Masters & Missteps
This great general of the Mongol Empire is remembered for his brutal tactics, yet he successfully united much of Asia, paving the way for trade along the Silk Road.
Who is Genghis Khan?
Fought on April 19, 1775, this was the “shot heard ‘round the world,” beginning not just a war, but a revolution in governance.
What is the Battle of Lexington?
An avid violinist, essayist, and inventor of the swivel chair, this Revolutionary Founding Father died on July 4, 1826 and is best known as the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
He famously quipped, “I came, I saw, I conquered,” after a swift victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus in 47 BCE.
Who is Julius Caesar?
This plan to carve up post-WWI Europe helped cause WWII by punishing Germany and redrawing borders with little regard for ethnic groups.
What is the Treaty of Versailles?
This Ancient Greek philosopher was put to death for “corrupting the youth of Athens,” but his influence shaped Western philosophy for centuries.
Who is Socrates?
In 480 BCE, a small force of Greeks, including 300 Spartans, made a legendary last stand against a massive Persian army at this narrow mountain pass.
What is the Battle of Thermopylae?
What is the Battle of Thermopylae?
This Founding Father often wrote under pseudonyms like "Publius" and warned against political parties—even as they began to form during his own administration.
Who is George Washington?
“I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, this physicist reflected on the terrifying power of his creation.
Who is J. Robert Oppenheimer?
If this 1961 invasion of Cuba by exiles had succeeded, Fidel Castro might have been overthrown. Instead, it was a total embarrassment.
What is the Bay of Pigs Invasion?
This Carthaginian general’s crossing of the Alps with war elephants during the Second Punic War was one of the most audacious military feats in history, but his ultimate failure at the Battle of Zama sealed his defeat.
Who is Hannibal Barca?
Lasting over 140 days in 1916, this WWI battle between France and Germany symbolized the futility of trench warfare, with over 700,000 casualties.
What is the Battle of Verdun?
He’s the only president buried in Washington, D.C., and the only one to serve on the Supreme Court after his presidency. Unfortunately, he is often only misremembered as the guy who got stuck in a bathtub.
Who is William Howard Taft?
In 1775, amid rising tension in Virginia, this patriot exclaimed, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” to inspire rebellion against British tyranny.
Who is Patrick Henry?
Had this telegram not been intercepted in 1917, Germany’s proposal to Mexico could have kept the U.S. out of World War I.
What is the Zimmermann Telegram?
This emperor’s adoption of Christianity led to its establishment as the Roman Empire's official religion, but he made a fatal error by trying to control both religion and politics.
Who is Constantine the Great?
Fought in 1805, this battle saw Napoleon decisively defeat Russian and Austrian forces—earning its nickname as “The Battle of the Three Emperors.”
What is the Battle of Austerlitz?
Not just a lawyer and politician, this beloved president invented a device to lift boats over shoals—he's still the only U.S. president with a patent.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
“Remember the Maine!” was the slogan of this 1898 conflict, used to stir public outrage and propel the U.S. into war.
What is the Spanish-American War?
This 1937 disaster was caused by a spark in a hydrogen-filled German airship, dramatically ending the era of passenger airships.
What is the Hindenburg disaster?
This 19th-century Russian czar's decision to push reforms, including freeing the serfs in 1861, was a bold move that modernized Russia, but it also led to significant social unrest.
Who is Alexander II?
In 216 BCE, this Carthaginian general used a double-envelopment maneuver to destroy a much larger Roman force—one of the greatest tactical feats in military history.
What is the Battle of Cannae?
This president kept a pet raccoon named Rebecca, once wrestled with his brother on the White House lawn, and allegedly could read 3 books a day.
Who is Calvin Coolidge?
This Athenian general and statesman, delivering a funeral oration during the Peloponnesian War, said: “The whole earth is the tomb of famous men…,” highlighting Athens' ideal of civic duty and democratic sacrifice.
Who is Pericles?
In 1258, this powerful Islamic capital was utterly destroyed by the Mongols under Hulagu Khan, who flooded the irrigation systems and killed hundreds of thousands—including the caliph.
What is the Sack of Baghdad?