Can You Name Every One Of These Important Historical Figures?

Abraham Lincoln

If you ask anyone who history's greatest president was, most would likely go with Lincoln. And for good reason. The powerful leader and speaker preserved the Union when it was at the brink of division. Through the Civil War, he emancipated the slaves, and his stalwart leadership was viewed as George Washington-esque by some even in his time. This larger-than-life president was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865, becoming a martyr in the eyes of many.

George Washington

“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism," George Washington warned. As one of our favorite founding fathers and the first president of the United States, George Washington's patriotism was not pretend. Washington led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as general of the colonial armies. And after the war, he and his buddies threw together a little thing known as the U.S. Constitution. He even signed it.

William Shakespeare

"To be, or not to be. That is the question." Where would we be without the words of William Shakespeare? From sonnets to plays, Shakespeare's talent for spinning drama and comedy is unparalleled. His plays are still performed in theaters across the world, and 'Hamlet', 'Macbeth', 'Romeo & Juliet', and 'Henry IV' are still as powerful today as when first performed. So, the answer to that question is "to be."

Benjamin Franklin

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” The late Renaissance Man did both. The inventor of bifocals and the lightning rod, Benjamin Franklin dipped his toe in everything, including science, writing, printing, publishing, inventing, and of course, politics, bringing the Age of Enlightenment to America. As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Franklin was instrumental in drafting the Declaration of Independence (he even signed his work!) and, during the American Revolution, was a diplomat to France, representing the United States.

Edgar Allan Poe

"To the swinging and the ringing...Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells – To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!" Bells rang in Edgar Allan Poe's head when he wrote "The Bells" and "The Raven", and a heartbeat under the floorboards when he wrote his short story, "The Tell-tale Heart". The 19th-century writer and poet knew how to build suspense and dwelled in the macabre and mysterious.

Ronald Reagan

The Republican Party continues to hold their golden child, Ronald Reagan, in high esteem. The Hollywood actor-turned-president, lauded for his folksy likeability and charm, was called "the Great Communicator" for a reason. The orator believed less was more when it comes to government, saying, "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” His anti-communist views produced policies that are credited with destabilizing Soviet communism and his trickle-down economic policies, known as Reaganomics, helped end the 1980 recession.

Ulysses S. Grant

As the Union general who beat out the Confederate States during the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant made a name for himself on the battlefield. But leadership on the battlefield does not necessarily translate to leadership in the highest office in the land. Grant is often ranked by historians in the lower half of U.S. presidents, as his presidential tenure is viewed as weak tea.

Cars

The assembly line for mass production of automobiles was first installed on December 1, 1913.

Fidel Castro

This man was wanted...dead or alive. The communist revolutionary of Latin America, Fidel Castro, led Cuba to become the first communist state on the west side of the globe. And he succeeded in getting himself blacklisted by the United States who imposed a trade embargo. His nearly five-decade rule included sweeping reforms, and with the good came the bad – free education and healthcare on one hand, silencing the free press on the other.

Isaac Newton

When an ordinary man sees an apple fall from a tree, he picks it up and eats it. When Isaac Newton does, he comes up with the theory of gravity. Newton's great mind was challenged by the fields of mathematics, physics, and astronomy, which led him to theories in optics and planetary motion. His 'Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' is said to be the foundation of modern physics.

Five-star General

Dwight Eisenhower was a Five-star General in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

As one of the most beloved commanders-in-chief, Franklin D. Roosevelt often ranks in the upper tier of history's greatest U.S. presidents. He was tested to the utmost during his record-breaking four-term tenure, leading the country through the Great Depression and WWII. Abroad, he combatted Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, and at home, he expanded federal governmental power through his New Deal.

Mark Twain

Heralded as "the father of American literature" by none other than William Faulkner, Mark Twain (aka, Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was a man of many trades. The 19th-century humorist, lecturer, publisher, entrepreneur, and writer launched his career with travel narratives, such as <i>The Innocents Abroad</i> and <i>Roughing It</i>. Later, arguably his best-known feats, <i>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</i> and <i>Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i>, made him a cherished writer the world over.

Galileo Galilei

Let's take to the skies with Galileo Galilei, the man who brought us the telescope with magnifying lenses 30x strong. The Italian stargazer drew out the phases of Venus and spotted Jupiter's satellites. He's also credited with discoveries in the kinematics of motion and improving upon gadgets, like military compasses. Einstein called him "the father of modern science." And what Einstein says, goes.

Orville and Wilbur

Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867. His younger brother Orville was born on August 19, 1871.

King Henry VIII

Henry VIII probably didn't win any "best hubbie" awards, but he did reign during the English Renaissance and Reformation. He broke away from the Catholic Church and created the Church of England, of which he was the head...all so he could divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Of his wives, he divorced two, beheaded two more, one of them died from complications at birth, and the last one survived. He finally got his male heir in Prince Edward, after marrying Jane Seymour...though it was arguably his sister, Elizabeth, who rocked her succession.

Penicillin

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin after carelessly leaving a culture plate out in his lab before going on holiday. He came back to find that mold had grown - the mold that would end up being the world's first true antibiotic.

Thomas Jefferson

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These powerful words were written by none other than the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is credited with drafting the Declaration of Independence, advocating for the separation of church and state, founding the University of Virginia, and scoring the Louisiana Purchase. Gee, Jefferson, leave some accomplishments for the rest of us!

Thomas Paine

"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead," political philosopher, Thomas Paine, wrote. The writer published "Common Sense" in 1776, the very first pamphlet supporting American independence. He also supported revolutions in Europe, including the French Revolution, for which he wrote "Rights of Man".

Ernest Hemingway

Once a journalist, Hemingway's economical writing style emerged from what he called the "iceberg theory" – with little at the surface and lots unseen going on beneath. Hemingway was famous for more than his writing. He was a notorious sportsman who lived an adventurous life worth writing about. Unsurprisingly, his work – which includes greats such as <i>For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises</i>, and <i>Farewell to Arms</i> – earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.

Harry Truman

Then-Vice President Harry S. Truman was ushered into the driver's seat when FDR passed away, leaving him in the grips of WWII. Previously unaware of the Manhattan Project, Truman was handed the difficult decision to drop the A-bomb, which he ultimately did. That wasn't the only tough war-time decision he made as president; he also sent forces to prevent the expansion of communism in Korea. Let the Cold War begin.

Engine

Rudolf Diesel's work in engine design had the goal of a much higher efficiency ratio than steam engines.

Harriet Tubman

Leading abolitionist Harriet Tubman escaped the South and took hundreds of slaves with her. Using the secret network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad, Tubman aided slaves on the dangerous journey to freedom before the Civil War broke out. She was the Underground's most famous conductor and is lovingly called the "Moses of her people".

Nicolaus Copernicus

Remember when humans thought that Earth was the center of the universe? Yeah, neither do we. That's because Nicolaus Copernicus came along and blew that theory out of the water. Copernicus is the first to push the heliocentric model of the Solar System (the planets revolving around the Sun). Although he wasn't the first astronomer to suggest this radical idea, he expanded upon it and created a formula that more accurately calculated the positions of planets. Being a true Renaissance Man, he didn't stop at astronomy. He also delved into governance, medicine, and even economics, for which he wrote the Quantity Theory of Money.

Che Guevara

The famous guerrilla leader, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, was a military strategist, diplomat, author, and revolutionary. His visage became the picture of rebellion and symbolic of the counterculture at the time, opposing capitalism. Even today, Che's face is globally recognizable in pop culture. But he was not just a face; his actions and words were powerful. He said: "The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” And that, he did.

William Taft

We've all heard the unlikely story about "Big Bill" Taft getting stuck in the White House bathtub. While that's likely a tall-tale, the hefty president, standing nearly six feet tall, is said to have tipped the scales at 350 pounds. Rude rumors aside, Taft's appointment to the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1921 by President Warren G. Harding, made him the only president to hold both offices. Quite an impressive feat!

Caravaggio

Everyone's favorite turtles were all Renaissance artists: Leonardo (blue), Donatello (purple), Michelangelo (orange), and Raphael (red). Why? Because the TMNT creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, were artists and art history aficionados, with the Renaissance greats being amongst their favorites. Donatello nearly got recast as Bernini, but Caravaggio didn't make the cut. Sorry, Charlie.

Ho Chi Minh

Known as "Uncle Ho," Ho Chi Minh became the symbol of Vietnamese independence. After joining the Communist Party, he was one of the founders of the Indochinese Communist Party. After WWII ended, Ho and his forces seized Hanoi, which then became a Democratic State of Vietnam with none other than Uncle Ho as president. The country struggled to unify for the next 25 years that he was president, as the anti-Communist regime in the south, backed by the U.S., fought against the north. U.S. troops were still fighting the lost war when Ho Chi Minh died in 1969.

Alexander Hamilton

You might've known little about Alexander Hamilton before Tony winner, performer, and composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda came along. But the political philosopher was a great Enlightenment thinker and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. He helped author the Federalist Papers – 85 letters to newspapers, advocating for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and supporting a strong central government.

Isaac Newton

Newton's "Principia Mathematica," written in 1686, is said to have been one of the primary influences on the era of thinking and reason. His theory of the laws of motion put into motion the Age of Enlightenment.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

His spirited "I Have A Dream" speech still rings in our ears. Martin Luther King, Jr., led peaceful protests, calling for equality, saying: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." His words and actions – including the March on Washington – spurred the Civil Rights Movement, leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which ended segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in 1968, and MLK day has been celebrated in his honor since 1986.

'Mother' Jones

The "most dangerous woman in America" was a teacher and dressmaker by day and a radical firebrand by night. Mother Jones – Mary Harris Jones – helped coordinate strikes as part of the Industrial Workers of the World. She was given the "dangerous" title due to her success in organizing the United Mine Workers union and the Knights of Labor. She further organized children's marches to advocate for child labor laws. The U.S. Senate also called her the “grandmother of all agitators”...sounds like the Senate hasn't changed much.

Lord Byron

Lord Byron is considered a poetic revolutionary in the Romantic Movement, but he also fought in the war for Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. He died there, living his words: "The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain."

Catherine the Great

Another leader who attempted to apply the theories of the age was Empress of Russia Catherine the Great. She extended the work of Peter the Great, integrating Russia into the cultural and political life of Europe. During her tenure, she reorganized Russian law and invoked liberal humanitarian political theories into reforms, such as: "All men should be considered equal before the law," and, "The law should protect, not oppress, the people."

Thomas Paine

Writing the very first pamphlet to promote American independence, the England-born political writer, Thomas Paine, was no stranger to revolution. He advocated for causes in both America and Europe, including the French Revolution in his written defense, "Rights of Man". "Common Sense", his first pamphlet, was internationally lauded and he continued on with his analysis in his Revolutionary War papers, “The American Crisis". Probably not a great surprise that the man spent a stretch in prison.

Leonardo da Vinci

This master painter was a master of all. Not only did he paint the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but he had stacks of notebooks with various avant-garde inventions, like the odometer and the parachute. Leonardo da Vinci was a sculptor, an engineer, an architect, and a draftsman. I mean, how much more 'Renaissance Man' can you get?

Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, with Congress editing the final version.

John Milton

"Paradise Lost" is considered the greatest epic poem in English, gaining John Milton renowned praise. But, as with most Renaissance Men, Milton was interested in all worldly things, namely the French and American revolutions and the English civil wars.

Mahatma Gandhi

The "father of India," Mahatma Gandhi was the change he wanted to see in the world. In a revolutionary way, he prompted peaceful protests, being a political dissident without warring. In doing so, he led India's independence from Britain in the '30s and '40s, using his words and nonviolence to further the country's agenda. His peaceful revolution inspired Martin Luther King, Jr., and even the Dalai Lama.

Herman Melville

Search for that elusive white whale alongside Captain Ahab with Herman Melville's <i>Moby Dick</i>. This great American novel, written at the height of the American Renaissance period, is amongst the major magnum opuses of American literature.

Niccolo Machiavelli

It's no wonder Machiavelli had a literary prototype named after him. He believed that when it comes to cold, calculating, and cunning behavior, the ends justify the means. Machiavelli wrote 'The Prince', a political treatise and tale of 16th-century power. Likely, he wanted some of that power, himself, as he was an exiled statesman. Apparently, he rubbed the Medici family the wrong way.

Queen Elizabeth I

Good Queen Bess was a successful leader, though there were constant challenges to her right to the throne. During her tenure, she restored Protestantism in England, took on the Spanish Armada – and won! – and put England on the map as a major European power, all while wearing this get-up.

Tsar Peter the Great

Tsar Peter I – aka Peter the Great – tagteamed the empire with his half-brother Ivan V, before taking the lead. He is credited with reforming Russia, which had fallen behind on the global stage. Developing everything from economy and trade to science and culture, he managed to lock in Russia as a major player.

Harper Lee

Another book that you probably won't get through school without reading is <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>. And for good reason. Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winner about a lawyer's fight for justice against prejudice in the South was an instant classic. If you want to retain that image of Atticus Finch, don't read her follow-up, <i>Go Set a Watchman</i>. Let's just say the old man will disappoint you.

Geoffrey Chaucer

"Time and tide wait for no man." English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, was right, as it didn't wait for him to finish his famous poetic work, 'The Canterbury Tales'. You can read his tales as you visit him in the "Poet's Corner" of Westminster Abbey, where he was laid to rest.

T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot served up essays, plays, and critiques, and is known as "one of the twentieth century's major poets." Although he was born in Missouri, he spent most of his life in England, where he wrote his epic works, <i>The Waste Land</i> and <i>Four Quartets</i>.

William Henry Harrison

Unfortunately, William Henry Harrison's presidential tenure was short-lived (literally). Lasting only a month as ninth president in 1841, he died of typhoid or pneumonia after only 31 days in office. It's safe to say he didn't accomplish much in that short period, but his death did establish the proper succession regarding presidential deaths in office when VP John Tyler assumed the presidency – something the early constitution wasn't previously crystal clear on.

High School Teacher

Lyndon B. Johnson graduated college in 1930, teaching high school public speaking prior to his political career.

Emily Dickinson

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all." Emily Dickinson wrote for no one but herself. The reclusive poet's work was only recognized posthumously. But once it was, her poetry was praised for its syntax and form.

Frederick the Great

While the thinkers of the day were putting their great minds to work, some of the top leaders of the day took these admirable ideals into account. One of those leaders was the ruler of the Kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II. He was known as the "philosopher-king," as he was a regular correspondent with the Enlightenment's leading minds, including Voltaire. A patron of the arts and sciences, the Prussian leader's military tactics made his kingdom a major contender during the 18th century.

Peanuts

George Washington Carver managed to turn peanuts into more than 100 different products incudling gasoline, plastics, dyes and even an untested treatment for polio.

The Medici family

The Italian Renaissance may not have been born without the patronage of the Medici family, headed by Lorenzo. The wealthy Florentine family funded some of the greats (or got their rich friends to fund them), including Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. Lorenzo the Magnificent, as he was known in his circle, was actually an artist himself, so it's no doubt he had an eye for the greats.

Haile Selassie I

Haile Selassie I hoped to modernize Ethiopia and, holding internationalist views, it looked like he might. Under Selassie, Ethiopia became a member of the United Nations, while strengthening education and the police force in the country. But he is criticized for political oppression, and after the famine of 1973, he was removed from the throne and killed.

Vlad the Impaler

Romanian Prince Vlad III of Wallachia was ruthless. So ruthless, in fact, that many think Bram Stoker based his blood-sucking vampire, Dracula, on good ol' Vlad. How'd he gain such notoriety? Glad you asked: Vlad the Impaler liked to, well, impale his enemies on stakes. He was known for punishing and torturing them cruelly, leaving them impaled in the ground to die a slow death. In doing so, he inspired fear in his enemies and, also, a blood-thirsty vampire.

William McKinley

William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, when he succumbed to gangrene eight days after being shot while mingling with the public.

Dante Alighieri

If you want to travel down the nine circles of hell, let Dante lead the way. The Italian poet created his trilogy, 'The Divine Comedy', depicting the Christian afterlife as a journey through the rings of lust, greed, anger, gluttony, and more until one reaches the center of hell. Almost makes you want to live forever.

René Descartes

René Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician, showing the world what it means to exist: “I think; therefore I am.” Descartes studied applied mathematics, grasping the natural world through logic. Taking this logic to the roots of nature, Descartes found the base of knowledge and existence in this simple, yet explosive, observation.

King Ludwig II

“I wish forever to remain an enigma, both to myself and others," King Ludwig II once said. And he was. To some, he was the Mad King; to others, he was the Swan King. Known for throwing money at castles – like Neuschwanstein, which is said to have inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle – he nearly bankrupted Bavaria. He was declared insane in the end. Some might say he was just imaginative.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas was a theologian and a philosopher of the 13th century. Combining reason with faith, he was a prolific writer and scholastic genius of the Catholic Church. One of his most revolutionary thoughts involved criticism of those theories which claimed that faith stood in opposition to reason. Instead, he believed faith could guide reason and, conversely, reason could demystify faith.

John Locke

John Locke was another great thinker who built the foundation for the movement. His philosophy and political theory invoked liberalism and empirical thinking, seeing government as a protector of "life, liberty, and estate" – an idea that prevailed in the founding of the United States. Moreover, in his “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” Locke advocates for nurture over nature, describing humans as a blank slate, with identity and knowledge brought forth by experience.

Ballpoint Pen

Laszlo Biro's ballpoint pen was borne of a desire for a pen with ink that dried quickly, unlike the fountain pens of the time.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots, didn't like to play by the rules...but that eventually caught up with her. After some strange choices in life and love (including marrying the man who murdered her husband), she fled to England in exile. Her claims to the English throne – then held by her cousin Elizabeth I – led to her death by beheading.

Jack Kerouac

Famed for his free-wheelin' Beat Generation lifestyle, Jack Kerouac's <i>On the Road</i> was a masterpiece of spontaneity. "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." Interestingly enough, the literary iconoclast wrote out his epic on a scroll. Sounds pretty Beat to me.

Helicopter

Leonardo da Vinci's 15th century "Helical Air Screw" bore a strong resemblance in construction and proposed operation to modern helicopters.

Desiderius Erasmus

Northern Europe's foray into the Renaissance movement was dominated by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam. The scholar calmed the more extreme views of the Reformation, and his Greek translation of the New Testament revolutionized "Christian Humanism", blending classical traditions with Christian beliefs and the humanist idea of a man's capacity for self-improvement.