A DC Comics superheroine who first appeared in 1941, during World War II. She is a Princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and is known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira. She utilizes the Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, and has an invisible airplane.
A fictional, heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. He is considered the alter ego of Prince Adam and also the twin brother of She-Ra. He-Man and his friends defend Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil forces of Skeletor.
The founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He conquered and massacred most of Eurasia, but also promoted religious tolerance. He unified the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia. He died on this day in 1227. Through his sons and grandsons, the Mongol Empire became the largest contiguous empire in history (and included 26% of the world population).
A French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. His legal reform, the Napoleonic Code, influenced civil law jurisdictions worldwide. He is considered one of the greatest military commanders (see the Napoleonic Wars). He was born on this day in 1769.
P.S. Napoleon had problems, but being short wasn’t really one of them. He was 5′ 6″ or 5′ 7″ tall, which is average for an 18th-century Frenchman (but shorter than most Imperial Guards). Still, he gets the Napoleon complex named after him.
The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom and legendary damsel in distress in Nintendo’s Mario series. She was always in another castle.
Roman general who played a critical role in building the Roman Empire. He had a long-term relationship with Cleopatra but could not marry her under Roman law. He was assassinated by a group of senators, led by Brutus, on the Ides of March. Et tu, Brute?
The last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s death. She had a long-term relationship with Julius Caesar and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
