People
Historical Figures and Influential People in History
Explore rulers, generals, thinkers, scientists and reformers who shaped world history. Search for a specific person, or browse by era, region, country and A–Z.
Industrial Age Historical Figures
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5 results
Ramsay MacDonald
1866–1937EuropeUnited Kingdom
He rose from illegitimate birth in rural poverty to lead Britain’s first Labour government, only to split his party and govern with former opponents during crisis.
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Robert E. Lee
1807–1870AmericasUnited States
He turned down command of the Union army, chose Virginia instead, and spent four years fighting brilliantly for a cause whose central purpose was the preservation of slavery.
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Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
1830–1903EuropeUnited Kingdom
He distrusted democracy yet led Britain repeatedly as prime minister, steering imperial policy with cold realism while quietly shaping the balance of power across Europe.
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Rosa Luxemburg
1871–1919OtherPoland
She argued with everyone on the left — Lenin, Kautsky, Bernstein — and was murdered by the government's own paramilitaries at the moment her revolution seemed closest to succeeding.
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Rutherford B Hayes
1822–1893AmericasUnited States
He won the most disputed presidential election in American history by a single electoral vote, withdrew federal troops from the South, and effectively ended Reconstruction.
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