Famous People and Groups
1. Galileo Galilei- Italian astronomer, provided evidence to support the
heliocentric theory
2. Otto von Bismark- chancellor of Prussia, unified Germany, Leader in
WWI.
3. Fidel Castro – Communist leader of Cuba, Marxist, Raised standard of
living in Cuba, Cuban Missile Crisis
4. Hernando Cortes - Explorer who conquered the Aztecs in Mexico
5. Kemal Ataturk- modernize and westernize Turkey
6. Jomo Kenyatta- nationalist independence leader, became the first prime
minister of Kenya
7. Ho Chi Minh- leader of the Vietminh, declared Vietnam free after WWII,
communist
8. Pol Pot- leader of the Khmer Rouge in communist Cambodia, began a reign
of terror
9. Emperor Justinian – leader of the Byzantine empire during its height,
established the Justinian Code as a set of rules to follow
10.Simon Bolivar- nationalist independence leader of Latin America;
influenced by enlightenment ideas
11.King Louis XIV- the “Sun King”, absolute monarch of France, built
Versailles
12.Napoleon Bonaparte- brought order to the French Revolution; tried to
conqueror Russia
13.Catherine the Great- enlightened despot from Russia, sought to expand and
westernize Russia
14.Peter the Great- tried to westernize Russia; opened a “window to the West”
15.Deng Xiaoping- Chinese leader who introduced limited capitalism (4
modernizations); Tiananmen Square Massacre
16.Karl Marx- father of communism; wrote Communist Manifesto, Marxism
17.Adam Smith- father of capitalism; wrote The Wealth of Nations
18.Joseph Stalin- dictator of the Soviet Union; Russification, Great Purges,
WWII leader.
19.John Locke- enlightenment thinker; “Life Liberty and Property”
20.Vladimir Lenin- leader of the Bolsheviks; brought communism to Russia;
“Peace Bread and Land”
21. Mohandas Gandhi – Indian nationalist who used civil disobedience to earn
self –rule from Britain, Salt March
22.Mansa Musa- emperor of Mali, ensured peace in his empire; converted to
and spread Islam
23.Niccolo Machiavelli- wrote The Prince, a guide to rulers on how to gain and
maintain power, “end justifies the means”
24.Giuseppe Garibaldi – Italian nationalist, helped push for unification, Red
Shirts
25.Emperor Hirohito- Japanese emperor who surrendered to the U.S. ending
WWII
26.Confucius- China’s most influential philosopher
27.Zheng He- World Traveler whose goal was to promote trade and collect
tribute from lesser powers across the “western seas”, cultural diffusion
28.Ibn Battuta of Morocco- was the greatest traveler of his day to Muslim
countries, spread Islam
29. Genghis Khan – Mongol leader who expanded his territory using violence
30.King Henry VII- English king; broke away from the Catholic Church and
became Protestant.
31.Nelson Mandela – Leader of the African National Congress, end of
Apartheid, first black president
32.Mao Zedong – Communist leader of China, Great Leap Forward, Cultural
Revolution
33.Marco Polo – European traveler who brought stories and goods from China
and India, cultural diffusion
34.Martin Luther –German Monk challenged the Catholic Church, 95 theses,
Protestant Reformation
35.Benito Mussolini – Italian Fascist leader, brought Italy into WWII, sided
with Hitler
36.Siddhartha Gautama (Budda) – religious leader of Buddhism, 4 noble
truths, eight fold path, achieve nirvana
37.Jean Rousseau – Philosopher and thinker, political power lies with the
people, “man is born free”, wrote “the social contract”
38.Mikhail Gorbachav – Last leader of the Soviet Union, Perestroika,
Glasnost (political and economic reform), End of Cold War
39.Suleiman the Magnificent – Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, increased the
wealth and size of the Ottoman Empire, ruled during the golden age
40.Adolf Hitler – Nazi leader of Germany, created WWII, appeasement,
Holocaust
Famous Groups
1. Mongols: group of great fighters and horsemen, whose empire conquered and
controlled much of the continent of Asia; great leader was Genghis Khan.
2. Bolsheviks: a 1917 Russian revolutionary group, led by Vladimir Lenin, who seized
power in Russia during the October Revolution and founded the Soviet Union.
3. OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Nations; Oil producing countries in the
Middle East and other areas that maximize their profits through cooperation and by
controlling the world’s oil supply.
4. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization; military alliance for a mutual defense
between the United States, Canada, and Western European nations.