Alex Peek blog: February 2026

Sunday, February 15, 2026

List of Japanese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Japanese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 9 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)

"...Japanese samurai and daimyō... one of the leading figures of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods... regarded as the first 'Great Unifier' of Japan... consolidating power, as head of the very powerful Oda clan, through a series of wars... overthrowing the nominally ruling shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and dissolving the Ashikaga Shogunate... conquered most of Honshu... defeated the Ikkō-ikki..." (Wikipedia: Oda Nobunaga, 2.8.26 UTC 15:34)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598)

"...Japanese samurai and daimyō... regarded as the second 'Great Unifier' of Japan... earning the rank and title of Kampaku and Daijō-daijin, the highest official position and title in the nobility class... defeated Akechi Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki... conquered Shikoku in 1585 and Kyūshū in 1587... winning the Siege of Odawara... crushing the Kunohe rebellion... launched the Japanese invasions of Korea..." (Wikipedia: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 2.10.26 UTC 17:52)

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616)

"...Japanese samurai, daimyō, and the first shōgun of the Tokugawa Shogunate... third of the three 'Great Unifiers' of Japan... serving as ally, vassal and general of the Oda clan... became the most senior officer under the Toyotomi regime... seized power in 1600... implemented a set of careful rules known as the bakuhan system..." (Wikipedia: Tokugawa Ieyasu, 2.10.26 UTC 22:48)

Emperor Meiji (1852-1912)

"...122nd emperor of Japan... associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the Tokugawa shogunate... transformed Japan from an isolationist, feudal state to an industrialized world power... after the death of his father Emperor Kōmei in 1867, it triggered the Boshin War, in which samurai defeated the shogunate... establishment of the Cabinet in 1885, Privy Council in 1888, Imperial Diet in 1890... victories over China in the First Sino-Japanese War and over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Meiji, 2.9.26 UTC 19:53)

Itō Hirobumi (1841-1909)

"...first prime minister of Japan... member of the genrō, a group of senior statesmen who effectively dictated policy for the Empire of Japan during the Meiji era... central role in the drafting of the 1889 Meiji Constitution as well as the establishment of the National Diet... founded the Rikken Seiyūkai political party... Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 made Itō the first Resident-General of Korea." (Wikipedia: Itō Hirobumi, 1.26.26 UTC 16:46)

Hideki Tojo (1884-1948)

"...Japanese military officer... Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944 during World War II... presiding over numerous war crimes, including the mass killing and enslavement of millions of civilians and prisoners of war... alliance with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy... attack on Pearl Harbor... tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East... executed by hanging..." (Wikipedia: Hideki Tojo, 2.10.26 UTC 15:40)

Hirohito (1901-1989)

"...124th emperor of Japan... reigning from 1926 until his death in 1989... presided over the rise of Japanese militarism, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Asia-Pacific theater of World War II, and the nation's postwar economic miracle... never prosecuted for war crimes... Under Japan's new constitution, drafted by U.S. officials and enacted in 1947, his role as emperor was redefined..." (Wikipedia: Hirohito, 2.16.26 UTC 03:50)

Eisaku Satō (1901-1975)

"...prime minister of Japan from 1964 to 1972... securing the return of Okinawa in 1972... entered the National Diet in 1949... presided over a period of rapid economic growth... oversaw normalization of diplomatic relations with South Korea and maintained close relations with the United States... introduced the 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles'... signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty..." (Wikipedia: Eisaku Satō, 1.3.26 UTC 13:29)

Shinzo Abe (1954-2022)

"...Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020... conservative and member of the ultranationalist organization Nippon Kaigi... right-wing stances including downplaying Japanese atrocities in textbooks... attempted to counter Japan's economic stagnation with 'Abenomics'... reinstating the Trans-Pacific Partnership..." (Wikipedia: Shinzo Abe, 2.12.26 UTC 21:53)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

List of Spanish political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Spanish political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 6 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504)

"...Queen of Castile and León... also Queen of Aragon... wife of King Ferdinand II... end of the Reconquista and also the start of the Spanish Empire... won the War of the Castilian Succession... Alhambra Decree which ordered the expulsion of Jews from Spain, initiating the Spanish Inquisition... financing Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the New World..." (Wikipedia: Isabella I of Castile, 2.12.26 UTC 18:34)

Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516)

"...King of Aragon... husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of Castile, he was also King of Castile... together they are known as the Catholic Monarchs... sponsoring the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492... defeated Granada, the last Muslim state in Western Europe... conquered the Kingdom of Naples... conquered most of the Kingdom of Navarre..." (Wikipedia: Ferdinand II of Aragon, 1.30.25 UTC 19:09)

Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)

"...King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and Sicily from 1554... also jure uxoris King of England and Ireland from his marriage to Queen Mary I in 1554... Duke of Milan from 1540... Lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands... son of Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal... following a dynastic crisis, forming the Iberian Union... Spanish conquests of the Inca Empire and the Philippines... during the Eighty Years' War, signed the Treaty of Joinville..." (Wikipedia: Philip II of Spain, 2.14.26 UTC 09:57)

Philip V of Spain (1683-1746)

"...king of Spain... total reign is the longest in the history of Spanish monarchy... his ascent to the throne precipitated the War of the Spanish Succession... born into the French House of Bourbon... his great-uncle King Charles II of Spain was childless... Charles named Philip as his heir in his will... removed the Spanish Netherlands and Spanish-controlled territories in Italy from the Spanish monarchy..." (Wikipedia: Philip V of Spain, 12.31.25 UTC 00:46)

Francisco Franco (1892-1975)

"...Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War... ruled over Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975... recognized as a fascist leader... repression of political opponents... forced labor, concentration camps and executions after the war... leader in the anti-communist movement..." (Wikipedia: Francisco Franco, 2.10.26 UTC 14:50)

Juan Carlos I (1938 - now)

"...member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 1975 until his abdication in 2014... was expected to continue Franco's legacy but instead introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and to begin the Spanish transition to democracy..." (Wikipedia: Juan Carlos I, 2.13.26 UTC 08:33)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

List of Caliphate political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Caliphate political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 6 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Abu Bakr (c. 573 - 634 AD)

"...first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate... accompanied Muhammad on his migration to Medina... served as the first amir al-hajj in 631... overcame a number of uprisings, collectively known as the Ridda Wars... expanded the rule of the Muslim state over the entire Arabian Peninsula... incursions into the neighboring Sasanian and Byzantine empires... credited for the compilation of the Quran..." (Wikipedia: Abu Bakr, 2.13.26 UTC 13:45)

Umar (c. 583 - 644 AD)

"...second Rashidun caliph... He participated in nearly all of Muhammad's battles and expeditions... pledged allegiance to Abu Baker... served as his chief adviser... conquering the Sasanian Empire and more than two-thirds of the Byzantine Empire... lifted the Christian ban on Jews entering Jerusalem... introducing the Hijri Calendar... In Twelver Shia tradition, however, he is viewed negatively." (Wikipedia: Umar, 2.13.26 UTC 12:47)

Uthman (c. 573 - 656 AD)

"...third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate... a second cousin, son-in-law, and senior companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad... compilation of the standardized version of the Quran... expanded further into Persia and reached as far as the provinces of Khurasan and Tranxoxiana in the East as well as Ifriqiya and the Iberian Peninsula in the West... Sunni Muslim tradition considers him the third rightly-guided caliph." (Wikipedia: Uthman, 2.15.26 UTC 04:11)

Mu'awiya I (c. 597 - 605 AD)

"...founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate... one of Muhammad's scribes... commander in the conquest of Syria... becoming governor of Syria... directed the war effort against the Byzantine Empire... opposed the election of Ali. During the First Fitna, the two led their armies to a stalemate... failed siege of Constantinople... conquest of Ifriqiya... In Shia Islam, Mu'awiya is reviled for opposing Ali..." (Wikipedia: Mu'awiya I, 1.23.26 UTC 11:26)

Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (c. 644 - 705 AD)

"...fifth Umayyad caliph... held administrative and military posts under Caliph Mu'awiya I... and this own father, Caliph Marwan I... failed invasion of Iraq... focused on securing Syria... unfavorable truce with the reinvigorated Byzantine Empire... conquered Zubayrid Iraq... war with Byzantium resumed... conquests of western North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula... founding of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem..." (Wikipedia: Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan,

Harun al-Rashid (c. 763 - 809 AD)

"...fifth Abbasid caliph... beginning of the Islamic Golden Age... established the legendary library Bayt al-Hikma in Baghdad... moved his court and government to Raqqa... hostilities broke out with Byzantium... Frankish mission came to offer Harun friendship in 799." (Wikipedia: Harun al-Rashid, 2.8.26 UTC 16:24)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Jon Postel and the internet

Jon Postel (1943-1998) was an American computer scientist best known for his contributions to Request for Comment (RFC), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). There are 4 quotes listed below.

1. "The internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together." (NetWorker Magazine, 1997)

2. "There was one issue on which there seemed to be almost unanimity: the internet should not be managed by any government, national or multinational." (AZQuotes.com)

3. "That was clearly surprising, interesting - a very interesting milestone was when you can pick up a magazine and read an article about some sort of computer related thing and they mention the word internet without explaining it." (AZQuotes.com)

4. "Years ago when you'd go to a working group most of the people in the networking group would be from universities. Now most of the people are from companies who are building internet products and care what the standards turn out to be."

List of Mongol Empire political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Mongol Empire political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 7 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Genghis Khan (c. 1162-1227)

"...founder and first khan of the Mongol Empire... spending most of his life uniting the Mongol tribes... large-scale raid into the neighboring Western Xia... campaign against the Jin dynasty... annexed Central Asian state of Qara Khitai... invaded the Khwarazmian Empire... The Mongol army under Genghis killed millions of people..." (Wikipedia: Genghis Khan, 2.13.26 UTC 19:24)

Jochi (c. 1182-1225)

"...ruled over the khanate of the Golden Horde... son of Börte, the first wife of the Mongol leader Genghis Khan... both Chagatai and Jochi being excluded from the line of succession to the Mongol throne... commander during the invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire..." (Wikipedia: Jochi, 1.9.26 UTC 12:39)

Ögedei Khan (c. 1186-1241)

"...second khan of the Mongol Empire... third son of Genghis Khan... role in the Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire... second invasion of Persia... began to subjugate Georgia... invasions of Korea... completed Mongol conquest of the Jin dynasty... skirmished with the Song dynasty..." (Wikipedia: Ögedei Khan, 2.14.26 UTC 09:27)

Batu Khan (c. 1205-1255)

"...ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire... son of Jochi... ruled over the Kievan Rus, Volga Bulgaria, Cumania, and the Caucasus... (Wikipedia: Batu Khan, 12.14.25 UTC 00:20)

Kublai Khan (1215-1294)

"...founder and the first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China... second son of Tolui... and a grandson of Genghis Khan... defeated his younger brother Ariq Böke, in the Toluid Civil War... marked the beginning of the division of the Mongol Empire... By 1279, the Yuan conquest of the Song dynasty was completed... (Wikipedia: Kublai Khan, 2.10.26 UTC 22:14)

Hulegu Khan (c. 1217-1265)

"...son of Tolui... a grandson of Genghis Khan and a brother of Ariq Böke, Möngke Khan, and Kublai Khan... expanded the southwestern portion of the Mongol Empire, founding the Ilkhanate in Persion... sacked and destroyed Baghdad, ending the Islamic Golden Age and the Abbasid dynasty." (Wikipedia: Hulegu Khan, 2.5.26 UTC 11:00)

Tokhtamysh (c. 1342-1406)

"...Khan of the Golden Horde... briefly succeeded in consolidating the Blue and White Hordes into a single polity... belonged to the House of Borjigin... expedition to the Russian principalities, besieging and sacking Moscow... military confrontations with his former protector Timur, who invaded the Golden Horde... (Wikipedia: Tokhtamysh, 2.2.26 UTC 21:47)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Saturday, February 14, 2026

List of Indian political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Indian political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 28 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Ajatashatru (5th - 4th century BC)

"...Haryanka dynasty of Magadha in East India... forcefully took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father... fought a war again the Vajjika League... conquered the republic of Vaishali... war between Magadha and Kosala... occupied Kashi..." (Wikipedia: Ajatashatru, 1.19.26 UTC 21:52)

Chandragupta Maurya (c. 350 - 297 BC)

"...founder and the first emperor of the Maurya Empire based in Magadha... started a war against the unpopular Nanda dynasty... raised an army to resist the Greeks, defeated them, and took control of the eastern Indus Valley." (Wikipedia: Chandragupta, 2.3.26 UTC 10:47)

Ashoka (c. 304 - 232 BC)

"...Emperor of Magadha... His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east... patron of Buddhism... conquered Kalinga..." (Wikipedia: Ashoka:2.13.26 UTC 16:00)

Menander I (c. 180 - 130 BC)

"...Indo-Greek king... territory in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia... patron of Greco-Buddhism... conquering the Punjab, as far as Taxila and Sagala..." (Wikipedia: Menander I, 2.11.26 UTC 14:57)

Kanishka (2nd century AD)

"...emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign the empire reached its zenith... extending from Central Asia and Gandhara to Pataliputra on the Gangetic plain... development of the Silk Road, and in the transmission of Mahayana Buddhism..." (Wikipedia: Kanishka, 2.6.26 UTC 13:13)

Samudragupta (4th century AD)

"...second emperor of the Gupta Empire... extended from Ravi River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east, and from the Himalayan foothills in the north to central India in the south-west..." (Wikipedia: Samudragupta, 2.7.26 UTC 17:18)

Chandragupta II (4th - 5th century AD)

"...emperor of the Gupta Empire... continued expansionist policy of his father Samudragupta... indirectly ruled over the Kuntala region... effectively integrated the Vakataka kingdom..." (Wikipedia: Chandragupta II, 2.10.26 UTC 22:43)

Harsha (590 - 647 AD)

"...emperor of Kannauj... king of Thanesar who defeated the Alchon Huns... expanded into a vast realm in northern India... defeated by the Emperor Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty in the Battle of Narmada..." (Wikipedia: Harsha, 11.14.25 UTC 15:36)

Rajaraja I (c. 992 - 1014 AD)

"...Chola emperor... conquests of southern India and the Anuradhapura kingdom of Sri Lanka... vast territories, including regions of the Pandya country, the Chera country, and northern Sri Lanka... campaigns against Western Gangas and the Western Chalukyas..." (Wikipedia: Rajaraja I, 2.12.26 UTC 01:28)

Prithviraj Chauhan (1166-1192)

"...king from the Chauhan dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha... defeating the Chandelas... Muhammad of Ghor returned with an army of Turkish mounted archers and defeated the Rajput army... Prithviraj was captured and summarily executed..." (Wikipedia: Prithviraj Chauhan, 10.27.25 UTC 12:47)

Alauddin Khalji (c. 1266-1316)

"...Sultan of Delhi... successfully fended off several Mongol invasions... conquered kingdoms of Gujarat, Jaisalmer, Ranthambor, Chittor, Malwar, Siwana and Jalore... campaigns to the south of the Vindhyas... raided the Pandya kingdom..." (Wikipedia: Alauddin, 12.2125 UTC 16:58)

Krishnadevaraya (1471-1529)

"...emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire... third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty... defeating the sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate, and the Gajapatis of Odisha... conquest of the Raichur Doab... golden age of Telugu literature..." (Wikipedia: Krishnadevaraya, 11.23.25 UTC 15:15)

Sher Shah Suri (c. 1472-1545)

"...Sultan of Hindustan, as the first Sur Emperor... established the Sur Empire after defeating the Mughal Empire... covered nearly all of Northern India... conquering Punjab, Malwa, Marwar, Mewar and Bundelkhand... (Wikipedia: Sher Shah Suri, 2.5.26 UTC 06:27)

Babur (1483-1530)

"...founder of the Mughal Empire... descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan... conquered Samarkand... conquered Kabul... losing Samarkand for a third time... defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi... Battle of Khanwa..." (Wikipedia: Babur, 2.6.26 UTC 23:27)

Humayun (1508-1556)

"...second Mughal emperor... ruled over territory in what is now eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan... succeeded his father Babur... lost his entire empire to Sher Shah Suri but regained it 15 years later..." (Wikipedia: Humayun, 2.10.26 UTC 14:54)

Akbar (1542-1605)

"...third Mughal emperor... led a successful campaign to unify the various kingdoms of Hindustan or India proper... established centralized system of administration... developed a strong and stable economy, which tripled in size and wealth... (Wikipedia: Akbar, 2.7.26 UTC 23:12)

Shah Jahan (1592-1666)

"...fifth Mughal Emperor... zenith of Mughal architectural and cultural achievements... military campaigns against the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar and the rebel Lodi nobles of the Deccan... wars with the Safavids... Mughal war of succession..." (Wikipedia: Shah Jahan, 1.28.26 UTC 21:07)

Aurangzeb (1618-1707)

"...sixth Mughal emperor... Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent... belonged to a branch of the Timurid dynasty... defeated allied army of Shikoh and the Kingdom of Marwar..." (Wikipedia: Aurangzeb, 2.11.26 UTC 01:38)

Shivaji (1630-1680)

"...member of the Bhonsle dynasty... inherited a jagir from his farther who served as a retainer for the Sultanate of Bijapur which later formed the genesis of the Maratha Kingdom... alliances and hostilities with the Mughal Empire..." (Wikipedia: Shivaji, 2.9.26 UTC 22:34)

Hyder Ali (c. 1720-1782)

"...Sultan and de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India... country's primary military leader in intermittent conflicts against the East India Company during the First and Second Anglo-Mysore Wars... frequent warfare with his neighbors..." (Wikipedia: Hyder Ali, 2.10.26 UTC 04:38)

Prithvi Narayan Shah (1743-1768)

"...last king of the Gorkha Kingdom and the first monarch of the unified Kingdom of Nepal... beginning of the modern history of Nepal." (Wikipedia: Prithvi Narayan Shah, 2.6.26 UTC 08:15)

Tipu Sultan (1751-1799)

"...Sultan of Mysore... deployed rocketed against advances of British forces and their allies during the Anglo-Mysore Wars... against Marathas, Sira, and rules of Malabar, Kodagu, Bednore, Carnatic and Travancore..." (Wikipedia: Tipu Sultan, 2.8.26 UTC 02:12)

Vallabhbhai Patel (1875-1950)

"...Indian independence activist and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India from 1947 to 1950... relief efforts for partition refugees fleeing to Punjab and Delhi from Pakistan... commitment to national integration..." (Wikipedia: Vallabhbhai Patel, 2.11.26 UTC 22:11)

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)

"...principal leader of the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s... served as the country's first prime minister for 16 years... promoted a pluralistic multi-party democracy. In foreign affairs, he led the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement..." (Wikipedia: Jawaharlal Nehru, 1.29.26 UTC 07:02)

Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)

"...prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984... leader of the Indian National Congress (INC)... conflict with China... war with Pakistan... war of independence in East Pakistan... state of emergency from 1975 to 1977." (Wikipedia: Indira Gandhi, 2.10.26 UTC 22:18)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924-2018)

"...prime minister of India... from 1998 to 2004... senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)... functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary volunteer organization... Hindu nationalism..." (Wikipedia: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 2.8.26 UTC 23:59)

Manmohan Singh (1932-2024)

"...prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014... only Sikh prime minister of India... structural reforms that liberalized India's economy... leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government..." (Wikipedia: Manmohan Singh, 2.6.26 UTC 12:12)

Narendra Modi (1950 - now)

"...prime minister of India since 2013... chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014... member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)... democratic backsliding and has shifted towards an authoritarian style of government..." (Wikipedia: Narendra Modi, 2.13.26 UTC 10:14)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Friday, February 13, 2026

List of Holy Roman Empire political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Holy Roman Empire political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 13 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Otto the Great (912 - 973 AD)

"...inherited the Duchy of Saxony... continued his father's work of unifying all German tribes... transformed the church in Germany to strengthen royal authority... defeated the Magyars... conquered the Kingdom of Italy... crowned emperor in 962 by Pope XII in Rome." (Wikipedia: Otto the Great, 2.9.26 UTC 20:52)

Henry IV (1050-1106)

"...preeminent role in the Investiture Controversy, his 'Walk to Canossa' and his family conflicts established his controversial reputation..." (Wikipedia: Henry IV, 2.9.26 UTC 22:51)

Frederick Barbarossa (1122-1190)

"...by inheritance Duke of Swabia before his imperial election in 1152... joined the Third Crusade and opted to travel overland to the Holy Land... re-establishment of the Corpus Juris Civilis or the Roman rule of law, which counterbalanced Papal power..." (Wikipedia: Frederick Barbarossa, 1.17.26 UTC 00:02)

Frederick II (1194-1250)

"...often vilified in pro-papal chronicles... Pope Innocent IV went so far as to declare him preambulus Antichristi (forerunner of the Antichrist)... reputation as a Renaissance man... avid patrol of science and the arts..." (Wikipedia: Frederick II, 2.10.26 UTC 19:02)

Charles IV (1316-1378)

"...promulgated the Golden Bull of 1356 whereby the succession to the imperial title was laid down, which held for the next four centuries... He also organized the states of the empire into peace-keeping confederations." (Wikipedia: Charles IV, 2.1.26 UTC 16:51)

Sigismund (1368-1437)

"...one of the driving forces behind the Council of Constance (1414-1418) that ending the Papal Schism, but which also led to the Hussite Wars... gained and led an imperial association almost reaching the size of the later Habsburg Empire..." (Wikipedia: Sigismund, 2.12.26 UTC 20:14)

Maximilian I (1459-1519)

"...broke the tradition of requiring a papal coronation for the adoption of the Imperial title... expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg... helped establish the Habsburg dynasty in Spain... (Wikipedia: Maximilian I, 2.4.26 UTC 08:22)

Charles V (1500-1558)

"...sided with Pope Leo X and declared Martin Luther an outlaw at the Diet of Worms in 1521... war in Italy that led to his capture in the Battle of Pavia. In 1527, Rome was sacked... defended Vienna from the Turks... conceded the Peace of Augsburg..." (Wikipedia: Charles V, 2.11.26 UTC 19:33)

Ferdinand I (1503-1564)

"...conflict with the Ottoman Empire... and the Protestant Reformation... reintroduced major innovations of his grandfather Maximilian I such as the Hofrat (court council)... Raitkammer (collections office) and the Hofkriegsrat... (Wikipedia: Ferdinand I, 1.27.26 UTC 19:51)

Leopold I (1640-1705)

"...conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War (1683-1699) and rivalry with Louis XIV... three wars against France: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, and the War of Spanish Succession." (Wikipedia: Leopold I, 2.3.26 UTC 15:50)

Maria Theresa (1717-1780)

"...eight-year conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession... successfully defended her rule over most of the Habsburg monarchy, apart from the loss of Silesia... later unsuccessfully tired to recover Silesia during the Seven Years' War." (Wikipedia: Maria Theresa, 1.31.26 UTC 21:24)

Joseph II (1741-1790)

"...union of the Houses of Habsburg and Lorraine, styled Habsburg-Lorraine... proponent of enlightened absolutism... supporter of the arts, particularly of composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri" (Wikipedia: Joseph II, 2.1.26 UTC 05:53)

Francis II (1768-1835)

"...last Holy Roman Emperor from 1792 to 1806... first Emperor of Austria from 1804 to 1835... first president of the German Confederation... adversary in the Napoleonic Wars... defeated him in the War of the Sixth Coalition... (Wikipedia: Francis II, 2.12.26 UTC 18:54)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

List of Chinese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Chinese political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 28 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Yu the Great

"...legendary king in ancient China... establishment of the Xia dynasty... successfully devised a system of flood controls that were crucial in establishing the prosperity of the Chinese heartland." (Wikipedia: Yu the Great,1.28.26 UTC 09:33)

Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC)

"...founder of the Qin dynasty... By 221 BC, he had conquered all the other warring states and unified all of China... greatly expanded the size of the Chinese state..." (Wikipedia: Qin Shi Huang, 2.6.26 UTC 04:35)

Emperor Gaozu of Han (c. 256 - 195 BC)

"...founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty... renounced his civil service position and became a rebel leader, taking up arms against the Qin dynasty... following the Battle of Gaixia, took control over much of the territory previously ruled by Qin..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Gaozu of Han, 2.10.26 UTC 04:56)

Emperor Wu of Han (156 - 87 BC)

"...reign resulted in a vast expansion of geopolitical influence... promotion of a hybrid Legalist-Confucian doctrine... successfully repelled the nomadic Xiongnu from systematically raiding northern China..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Wu of Han, 1.8.26 UTC 23:39)

Cao Cao (c. 155 - 220 AD)

"...taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei (220 - 265 AD)... ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period (220 - 280 AD)." (Wikipedia: Cao Cao, 2.9.26 UTC 03:27)

Emperor Wen of Sui (541 - 604 AD)

"...founding emperor of the Sui dynasty... reunifying China proper in 589 AD, bringing an end to nearly three centuries of political fragmentation... restoring Buddhism as the Sui's dominant religion..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Wen of Sui, 1.28.26 UTC 07:40)

Emperor Taizong of Tang (598 - 649 AD)

"...regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty... rebel against the Sui dynasty... His era, 'Reign of Zhenguan' is considered a golden age in ancient Chinese history..." (Wikipedia: Emperor Taizong of Tang, 2.10.26 UTC 05:14)

Wu Zetian (624 - 705 AD)

"...only female sovereign in the history of China.. empress consort of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty... She was the sole ruler of the self-styled Zhou dynasty 690 to 705... enforced stringent legal measures, purged members of the Tang royal house..." (Wikipedia: Wu Zeitan, 2.2.6 UTC 14:20)

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (685 - 762 AD)

"Through two palace coups, he seized the throne and inherited an empire still in its golden age... the empire reached its turning point and went into sharp decline and near collapse... ending in the An Lushan rebellion." (Wikipedia: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, 1.20.26 UTC 00:43)

Emperor Taizu of Song (927 - 976 AD)

"...founding emperor of the Song dynasty... military general of the Later Zhou dynasty... came to power after staging a coup d'état... conquered the states of Southern Tang, Later Shu, Southern Han and Jingnan, thus reunifying most of China proper." (Wikipedia: Emperor Taizu of Song, 1.26.26 UTC 08:51)

Hongwu Emperor (1328-1398)

"...founding emperor of Ming dynasty... joined a rebel force, soon proving his ability and rising to command his own army... declared himself King of Wu in 1364... implementing reforms to improve institutions..." (Wikipedia: Hongwu Emperor, 1.29.26 UTC 03:08)

Yongle Emperor (1360-1424)

"...third emperor of the Ming dynasty... rebelled against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, and launched a civil war known as the Jingnan campaign... emerged victorious and declared himself emperor in 1402... elevated Beijing to the status of a second capital..." (Wikipedia: Yongle Emperor, 2.24.26 UTC 14:43)

Jiajing Emperor (1507-1567)

"...the Great Rites Controversy, was a significant political issue at the beginning of his reign... Altan Khan launched raids and even attacked outskirts of Beijing... wokou pirates posed significant threat in southeastern China..." (Wikipedia: Jiajing Emperor, 1.20.26 UTC 16:33)

Nurhaci (1559-1626)

"...founding khan of the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty... united various Jurchen tribes (the later 'Manchu')... and launched attacked on both the Ming and Joseon dynasties... ordering the creation of a new written script for the Manchu language..." (Wikipedia: Nurhaci, 2.6.26 UTC 10:39)

Wanli Emperor (1563-1620)

"...reign of 48 years was the longest of the Ming dynasty... three major campaigns in the last decade of the 16th century... opposition Donglin movement continued to criticize the Emperor..." (Wikipedia: Wanli Emperor, 2.9.26 UTC 23:26)

Hong Taiji (1592-1643)

"...second khan of the Later Jin dynasty and the founding emperor of the Qing dynasty... conquered Inner Mongolia and the remainder of Manchuria and invaded Korea... responsible for changing the name of the Jurchens to 'Manchu' in 1635..." (Wikipedia: Hong Taiji, 1.26.26 UTC 08:04)

Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)

"...reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history... attempt to revoke the fiefdoms of feudal princes sparked the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, which he suppressed... launched an expedition that incorporated Tibet into the empire." (Wikipedia: Kangxi Emperor, 2.7.26 UTC 18:23)

Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799)

"...series of campaigns into Inner Asia, Burma, Nepal and Vietnam and suppressed rebellions in Jinchuan and Taiwan... conquered Xinjiang from the Dzungar Khanate. He ordered the Dzungar genocide... ruled at the end of the High Qing era..." (Wikipedia: Qianlong Emperor, 2.6.25 UTC 10:36)

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908)

"...assumed the regency along with Ci'an... Tongzhi Restoration, during which she rejected Western political institutions... supported the Boxers and declared war on the foreign powers... initiated reforms aimed at establishing a constitutional monarchy." (Wikipedia: Empress Dowager Cixi, 2.2.26 UTC 21:22)

Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975)

"...military commander who led the Republic of China (ROC)... defected in the Chinese Civil War... continued to lead the ROC government on the island of Taiwan... After the 1911 Revolution, he was a founding member of the KMT... (Wikipedia: Chiang Kai-shek, 2.11.26 UTC 16:47)

Mao Zedong (1893 - 1976)

"...founder of the People's Republic of China... After the start of the Chinese Chinese Civil War, he helped build the Chinese Red Army... oversaw the Great Leap Forward... followed by the Great Chinese Famine... launched the Cultural Revolution... (Wikipedia: Mao Zedong, 2.11.26 UTC 17:17)

Soong Mei-ling (1898-2003)

"...married Chiang Kai-shek and played a prominent role in Chinese politics and foreign relations in the first half of the 20th century." (Wikipedia: Soong Mei-ling, 2.9.26 UTC 18:58)

Zhou Enlai (1898-1976)

"...served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China... served under Chairman Mao Zedong... served as the Chinese foreign minister... attempts at mitigating the Red Guards' damage and his efforts to protect others from their wrath..." (Wikipedia: Zhou Enlai, 2.11.26 UTC 22:24)

Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997)

"...served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1989... opening up that transitioned the nation toward a socialist market economy... ordered the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests..." (Wikipedia: Deng Xiaoping, 2.11.26 UTC 17:13)

Puyi (1906-1967)

"...last emperor of China... After the Japanese invaded Manchuria and established the puppet state of Manchukuo in 1932, they installed Puyi as the state's chief executive... fled the capital and was captured by the Soviet Red Army." (Wikipedia: Puyi, 2.10.26 UTC 00:36)

Jiang Qing (1914-1991)

"...fourth wife of Mao Zedong... major role in the Cultural Revolution as the leader of the radical Gang of Four... Following Mao's death, she was soon arrested by Hua Guofeng..." (Wikipedia: Jiang Qing, 2.7.26 UTC 08:27)

Jiang Zemin (1926-2022)

"...general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002.. started several key infrastructure projects and privatized many state-owed enterprises... entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001..." (Wikipedia: Jiang Zemin, 2.6.26 UTC 21:02)

Xi Jinping (1953 - now)

"...leader of the fifth generation of Chinese leadership since 2012... introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and strengthen internal unity... expanded support for state-owned enterprises... increase in censorship and mass surveillance..." (Wikipedia: Xi Jinping, 2.11.26 UTC 16:49)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

List of Byzantine political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Byzantine political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 6 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Justinian I (482 - 565 AD)

"...ambitious but only partly realized renovatio imperii, or 'restoration of the Empire'. This ambition was expressed by the partial recovery of the territories of the defunct Western Roman Empire... uniform rewriting of the Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis..." (Wikipedia: Justinian I, 2.9.26 UTC 22:39)

Theodora (c. 490 - 548 AD)

"...empress and wife of emperor Justinian I... one of his chief political advisers..." (Wikipedia: Theodora, 1.30.26 UTC 13:37)

Heraclius (c. 575 - 641 AD)

"...reign was marked by several military campaigns... took charge of the Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628... lost many of his newly regained lands to the Rashidun Caliphate..." (Wikipedia: Heraclius, 1.25.26 UTC 05:23)

Leo III the Isaurian (c. 685 - 741 AD)

"...put an end to the Twenty Years' Anarchy, a period of great instability in the Byzantine Empire between 695 and 717... successfully defended the Empire against the invading Umayyads and forbade the veneration of icons." (Wikipedia: Leo III the Isaurian, 1.13.26 UTC 04:21)

Basil II (958 - 1025 AD)

"...early years of Basil's reign were dominated by civil wars... then oversaw the stabilization and expansion of the eastern frontier... and the complete subjugation of the First Bulgarian Empire..." (Wikipedia: Basil II, 1.21.26 UTC 02:15)

Manuel I Komnenos (1118 - 1180 AD)

"...saw the last flowering of the Komnenian restoration, during which the Byzantine Empire experienced a resurgence of military and economic power... last Eastern Roman emperor to attempt reconquests in the western Mediterranean." (Wikipedia: Manuel I Komnenos, 2.1.26 UTC 14:11)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Monday, February 9, 2026

List of ancient Greek political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of ancient Greece political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 10 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Lycurgus

"...legendary lawgiver of Sparta... involving political, economic, and social reforms to produce a military-oriented Spartan society..." (Wikipedia: Lycurgus, 1.19.26 UTC 18:34)

Draco (7th century BC)

"...replaced the system of oral law and blood feud by the Draconian constitution, a written code to be enforced only by a court of law. His laws were supposed to have been very harsh..." (Wikipedia: Draco, 2.5.26 UTC 12:57)

Solon (c. 630 - 560 BC)

"...credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy... overturning most of Draco's laws." (Wikipedia: Solon, 2.9.26 UTC 00:44)

Themistocles (c. 524 - 459 BC)

"...role in the defeat of Xerxes' invasion of Greece. Against overwhelming odds, Greece survived... doctrine of Athenian naval power and the establishment of Athens as a major power in the Greek world..." (Wikipedia: Themistocles, 12.15.25 UTC 22:25)

Pericles (c. 495 - 429 BC)

"...promoted the arts and literature, and it was principally through his efforts that Athens acquired the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world..." (Wikipedia: Pericles, 1.31.26 UTC 19:17

Alcibiades (c. 450 - 404 BC)

"...played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War... changed political allegiance several times." (Wikipedia: Alcibiades, 1.24.26 UTC 05:02)

Demosthenes (384 - 322 BC)

"...statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess... played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great." (Wikipedia: Demosthenes, 1.26.26 UTC 05:21)

Philip II of Macedon (c. 359 - 336 BC)

"...achieved domination over Greece... by the reformation of the Macedonian army... led the effort to establish a federation of Greek states known as the Hellenic League..." (Wikipedia: Philip II of Macedon, 2.1.26 UTC 13:49)

Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BC)

"...spent most of his reign conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Asia and Egypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history..." (Wikipedia, Alexander the Great, 1.30.26 UTC 15:22)

Pyrrhus of Epirus (c. 319 - 272 BC)

"...king of the Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house, and later became king of Epirus. He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome... saw action during the Wars of the Diadochi..." (Wikipedia: Pyrrhus of Epirus, 1.18.26 UTC 23:33)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

List of Roman political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of Roman political leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 14 political leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Cato the Elder (234 - 149 BC)

"...first to write history in Latin... As censor, he tried to save Rome's ancestral customs and combat Hellenistic influences." (Wikipedia: Cato the Elder, 2.1.26 UTC 14:30)

Gracchi brothers (2nd century BC)

"...advocates for social reform who were both killed by a reactionary political system... established a commission to survey Roman public land, reassert state claims to it, and redistribute it to poor rural farmers." (Wikipedia: Gracchi brothers, 1.24.26 UTC 15:43)

Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC)

"...dictator of the Roman Republic at various points from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC... led the Roman armies through the Gallic Wars and defeated his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil war." (Wikipedia: Julius Caesar, 2.8.26 UTC 19:07)

Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD)

"...founder of the Roman Empire and the first Roman emperor... annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia... Africa and completing the conquest of Hispania." (Wikipedia: Augustus, 2.10.26 UTC 00:16)

Tiberius (42 BC - 37 AD)

"...laid the foundations for the empire's northern frontier... had a difficult resentful relationship with the Senate and suspected many plots against him." (Wikipedia: Tiberius, 2.8.26 UTC 15:06)

Caligula (12 - 41 AD)

"...said to have been... self-indulgent, cruel, sadistic, extravagant, and sexually perverted thereafter, an insane, murderous tyrant... " (Wikipedia: Caligula, 2.9.26 UTC 04:11)

Nero (13 - 68 AD)

"...sources offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign. Most contemporary sources describe him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched." (Wikipedia: Nero, 1.26.26 UTC 18:51)

Domitian (51 - 96 AD)

"...strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage, expanded the border defenses of the empire, and initiated a massive building program to restore the damaged city of Rome. Significant wars were fought in Britain..." (Wikipedia: Domitian, 1.30.26 UTC 14:34)

Trajan (c. 53 - 117 AD)

"...presided over one of the greatest military expansions in Roman history, during which... the Roman Empire reached its maximum territorial extent... oversaw the construction of building projects such as the forum named after him, the expansion of social welfare policies..." (Wikipedia: Trajan, 2.2.26 UTC 13:52)

Hadrian (76 - 138 AD)

"...known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Britannia. In Rome itself, he rebuilt the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma." (Wikipedia: Hadrian, 1.31.26 UTC 02:25)

Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 AD)

"...fought the Parthian War of Lucius Verus with a revitalized Parthian Empire and the rebel Kingdom of Armenia. Marcus defeated the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatian lazyges in the Marcomannic Wars." (Wikipedia: Marcus Aurelius, 2.3.26 UTC 08:41)

Diocletian (c. 242 - 312 AD)

"...stabilized the empire and ended the Crisis of the Third Century. He initiated the process of the Roman Empire split... Diocletian reigned in the Eastern Empire."

Constantine the Great (272 - 337 AD)

"...proclamation of the Edict of Milan in 313, which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. He convoked the First Council of Nicaea... He built a new imperial residence in the city of Byzantium, which was officially renamed New Rome, while also taking on the name Constantinople in his honor." (Wikipedia: Constantine the Great, 2.9.26 UTC 11:55)

Theodosius I (347 - 395 AD)

"...won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed... Theodosius was the last emperor to rule the entire Roman Empire before its administration was permanently split between the Western Roman Empire and East Roman Empire." (Wikipedia: Theodosius I, 2.2.26 UTC 02:52)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Sunday, February 8, 2026

List of ancient Egyptian leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia)

This post is a list of ancient Egyptian leaders (level 4 vital articles on Wikipedia). There are 11 leaders listed below chronologically. Source: Wikipedia

Narmer (c. 3100 BC)

"Many scholars consider him the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and in turn the first king of a unified Egypt." (Wikipedia: Narmer, 2.2.26 UTC 01:32)

Thutmose I (r. 1506 - 1493 BC)

"During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt farther than ever before in each region... built a tomb for himself in the Valley of the Kings..." (Wikipedia Thutmose I, 2.8.26 UTC 15:28)

Hatshepsut (c. 1479 - 1458 BC)

"One of the most prolific builders in Ancient Egypt, she oversaw large-scale construction projects... most famously, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut..." (Wikipedia: Hatshepsut, 1.27.26 UTC 18:31)

Thutmose III (1479 - 1425 BC)

"...conducted between 17 and 20 military campaigns, all victorious, which brought ancient Egypt's empire to its zenith." (Wikipedia: Thutmose III, 1.31. 26 UTC 23:55)

Akhenaten (r. 1353 - 1336 BC)

"...noted for abandoning the traditional, polytheistic ancient Egyptian religion, and introducing Atenism, or worship centered around Aten." (Wikipedia: Akhenaten, 2.8.26 UTC 02:51)

Nefertiti (c. 1370 - 1330 BC)

"...great royal wife of Pharoah Akhenaten... If Nefertiti did rule as pharaoh, her reign was marked by the fall of Amarna..." (Wikipedia: Nefertiti, 1.30.26 UTC 23:54)

Tutankhamun (c. 1341 - 1323 BC)

"...instituted the restoration of the traditional polytheistic form of ancient Egyptian religion... The cult of the god Amun at Thebes was restored to prominence..." (Wikipedia: Tutankhamun, 2.8.26 UTC 08:22)

Ramesses II (c. 1303 - 1213 BC)

"...regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom... one of ancient Egypt's most successful warrior pharaohs..." (Wikipedia: Ramesses II, 2.5.26 UTC 06:05)

Ramesses III (r. 1185 - 1154 BC)

"His long reign saw the decline of Egyptian political and economic power, linked to a series of invasions and internal economic problems... However, his successful defense was able to slow down the decline..." (Wikipedia: Ramesses III, 1.31.26 UTC 05:31)

Ptolemy I Sotor (c. 369 - 282 BC)

"...successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the Ptolemaic Kingdom centered in Egypt." (Wikipedia: Ptolemy I Sotor, 1.22.26 UTC 03:24)

Cleopatra (70 - 30 BC)

"...Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh... After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire." (Wikipedia: Cleopatra, 1.31.26 UTC 03:52)

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Thursday, February 5, 2026

List of Wikipedia quote posts

List of post is a list of Wikipedia quote posts for this blog. This post was last updated February 2026. There are 129 posts listed below chronologically.

2017

History of economic thought: economists

2019

Principles of quantum mechanics

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026