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Rulers & Emperors historical figures

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61 figures

Marble bust identified as Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII

Egypt · 69–30 BCE

Pharaoh & diplomat

Medieval illustration of Mansa Musa holding a gold orb

Mansa Musa

Mali · c. 1280–c. 1337

Emperor of Mali

Historical portrait of Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian

China · 624–705

Empress regnant

Medieval coin bearing the image of Charlemagne

Charlemagne

France · 747–814

King of the Franks & Emperor

Painted portrait of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great

Russia · 1729–1796

Empress of Russia

Ancient mosaic depicting Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Greece · 356–323 BCE

King of Macedon

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I

United Kingdom · 1533–1603

Queen of England

Mughal-era painting depicting Emperor Akbar

Akbar

India · 1542–1605

Mughal Emperor

Portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japan · 1543–1616

Shogun & unifier of Japan

Historical portrait of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan

Mongolia · c. 1162–1227

Founder of the Mongol Empire

Portrait of Emperor Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie

Ethiopia · 1892–1975

Emperor of Ethiopia

Portrait of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil

Pedro I of Brazil

Brazil · 1798–1834

Founder & first Emperor of Brazil

Historical illustration of Queen Nzinga

Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba

Angola · c. 1583–1663

Queen of Ndongo and Matamba

Historical illustration of King Shaka

Shaka

South Africa · c. 1787–1828

King of the Zulu Kingdom

Ancient seated statue of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut

Egypt · c. 1507–1458 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II

Ramesses II

Egypt · c. 1303–1213 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Medieval illustration of Attila the Hun

Attila the Hun

Hungary · c. 406–453

Ruler of the Huns

Portrait of Vlad the Impaler

Vlad the Impaler

Romania · c. 1431–1476/77

Voivode of Wallachia

Historical portrait of Stephen the Great at Voroneț Monastery

Stephen the Great

Romania · c. 1433–1504

Voivode of Moldavia

Portrait of King Henri I of Haiti in royal dress

Henri Christophe

Haiti · 1767–1820

King of Haiti

Portrait of Alexandre Petion

Alexandre Petion

Haiti · 1770–1818

President of the Republic of Haiti

Portrait of Fabre Geffrard

Fabre Geffrard

Haiti · 1806–1878

President of Haiti

Photograph of Francois Duvalier

Francois Duvalier

Haiti · 1907–1971

President of Haiti

Photograph of Jean-Claude Duvalier

Jean-Claude Duvalier

Haiti · 1951–2014

President of Haiti

Photograph of Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Haiti · 1953–

President of Haiti

Photograph of Michel Martelly

Michel Martelly

Haiti · 1961–

President of Haiti

Photograph of Rene Preval

Rene Preval

Haiti · 1943–2017

President of Haiti

Portrait of Cipriano Castro

Cipriano Castro

Venezuela · 1858–1924

President of Venezuela

Portrait of Antonio Guzman Blanco

Antonio Guzman Blanco

Venezuela · 1829–1899

President of Venezuela

Photograph of Carlos Andres Perez

Carlos Andres Perez

Venezuela · 1922–2010

President of Venezuela

Photograph of Rafael Caldera

Rafael Caldera

Venezuela · 1916–2009

President of Venezuela

Photograph of Marcos Perez Jimenez

Marcos Perez Jimenez

Venezuela · 1914–2001

Military dictator of Venezuela

Bas-relief of Hammurabi from the top of his law code stele

Hammurabi

Iraq · c. 1810–1750 BCE

King of Babylon

Ancient depiction believed to represent Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II

Iraq · c. 634–562 BCE

King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Achaemenid Persian artifact associated with the era of Xerxes I

Xerxes I

Iran · c. 518–465 BCE

King of the Achaemenid Persian Empire

Statue of a helmeted Spartan hoplite associated with Leonidas I

Leonidas I

Greece · c. 540–480 BCE

King of Sparta

Statue of Augustus known as the Augustus of Prima Porta

Augustus

Italy · 63 BCE–14 CE

First Roman emperor

Ancient portrait bust of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

Italy · 121–180 CE

Roman emperor & Stoic philosopher

Statue of Constantine the Great at the Capitoline Museums

Constantine the Great

Turkey · c. 272–337 CE

Roman emperor

Painted limestone bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum

Nefertiti

Egypt · c. 1370–c. 1330 BCE

Queen of Egypt

Ancient Egyptian statue depicting Akhenaten

Akhenaten

Egypt · c. 1353–1336 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

Gold burial mask of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun

Egypt · c. 1341–1323 BCE

Pharaoh of Egypt

19th-century depiction of Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang

China · 259–210 BCE

First emperor of China

Portrait of Kamehameha I by Louis Choris

Kamehameha I

United States · c. 1758–1819

King of Hawaii

Portrait of Queen Liliuokalani

Liliuokalani

United States · 1838–1917

Queen of Hawaii

Photograph of Michael Somare

Michael Somare

Papua New Guinea · 1936–2021

Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

Photograph of Oscar Arias

Oscar Arias

Costa Rica · 1940–

President of Costa Rica

Photograph of Manuel Noriega

Manuel Noriega

Panama · 1934–2017

Military dictator of Panama

Photograph of Daniel Ortega

Daniel Ortega

Nicaragua · 1945–

President of Nicaragua

Photograph of Joaquin Balaguer

Joaquin Balaguer

Dominican Republic · 1906–2002

President of the Dominican Republic

Photograph of Violeta Chamorro

Violeta Chamorro

Nicaragua · 1929–

President of Nicaragua

Official portrait of Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi

India · 1917–1984

Prime Minister of India

Photograph of Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sri Lanka · 1916–2000

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Photograph of Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller

United States · 1945–2010

Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

Photograph of Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm

United States · 1924–2005

Politician

Historical map showing the extent of the Songhai Empire

Askia Muhammad I

Mali · c. 1443–1538

Emperor of the Songhai Empire

Statue commemorating Amina of Zazzau

Amina of Zazzau

Nigeria · traditionally c. 1533–1610

Ruler of Zazzau

Photograph of Samory Toure

Samory Toure

Guinea · c. 1828–1900

Founder of the Wassoulou Empire

Historical portrait of King Moshoeshoe I

Moshoeshoe I

Lesotho · c. 1786–1870

First King of Lesotho

Photograph of King Behanzin

Behanzin

Benin · c. 1844–1906

King of Dahomey

Photograph of Juan Bosch

Juan Bosch

Dominican Republic · 1909–2001

President of the Dominican Republic