During the XVth century, the Portuguese explored and discovered new sea routes along the African coasts. From 1460, the objective had become to circumvent the African continent by its southern extremity, in order to have easier access to the riches of the Indies (mainly spices). Vasco da Gama was c
Coming from the upper middle class, Valéry Giscard dEstaing studied to be a finance inspector. He began his political career in 1956 by being elected deputy. In 1958, he approached General de Gaulle and joined the government in 1959 as Secretary of State. He was appointed minister for the first time
Titian, who comes from a wealthy family of lawyers, quickly reveals exceptional qualities. He entered the studio of Giorgi Bellini, the greatest painter in Venice, then he was influenced by the painter Giorgione, in particular by the atmosphere that emanates from his paintings. Powerful colorist, hi
Originally from a wealthy family in Padua, Livy went to Rome to receive the teaching of rhetoricians (person who teaches eloquence, master of rhetoric) and to study philosophy. Emperor Augustus brings him into a circle of initiates and entrusts him with the education of his son, Claude, the future e
He was born in 1766 in the south of England into a wealthy family. His father is close to the philosophers David Hume and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. After studying at Jesus College in Cambridge, he became an Anglican pastor. He noted the increase in poverty and in 1798 published his Essay on the princip
Very close to Henri IV, Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, was first the kings comrade in arms, before becoming his minister. He is one of those who, without ever denying his Calvinist faith, would have convinced Henry IV to convert to Catholicism to appease the country. Anxious to restore France
Greek legislator and poet, Solon came from an aristocratic but not very wealthy family; it builds itself thanks to its trade in oils. After several trips, particularly to Ionia (a region located west of Asia Minor), he returned to Athens where his reputation preceded him. He convinces the Greeks to
Born on April 15, 1642 in Constantinople, Soliman II spent the first 40 years of his life in a seraglio, a closed Muslim palace cut off from society. It was on November 8, 1687 that he ascended the throne, thus succeeding his brother Mehmet V. Described as weak and timid, he was not very fit to gove
Named after a noble but enslaved mother (servus ) of Tanaquil, wife of King Tarquin the Elder, Servius Tullius was the sixth king of Rome. According to the legend told by Livy, flames haloed the head of the child sleeping in his cradle. From then on, Tanaquil persuaded her husband to raise the slave
Nicknamed “little barrel” (botticelli), Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence, under the reign of Lorenzo the Magnificent. He first works for a goldsmith, which explains the chiseledness of his line. Attracted by painting, he rubbed shoulders with Fra Filippo Lippi, a monk and painter from Florence
Born on June 29, 1886 in Luxembourg, Robert Schuman is one of the founding fathers of European construction. After schooling in Luxembourg and Metz, Schuman left for Berlin to study law. He later opened a law firm in Metz. In 1914, when the First World War broke out, he was assigned to military serv
Born in California in 1913, Richard Nixon trained as a lawyer before serving in the Navy. He was successively a member of the House of Representatives, a senator (Republican), then became known at the national level thanks to his anti-communist commitment. Appointed vice-president in 1952, he failed
Born in Le Havre, René Coty trained as a lawyer and then entered politics. He holds the positions of municipal councilor, general councilor, deputy, member of government. As a senator, he voted full powers to Marshal Pétain on July 10, 1940, but his resistance status gave him back his eligibility to
Although he grew up in Urbino, an important artistic center at the time when his father had a workshop, Raphael trained with Pérugrin (Italian painter) in Perugia before becoming workshop manager. From then on he produced his first altarpieces, including The Marriage of the Virgin (1504). Arrived i
Not much is known about the early life of this Roman knight. Thanks to an inscription found in Caesarea, we know that he became prefect of Judea during the reign of Tiberius. He thus administered the entire province both economically and judicially and endeavored to maintain order there, from the ye
Born in Auvergne in 1883, Pierre Laval became a lawyer in Paris in 1907. Close for a time to the French extreme left, he was elected socialist deputy in 1914, and mayor of Aubervilliers in 1923. Re-elected independent socialist in 1924, Laval carried out a political shift to the right, with his part
Coming from a wealthy peasant family, Philippe Pétain was born in Pas-de-Calais. He received a Catholic education during his youth, and joined the Saint-Cyr officers school in 1876.While he was on the eve of his retirement, the First World War broke out. An officer then little known, he became appre
A statesman of democratic tradition and strategist, Pericles participated in the political and cultural influence of Athens for thirty years (from -461). This period called the century of Pericles is considered the peak of the Greek city. It democratizes political life by giving access to all Athen
Son of Charles Martel, born in 714, Pepin the Short (so nicknamed because of his small size), shares the kingdom of the Franks with his brother. But the latter, retiring to the convent in 747, left Pepin to reign alone, after having together reformed the Church (742-744). He was elected king of the
Coming from a modest Montalbanaise family, Marie Gouze moved to Paris on the death of her husband in 1766. She became known there under the pseudonym Olympes de Gouges through her writings and political battles and engaged in a fight against all injustices, mainly against those done to women and bla
Nephew of Napoleon Ist , son of Louis Bonaparte, he was the first President of the French Republic, elected on December 10, 1848 by universal male suffrage with 74.2% of the vote, before becoming Emperor of the French from December 2, 1852 to September 4, 1870 under the name of Napoleon III. He gre
Key figure of the reign of Louis XIV, Sébastien le Prestre (1633-1707), marquis of Vauban , was a specialist in siege and fortification techniques. Coming from the lower nobility, he had a rich but eventful career in the service of the Sun King, for whom he exercised his talents as a military engine
Édith Campion, who became through marriage Édith Cresson (born in 1934) is a French politician. Head of government from May 15, 1991 to April 2, 1992, she is the only woman to have been Prime Minister of France. Daughter of Gabriel Campion, a finance inspector oriented to the political left, Edit
Khrushchev at the UN General Assembly, 1960. Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971) - Soviet politician and dictator. He was born in Kalinówka in Ukraine. In his youth he worked as a locksmith, in 1919 he joined the Red Army, in which he took part in the Russian Civil War. From 1925, an employee of the p