Leading Figures in History

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

58072 persons found

Balu Mahendra

b. 1939

Film director in Indian cinema (1939–2014)

Balwinder Sandhu

b. 1956

Indian cricketer

Bam Adebayo

b. 1997

American basketball player (born 1997)

Bam Margera

b. 1979

American skateboarder and stuntman (born 1979)

Bamba Fall

b. 1986

BamBam

b. 1997

Thai rapper and singer (born 1997)

Ban Ki-moon

b. 1944

UN Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016

Banastre Tarleton

b. 1754

British general during the American War of Independence (1754–1833)

Banda Singh Bahadur

Sikh military commander (1670–1716)

Bang Chan

b. 1997

Australian singer and rapper (born 1997)

Banharn Silpa-archa

Prime Minister of Thailand from 1995 to 1996

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

b. 1838

Indian Bengali writer, poet and journalist (1838–1894)

Bảo Đại

Last emperor of Vietnam from 1926 to 1945 (1913–1997)

Bảo Ninh

b. 1952

Vietnamese writer

Bao Zheng

11th-century Chinese politician and cultural personification of justice

Baptiste Manzini

American football player and coach (1920–2008)

Bapu (director)

India director and artist (1933–2014)

Baqa Jilani

b. 1911

Bar Refaeli

b. 1985

Israeli model (born 1985)

Barack Obama

b. 1961

President of the United States from 2009 to 2017

Barack Obama Sr.

b. 1934

Kenyan economist (1934–1982)

Barbara (singer)

b. 1930

French singer (1930–1997)

Barbara Ann Scott

b. 1928

Canadian figure skater (1928–2012)

Barbara Ansell

b. 1923

English physician (1923–2001)