Historical Figures

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: This famous Queen ruled Egypt during the mid-14th century, BC, over a period of immense religious upheaval. With her husband, she conspired to convert all of Egypt from the traditional polytheistic religion to the worship of a single God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For centuries, Mexico lived under the rule of Spain. In that time, a discriminatory caste system was created to keep non-Europeans in their place. However, one priest, inspired by the thinkers of the Enlightenment, would cast the first stone and help bring about Mexico’s independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Best remembered for his invention of the calendar we still use today, Pope Gregory XIII became a voice for reform in the Catholic Church by pulling the Vatican out of the dark ages and into the modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This 14th Century sultan of Mali became renowned for being the richest man who ever lived. During his 25-year reign, he helped Mali become one of the wealthiest and largest nations in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A first-wave feminist of the 1800s and 1900s, Professor Margaret Murray was known as both "The Old Woman of Egyptology" and "The Grandmother of Wicca." She was one of the first to take up the subject of the witch-cults of England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1790s, Toussaint L’Ouverture emerges as a leading member of the most successful slave revolt in the Americas. This led to the formation of the country we know today as Haiti.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf married as a teenager and was a mother of four before she had a college degree. But her remarkable life was characterized by beating the odds. Despite an abusive husband, political persecution, and frequent fear for her life, she was elected President of Liberia in 2005 -- becoming the first democratically elected female head of state in all of Africa.  Sponsors! Bombas - Save 20% on your first purchase when you shop at Bombas.com/HISTORICAL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In December 1955, Rosa Parks made history by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Her resolve In the face of unfair treatment based on the color of her skin stands as a key point of the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a wine and cheese night owes their good time to Louis Pasteur. This 19th century microbiologist and chemist developed the process now called pasteurization, as well as the first vaccine for rabies. Not only was Pasteur the father of germ theory, he was also a master of disguise, often using deception to outsmart his rivals and come out on top. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first woman Prime Minister. For more than a decade, she spearheaded conservative politics from a seat of power in the British Parliament. To some she was a hero, and to others, she was a monster.  Parcasters - This week on Crimes of Passion we take on the infamous case of Lorena and John Bobbitt! You won’t want to miss this one! Listen today on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In July 1981, Princess Diana became the first non-royal to marry into the British Royal family in centuries. As the Princess of Wales, she became a style icon and a humanitarian force, all while contending with the very public infidelity of her husband, Charles, heir apparent to the British Throne. Parcasters - Is there any truth behind the rumored society that protects the secrets of the Holy Grail? Learn more about the Priory of Sion on this week’s episode of Conspiracy Theories! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, Muhammad Ali is one of the most celebrated athletes and activists in history, but he was not always so appreciated. In 1969, Ali was stripped of his fighting license and his title after being convicted of draft evasion. A year later, he would return to the ring, and continue to speak truth to power. Parcasters - Don’t miss all of our special Summer of ‘69 episodes by subscribing to Parcast Presents: Summer of ‘69, on Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Sponsors! Gabi - Take two minutes and go to Gabi.com/HISTORICAL to see if you can save up to $865 a year on car insurance! Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/HISTORICAL and get a FREE 5-piece Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove— a $30 value! Simon & Schuster - One Giant Leap is full of surprises as it chronicles mankind’s greatest achievement and its enduring legacy. Available wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jesse Owens broke four world records in a single day. Even after facing down the bigotry of Hitler's Germany in the 1936 Olympics, he returned to an America that was not willing to accept him. Sponsors! Simon & Schuster - The Vagabonds is available now wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Johann Bach never knew it during his lifetime, but he revolutionized classical music. Centuries after his death in 1750, Bach is known as one of the main fathers of classical composition. Sponsors! Gabi - Take TWO MINUTES and Go to Gabi.com/HISTORICAL to see if you can save up to $865 a year on car insurance today! Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/HISTORICAL to get a FREE FIVE-PIECE Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born in 1940 in British-occupied Kenya, Wangarĩ Muta Maathai learned at a young age how the environment and poverty were inextricably linked. As one of Africa's first women to obtain a PhD, she dedicated over forty years of her adult life fighting to teach the people of Kenya about sustainable farming and standing up against the corrupt institutions of her home country's government Sponsors! The Farmer’s Dog  -  Get 50% off your two week trial of fresh, healthy food at The Farmers Dog dot com slash HISTORICAL. Plus, you get FREE shipping!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As one of the earliest pioneers in the field of quantum physics in the late 19th century, Max Planck would work with his protege, Albert Einstein, to redefine an entire field of science... just as Germany was falling under the iron fist of the Nazi Regime.  Sponsors! The Farmer’s Dog - Get 50% off your two week trial of fresh, healthy food at The Farmers Dog.com/HISTORICAL. Plus, you get FREE shipping! Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/HISTORICAL you will get a FREE FIVE PIECE Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove - a THIRTY DOLLAR value! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The prize most coveted by the best and brightest minds in society owes its name to one man: Alfred Nobel. This Swedish inventor born in 1833, has a complicated history after battling through childhood poverty in which only three of his seven siblings reached adulthood.  Parcasters - We're tackling one of the most famous couples in history this week on Crimes of Passion? Can you guess who made up this outlaw pairing? Find out now at parcast.com/passion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He’s a studio. He’s a theme park. He’s a Man. Born in Chicago in 1901, Walter Elias Disney would become one of the defining figures of entertainment. But the flesh-and-blood man was far from perfect, and his life was defined by an insatiable desire to push the boundaries of what was possible. Parcasters - Don't miss the exciting conclusion to our exploration of the Robert Blake murder trial, coming up tomorrow on Not Guilty! Catch up on the first episode now at parcast.com/notguilty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Famously temperamental, this musical genius is celebrated today as one of the most influential cultural figures in history. His story has stood the test of time; a difficult childhood, marked by an abusive, alcoholic father, would serve as his inspiration to seek a better life. Sponsors! Simon & Schuster - “Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine” by classicist and historian Barry Strauss is available now wherever books are sold or visit BarryStrauss.com. Robinhood - Robinhood is giving listeners of Historical Figures a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at Historical.Robinhood.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

London. The 17th century. Against a backdrop of raging fires and devastating plagues, one man came to prominence as the premiere scientific mind of the age. Soft spoken, brilliant, troubled, prone to fits of rage and nervous breakdowns: This was Isaac Newton.  SPONSORS! Simon & Schuster - “Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine” by classicist and historian Barry Strauss is available now wherever books are sold or visit BarryStrauss.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices