persia to Egypt.

Pope from 1088 to 1099, Urban II was the instigator of the First Crusade, proclaimed at the Council of Clermont in 1095. A Cluniac monk of French origin, he strengthened papal authority and continued the Gregorian Reform of the Church.

The third caliph of Islam (644–656), Uthman ibn Affan was one of the closest companions of the Prophet Muhammad. His caliphate was marked by the standardization of the Quran and the expansion of the Muslim empire, but also by internal tensions that ultimately led to his assassination.

Count of Poitiers and Duke of Aquitaine, nicknamed "the Great," he was one of the most powerful lords in the feudal West around the year 1000. He consolidated the Duchy of Aquitaine, protected the Church, and distinguished himself as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela.

Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror became King of England after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This event marked one of the most significant conquests of the Middle Ages and profoundly transformed English society.

Wu Zetian (624–705) is the only woman ever to have ruled as reigning empress of China. A concubine of Emperor Taizong and later wife of Emperor Gaozong, she gradually seized power before founding her own Zhou dynasty in 690. An ambitious reformer, she modernized the imperial administration and championed merit-based examinations.

A warrior princess of the Dagomba people (present-day Ghana/northern Burkina Faso), Yennenga is venerated in Mossi oral tradition as the founding mother of the Moogo kingdom. Daughter of King Nedega, she united with a hunter named Riale, and their son Ouédraogo became the eponymous ancestor of the Mossi.

Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar (1542-1605) was the third and greatest Mughal emperor of India. He unified the Indian subcontinent under his rule and championed a policy of religious tolerance remarkable for his time.

Spanish pope from 1492 to 1503, Alexander VI is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the papacy. Head of the powerful Borgia family, he blended politics, nepotism, and diplomacy in Renaissance Rome.

A Hausa warrior queen of the kingdom of Zazzau (present-day Zaria, Nigeria), Amina reigned around the 16th century according to Hausa oral traditions. She greatly expanded her kingdom's territory through military conquest and is celebrated as a symbol of female power in Hausa collective memory.

Taíno queen and poet of Hispaniola (c. 1474–1503), Anacaona was renowned for her areítos — ceremonial songs and poems passed down through oral tradition. A fierce resister of Spanish colonization, she was captured and executed by Nicolás de Ovando.

Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII. Her marriage required England's break with Rome, giving rise to the Church of England. Mother of Elizabeth I, she was accused of adultery and beheaded at the Tower of London.

Queen consort of France (1547–1559) and regent of the kingdom during the Wars of Religion. Born in Florence in 1519, she played a major political role by attempting to maintain the balance between Catholics and Protestants in France.

Born in 1500 in Ghent, Charles V inherited a vast empire spanning Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, and much of Italy. King of Spain as Charles I, then elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, he ruled the largest European empire of the Renaissance. He abdicated in 1556 and retired to the monastery of Yuste, where he died in 1558.

Pope from 1523 to 1534, Clement VII was a sovereign pontiff from the powerful Medici family. His pontificate was marked by the Sack of Rome in 1527 and his refusal to annul the marriage of Henry VIII of England, which triggered the Anglican schism.

Coya Pacsa was an Inca queen (coya), wife of the Inca Huayna Cápac, who ruled the Tawantinsuyu at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century. A figure of the highest Inca nobility, she embodies the power and political role of the great royal wives in Inca civilization on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Information about her comes primarily from Quechua oral tradition and Spanish colonial chronicles.

Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I reigned over England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603. Her reign, known as the "Elizabethan Era", was marked by the rise of English power and a remarkable cultural flourishing.

Élisabeth Ire (1533-1603) fut reine d'Angleterre et d'Irlande pendant 45 ans. Fille d'Henri VIII et d'Anne Boleyn, elle consolida le protestantisme en Angleterre et porta son royaume à un rayonnement européen exceptionnel. Son règne, dit « ère élisabéthaine », est marqué par la défaite de l'Invincible Armada espagnole et l'essor des arts et des lettres.

King of Aragon and, through his marriage to Isabella of Castile, co-ruler of a unified Spain. He completed the Reconquista in 1492 and funded Christopher Columbus's voyages, laying the foundations of the Spanish colonial empire.

Portuguese navigator and explorer in the service of the Spanish Crown (1480–1521). He organized and led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, opening the westward sea route to the Spice Islands.

English philosopher and statesman (1561–1626), Francis Bacon is the founder of the modern experimental method. Lord Chancellor of England under James I, he championed the idea that science must be based on observation and induction rather than authority.

Francis Drake was an English privateer and navigator of the 16th century, famous for being the second person to circumnavigate the globe by ship (1577–1580). Vice Admiral of the English fleet, he played a decisive role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

François Ier (1494-1547) est l'un des plus grands rois de France, figure emblématique de la Renaissance. Grand mécène, il attire Léonard de Vinci en France et transforme la cour royale en foyer artistique et intellectuel. Son règne est marqué par les guerres d'Italie et la rivalité avec Charles Quint.

Henry IV (1050–1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105. He is best known for his power struggle with the papacy, particularly the Investiture Controversy, which pitted imperial authority against that of Pope Gregory VII.

King of England and Ireland from 1509 to 1547, Henry VIII is famous for breaking with the Catholic Church and founding the Church of England in order to annul his marriage. He married six wives and had two of them executed, leaving a lasting mark on England's political and religious history.

Inti is the principal solar deity of the Inca pantheon, venerated as the father of the Incas and the source of all life. His cult was at the heart of the state religion of the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu). The Sapa Inca was considered his direct son on Earth.

Isabelle Ire de Castille (1451-1504) unifia l'Espagne en épousant Ferdinand II d'Aragon, formant ainsi les Rois Catholiques. Elle finança le voyage de Christophe Colomb en 1492, ouvrant l'ère des conquêtes américaines. Son règne fut marqué par l'établissement de l'Inquisition espagnole et l'expulsion des Juifs d'Espagne.

The first tsar of Russia, Ivan IV unified and centralized Russian power in the 16th century. His reign was marked by significant territorial conquests and the brutal repression of the aristocracy through the oprichnina.

Julius III (Giovanni Maria Ciocchi Del Monte, 1487–1555) was the 221st pope of the Catholic Church from 1550 to 1555. He convened the resumption of the Council of Trent and was a patron of the arts, protector of Michelangelo and Palestrina.

Kassa is the mother of Askia Mohammed I, founder of the Askia dynasty in the Songhai Empire in the 15th century. Her memory is preserved through oral traditions and mentioned in the Tarikh al-Fattash, an Arabic chronicle written in the 16th century. Her role in legitimizing her son's succession illustrates the place of women in medieval Sahelian societies.

Born around 1500 into a noble Nahuatl family, sold into slavery and later given to Hernán Cortés, she became his interpreter, advisor, and companion. A central figure in the Conquest of Mexico, she remains an ambiguous symbol of betrayal and survival in Mexican historical memory.

Louise de Savoie (1476–1531), Duchess of Angoulême, was the mother of Francis I and Margaret of Navarre. She served twice as regent of France and played a major diplomatic role by negotiating the Peace of Cambrai in 1529.

Florentine philosopher and statesman (1469–1527), Machiavelli is the author of The Prince, a treatise that laid the foundations of modern political realism. He analyzes power as it is actually exercised, not as it should be, revolutionizing political thought during the Renaissance.

Elder sister of Francis I, Margaret of Navarre was one of the most educated women of the French Renaissance. A patron of humanists and religious reformers, she authored the Heptameron, a collection of tales inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron.

Queen consort of Navarre and later of France, nicknamed 'Queen Margot', she was a central figure in the Wars of Religion. A learned woman of letters, she left behind her Memoirs and was the first wife of Henry IV.

Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1558, Mary I Tudor was the first woman to reign in her own right over England. The daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, she restored Catholicism and persecuted Protestants, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary".

An English statesman and military leader, Oliver Cromwell led the Puritan revolution against Charles I. Commander of the Roundheads, he had the king executed in 1649 and ruled England as Lord Protector until his death in 1658.

A Flemish painter of the 17th century, Rubens is one of the masters of the European Baroque. As much a diplomat as an artist, he worked for the greatest courts of Europe. His monumental body of work, rich in color and movement, had a lasting influence on Western painting.

Daughter of Chief Powhatan, leader of the Algonquian confederacy of Virginia, Pocahontas (c. 1596–1617) is a central figure in the encounter between the Powhatan peoples and the English settlers of Jamestown. Her story, passed down through colonial written sources and her people's oral tradition, symbolizes both the dialogue and the tensions between two worlds.

Suleiman I, known as the Magnificent, was the tenth Ottoman sultan, reigning from 1520 to 1566. He brought the Ottoman Empire to its territorial and cultural peak, threatening Christian Europe at the very gates of Vienna.

An English humanist and statesman, Thomas More served as Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII before opposing the Anglican schism. Author of Utopia (1516), he was executed for refusing to acknowledge the king as Supreme Head of the Church of England.

Legendary queen of the Baoulé people in the 18th century, she led her people from the Ashanti kingdom to present-day Ivory Coast. Oral tradition holds that she sacrificed her only son to allow her people to cross the Comoé River, a founding act of Baoulé identity.

Queen of the Malwa kingdom (Indore) from 1767 to 1795, she ruled with wisdom and justice. Widowed at 29, she refused sati and took charge of the state, personally leading her armies. She had hundreds of temples, wells, and roads built across India.

An American general and hero of the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson became the 7th President of the United States (1829–1837). A populist figure, he embodied Jacksonian democracy while also being a slaveholder and the architect of the policy to forcibly remove Native Americans from their lands.

A Parisian writer and salon hostess (1647–1733), she presided over one of the most influential literary salons of the Regency period, frequented by Fontenelle, Montesquieu, and Marivaux. A pioneer in thinking about women's education, she championed their access to intellectual life.

Founding queen of the Baoulé people (Côte d'Ivoire) in the 18th century, according to Akan oral tradition. To allow her people to cross the Comoé River during a forced exile, she is said to have sacrificed her only son. Her name means "the child who does not return."

Queen of the kingdom of Zazzau (present-day Zaria, Nigeria) in the 16th century, Bakwa Turunku founded the city of Zaria around 1536. She is the mother of the famous warrior queen Amina of Zaria, a symbol of female power in West Africa.

Bartolina Sisa is a heroic figure of the Aymara people and wife of Túpac Katari. Around 1781–1782, she co-led the siege of La Paz against Spanish colonial forces. Captured, she was executed by the Spanish in 1782 and is today revered as a symbol of indigenous resistance in Bolivia.

An 18th-century American statesman, scientist, and writer, Benjamin Franklin is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The inventor of the lightning rod, he contributed to drafting the Declaration of Independence and negotiated the Franco-American alliance.

Cardinal and chief minister of state of France, he governed the kingdom during Louis XIV's minority under the regency of Anne of Austria. Richelieu's successor, he signed the Treaties of Westphalia and overcame the Fronde to consolidate the monarchy.

Catherine II, dite Catherine la Grande, est impératrice de Russie de 1762 à 1796. D'origine allemande, elle renverse son époux Pierre III et modernise l'Empire russe en s'inspirant des philosophes des Lumières, tout en renforçant le pouvoir autocratique.

King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718, Charles XII was one of the greatest military commanders of his era. He led the Great Northern War against a European coalition, winning the Battle of Narva (1700) before suffering a crushing defeat at Poltava (1709). He died during the siege of Fredriksten, marking the end of Swedish dominance in Europe.

Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is best known as the dedicatee of Johann Sebastian Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos (1721). A music lover and patron of the arts, he embodies the aristocratic German culture of the early 18th century.

Reine de Suède de 1632 à 1654, Christine abdique volontairement son trône pour se convertir au catholicisme et s'installer à Rome. Femme d'exception, elle invite Descartes à sa cour et règne avec autorité dans l'Europe de la guerre de Trente Ans.

French lawyer and politician (1759–1794), Danton is a major figure of the French Revolution. Known for his eloquence and charisma, he played a key role in revolutionary events before being executed during the Terror.

Daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth I ruled Russia from 1741 to 1762. Her reign was marked by a flourishing of culture, the founding of Moscow University, and Russia's victorious participation in the Seven Years' War.

Spanish conquistador (c. 1478–1541), he led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru between 1532 and 1533, captured the emperor Atahualpa, and founded Lima in 1535. His expedition transformed the New World and opened South America to Spanish colonization.

King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 to 1588, Frederick II waged the Northern Seven Years' War against Sweden and was an enlightened patron of the arts, most notably supporting the astronomer Tycho Brahe. He commissioned the construction of Kronborg Castle in Elsinore.

Gabrielle Charpentier (c. 1764–1793) was the wife of Georges-Jacques Danton, a leading orator of the French Revolution. The daughter of a Parisian café owner, she died at 28 in February 1793 while her husband was on a mission in Belgium, just months before the Reign of Terror.

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence, George Washington became the first President of the United States (1789–1797). A Virginia planter and slaveholder, he embodies the contradictions of the young Republic — torn between ideals of liberty and the reality of slavery.

American statesman (1751–1836), regarded as the "Father of the Constitution" of the United States. Architect of the Bill of Rights and fourth President of the United States, he was one of the foremost theorists of American republicanism.

A mathematician and philosopher of the Enlightenment, he co-edited the great Encyclopédie with Diderot and wrote its famous Preliminary Discourse. He formulated the mechanical principle that bears his name and embodied the encyclopédiste ideal of bringing together all human knowledge.

John Adams (1735-1826) was an American lawyer, diplomat, and statesman, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Vice President under George Washington, he became the second President of the United States (1797-1801). A key figure of the American Revolution, he contributed to the drafting of the Constitution.

A 17th-century English philosopher, John Locke is the founder of modern empiricism and a major thinker of political liberalism. He developed the theory of natural rights (life, liberty, property) and justified the right to revolt against tyrannical power, profoundly influencing democratic revolutions.

Son of President John Adams, John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States (1825–1829). A seasoned diplomat, he negotiated the Treaty of Ghent (1814) ending the Anglo-American War and helped formulate the Monroe Doctrine. He later championed the rights of enslaved people as a congressman.

A mestiza guerrilla fighter born in 1780 in Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia), she commanded indigenous troops against the Spanish during the independence wars. Known as "the Pachamama of freedom," she was appointed lieutenant colonel by Simón Bolívar.

Queen consort and later regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kaʻahumanu was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I. In 1819, she abolished the system of religious taboos (kapu) and played a key role in introducing Christianity to Hawaii.

A Kongolese prophetess of the Bakongo people, Kimpa Vita founded around 1704 the Antonian movement, preaching an African interpretation of Christianity. Arrested by Capuchin missionaries, she was burned at the stake in 1706 for heresy and witchcraft.

Poisoner, fortune-teller, and abortionist in 17th-century Paris, Catherine Deshayes was the central figure of the Affair of the Poisons (1679–1682). Supplying poisons, love potions, and black masses to an aristocratic clientele, she was burned alive at the Place de Grève in 1680.

Lord Byron (1788-1824) was the most celebrated British poet of the Romantic era. A scandalous and politically engaged figure, he embodied the "Byronic hero": brooding, rebellious, and passionate. He died in Greece while fighting for Greek independence.

Nicknamed “the Great Condé,” this prince of the blood distinguished himself at the Battle of Rocroi (1643) by crushing the Spanish infantry. A key figure in the Fronde, he eventually reconciled with Louis XIV and remained one of the greatest military commanders of the Grand Siècle.

King of France and Navarre from 1643 to 1715, Louis XIV is the symbol of French royal absolutism. He concentrated power in his own hands and transformed the monarchy into a centralized political system, embodied by the Palace of Versailles, which he had built.

King of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1791, then King of the French from 1791 to 1792. His reign was marked by the French Revolution, attempted reforms, and the abolition of the Ancien Régime. Arrested during the Flight to Varennes in 1791, he was tried and executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793.

Ecuadorian revolutionary born in Quito around 1797, of mixed heritage (Creole mother, Spanish father), Manuela Sáenz was a central figure in the Spanish American wars of independence and the companion of Simón Bolívar. She saved the Liberator's life in 1828 and was nicknamed the "Libertadora del Libertador."

Queen consort of France from 1774 to 1792, wife of Louis XVI. A symbol of the Ancien Régime and its excesses, she became deeply unpopular with the French people and came to embody the frivolity of the Versailles court. Accused of treason during the French Revolution, she was executed by guillotine in 1793.

French noblewoman from the House of Dreux, a family of high Capetian lineage. A figure of the French aristocracy in the early modern period, her name combines Catholic devotion with membership in one of France's great seigneurial dynasties.

A French aristocrat of the 17th century, notorious for poisoning her father and brothers in order to inherit their fortune. Her trial and execution in 1676 triggered the Affair of the Poisons, exposing the widespread use of poison in high society.

Official favorite of Louis XIV from 1667 to 1681, she reigned over the court of Versailles and had seven legitimized children with the Sun King. Implicated in the Affair of the Poisons, she subsequently fell from grace.

Zulu princess (c. 1750–1843), influential aunt and advisor to King Shaka, and a major figure in Zulu oral tradition. Born among the Zulu people of southern Africa, she wielded considerable political power within the royal household, particularly during royal successions.

An 18th-century French philosopher and writer, Montesquieu is the author of the landmark work 'The Spirit of the Laws' (1748). He theorized the separation of powers, a foundational concept of modern political thought, and contributed to the emergence of Enlightenment philosophy.

A central figure of Maroon resistance in Jamaica during the 18th century, Nanny led the Windward Maroons from their stronghold in the Blue Mountains. A warrior and spiritual leader of Akan origin (present-day Ghana), she led the struggle against British colonial slavery for decades. A Jamaican national heroine, her life is transmitted primarily through Maroon oral tradition.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French military leader and statesman who seized power in 1799 and proclaimed himself Emperor in 1804. He transformed France and Europe through his reforms and military campaigns, most notably by establishing the Civil Code, which modernized the French legal system.

Warrior queen of Angola (c. 1583–1663), Njinga of Matamba fiercely resisted Portuguese colonization in Central Africa. A skilled diplomat, she negotiated directly with the Portuguese while forging alliances with the Dutch. She ruled the kingdom of Matamba for more than thirty years.

Mughal empress (1577–1645), wife of Emperor Jahangir, she was the only woman to wield real political power under the Mughal dynasty. An administrator, poet, and patron of the arts, she had coins struck in her own name and effectively governed the empire for several years.

Queen of Ndongo and later Matamba (Mbundu people, present-day Angola), Nzinga Mbandi was a formidable political and military strategist who resisted Portuguese expansionism and the Atlantic slave trade throughout the 17th century. An iconic figure of pre-colonial African resistance, she negotiated, waged war, and allied with the Dutch to defend her people's sovereignty.

French author, politician and pamphleteer (1748–1793), Olympe de Gouges campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery during the French Revolution. She wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen in 1791, a founding document of feminism.

Tsar and first Emperor of Russia (1682–1725), Peter I undertook a radical modernization of his empire inspired by Western European models. He founded Saint Petersburg, reformed the army and administration, and transformed Russia into a major European power.

Regent of France from 1715 to 1723 during the minority of Louis XV, Philippe II d'Orléans governed the kingdom following the death of Louis XIV. A curious and libertine spirit, he was also a musician, painter, and patron of the arts, embodying the transition between the Grand Siècle and the Enlightenment.

Heroine of Colombian independence (c. 1795–1817), nicknamed "La Pola". A seamstress and patriot spy, she recruited soldiers for the independence cause. Captured by the Spanish, she was executed by firing squad in Bogotá on November 14, 1817.

French lawyer and politician (1758–1794), Robespierre was a central figure of the French Revolution. Leader of the Montagnards, he dominated the Committee of Public Safety and became the embodiment of the Reign of Terror before being executed in 1794.

Born in Caracas in 1783, Simón Bolívar was the leading architect of South American independence from the Spanish Empire. Known as 'El Libertador,' he liberated several nations and dreamed of a great Latin American federation.

Born around 1772 in Guadeloupe to an enslaved African mother, Solitude joined the mixed-race insurgents during the armed resistance against the restoration of slavery decreed by Bonaparte in 1802. Pregnant, she fought until her capture and was hanged the day after giving birth, on November 29, 1802. Her story, passed down through Creole and Caribbean oral tradition, has made her an emblematic figure of resistance against colonial oppression.

A 17th-century English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes is the author of Leviathan (1651), a founding work of modern political philosophy. He develops a social contract theory justifying the absolute authority of the state to guarantee peace and security.

An American statesman, Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). A philosopher of the Enlightenment, he also served as the third President of the United States (1801–1809).

A freed slave and Haitian military leader (1743–1803), Toussaint Louverture led the Haitian Revolution and abolished slavery in Saint-Domingue. An iconic figure in the fight for freedom, he transformed a slave colony into the first independent Black republic.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th President of the United States. He led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery in the United States in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was an Austrian politician and military leader who founded the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) and became dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. His totalitarian regime, built on Nazi ideology, was responsible for World War II and the Holocaust, a genocide that killed six million Jews.

A Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Alexandra Kollontai was one of the first women in the world to hold a diplomatic post. A theorist of socialist feminism, she championed women's emancipation and freedom from traditional marriage.

French political philosopher, historian, and statesman (1805–1859). Tocqueville is the author of 'Democracy in America', a foundational work analyzing American institutions and society. He is considered a pioneer of sociology and a major thinker of modern politics.

British aristocrat (1792–1860), self-taught mathematician and philanthropist, she married the poet Lord Byron in 1815 before separating from him a year later. She went on to dedicate herself to popular education and social reform, and is the mother of Ada Lovelace, pioneer of computing.

French military officer and statesman (1890–1970), leader of the French Resistance during World War II and founder of the Fifth Republic. A defining figure of the 20th century, he shaped French history through his unwavering commitment to national independence and the greatness of France.

Cixi, impératrice douairière de Chine, a dominé la politique de la dynastie Qing pendant près de cinquante ans. Régente habile et autoritaire, elle a gouverné un empire confronté aux pressions coloniales occidentales et aux révoltes internes, laissant une empreinte ambivalente sur la modernisation de la Chine.

An Indonesian national heroine, Cut Nyak Dhien led armed resistance against Dutch occupation in the Aceh region (Sumatra) following the death of her husband. A symbol of Indonesian nationalism, she fought until her capture in 1905 despite serious illness.

Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was a Lithuanian-born anarchist and feminist activist who emigrated to the United States. A leading figure in the American labor movement, she championed individual freedom, women's emancipation, and opposed war and capitalism.

French journalist and feminist activist (1803–1844), Flora Tristan championed the emancipation of women and the condition of the working class in the 19th century. She was a pioneer of feminism and socialism, placing the question of women at the heart of political and social debate.

President of the United States from 1933 to 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt led the country through the Great Depression and World War II. He implemented the New Deal, a sweeping program of social and economic reforms, and played a decisive role in the Allied victory.

Indian political and spiritual leader (1869–1948), Gandhi led the movement for India's independence from British rule by advocating non-violence and civil disobedience. He became an iconic figure in the struggle for civil rights and the emancipation of colonized peoples.

French statesman (1841–1929), Georges Clemenceau is best known for his decisive role during the First World War as Prime Minister (1917–1920). Nicknamed 'The Father of Victory', he led France to victory and negotiated the Treaty of Versailles.

Guangxu (1871–1908) was the eleventh emperor of the Qing dynasty. In 1898, he attempted to modernize China through the "Hundred Days' Reform," but Empress Dowager Cixi seized power and placed him under house arrest until his death.

British painter and engraver (1775-1851), Turner is considered the master of Romantic landscape. A forerunner of Impressionism, he revolutionized the depiction of light, water, and atmosphere.

Jean Jaurès (1859-1914) was a major French politician and founder of the unified Socialist Party. A passionate advocate for social justice, pacifism, and democracy, he opposed the war before being assassinated in 1914.

French statesman (1888–1979), Jean Monnet is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the European Union. He played a decisive role in the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and championed the economic and political integration of Europe.

French senior civil servant (1899–1943), Jean Moulin is one of the most prominent figures of the French Resistance. He unified the resistance movements and created the National Council of the Resistance (CNR) before being arrested and tortured to death by the Nazis.

German writer, poet, and scholar (1749–1832), Goethe is the author of Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther. A central figure of the Sturm und Drang movement and later Weimar Classicism, he embodies the Enlightenment ideal of the universal man.

Soviet dictator from 1922 to 1953, Joseph Stalin established a totalitarian regime characterized by massive political repression and forced industrialization. His leadership transformed the USSR into a superpower, but at the cost of millions of lives.

French statesman (1832–1893) who transformed French education as Minister of Public Instruction. He is responsible for the landmark education laws making primary school free, secular, and compulsory, laying the foundations of the modern French public school system.

German philosopher, sociologist, and economist (1818–1883), Karl Marx is the founder of historical materialism and the critical analysis of capitalism. He revolutionized political thought by proposing a theory of class struggle and social transformation.

A Kabyle resistance fighter from the Amazigh people, Lalla Fatma N'Soumer led the armed struggle against the French conquest of Algeria in the mid-19th century. Both a spiritual and military figure, she is passed down through Berber oral tradition as a symbol of dignity and resistance.

Pope from 1878 to 1903, Leo XIII modernized the social doctrine of the Church with the encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891). He sought to reconcile Catholicism with the modern world and liberal democracies.

Léon Blum (1872–1950) was a French politician and intellectual, leader of the French Socialist Party and a major figure of the left in the 20th century. He is best known for leading the Popular Front government in 1936, which marked the first time the left came to power in France.

Liliuokalani fut la dernière reine du royaume d'Hawaï, renversée en 1893 par un coup d'État soutenu par des colons américains. Compositrice et femme d'État, elle lutta pacifiquement pour la souveraineté hawaiienne et reste un symbole de résistance à l'impérialisme américain.

Since 1848, France has had 25 presidents. The role, largely ceremonial under the Third and Fourth Republics, became central under the Fifth Republic established by de Gaulle in 1958.

King of the French from 1830 to 1848, Louis-Philippe I came to power following the July Revolution. His July Monarchy embodied the triumph of the liberal bourgeoisie before being overthrown by the Revolution of 1848.

Teacher and leading figure of the French anarchist movement (1830–1905), Louise Michel dedicated herself to educating poor children before becoming one of the heroines of the Paris Commune. Exiled and imprisoned for her revolutionary actions, she devoted her life to the struggle for social equality and the emancipation of the oppressed.

Chinese statesman (1893-1976) and founder of the People's Republic of China. Leader of the Chinese Communist Party, he established a communist regime and launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. A major figure of the 20th century, his political legacy remains complex and controversial.

A Giriama woman from Kenya, Mekatilili wa Menza led the resistance against British colonial rule during the 1913–1914 revolt. Arrested and deported, she escaped and continued fighting for her people's freedom.

A Rwandan medium of the Kinyarwanda people, Muhumusa embodied the Nyabingi spirit and led an anti-colonial resistance against European powers in the early 20th century. She is considered a major spiritual and political figure of the African Great Lakes region.

Russian revolutionary and educator (1869–1939), wife of Lenin and Bolshevik activist. She played a central role in Soviet educational policy after 1917, particularly in mass literacy campaigns and the reform of public schooling.

Mother of Shaka Zulu and a founding figure of the Zulu kingdom, Nandi lived with dignity despite the social rejection brought on by her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. She had a decisive influence on her son, the future builder of the Zulu empire.

Nephew of Napoleon I, he was elected President of the Republic in 1848, then seized power through a coup d'état on December 2, 1851, before proclaiming the Second Empire. His reign profoundly transformed France: the modernization of Paris under Haussmann, industrial and railway expansion — until the defeat at Sedan in 1870.

The last queen (linguère) of the Waalo, a Wolof kingdom in Senegal, Ndate Yalla Mbodj fiercely resisted French expansion in the 1840s–1850s. An iconic figure of African pre-colonial resistance, she is celebrated in Wolof and Toucouleur oral traditions.

Nehanda Nyakasikana (c. 1840–1898) was a mhondoro — a spirit medium of the Shona people of present-day Zimbabwe — venerated as the embodiment of the ancestral spirit Nehanda. A central figure of the First Chimurenga, she organized armed resistance against the British colonization of Southern Rhodesia before being captured and hanged by the colonial authorities.

Queen of Ndorwa (a region straddling present-day Rwanda and Uganda), Nyabingi is, according to the oral traditions of the Kiga and Tutsi peoples, a ruler whose spirit became after her death a powerful symbol of resistance. Her name gave rise to the Nyabingi movement, which opposed European colonization into the 20th century.

Marshal of France and celebrated military commander known for his victory at Verdun in 1916, Philippe Pétain became head of the French government in 1940 and established the authoritarian French State of Vichy. A collaborator during the German occupation, he remains one of the most controversial figures in French history.

Queen of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861, Ranavalona I belonged to the Merina people of the Malagasy Highlands. She firmly resisted European encroachment — both British and French — by expelling missionaries and banning Christianity. Her sovereigntist policies preserved the kingdom's independence for more than thirty years.

The last queen of Madagascar, Ranavalona III ruled the Merina Kingdom from 1883 to 1897. Despite her diplomatic resistance, she was unable to prevent French colonization. Deposed and exiled, she died in Algiers in 1917, a symbol of lost Malagasy sovereignty.

Queen of Jhansi (central India), she became one of the most iconic figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857–1858 against British rule. Refusing the annexation of her kingdom by the East India Company, she personally led the fighting and died on the battlefield at age 29.

French statesman (1886-1963), Robert Schuman is one of the principal founding fathers of the European Union. As Foreign Minister, he proposed in 1950 the plan to create the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), laying the foundations for European integration.

Rosa Luxemburg was a Polish-born revolutionary activist and Marxist theorist who became a naturalized German citizen. Co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), she championed a socialist revolution rooted in the mass consciousness of the working class. Arrested during the Spartacist uprising of January 1919, she was murdered by paramilitary soldiers.

Queen and spiritual leader of the Azna (animist Hausa people of Niger), Sarraounia successfully resisted the French military mission of Voulet-Chanoine in April 1899. A symbol of anti-colonial resistance, she was immortalized by Abdoulaye Mamani's novel (1980) and Med Hondo's film (1986).

Empress of Ethiopia and wife of Menelik II, Taytu Betul was a major political and military figure of the late 19th century. Born into the Amhara tradition, she played a decisive strategic role in the Battle of Adwa in 1896, which repelled Italian colonization.

A major French writer of the 19th century, Victor Hugo (1802–1885) is the author of iconic novels such as Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Poet, playwright, and committed politician, he championed the rights of the poor and fought against the death penalty.

French politician (1804–1893), Victor Schœlcher was one of the greatest abolitionists of the 19th century. He played a decisive role in the abolition of slavery in France in 1848, serving as secretary of the Commission for the Abolition of Slavery.

Victoria ascended to the British throne at 18 in 1837 and reigned for 63 years, becoming one of the most influential monarchs in history. Her reign coincided with the height of the British Empire and the Industrial Revolution. She gave her name to an entire era: the Victorian age.

British statesman and writer (1874–1965), Winston Churchill is best known for his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. As the leader of British resistance against Nazism, he embodied Allied resolve until victory in 1945.

Martinican writer, poet and politician (1913-2008), founder of the Négritude movement. He served as mayor of Fort-de-France and deputy of Martinique, combining literary commitment with political action to defend the rights of colonized peoples.

Ivorian political figure and prominent voice in Côte d'Ivoire's public life. Embodying the meeting point between African cultural traditions and modern political engagement, she represents women's participation in the institutions of postcolonial West Africa.

A South African anti-apartheid activist of Indian descent, Amina Cachalia devoted her life to fighting racial segregation in South Africa. A close ally of Nelson Mandela and the ANC, she was a leading figure in the Federation of South African Women.

African-American civil rights activist, philosopher, and university professor born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama. An iconic figure of the Black Power movement and intersectional feminism, she was imprisoned in 1970 before being acquitted. She remains a leading voice against systemic racism and social inequality.

Militante birmane pour la démocratie, Aung San Suu Kyi a consacré sa vie à la résistance pacifique contre la junte militaire au Myanmar. Prix Nobel de la Paix en 1991, elle a passé 15 ans en résidence surveillée avant de diriger son pays de 2016 à 2021.

Benazir Bhutto fut la première femme à diriger un gouvernement dans un pays à majorité musulmane, devenant Première ministre du Pakistan en 1988. Fille du Premier ministre Ali Bhutto, elle lutta contre les dictatures militaires et devint le symbole de la démocratie et des droits des femmes en Asie du Sud. Assassinée lors d'un attentat en 2007, elle reste une figure emblématique du courage politique.

Argentine Marxist revolutionary (1928–1967) and iconic figure of 20th-century guerrilla warfare. A key player in the Cuban Revolution alongside Fidel Castro, he went on to lead revolutionary movements in Africa and Latin America before his death in Bolivia.

Corazón Aquino, épouse du militant politique assassiné Benigno Aquino, devient en 1986 la première femme présidente des Philippines après avoir mené la « Révolution du pouvoir populaire » contre la dictature de Ferdinand Marcos. Symbole de démocratie et de courage civique, elle incarne la résistance pacifique et la transition démocratique en Asie du Sud-Est.

Draupadi Murmu is an Indian stateswoman born in 1958 into a family from the Santali tribal community. The first woman from a tribal community to become President of India in 2022, she symbolizes the political rise of marginalized populations.

Son of Queen Victoria, Edward VII reigned over the United Kingdom and the Empire of India from 1901 to 1910. An emblematic figure of the Belle Époque, he played a decisive role in bringing France and Britain closer together through the Entente Cordiale of 1904.

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022, Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She embodied the stability of constitutional monarchy through decolonisation, the Cold War, and globalisation.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf est devenue en 2006 la première femme élue présidente d'un État africain, dirigeant le Liberia après une longue guerre civile. Économiste de formation, elle a œuvré pour la reconstruction du pays et la réconciliation nationale, recevant le prix Nobel de la paix en 2011.

Eva Perón, épouse du président argentin Juan Perón, devint l'une des figures politiques les plus influentes d'Amérique latine. Symbole des descamisados (sans-chemise), elle lutta pour les droits des travailleurs et des femmes, obtenant notamment le droit de vote féminin en Argentine en 1947.

Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip triggered the First World War. A central figure in the nationalism and European tensions of the early twentieth century.

Nigerian educator and activist (1900–1978), she led the Abeokuta women's movement against British colonial taxation. A pioneer of women's suffrage in Nigeria, she was the first woman to drive a car in her country and the mother of musician Fela Kuti.

Egyptian military officer and statesman (1918–1970), Nasser was the chief architect of the 1952 revolution that overthrew the monarchy. President of Egypt from 1956 until his death, he became the embodiment of Arab nationalism and Third Worldism.

Secretary General of the French Communist Party from 1972 to 1994, Georges Marchais was one of the major figures of the French left during the Cold War. He embodied an orthodox communism, publicly supporting the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1980.

Georges Pompidou (1911-1974) was a French statesman, Prime Minister under de Gaulle from 1962 to 1968, then the second President of the Fifth Republic from 1969 until his death. A former literature teacher, he left his mark on France through his policy of industrial modernization and his support for contemporary arts.

Golda Meir, née en Ukraine et émigrée en Palestine mandataire, est l'une des fondatrices de l'État d'Israël. Première femme Premier ministre d'Israël (1969-1974), elle incarne la construction du jeune État et affronte la guerre du Kippour en 1973.

Last General Secretary of the Soviet Union (1985–1991), Gorbachev initiated sweeping reforms with Perestroika and Glasnost, transforming the USSR before its dissolution in 1991. His actions marked the end of the Cold War and the restructuring of the Soviet bloc.

A Mozambican activist born in 1945, Graça Machel has established herself as a global figure in the defense of children's rights and women's rights. First Lady of Mozambique and later of South Africa, she has dedicated her life to fighting poverty and advancing education.

An Oscar-winning American actress of the 1950s, Grace Kelly left Hollywood at the height of her fame to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. As princess consort, she embodied elegance and cultural prestige until her accidental death in 1982.

German-born American philosopher (1906–1975), Hannah Arendt is one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. A refugee in the United States after fleeing Nazism, she developed a critical analysis of totalitarianism, political violence, and the human condition in the modern world.

Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) est la première femme Premier ministre de l'Inde, poste qu'elle occupe de 1966 à 1977, puis de 1980 à 1984. Fille de Jawaharlal Nehru, elle marque l'histoire par sa politique de nationalisation, sa gestion de la guerre de 1971 et son autoritarisme lors de l'état d'urgence. Elle est assassinée par ses propres gardes du corps en 1984.

Prime Minister of independent India from 1947 to 1964, Nehru was one of the architects of independence alongside Gandhi. Architect of the modern Indian state, he embodied the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War.

President of the United States from 1961 to 1963, John F. Kennedy embodies the political modernity of the 20th century. His term was marked by critical moments of the Cold War, notably the Cuban Missile Crisis, and by his commitment to civil rights before his assassination in Dallas.

Senegalese poet, writer, and statesman (1906–2001), Senghor was the first president of independent Senegal. A leading theorist of the Négritude movement, he championed a humanist vision of African culture and left a lasting mark on twentieth-century Francophone literature.

An Australian activist for Indigenous peoples' rights, Lowitja O'Donoghue was the first Aboriginal woman to lead ATSIC (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission). A trained nurse, she dedicated her life to defending civil rights and promoting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Margaret Thatcher, première femme Premier ministre du Royaume-Uni (1979-1990), a transformé l'économie britannique par une politique libérale radicale. Surnommée la « Dame de fer », elle a privatisé les entreprises publiques, combattu les syndicats et joué un rôle majeur dans la fin de la Guerre froide aux côtés de Reagan et Gorbatchev.

A Russian tennis player born in 1987, Maria Sharapova is one of the most decorated athletes of her generation. A former world number 1, she won five Grand Slam titles before retiring in 2020.

African-American Baptist pastor (1929–1968) and major leader of the civil rights movement in the United States. He championed nonviolence and racial equality, becoming one of the most influential figures of the 20th century before his assassination.

African-American poet, memoirist, and activist (1928–2014), Maya Angelou is best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. A committed figure in the civil rights movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr., she became one of the most important voices in 20th-century American literature.

Michelle Bachelet, née en 1951 au Chili, est une médecin et femme politique qui fut la première femme présidente du Chili (2006-2010, puis 2014-2018). Militante des droits de l'homme, elle a aussi dirigé ONU Femmes et le Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l'homme de l'ONU.

South African political leader (1918–2013), founding figure of the struggle against apartheid and first Black president of South Africa. Imprisoned for 27 years for his revolutionary activities, he became a symbol of reconciliation and democratic transition in his country.

An Australian-American actress born in 1967, Nicole Kidman is one of Hollywood's greatest stars. She won the Academy Award in 2003 for The Hours, and has left her mark on world cinema through the range of her roles and her artistic commitment.

Soviet leader from 1953 to 1964, Khrushchev succeeded Stalin and launched a policy of de-Stalinization. A central figure of the Cold War, he confronted the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

260th pope of the Catholic Church (1939–1958), Pius XII led the Church through the Second World War and the Cold War. His attitude toward the Holocaust remains controversial to this day.

Pratibha Patil is an Indian politician born in 1934 who became the first female President of India from 2007 to 2012. Trained as a lawyer, she was active within the Indian National Congress party and held numerous government positions before reaching the country's highest office.

Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist, born in 1913 in Alabama. She became famous in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery — an act of civil disobedience that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped accelerate the end of racial segregation in the United States.

Japanese politician born in 1961, member of the Liberal Democratic Party. She has held several ministerial positions in Japan, including Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Known for her conservative views and interest in Japanese pop culture.

French politician (1927-2017), Holocaust survivor, and Minister of Health under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. She is celebrated for championing the law decriminalizing abortion in France in 1975, a landmark victory for women's rights.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman to become head of government in the world, elected Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1960. The widow of assassinated Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike, she succeeded him as leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and served in the role three times.

Born Edvige Antonia Albina Màino in 1946 in Italy, Sonia Gandhi married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and became an Indian citizen. Following her husband's assassination in 1991, she took over the leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1998 and led the UPA coalition to victory in 2004, declining the position of Prime Minister.

Māori princess from New Zealand (1883–1952), granddaughter of King Tāwhiao, she devoted her life to the cultural and political revival of her people. She resisted the conscription of Māori during World War I and built the village of Tūrangawaewae, a symbol of Māori dignity.

Theresa May (born 1956) is a British politician and member of the Conservative Party. She served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019, succeeding David Cameron following the Brexit referendum.

Vandana Shiva (born 1952) is an Indian physicist, philosopher, and environmental activist. Founder of the Navdanya movement, she champions biodiversity and farmers' rights while opposing GMOs and neoliberal globalization. A leading figure in ecofeminism, she received the Right Livelihood Award (the Alternative Nobel Prize) in 1993.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was elected President of Iceland in 1980, becoming the first woman in the world to be democratically elected head of state. Re-elected four times, she served until 1996 and became a global figure in feminism and cultural diplomacy.

Russian revolutionary and Marxist theorist (1870–1924), Lenin led the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917 and founded the Soviet Union. He developed Leninism, an adaptation of Marxism to Russian conditions.

A New Zealand Māori activist, Whina Cooper dedicated her life to defending her people's land rights. In 1975, at the age of 80, she led the great Māori Land March from Te Hapua to Wellington. Regarded as the 'Mother of the Nation' of the Māori people, she remains a symbol of peaceful resistance.

Liberian pacifist activist, she led the women's peace movement in Liberia, helping to end the second civil war in 2003. Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

Indian economist and statesman, Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. Architect of the economic reforms of the 1990s, he profoundly modernized the Indian economy.