|
 |
Who Was Alexander the Great?
When Alexander was a boy in ancient Macedon, he already had grand ambitions. He complained that his father, the great king of Macedon, wasn't leaving anything for him to conquer! This, of course, was not the case. King Alexander went on to control most of the known world of the time. His victories won him many supporters, but they also earned him enemies. |
|
 |
Who Was Blackbeard?
Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. Known for his thick, black beard and fearsome reputation, the legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for over 300 years. |
|
 |
Who Was Catherine the Great?
Born in 1729, Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbs was never supposed to come to power. But at age sixteen, she married the heir to the Russian throne. By 1762, Sophie, known now as Catherine, overthrew her immature and incompetent husband, Peter III, to lead the nation. Catherine became the sole ruler of Russia. |
|
 |
Who Was Confucius?
Born in 551 BC, Confucius was a young man when he set his heart and mind on learning as much as he could. By his thirties, he’d become a brilliant teacher who shared his knowledge of several subjects, including arithmetic, history, and poetry, with his students. Confucius wanted to make sure that everyone in China had access to an education and devoted his whole life to learning and teaching so he could transform and improve society. |
|
 |
Who Is the Dalai Lama?
Get to know the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader and one of the most popular world leaders today. |
|
 |
Who Was Gandhi?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 in British-occupied India. Calling for non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights around the world. Gandhi is recognized internationally as a symbol of hope, peace, and freedom. |
|
 |
Who Was Genghis Khan?
Named Temujin at birth by his nomadic family in early Mongolia, the great Genghis Khan used his skill and cunning to create the Mongol Empire and conquer almost the entire continent of Asia. As ruler of the largest empire in human history, he was as respected as he was feared. |
|
 |
Who Was Henry VIII?
Mainly remembered for his six marriages and his self-appointment as the "Supreme Head of the Church of England," Henry VIII was also attractive, educated, and athletic. When Henry Tudor ascended to the English throne at the age of 17, his reign looked promising. |
|
 |
Who Was King Tut?
Ever since Howard Carter uncovered King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, the young pharaoh has become a symbol of the wealth and mystery of ancient Egypt. Now, a two-and-a-half-year-long museum exhibit of Tut's treasures is touring major cities in the U.S., drawing record crowds. |
|
 |
Who Was Jesus?
In an even-handed and easy-to-read narrative, this title—illustrated with eighty black-and-white drawings—also explains the early origins of Christianity and how it became a major religion. |
|
 |
Who Was Joan of Arc?
Joan of Arc was born in a small French village during the worst period of the Hundred Years' War. For generations, France had been besieged by the British. |
|
 |
Who Was Julius Caesar?
He came. He saw. He conquered. Julius Caesar was a force to be reckoned with as a savvy politician, an impressive orator, and a brave soldier. |
|
 |
Who Was Nelson Mandela?
As a child he dreamt of changing South Africa; as a man he changed the world. |
|
 |
Who Was Marie Antoinette?
From the palaces of Austria to the mirrored halls of Versailles, Marie Antoinette led a charmed life. She was born into royalty in 1755 and married the future king of France at age 15. |
|
 |
Who Was Mother Teresa?
While teaching in India, where famine and violence had devastated the poor, Teresa shed her habit and walked the streets of Calcutta tending to the needs of the destitute. Her charity work soon expanded internationally, and her name remains synonymous with compassion and devotion to the poor. |
|
 |
Who Was Napoleon?
In addition to greatly expanding the French empire, Napoleon also created many laws, which are still encoded in legal systems around the world. |
|
 |
Who Was Princess Diana?
A shy twenty-year-old girl stepped out of a horse-drawn coach and into the world spotlight, capturing the imagination of millions as a real life fairy-tale princess. Although the storybook marriage didn't have a happy ending, Diana learned to use her fame as a way to champion charitable causes near to her heart. |
|
 |
Who Was Queen Elizabeth?
A tough, intelligent woman who spoke five languages, Elizabeth ruled for over forty years and led England through one of its most prosperous periods in history. Over 80 illustrations bring Queen Elizabeth and her court to life. |
|
 |
Who Was Queen Elizabeth II?
Queen Elizabeth reigned for seventy years, and while there were palaces galore, the crown jewels, and trips around the world, her life was one of strict discipline and duty. |
|
 |
Who Was Queen Victoria?
Her reign of 63 years and seven months is known as the Victorian Era, a period of industrial, cultural, scientific, and political change that was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. But Victoria was raised under close supervision and near isolation until she became Queen of the United Kingdom at the young age of 18. |
|
 |
Who Was Winston Churchill?
Born into aristocracy, Churchill cut his teeth as a young army officer in British India, the Sudan, and the Second World War. He rose in the ranks to First Lord of the Admiralty and was a staunch opponent of the encroaching German Nazis. |
|
