Leading Figures in History

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

62247 persons found

Magnus, Duke of Holstein

b. 1540

Danish prince, Prince-bishop of Ösel, King of Livonia

Magnus, Duke of Saxony

Duke of Saxony

Mahadev Desai

Personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahadevi Varma

Indian writer and poet (1907–1987)

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi

Iranian businessman

Mahal (actress)

Filipino actress, comedian, and vlogger (1974–2021)

Mahala Andrews

Paleontologist

Mahalia Jackson

b. 1911

American gospel singer (1911–1972)

Mahamadou Diarra

b. 1981

Malian footballer

Maharana Pratap

b. 1540

Maharana of Mewar from 1572 to 1597

Mahasi Sayadaw

b. 1904

Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk (1904–1982)

Mahasweta Devi

Indian writer and activist

Mahathir Mohamad

b. 1925

Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981–2003, 2018–2020)

Mahatma Gandhi

b. 1869

Indian independence activist (1869–1948)

Mahaut of Artois

Countess of Artois

Mahboob Ali Khan

b. 1866

Nizam of Hyderabad from 1869 to 1911

Mahbubul Haque

b. 1948

Bangladeshi linguist (1948–2024)

Mahdi Amel

Lebanese poet and activist

Mahdi Elmandjra

Moroccan economist, sociologist and futurologist

Mahela Jayawardene

b. 1977

Sri Lankan cricketer

Mahendra Bhatnagar

b. 1926

Indian Hindi and English poet (1926–2020)

Mahendra Karma

Indian politician

Mahesh Babu

b. 1975

Indian actor and film producer (b. 1975)

Mahesh Bhatt

b. 1949

Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1948)