Historical figures of the Middle Ages
The atlas holds 34 people and 745 moments here, from 482 to 1452. The most recorded lives are Ibn Battuta, Charlemagne and Petrarch. Among them Writers, Philosophers and Political Leaders.
Notable people
Ibn Battuta
from 1304 to 1369
113 moments here
Maghrebi Muslim jurist, traveller, explorer, and author from Tangier. Between 1325 and 1354 he journeyed through North and East Africa, the Middle…
Charlemagne
from 761 to 814
72 moments here
Frankish king, Lombard king, and Carolingian emperor who ruled from 768 to 814. His itinerant court moved across Francia, Saxony, Italy, Bavaria, the…
Petrarch
from 1304 to 1374
38 moments here
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) was an Italian scholar, poet, cleric, diplomat, and foundational humanist.…
Zheng He
from 1371 to 1433
36 moments here
Zheng He (born Ma He) was a Ming Chinese admiral and diplomat who commanded seven state-sponsored voyages across the South China Sea and Indian…
Du Fu
from 712 to 770
35 moments here
Tang-dynasty Chinese poet and minor official. His documented movements span the capital region, the northwest frontier, Sichuan, the Yangtze…
Francis of Assisi
from 1181 to 1226
33 moments here
Italian Catholic friar, deacon, preacher, and founder of the Order of Friars Minor. Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone at Assisi, he renounced his…
Muhammad
from 570 to 632
32 moments here
Muhammad ibn Abdullah was an Arab religious, political, and military leader and the founder of Islam.…
Li Bai
from 701 to 762
27 moments here
Li Bai (701–762), also known as Li Bo or Li Po, was a major Tang-dynasty Chinese poet. His surviving biography documents a childhood relocation to…
Dante Alighieri
from 1265 to 1321
26 moments here
Florentine poet, prose writer, philosopher, and statesman whose Divine Comedy became a foundational work of Italian and European literature.…
Saladin
from 1137 to 1193
26 moments here
Kurdish military commander, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and sultan of Egypt and Syria. Born at Tikrit, Saladin rose through the Zengid…
Giovanni Boccaccio
from 1313 to 1375
26 moments here
Italian writer, poet, and humanist, best known for the Decameron. His documented life moved between Florence, Naples, Romagna, papal Avignon and…
Marco Polo
from 1254 to 1324
25 moments here
Venetian merchant, traveler, and author whose account describes journeys across Asia between 1271 and 1295.…
Timur
from 1360 to 1405
25 moments here
Timur, also known as Tamerlane, was a Turco-Mongol conqueror and founder of the Timurid Empire.…
Joan of Arc
from 1412 to 1431
23 moments here
French visionary and military figure of the Hundred Years' War. Born at Domrémy, Joan sought the support of Charles VII, helped relieve Orléans,…
Thomas Aquinas
from 1225 to 1274
21 moments here
Italian Dominican friar, priest, theologian, and philosopher. His documented movements connected family residences in southern Italy, Dominican and…
Ali ibn Abi Talib
from 600 to 661
21 moments here
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the fourth Rashidun caliph (656–661), cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, and first Shia Imam.…
Genghis Khan
from 1162 to 1227
20 moments here
Born Temüjin, Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes and founded the Mongol Empire. His documented movements span the Onon and Kherlen riverlands,…
Umar ibn al-Khattab
from 584 to 644
19 moments here
Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 584–644) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from 634 until his assassination.…
Avicenna
from 980 to 1037
17 moments here
Ibn Sina (Avicenna; c. 980–22 June 1037) was a Persian philosopher, physician, and court official.…
Geoffrey Chaucer
from 1359 to 1400
16 moments here
English poet, courtier, diplomat, and civil servant, best known for The Canterbury Tales. His documented career included military service in France,…
Ibn Khaldun
from 1332 to 1406
15 moments here
Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) was a Tunis-born historian, jurist, political official, teacher, and author of the Muqaddimah.…
Al-Ghazali
from 1058 to 1111
14 moments here
Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazali was a Persian Sunni jurist, theologian, philosopher, logician, and mystic.…
Johannes Gutenberg
from 1400 to 1450
9 moments here
German inventor and craftsman associated with the development of European movable-type printing.…
Rumi
from 1207 to 1273
9 moments here
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi was a Persian-language poet, jurist, teacher, and Sufi mystic. Born at Wakhsh in the Khwarazmian Empire, he moved with his…
Moments
- 482 Born at Tauresium Justinian I
- 518 Resides at the Palace of Hormisdas Justinian I
- 525 Marries Theodora in Constantinople Justinian I
- 532 Addresses the Nika rebels in the Hippodrome Justinian I
- 537 Inaugurates Hagia Sophia Justinian I
- 559 Establishes his court at Selymbria Justinian I
- 565 Dies in Constantinople Justinian I
- 570 Born in Mecca Muhammad
- 577 Visits maternal relatives in Yathrib Muhammad
- 584 Birth in Mecca Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 595 Leads a caravan into Syria Muhammad
- 600 Traditional birth at the Kaaba Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 610 Receives the first revelation at Hira Muhammad
- 616 Public prayer after conversion Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 619 Seeks support in Ta'if Muhammad
- 619 Takes refuge in a Ta'if orchard Muhammad
- 622 Arrival and fraternity in Medina Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 622 Stayed in Mecca as Muhammad's decoy Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 622 Arrives in Yathrib from Mecca Muhammad
- 622 Hides in the Cave of Thawr Muhammad
- 622 Migration and residence at Quba Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 623 Stays at Buwat during a patrol Muhammad
- 623 Reaches Waddan on the al-Abwa patrol Muhammad
- 624 Standard-bearer at Badr Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 624 Battle of Badr Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 624 Commands at the Battle of Badr Muhammad
- 624 Besieges Banu Qaynuqa Muhammad
- 625 Defended Muhammad at Uhud Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 625 Besieges Banu Nadir Muhammad
- 625 Battle of Uhud Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 625 Camps at Hamra al-Asad Muhammad
- 625 Regroups at Mount Uhud Muhammad
- 627 Defeated Amr ibn Abd al-Wud at the Trench Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 627 Directs Medina's defense during the Trench Muhammad
- 627 Leads forces against Banu Qurayza Muhammad
- 627 Battle of the Trench Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 628 Commanded the expedition to Fadak Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Standard-bearer at Khaybar Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Wrote the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 628 Participates in the Khaybar campaign Muhammad
- 628 Campaign at Khaybar Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 628 Pitches camp at Hudaybiyyah Muhammad
- 628 Treaty of al-Hudaybiya Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 628 Expedition to Turbah Umar ibn al-Khattab
- 629 Completes the deferred Umrah Muhammad
- 630 Announced Quranic message in Mecca Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Defended Muhammad at Hunayn Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Left in charge of Medina during Tabuk expedition Ali ibn Abi Talib
- 630 Commands at Hunayn Muhammad
- 630 Departs Marr al-Zahran for Mecca Muhammad