Famous Historical Personalities - List of Famous Historical Personalities - page 9

Historical Figures are the famous people in history who have played a significant role in shaping human progress. Philosophers over the past several centuries have debated upon the roles played by historical figures in influencing the history of human civilization and progress. While Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle felt that the study of legendary figures is a key to understanding history, English philosopher Herbert Spencer was of the belief that historical individuals were of little importance. Irrespective of the philosophical debates on the subject, it cannot be denied that studying about the famous men and women in world history is truly an enriching experience. Jesus of Nazareth, the founder of Christianity, is often regarded as the most important historical figure. While most modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically, several facts about his life are shrouded in mystery. Another important religious historical figure is Muhammad who unified Arabia into a single religious polity under Islam. Many historical figures are believed to have greatly influenced world politics and the major ones among these are Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. Read on to discover about the life and works of various famous historical figures from all over the world.

The Most Famous Historical Personalities

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Sundiata KeitaAugust 20, 1217Central AfricanSundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire in West Africa
Jetsun PemaJune 4, 1990BhutaneseJetsun Pema is the Queen consort of Bhutan
Ashoka304 BCIndianAshoka was the third emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty and ruled almost the entire Indian subcontinent
Murad IVJuly 26, 1612TurkishMurad IV was one of the mighty Sultans in the history of the Ottoman Empire
Abdullah of Saudi ArabiaAugust 1, 1924Saudi ArabianAbdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the King of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015 and the third wealthiest head of state in the world
Xerxes I519 BCIranianXerxes I (Xerxes the Great) was the fourth and the most famous king of the Archaemenid dynasty of Persia
Sargon of Akkad2340 BCIraqiSargon of Akkad, also called ‘Sargon the Great’, ‘Sarru-Kan’ and ‘Shar-Gani-Sharri’, was the founder and first king of the Akkadian Empire
Ibn SaudJanuary 15, 1876Saudi ArabianKing Abdulaziz al-Saud was the first monarch of Saudi Arabia
Gia LongFebruary 8, 1762VietnameseGia Long was the first emperor of the Nguyen dynasty as well as the founding father of the modern nation of Vietnam
Flavius Odoacer435Ancient RomanFlavius Odoacer was a soldier who went on to become the King of Italy
Menelik II

Menelik II

Menelik II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913

EthiopianAugust 17, 1844404 views

William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy, who later became the King of England

British102893 views

William IV of the United Kingdom

William IV was the King of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, under whose reign the revolutionary ‘Reform Act of 1832’ was passed.

BritishAugust 21, 1765166 views

Wilhelm II

Wilhelm II was the last German emperor (kaiser) and King of Prussia, whose belligerent policies resulted in World War I

GermanJanuary 27, 1859118 views

William II of England

William II (Rufus) was the King of England from 1087 to 1100 who ascended the throne upon the death of his father, William I the Conqueror.

British1056106 views

Vespasian

Vespasian was the ninth emperor of Rome who founded the Flavian dynasty of emperors

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567

Owain Glyndŵr

Owain Glyndwr was a legendary leader of Welsh nationalism and the last native Prince of Wales who led the revolt against English rule

Welsh1349127 views

Nero

Nero was the last Roman emperor in the Julio-Claudian dynasty who ruled from 54 to 68 AD

Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon gentlewoman, known for her legendary naked ride through the streets of Coventry

British980432 views