World History Tournament of
Champions
Hammurabi, King of
Babylon, he is the
writer of the first
written uniform code
of law
Vs.
Hatshepsut, 5th Pharoah
of the 18th dynasty,
she is considered by
Egyptologists as one
of the most
successful pharoahs
Moses, biblical leader,
lawgiver and prophet
who is believed to be
the author of the
Torah
Vs.
Ramses the Great, third
Pharoah of the 19th
Dynasty, considered
to be the greatest of
the pharoahs as he
ruled for over 66
years
Homer, Greek poet and
author of the epics
The Iliad and The
Odyssey, poems
used in education
Vs.
Aesop, Greek slave
who Aesop’s Fables
are attributed to;
these stories teach
moral lessons to
children
Pericles, Greek statesman
who ruled Athens during
the Golden Age between
the Persian and
Peloponnesian Wars
considered Athens “first
citizen”
Vs.
Socrates, Greek
philosopher and one of
the founders of Western
Philosophy; known for his
interpretation of ethics
and the Socratic Method
Aristotle, Greek philosopher
and one of the founders
of Western Philosophy,
student of Plato and
teacher of Alexander the
Great
Vs.
Plato, Greek philosopher
and one of the founders
of Western Philosophy;
known for founding the
Academy in Athens, the
first institute of higher
learning in the Western
World
Euclid, Greek
mathematician,
considered the “Father of
Geometry”, his work
Elements is considered
the most successful
textbook in the history of
mathematics
Vs.
Hippocrates, Greek
physician and considered
the “Father of Medicine”,
he founded the
Hippocratic School of
Medicine, thus
establishing medicine as
its own profession
Hannibal, a Carthaginian
military commander who
dared defy Rome during
the Second Punic War,
known as one of the most
talented military
commanders in history
Vs.
Julius Caesar, Roman
military commander and
political leader of the first
triumvirate who
transformed Rome from a
Republic to an Empire
Charlemagne, Frankish
King who expanded his
Empire into most of
Western and Central
Europe, crowned Holy
Roman Emperor on
Christmas Day in 800 by
Pope Leo III
Vs.
Napoleon, French military
and political leader, a
soldier who became
Emperor of a new French
Empire, shaping 19th
century European politics
Sundiata, founder of the
Mali Kingdom, the
Lion King is loosely
based on his epic
story as hero of the
Malinke people of
Western Africa
Vs.
Mansa Musa, 10th
emperor of the Mali
Kingdom, first African
king to make the hajj
and leader in
promoting Islamic
scholarship in Africa
Marco Polo, Venetian trader
and explorer known as
one of the first
Westerners to travel the
Silk Road and meet
Kublai Khan
Vs.
Ibn Battuta, Muslim scholar
and explorer who traveled
for almost 30 years
through parts of Northern
and Western Africa,
Europe, Eastern Europe,
India, Central &
Southeast Asia and China
Prince Shotoku, Japanese
regent and politician who
laid the groundwork for a
centralized government,
proponent of Buddhism
leading to a time of great
art and culture
Vs.
Lady Murasaki, Japanese
novelist, poet, and maid
of the Imperial Court,
known as writer of the
The Tale of Genji, one of
the earliest novels in
human history
Joan of Arc, French national
heroine and a Catholic
saint, a peasant girl who
led the French Army to
several victories during
the Hundred Years War
Vs.
Elizabeth I, also known as
the Virgin Queen,
Elizabeth is credited with
the founding of the
Church of England, the
defeat of the Spanish
Armada and ruling during
the golden age of
England or the
Elizabethan Era
St. Francis of Assisi, Friar
and founder of the
Franciscan order, known
as patron saint of Italy
and animals, challenged
Muslim scholars to a “trial
by fire” of the power of
God during the Crusades
Vs.
St. Thomas Aquinas, a
priest of the Roman
Catholic Church who is
known as a great
philosopher and
theologian, it is believed
that his ideas of theology
were immensely
influential in modern
Western philosophy
Dante, called “Father of the
Italian language”, he was
the writer of The Divine
Comedies which is
considered one of the
greatest literary works
composed in Italian
Vs.
Chaucer, an English poet
and writer of The
Canterbury Tales, one of
the proponents of the use
of vernacular English in
writing and called “Father
of English Literature”
Machiavelli, a Renaissance
Man who wrote The
Prince, a book on politics
that proposed politicians
should be realists and
use deception if
warranted
Vs.
Thomas More, an English
statesman and
Renaissance humanist
who coined the word
“utopia”, he was
beheaded for refusing to
acknowledge Henry VIII
as the head of the Church
of England
Shakespeare, an English
poet and playwright who
is considered one of the
Greatest Writers of the
English language, his
plays have been
translated into every
living language and have
been performed more
than any other writer
Vs.
Elvis Presley, called the
“King of Rock and Roll”, a
cultural icon, he is
considered one of the
most influential music
artists in history, his
music was best-selling in
its time and continues to
sell today
Genghis Khan, founder
of the largest empire
in history, head of the
Mongols
Vs.
Zheng He, Chinese
explorer and diplomat
whose voyages
spanned between the
years of 1405 – 1433,
some historians
believe him to be the
first world explorer
Magellan, Portuguese
explorer, who is
credited with manning
the first expedition to
circumnavigate the
globe
Vs.
Francis Drake, English
sea captain, explorer
and privateer, he was
second in command
during the Spanish
Armada and was hailed
as an English hero for
sailing around the world
Isaac Newton, English
physicist and
mathematician whose book,
Philosophae Naturalis
Principia Mathematica, is
considered the most
influential book in the
history of Science, credited
with the discovery of gravity
and co-founder of calculus
Vs.
Francis Bacon, English
philosopher, statesman,
lawyer and scientist, known
for establishing the scientific
method still in use today
Catherine the Great, Russian
empress who continued
westernization, improved
administration, and
expanded the empire
making Russia a power in
Europe
Vs.
Peter the Great, Russian tsar
and predecessor to
Catherine known for initial
Westernization and
expansion of Russia making
Russia an Eastern
European power to be
reckoned with
Louis XIV, King of France,
known as the “Sun King”,
an absolute monarch who
built the lavish palace of
Versailles and set the
standard for monarchical
power
Vs.
Louis XVI, King of France
during the French
Revolution, married to
Marie Antoinette, was
tried and convicted of
treason and executed by
the guillotine
John Locke, English
philosopher, and
Enlightenment thinker
whose ideas were
reflected in the American
Declaration of
Independence
Vs.
Rousseau, French
philosopher who
influenced both political
and educational thought,
influential during the
French Revolution
Lenin, Russian
revolutionary, leader
during the October
Revolution and first
leader of the Union of
Soviet Socialist
Republics
Vs.
Stalin, leader of the
USSR following
Lenin, launched new
economic plans, allied
power during WWII,
formed the Eastern
bloc, began the Cold
War
Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
United States President
who led the country
through the Great
Depression and WWII,
only president in US
history to be elected to 4
terms as president
Vs.
Winston Churchill, Prime
Minister to the United
Kingdom during WWII, a
British politician, orator,
historian, artist and Nobel
prize winning author
Adolf Hitler, German
politician and leader of the
Nazi party, fascist dictator
of Germany during WWII,
ruled through nationalism,
oratory and propaganda
Vs.
Benito Mussolini, Italian
politician and journalist
who became leader of the
National Fascist Party and
Prime Minister of Italy, led
Italian military forces
through WWII
Mao Zedong, Communist leader
and founder of the People’s
Republic of China, a
revolutionary who is credited
with making China a major
power in world politics, but
also for failures in China such
as the Great Leap Forward
and the Cultural Revolution
Vs.
Gandhi, revolutionary political
and spiritual leader in India,
known in India as the “Father
of the Nation”, his non-violent
techniques of protest inspired
independence and civil rights
movements around the world
Attaturk, nationalist leader after
WWI turned the former
Ottoman Empire into the
Republic of Turkey, which he
served as the first president,
led the nation using
Enlightenment ideals to a
modern, democratic, secular,
nation-state
Vs.
Nasser, second president of
Egypt, founder of the
Palestinian Liberation
Organization, leader in panArabism movement, important
political figure in modern Arab
history
Jomo Kenyatta, first prime
minister and president of
Kenya, considered the
founding father of the nation of
Kenya, co-founder of the PanAfrican Federation, brought
Kenya into the UN
Vs.
Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid
activist and first President of
South Africa to be elected in a
fully represented election, he
has taken the lead in
establishing a racially diverse
democratic government and
won several awards including
the Nobel Peace Prize
Helen Keller, American author,
political activist, and the first
deaf-blind person to receive a
Bachelor of the Arts degree,
she campaigned for woman’s
suffrage, workers rights, in
opposition to the war, and for
socialism
Vs.
Mother Theresa, an Albanian
Roman Catholic nun who
gained international acclaim
as a humanitarian and tireless
worker for the poor, helpless,
sick and dying, she started the
Missionaries of Charity that
administers over 600 missions
and received the Nobel Peace
Prize for her charitable works
Lech Walesa, Polish politician
who founded the first Soviet
independent trade union,
Solidarity, fought for human
rights and won a Nobel Peace
Prize before becoming
President of Poland
Vs.
Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian
politician who served as the
last General Secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet
Union and the last leader of
the Soviet Union until its
collapse in 1991, he led many
reforms leading to the end of
the Cold War and was
awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize
Deng Xiaoping, Chinese
revolutionary, politician and
reformer, he is credited with
introducing a Chinese
Socialist Market Economy
beginning the opening up of
China into the global economy
Vs.
Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual
leader and retired leader of
the Tibetan government-inexile, he has won the Nobel
Peace Prize, is a noted
speaker, and is the 14th in a
line of Tibetan leaders, he has
sought to spread Buddhist
teachings, global harmony
and interfaith cooperation
Ronald Reagan, former President of
the United States, former California
Governor, spokesperson for GE,
and president of the Screen Actors
Guild, he headed the US
government at the end of the Cold
War, preferring arms build-up to
détente, responsible for military
actions in Grenada and Libya, died
in 2004 after battling Alzheimer’s
Vs.
Barack Obama, current President of
the United States, first AfricanAmerican president, former US
Senator from Illinois, community
organizer, civil rights attorney, first
African-American president of the
Harvard Law Review, graduate of
Columbia University and Harvard
Law School, defeated John McCain
in November 2008