Born in 1929 in Izmir, Turkey, Édouard Balladur graduated from Sciences Po Paris in 1950, then from the National School of Administration (ENA) in 1957. State Councillor, he then entered politics in the office of Prime Minister Pompidou in 1964 and as such participated in the Grenelle agreements in
Denis Diderot was born on October 5, 1713 in Langres. After having embraced the ecclesiastical career, then the law, Denis Diderot undertook a titanic work with dAlembert by tackling the writing of the Encyclopédie . He wants to give people access to knowledge. He thinks that man can become better i
If the Polish canon (member of the clergy) Copernic began studying art, medicine and studied economics, he was passionate about astronomy, which he studied at the University of Bologna. Back in Poland, he remains a canon but devotes himself in parallel to this science. He discovers that, contrary to
Proclaimed Roman emperor after the death of his father, he initially managed Gaul, Brittany and Spain:the Empire had seven emperors in 310. He allied himself with Licinius, who in 313 proclaimed the edict of Milan, which grants Christians freedom of worship. Constantine restores the unity of the Emp
Son of Childeric Ist , Clovis was carried on the bulwark (shield) and proclaimed king of Salian Gaul in 481:he was only 15 years old. He tries to conquer a territory, abandoned by the Romans (476), with disparate cultures. The Gallo-Romans have been Christians since Constantine 1st , the Visigoths a
Grandson of the tyrant Clistene of Sycione, this Athenian statesman belongs to the Alcmaeonids, a large aristocratic family with a major place in the public life of Athens. Cleisthenes is elected first archon (political leader) in -525-524 but must fight to keep this power. Despite the decline of Pe
Considered lacking in charisma and discernment, Claudius – son of Drusus – nonetheless remains a scholar whose reign was fundamental to the Roman Empire. Indeed, he initiated various reforms favoring the strengthening of imperial powers and built the port of Ostia and new aqueducts in order to solve
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa (Italy), a city incorporated as a republic, then in full economic expansion. In this coastal town, Christopher Columbus learned the trade of sailor at an early age. After moving to Portugal, he studied cartography and astronomy for many years. Christopher Colu
Grandson of Louis XV, Charles X, then Count of Artois, had to leave the country after the storming of the Bastille. During his emigration to England, he took part in the counter-revolutionary struggle and tried to unite the European emigrant forces against the French revolutionary regime. Recognize
Charles VII, son of King Charles VI, was disinherited in favor of the English heir Henry VI of Lancaster during the Hundred Years War by the Treaty of Troyes (1420). Married to Marie dAnjou in 1422, with whom he would have 13 children, he would also have 4 children with his mistress Agnès Sorel, who
The birth of Charles the Bald, resulting from second marriages, upsets the succession of Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne. By favoring this one for his inheritance by offering him a larger territory, the Emperor Louis the Pious ends up being deposed by his other sons, including once in the field
Born in Lille in 1890, de Gaulle came from a cultured Catholic family. He headed very early for a military career. He published, before the Second World War, essays on the military strategy of armored vehicles. Appointed Under-Secretary of State for National Defense in June 1940, he was in favor of
Born around April 2, 742, for Easter, probably in Quierzy, Charles was the eldest son of Pépin le Bref, king of the Franks. When his father dies, he must share the empire he inherits with his brother Carloman. He was anointed, along with his younger brother, by Pope Stephen II in 754. Following the
Son of Septimius Severus, Caracalla is known not only for his taste for war, but above all for his various reforms, in particular the Edict of Caracalla, as well as for the construction in Rome of the baths that bear his name. Very early associated with the political life of the empire, Caracalla a
Augustus is the first Roman emperor. He is Caesars great-nephew and adopted son. On his death, Octave (first name of Augustus), Marc-Antoine and Lépide form a triumvirate and share the world. The naval victory of Actium in 31 BC. J.-C consecrates him master of the lands and the seas by definitively
Son of the younger brother of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor François-Joseph, Charles-Louis, François-Ferdinand is not called to reign. He devotes himself to hunting and makes a military career. But the death of the Emperors only son, Rodolphe, upsets his destiny. His father renounces the throne and d
Considered the father of modern chemistry, Antoine Laurent nevertheless has a multifaceted career:he has notably been a lawyer and has worked on geology. In 1779, he became inspector general at the General Farm (tax collection for kings).A brilliant character, he was elected to the Academy of Scienc
Daughter of the King of Spain Philippe III of Habsburg, Anne of Austria was not 15 when she married the young King of France, Louis XIII. Long years of sterility keep the two spouses apart. Maintaining a correspondence with her brother Philip IV of Spain and friendships with the counter-power, she i
Father of modern anatomy, Vesalius was born in Brussels, and came from a family of doctors and pharmacists. He studied medicine in Paris in 1533, then taught anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua (Italy), from 1537.His attraction to anatomy led him to dig up human bodies in cemeteries to st
Born in Laval, in the West of France, Ambroise Paré is considered the “father of modern surgery”. He learned medicine to become a barber-surgeon in 1536. During his life he was the surgeon of Kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III.Author of various medical books, he invented new treatm
Son of Louis X le Hutin and Clemence of Hungary, he lived only 5 days. The Count of Poitiers, then regent, was proclaimed King of France under the name of Philippe V. Various legends circulated about this royal child:it was claimed in particular that Philippe V had had him poisoned. Louis I of Hunga
Stanisław Mikołajczyk (photo:public domain) Stanisław Mikołajczyk (1901-1966) - Polish politician, Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile. Born in 1901 in Holserhausen, the son of Polish immigrants. In Germany, he completed four years of primary school. Later, when his family returned
Born in Vinci, near Florence, Leonardo is the natural son of the notary Piero da Vinci and a simple peasant. He will join his father in Florence at the age of 14 and enter the polytechnic workshop of a renowned artist. Having acquired a solid reputation as a painter, he lived in the great capitals o
Charles Martel (the one who strikes like a hammer) is the son of Pépin dHerstal. From the death of his father in 714, Charles had to oppose his mother-in-law Pléctrude in order to recover his right to the succession granted to him by Pépin de Herstal. Very clever, Charles manages to get himself elec