Franklin Delano Roosevelt, leading America from a wheelchair; Genghis Khan, conquering Central Asia until he died in a riding accident; Nelson Mandela, teaching freedom through prison walls: this multicultural reference tool examines 200 leaders, rulers, and activists from around the world. The volume includes lesser-known, yet important, individuals such as Chin Shih Huang, the emperor who reunified China, and Hatshepsut, queen of ancient Egyptian dynasty. Detailed biographical essays place them in a broad historical context, illuminating their enduring impact on the common understanding, and fundamental themes, of human existence.