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Most Popular Leaders in History

They may have ruled empires or nations or even small clans; but they are respected fortheir remarkable leadership qualities. Here are brief biographies of famous leaders in

history of the world.

(*Click on the image for an enlarged view.)

Alexander, the Great (356 - 323 BC)

Alexander the Great, or Alexander III of Macedon, is one of the most famous rulers in

history who conquered nearly half of the world. His empire extended from Ionian Sea to

the Himalayas. Alexander discovered around 20 cities. When talking about the physical

appearance of Alexander, one peculiar feature found is his eye color. One of his eye wasblue and the other brown. He was also widely known for his decisive, stubborn and

calculating nature. He died in Babylon in 323 BC at the young age of 32. Although short-

lived and short reigned, he is known as the greatest military geniuses of all times.

Julius Caesar (100 BC - 44 BC)

Gaius Julius Caesar, a politician, an orator, a general, and an author, was one of the

greatest leaders of Rome and the world. He played an important role in extending the

Roman empire, making it one of the most powerful empires in his times. Julius Caesarpaved way for an imperial system, and his heir Augustus was crowned the first Roman

emperor. Caesar is also popular for his affair with Cleopatra VII of Egypt. He introduced

the Julian calendar; and also was the first ruler to have coinage issued with his name.

Similar to Alexander, Julius Caesar has also inspired many other generals all over theworld.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821)

Napoleon Bonaparte, or Napoleon I of France, is a popular figure in history. He was a

general in the French army who rose to power after the French revolution. Ironically, theFrench revolution which had overthrown monarchy, crowned Napoleon as the new

emperor. Napoleon is noted for his success in the Napoleonic Wars with every major

European power. He broadened the French empire to great extent and is well-known for

his war strategies and tactics. However, his army was defeated in the Peninsular War andalso during the invasion of Russia. Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to Saint Helena,

where he died in 1821.

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, is one of thegreatest leaders in American history. He is ranked among the top 3 great Presidents of the

United States (the other two being George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt). Lincoln

headed the country in the American Civil War to abolish slavery and apartheid. The

Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln freed nearly 3 million slaves in

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different states of America. He was assassinated in 1865 by a Confederate sympathizer,

John Booth. Lincoln was the first US President ever to be assassinated.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a prominentpolitical leader in the Indian Independence struggle. His ideology of 'Satyagraha' or non-

violence led to freedom of India from the British rule. Gandhi was assassinated in 1948.

The Gandhian ideology or doctrine or non-violence inspired many other leaders all overthe world; most notable being Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

In India, Mahatma Gandhi is known as the Father of the Nation and his picture appears

on all paper currency. His birthday, 2nd October, is celebrated as a National or public

holiday in India.

Vladimir Lenin (1870 - 1924)

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was one of the most popular and influential figures of the early20th century. It was under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, a Bolshevik leader, that the

Russian revolution took place in 1917. The Bolsheviks overthrew the ProvisionalGovernment and Lenin became Head of the Soviet State. Lenin's philosophy is well-

known as Leninism or Marxism-Leninism, which was a guiding doctrine for the

formation of USSR. Several radical and social reforms took place in the Soviet Stateunder the leadership of Lenin. The embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin is on public

display at Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow.

Apart from those mentioned above, history has witnessed many more capable rulers allover the world. The following is an alphabetic list of world's greatest leaders inclusive of

all those who enjoyed great power and also those who strived hard for the betterment of

their countrymen.Augustus (Roman empire)

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Iran)

Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan)Frederick, The Great (Prussia)

Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt)

Genghis Khan (Mongolia)

Golda Meir (Israel)Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)

Indira Gandhi (India)

Jawaharlal Nehru (India)Joseph Stalin (Russia)

Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar (Mughal empire)

Kim Dae Jung (South Korea)Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Pakistan)

Mao Zedong (China)

Mikhail Gorbachev (Russia)

Mustafa Kemal, or Atatrk (Turkey)

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Nicolae Ceausescu (Romania)

Oliver Cromwell (England)

Queen Elizabeth I (England)Sun Yat Sen (China)

Winston Churchill (United Kingdom)

Yasser Arafat (Palestine)Yitzhak Rabin (Israel)

Great Leaders in American History

The aforementioned were some of the greatest leaders in the world. Now, if you are

looking for the most famous leaders of the United States of America, then here is the list:

George Washington

Thomas JeffersonTheodore Roosevelt

John F. Kennedy

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ronald ReaganFranklin Roosevelt

Eleanor RooseveltDouglas MacArthur

General Dwight Eisenhower

Rosa Parks