Pope Benedict born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. He became the first pontiff to step down in 600 years citing old age as his reason for retiring. Benedict was born in Markti, Bavaria,
Germany, his father was a police in Hitler’s army. He in his youth joined the German army and towards the end of the war he deserted and fled. After the war ended he pursued his c... morePope Benedict born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. He became the first pontiff to step down in 600 years citing old age as his reason for retiring. Benedict was born in Markti, Bavaria,
Germany, his father was a police in Hitler’s army. He in his youth joined the German army and towards the end of the war he deserted and fled. After the war ended he pursued his career and was ordained in 1951 soon after he embarked on an academic career attaining a PhD in theology and became a full professor and established theologian by the time he was 31. After years of teaching, Benedict was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising. His writings defended traditional Catholic doctrine; he also strengthened the relationship between church and art. He was often referred as the main intellectual force in the church since the mid 1980.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento famously known as Pele, was one of the greatest, most successful and popular athletes of all time, with a career that spanned over 20 years in football. He was named Athlete of the Century and was voted Athlete player of the century, by the International Olympic Committee and International Federation of Football History & Statistics respectively. On top of that he won the FIFA player of the century alongside Diego Maradona. Pele also holds a Guinness World Record for ... moreEdson Arantes do Nascimento famously known as Pele, was one of the greatest, most successful and popular athletes of all time, with a career that spanned over 20 years in football. He was named Athlete of the Century and was voted Athlete player of the century, by the International Olympic Committee and International Federation of Football History & Statistics respectively. On top of that he won the FIFA player of the century alongside Diego Maradona. Pele also holds a Guinness World Record for scoring 1,279 goals in 1,363 games.
Pele was born in Três Corações, Brazil to footballer Dondinho who was also his trainer. At age 15 he was already playing for the football club Santos and became the top goal scorer in the league at 16. At 17 he joined Brazil’s International team, making him one of the youngest footballers to play in FIFA World Cup. He is also the only player who has won three FIFA World cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Pele has over 40 titles and awards including being part of the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
Saint Thomas Aquinas was an Italian of the Dominican Order, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church. He lived from 1225 to 1275. Aquinas was a greatly influential philosopher, theologian, and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus and the Doctor Communis. The name Aquinas identifies his ancestral origins in the county of Aquino in present-day Lazio. Aquinas started school at the age of five at Monte Cassino School before his studies were... moreSaint Thomas Aquinas was an Italian of the Dominican Order, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church. He lived from 1225 to 1275. Aquinas was a greatly influential philosopher, theologian, and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus and the Doctor Communis. The name Aquinas identifies his ancestral origins in the county of Aquino in present-day Lazio. Aquinas started school at the age of five at Monte Cassino School before his studies were discontinued as a result of the war between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX. He later continued his studies at a university in Naples where he was introduced to the work of philosophers: Aristotle, Averroes and Maimonides. He also studied arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music under Petrus de Ibernia. While in university, he decided to become a Dominican Friar. This was however against the wishes of his family. Further fights over his decision to join the Dominicans ensued and in 1245, he started study at the University of Paris. He afterwards studied for his masters at the same time practicing as an apprentice professor. He was given several important assignments by the Pope within the Church and in the academia from 1256 onwards.
Aquinas was a leading classical supporter of natural theology and was the father of Thomism of which he argued that reason is found in God. His influence on Western Philosophy is substantial, and much of modern philosophy builds upon or clashes with his ideas, chiefly in the areas of ethics, natural law, metaphysics, and political theory. Unlike many Church leaders of his time, Aquinas accepted many ideas put forward by the philosopher Aristotle and tried to combine the philosophy of Aristotle with the ideologies of Christianity. Aquinas’ best-known accomplishments include the Disputed Questions on Truth (1256-59), the Summa contra Gentiles (1259-1265), and the Summa Theologiae (1265-1274). He made commentaries on biblical writings and on the teachings of Aristotle the commentaries which make up a central part of his body of work. Aquinas is well-known for his eucharistic hymns, which form a part of the Church's liturgy. He died on 7 March 1274, the cause of his death have been debated over the years.
Pope John Paul II served as Pope and leader of the Vatican State from 1978 to 2005. John Paul II was elected by the second Papal conclave of 1978. The conclave was called after Pope John Paul I, the successor of Pope Paul VI, died 33 days after his ordination. John Paul II, formerly Cardinal Wojtyła, was elected on the third day of the meeting and took up his predecessor's name in honour of him. John Paul II is credited with assisting to end Communist rule in his native country of Poland and lat... morePope John Paul II served as Pope and leader of the Vatican State from 1978 to 2005. John Paul II was elected by the second Papal conclave of 1978. The conclave was called after Pope John Paul I, the successor of Pope Paul VI, died 33 days after his ordination. John Paul II, formerly Cardinal Wojtyła, was elected on the third day of the meeting and took up his predecessor's name in honour of him. John Paul II is credited with assisting to end Communist rule in his native country of Poland and later on in all of Europe. John Paul II considerably improved the relations of the Catholic Church with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Church. He emphasized the Church's teachings on matters such as artificial contraception, the ordination of women, and a celibate clergy, and was seen as generally traditionalist in his interpretation of the Second Vatican Council and its reforms. John Paul II was one of the most travelled world leaders in history. He visited more than 120 nations during his time in office. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and canonised 483 saints, significantly more than any Pope before him during the preceding 500 years.
John Paul II had named most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated a huge number of the world's bishops, and ordained many priests by the time of his death on 2 April 2005. One of his most important aims was to transform and reposition the Catholic Church. He wanted "to place his Church at the heart of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians in a great religious armada". John Paul II’s term in office was the longest in modern history, only after that of Pope Pius IX, who was in office for more than thirty one years (1846 to 1878). John Paul II was born in Poland, and he was thus the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI (1522 to 1523). Following his death in April 2005, his canonization process commenced a month later with the traditional five-year waiting period having been set aside. He was succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI and was beatified on 1 May 2011. After two miracles had been attributed to him, John Paul II was canonized on 27 April 2014.
Joan of Arc nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans", was a French heroine for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc was born to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée, a peasant family, at Domrémy in north-east France. Joan said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Yea... moreJoan of Arc nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans", was a French heroine for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc was born to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée, a peasant family, at Domrémy in north-east France. Joan said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King Charles VII sent Joan to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained eminence after the siege was lifted only nine days later. Several additional swift victories led to Charles VII's coronation at Reims. This long-awaited event boosted French morale and paved the way for the final French victory.
On 23 May 1430, she was captured at Compiègne by the Burgundian faction, which was aligned to the English. She was later handed over to the English and put on trial by the pro-English Bishop of Beauvais Pierre Cauchon on a variety of charges. After Cauchon declared her guilty she was burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, dying at about nineteen years of age. In 1456, an inquisitorial court authorized by Pope Callixtus III examined the trial, debunked the charges against her, pronounced her innocent, and declared her a martyr. In the 16th century she became a symbol of the Catholic League, and in 1803 she was declared a national symbol of France by the decision of Napoleon Bonaparte. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920. Joan of Arc is one of the nine secondary patron saints of France, along with Saint Denis, Saint Martin of Tours, Saint Louis, Saint Michael, Saint Rémi, Saint Petronilla, Saint Radegund and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.
Otto Eduard Leopold, commonly known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian leader who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. He was also the first Chancellor of the German Empire (1871 to 1890). Bismarck was appointed in 1862 by King Wilhelm I as Minister President of Prussia, a position he would hold until 1890. He launched three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. After receiving the support of the independent South German states in the Confederat... moreOtto Eduard Leopold, commonly known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian leader who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. He was also the first Chancellor of the German Empire (1871 to 1890). Bismarck was appointed in 1862 by King Wilhelm I as Minister President of Prussia, a position he would hold until 1890. He launched three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. After receiving the support of the independent South German states in the Confederation's defeat of France, he formed the German Empire in 1871, unifying Germany and having himself as Imperial Chancellor, while retaining control of Prussia at the same time. After the unification of Germany by 1871, he tactfully used balance of power diplomacy to maintain Germany's position in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war threats, remained at peace. Historians often cite Bismarck as an "undisputed world champion at the game of multilateral diplomatic chess for almost twenty years after 1871, who devoted himself exclusively, and successfully, to maintaining peace between the powers".
Bismarck invasion of Alsace-Lorraine nonetheless gave new fuel to French nationalism and promoted hatred of Germany in France. This aided in setting the stage for World War I. Bismarck's powerful rule at home gained him the nickname the "Iron Chancellor". German unification and its rapid economic growth was the foundation to his foreign policy. He disliked colonialism but reluctantly built an overseas empire when it was demanded by both elite and mass opinion. Handling a very complex interlocking series of conferences, negotiations and alliances, he used his diplomatic skills to maintain Germany's position and used the balance of power to keep Europe at peace in the 1870s and 1880s. Bismarck was a master of complex politics at home and created the first welfare state in the modern world, with the goal of gaining working class support that might otherwise go to his Socialist enemies. He was a devout Lutheran and loyal to the king, who argued with Bismarck often but in the end supported him. While the Reichstag, Germany's parliament, was elected by a system of voting, it did not have much control of government policy. Bismarck distrusted democracy and ruled through a strong, well-trained bureaucracy with power in the hands of the elite. Bismarck was strong-willed, outspoken and overbearing, but he could also be charming and witty. He displayed a violent temper occasionally, and he kept his power by sensationally threatening resignation time and again, which intimidated Wilhelm I. Bismarck became a hero to German nationalists; they built many monuments honoring the founder of the new Reich. Many historians praise him as a visionary who was instrumental in uniting Germany and, once that had been accomplished, kept the peace in Europe through clever diplomacy.
John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the Christian theology later called Calvinism, aspects of which include the doctrines of predestination and of the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation. Calvin was born in Picardy, France on 10 July 1509. He attended University of Orléans and University of Bourges where he studied both law and ... moreJohn Calvin was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the Christian theology later called Calvinism, aspects of which include the doctrines of predestination and of the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation. Calvin was born in Picardy, France on 10 July 1509. He attended University of Orléans and University of Bourges where he studied both law and Koine Greek. In around 1530, Calvin converted from his earlier views particularly on Catholicism and began a lifetime study and evangelism which would later be termed Protestantism. By 1532 he received his degree and licence to practice law. In 1533, a friend of his, Nicolas Cop, a rector at Collège Royal in France, advocated for reform within the Catholic Church in a speech. This was considered heretical. Calvin was fingered in the offense and was forced flee France after the Affair of the Placards during October 1534. During the incident, unknown reformers posted placards in various cities criticizing the Roman Catholic mass. One of the placards was placed on the bedchamber of the King of France. The incident was thus considered serious treason and soon afterwards, the suspects were burned at the stake.
From 1536 onwards, Calvin started actively and aggressively engaging in reformation work. He published his Institutio Christianae Religionis (Institutes of the Christian Religion) in March 1536. The publication was a defence of the work of the reformers. During this time, he was now in Basel, Switzerland. In that same year, Calvin was recruited by Frenchman William Farel to join the Reformation in Geneva, where he regularly preached sermons; but the governing council of the city resisted the implementation of their ideas, and both men were expelled. At the invitation of Martin Bucer, Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg, where he became the minister in church of French refugees. He continued to support the reform movement in Geneva and in 1541 he was invited back to lead the church of the city. Following his return, Calvin introduced new forms of church government and liturgy, despite opposition from several powerful families in the city who tried to stop his authority. Following an influx of supportive refugees and new elections to the city council, Calvin's opponents were forced out. Calvin spent his final years promoting the Reformation both in Geneva and throughout Europe.
