Tsar Šćepan Mali (#73)

Tsar Šćepan Mali

Background

In 1762, the Russian Tsarina, Catherine II, had her husband, Tsar Peter III, murdered. There were many witnesses to this crime and there was no doubt that the murder actually occurred.

Rise to Power

Despite the obvious reality behind the murder, a Serbian farmer, known as Šćepan Mali, or Steven the Little, walked into the Balkan state of Montenegro and claimed to be Tsar Peter III. Steven claimed that he had escaped the assassins of Catherine II and had run away from Russia to Montenegro. No one really knows if the Montenegrin people really believed Steven or just went with his plan, but they kicked out the current ruler of Montenegro, and put Steven into his position. Steven became the ruler of the Council of Nobles of Montenegro. Surprisingly, Steven the Little was one of the best rulers that Montenegro had ever seen. Steven brought internal stability to Montenegro, uniting the warring factions within the nation. He also organized Montenegro's first national census, improved the Montenegrin road network, and created a central police force. Steven was also able to bring the Balkan nations into a state of peace, which is pretty amazing, considering that the Balkans are never at peace.

Dealing with the Russians

Steven, of course, had to deal with the reality that some people, namely the Russians, knew for a fact that Tsar Peter III was dead. Tsarina Catherine II sent a group of nobles to Montenegro to declare that Steven the Little was not Peter III. Steven, instead of arguing with these nobles, welcomed them with open arms and gave them drinks and women. When the Russian nobles left, they had not punished Steven in any way and did not declare anything about Steven not being Tsar Peter III. 

Dealing with the Ottomans

Now, if you look at Ottoman-Turkish history, you can clearly see that they do not like Russians. There have been so many battles between the two nations that historians have simply stopped naming them, so if you're the Sultan of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and you hear that the Tsar you thought was dead is actually sitting  in a nation that's right on your doorstep, you'd probably not be to happy, so the Ottomans went to war with Montenegro. The Ottomans marched on Montenegro with 60,000 soldiers armed with muskets and canons. When Steven heard about this army, he formed a volunteer army of about 10,000 citizen-soldiers armed with pitchforks and any makeshift weapons they could find. After a day of fighting, the Montenegrin army was in pretty bad shape, but somehow, the Montenegrins were able to force the Ottomans back. Steven became the hero of Eastern Europe and the Christendom, saving both from the terror that was the Ottoman Empire. This heroism solidified Steven's position as the ruler of Montenegro.

 The End

Steven the Little died on September 22nd, 1773 when he was strangled in his sleep by his personal barber. It turned out that the barber had been payed off by the Turks. Steven the Little is on our list of people because he pulled off what is arguably the biggest con in history.

Gerardus Mercator (#74)

Gerardus Mercator

Background

Gerard de Gremor, or Gerardus Mercator was born on March 5th, 1512 in Rupelmonde in Belgium, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. After studying at the University of Leuven, Mercator took the job as a craftsman of mathematical instruments.

Cartography

Mercator's first job as a cartographer came in 1535, when he worked with Gemma Frisius and Gaspar Myrica to create a terrestrial globe. In this job, Mercator was not primarily a cartographer, but an engraver of brass plates used to print the maps. In 1537, Mercator began making his own maps, starting with a map of Palestine. In the following three years, Mercator published two more maps: one of the world and the other of Flanders. While learning the cartography trade, Mercator discovered the Italic script, which was useful when creating maps. After mastering the script, Mercator published the first instruction book on the Italic script in Northern Europe. In 1544, Mercator was arrested on the charges of heresy because of his sympathy for Protestant beliefs. After remaining in prison for seven months, the charges were dropped, most likely due to intervention by the university that he worked at. In 1552, Mercator moved to Duisburg, where he taught mathematics at the local university. Mercator also opened up a cartographic workshop. Mercator's first map created at this shop wasa six-panel map of Europe. Because of his skill with maps, Mercator was appointed to the position of Court Cosmographer for the Duke of Juilich-Cleves-Berg in 1564. In this position, Mercator began to construct maps that included lines of longitude and latitude so that they could be used by boats at sea.

Atlas

Mercator is responsible for coining the word atlas as a collection of maps while encouraging Abraham Ortelius to compile the first modern one in 1570. Mercator made his own atlas in 1578 which contained maps made by Mercator along with those of other cartographers, including Ptoloemy. After publishing his atlas, Mercator continued to add on to it, publishing more editions until his death in 1594.

The End

Mercator lived in Duisburg until his death on December 2nd, 1594. At the time of his death, Mercator was a wealthy and respected citizen due to his map work. Mercator made it onto our list for several reasons. First, he invented the word 'atlas'. Secondly, Mercator is also one of the first people to use the word America to describe the New World and he is definitely the first person to popularize the word America in the Old World. Being that Mercator create two commonly used words that are used in multiple languages, I'd say that Mercator was pretty important.

Leland Stanford (#75)

Leland Stanford

Background

Leland Stanford was born in March 9th 1824. His parents, Josiah and Elizabeth Stanford, were New York farmers. Stanford attended school until 1836 and was home schooled in 1839. He then attended Clinton Liberal Institute and studied at Cazenovia Seminary from 1841 to 1845. 

Early Adulthood

After being admitted to the bar in 1848, Stanford moved to Port Washington in Wisconsin, where he began practicing law. In 1850, Stanford married Jane Elizabeth Lathrop. The two did not have a child until 1868, when Leland Stanford, Jr. was born. Two years later, the majority of Stanford's possessions were destroyed in a fire. Stanford sent his wife back to New York to live with her family while he went to California to find work. For a while, he worked as the keeper of a general store in Placer County, but he later worked as a justice of the peace and a organizer of the Sacramento Library Association.

Success

In 1855, Stanford got his wife and the two of them moved to California, where he got involved in large scale  business, and he became one of the major investors of the Central Pacific Railroad along with Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and Collis P. Huntington. Stanford soon was elected as president of the company. In 1856, he helped to organize the California Republican Party. His involvement with the Republican party earned the nomination for the state treasurer in 1857 and for the governor of California in 1859, though he lost both elections. In 1961, Stanford ran for governor again and won, holding the seat for one 2-year term. In May of 1868, Stanford and several of his colleagues formed the Pacific Union Express Company, which merged with Wells Fargo and Company, which Stanford was the director of from 1870 to to 1893 with a month-long break in 1884. Stanford also gained control of the Southern Pacific Railroad, directing it in the same way he directed the Central Pacific Railroad. Stanford, as head of the Central Pacific, was responsible for building the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad. Stanford was present at the driving of the "Last Spike" in Promontory, Utah. Stanford was president of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroad companies until 1890, though he continued to be on the executive committee of the Southern Pacific Railroad until his death.

Horse Research

Stanford was interested in ranches and horse racing. In 1872, Stanford commissioned Eadweard Muybridge, a photographer, to settle a bet on whether all four feet of a horse leave the ground at the same time when running. Stanford won the bet.

Universities

Leland Stanford helped to found the first California State University, San Jose State, in 1857. Also, in 1884, Stanford and his wife found Leland Stanford Junior University as a memorial to their son, who had died of typhoid fever while on a trip to Europe. The Stanfords donated $40 million dollars (over $1 billion dollars in today's money) to develop the Stanford, which opened in October of 1891.

The End

Stanford died of heart failure on June 21st, 1893. Stanford is on our list of people because he helped develop the economic, political, and educational systems that can be found in California and the United States that we have today. 

Leif Ericson (#76)

Leif Ericson

Background

Leif Ericson was born sometime in the 1070s in Iceland, where his parents, Erik the Red and Thjodhild, met. Ericson's grandfather, Thorvald Asvaldsson, had been banished from Norway for manslaughter. Following his path, Ericson's father, Erik the Red, had gotten himself banished from Iceland for the same reason. When Erik was banished in 986, Leif went along with him to Greenland, where he grew up in the colony of Tyrker.

Adulthood

In 999, Ericson traveled from Greenland to Norway, but he got blown of course and had to spend several months in the Hebride archipelago. While in the Hebrides, he met noblewoman Thorgunna, with whom Leif had a child, Thorgils, with. When he made it to Norway, he became the hirdman, or armed companion, of King Olaf Tryggvason. While in Norway, Ericson converted to Christianity and was given the mission to bring Christianity to Greenland.

Finding America

From here, two separate stories of Ericson's life start. One story, from the Book of Icelanders, states that while on his way to Greenland as a missionary, he was blown of course towards America. The other story, found in the Saga of the Greenlanders, states that Leif heard the story of Bjarni Herjolfsson, a Norse merchant who claimed to have seen land west of Greenland. Leif, with a boat and crew, went off in search of this land. Either way, Leif went west of Greenland, landing on three different islands. First, he found a rocky, desolate place he called Helluland, which was probably Baffin Island. He then found a forested island he called Markland, which was most likely the island of Labrador. Finally, in 1001, he found Vinland, which was most likely Newfoundland, which he named after the abundance of grapes, which were probably just berries. On Vinland, Ericson founded a settlement called Leifsbudir, which, after a little while, was abandoned, most likely due to strained relations with local Native Americans.

The End

It is unknown how Ericson died, but it was probably around the year 1020 in Greenland. Ericson is on our list because of his claim to the discovery of America. His claim to the throne is about 500 years earlier than Columbus.

Sydney Newman (#77)

Background

Sydney C. Newman was born on April 1, 1917 in Toronto, Canada, the son of a shoe shop owner. Though he originally went to Ogden Public School, he dropped out at the age of 13 and later studied art and design at Central Technical School. Newman originally hoped to become a photographer and artist, making money as a creator of film posters, but when this profession did not make much money, he went into the film industry itself. 

Early Work

Newman went to Hollywood in 1938, looking for work. He was offered a job by the Walt Disney Company, but he had to turn down the job because he could not obtain a work permit. Newman obtained his first major film job as an editor for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). When WW2 began, Newman was assigned to produce documentaries and propaganda for Canada, and in 1949, the Canadian government assigned Newman to work with NBC, creating reports on film techniques of Americans. These reports helped Newman to obtain a job with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), where he helped to televise Canadian sports. Newman also oversaw several other television programs for CBC, including General Motor Theatre,  but none of which gained him much esteem. Newman did, however, make films with a fresh perspective. Instead of using normal plots, he tended to experiment with the format of a show. 

Work in England

Several of the plays produced by Newman in General Motor Theatre were purchased by Associated British Corporation, or ABC. Impressed by the production of the plays, ABC decided to hire Newman in 1958. he was soon promoted to the Head of Drama. As the Head of Drama, he helped to produce many of the shows of the time. Again, Newman used original ideas and concepts in his shows, creating everything from Armchair Theatre to The Avengers (a spy television series, not the superhero movie). His success in ABC got him noticed by the BBC, who hired him in 1962 to revive their drama department. As BBC's head of drama, Newman changed how BBC worked. He initiated several new television shows while also hiring new writers and and directors with original and unique ideas.

Doctor Who

By far, Newman's most famous creation was the television show Doctor Who. In 1963, when Newman was told that a slot between two shows on Saturday evenings needed to be filled, he decided to make a science-fiction drama. The resulting show was Doctor Who. The idea was to have a mysterious man, the Doctor, along with companions travel through time and space in a little blue box that was bigger on the inside than the outside. Newman originally hoped that Doctor Who would be a children's television show. The Doctor's two companions were teachers, one of science, the other of history. Children were to learn history when the Doctor traveled into the past and learn science when they traveled into the future. He, himself said that he wanted no "bug-eyed monsters" in the show. This hope all changed when he took on Verity Lambert as the show's producer. Although he sometimes clashed with Newman because she enjoyed putting strange monsters in the show. Newman eventually accepted her aliens when one of her creations, the Daleks, became a major success and saved the program from going off the air.

Later Work

Newman continued to work for BBC until 1967, going to work for the Associated British Picture Corporation and EMI Films. In 1970, Newman moved back to work for the Canadian Radio and Television Commission until 1975. Later on, he would work as the Special Advsor for Film to the Canadian Secretary of State and as the Chief Creative Consultant to the Canadian Film Development Corporation.

The End

On October 30, 1997, Sydney Newman died of a heart attack at the age of 80. Newman is on our list for many reasons. First, many think of him as one of the main influences on modern Canadian drama. He also revived BBC Drama, allowing it to become the success that it is today. Third, he created Doctor Who, one of the most famous television shows in history along with the longest running science fiction television show in history. Finally, he hired Verity Lambert as Doctor Who's producer, making her the first female producer to work for the BBC.

Montezuma I (#78)

Background

Huehuemotecuhzoma, or Montezuma I, was born around the year 1398 BC in the Aztec Empire. He was to son of emperor Huitzilihuil, ruler of the Aztec people. The story goes that Montezuma's mother, Miahuaxihuitl, became pregnant after swallowing the jewel. Montezuma married his mother's niece, Chichimecacihuatzin. 

Conquerer

Montezuma came to the throne in 1440 after his brother, Itzcoatl, died. Starting where his brother left off, Montezuma solidified an alliance between Tenochtitlan, the Aztec home city, and two neighboring people groups from the cities of Texcoco and Tlacopan. This alliance, known as the Triple Alliance, stated that the three cities would fight together and that 4/5 of the land would be divided between Texcoco and Tenochtitlan and the remaining 1/5 would be given to Tlacopan. With this alliance, Montezuma began to expand the empire. When the Triple Alliance conquered the Huastec and Totonac people, the Aztecs gained access to the Gulf Coast. Though most defeated people groups were treated well and were allowed to keep their land, Montezuma could be harsh. In 1458, Montezuma led an attack on the city-state of Coixtlahuaca after several Aztec merchants were mistreated. After defeating Coixtlahuaca and the allies of the city, Montezuma killed the city's ruler and made his family slaves. Montezuma I provided one of the largest periods of expansion in the history of the Aztec Empire, earning him the title of 'Archer in the Sky' from his people.

Improvements

Under Montezuma I, the Aztec heartland contained about one million people. This included Tenochtitlan and nine provincial centers surrounding the capitol. In 1449, Lake Texcoco, which surrounded Tenochtitlan, flooded the city. That same year, weather damaged the crops and famine struck the Empire. Montezuma and Nezahualcoyotl, the ruler of Texcoco, led the construction of a dike to control water levels and reduce the salt content of the lake. By lowering salt levels, the lake could be used for farming. After ten years, the dike was finished, but Montezuma continued to make improvements. He built a three-mile-long aqueduct to help bring water to Tenochtitlan and also improved irrigation systems throughout the empire. Finally, Montezuma helped to set down rules of conduct. These rules spoke on everything from defining social classes, conduct in battle, and regular rules regarding criminal activity. This helped Montezuma to control his rapidly expanding empire.

The End

Montezuma died under unknown circumstances in the year 1469. Montezuma is in our book because he created one of the two great American Empires, the other being the Inca Empire under Huayna Capac. Montezuma helped to establish Aztec dominance in Mesoamerica and helped to bring stability to the Aztec empire through his improvements to the empire. Please not that this is NOT the Montezuma who was defeated by Hernan Cortes and was killed by his own people.

Asparukh of Bulgaria (#79)

Asparukh of Bulgaria

Background

Asparukh was born around the year AD 640 in what is now Ukraine. He was the second son of Kubrat, who had set up the state of Great Bulgaria on the steppes of modern Ukraine. Asparukh learned leadership and politics from his father, and his father appointed him the leader of the Onogur tribe. When Kubrat died in 665, Asparukh's brother, Bat Bayan, took the throne, but by 668, Great Bulgaria had dissolved due to attacks from Khazars, semi-nomadic Turks. Bat Bayan and Asparukh each led their people to safer lands, each going a different way.

Finding a Homeland

Asparukh, with 30,000 to 50,000 Bulgars with him, traveled south and east along the coast of the Black Sea. Eventually, the group reached the Danube, settling down along the Danube delta. This land was claimed by the Byzantine Empire, but the Bulgars were not attacked because Constantinople was currently under siege by Muawiyah I of the Umayyad dynasty. When the siege ended in 678, Emperor Constantine IV attacked the Bulgars and Slavs, forcing most of those attacked into fortified encampments. During his campaign, Constantine IV had to leave his troops to get medicine for an ailment of his. A rumor spread that Constantine had run away, and Constantine's soldiers began to desert. As they did, Asparukh led his followers against the weakened Byzantine army, breaking through the blockade and moving past the Danube at the battle of Ongala in 680. Asparukh quickly took the Balkan area with the Slavic tribes as his allies.

 In 681, Constantine IV made peace with Asparukh and agreed to send money to the Bulgars each year in return for protection from the Khazars. Asparukh settled his people down in the Balkans, creating what many wold call the first true Bulgarian state.

The End

Asparukh died in 701 while fighting Khazars. Asparukh is on our list of people because he was the first person to create a Balkan state. Not only was he the first, he got his state to be formally recognized by the Byzantine Empire and had the Byzantine Empire relying on him for protection. Because of Asparukh's leadership, the Bulgars as well as the Slavic tribes were able to set up their own nations in the Balkans, creating the many states that we see in that region to this day.