Leading Figures in History

Discover the people who shaped our world — from rulers and scientists to artists and activists.

58072 persons found

'Adud al-Dawla

b. 936

Emir of the Buyids from 949 to 983

"Country" Johnny Mathis

American country music singer-songwriter (1930–2011)

"Superstar" Billy Graham

b. 1943

American wrestler (1943–2023)

"Weird Al" Yankovic

b. 1959

American comedy musician (born 1959)

0s

First 9 years of the Common Era

10s

Second decade of the first century AD

1200s BC (decade)

Decade

12th Dalai Lama

Spiritual leader of Tibet from 1860 to 1875

14th Dalai Lama

b. 1935

Spiritual leader of Tibet since 1940

1841

b. 1851

Calendar year

1978 smallpox outbreak in the United Kingdom

Event leading to the last known smallpox death

2 Cold Scorpio

b. 1965

American professional wrestler (born 1965)

2005 German football match-fixing scandal

b. 1979

Sports scandal in Germany

2023 Banda Aceh anti-Rohingya protest

b. 1998

2023 protest by students in Indonesia

20s

Third decade of the first century AD

21 Savage

b. 1992

Rapper (born 1992)

303

Calendar year

30s

Fourth decade of the first century AD

373

Calendar year

413

Calendar year

50 Cent

b. 1975

American rapper and actor (born 1975)

50s

b. 53

Sixth decade of the first century AD

531

Calendar year

645AR

b. 1997

American rapper (born 1997)