Lists about the bizarre, fascinating, and mysterious Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its Dear totalitarian dictator Leaders who will disappear your friends and family to remind you of their love.

Meanwhile, in North Korea...

World Leaders

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is an enigma in many ways, and little is known about what he was like as a boy or how&nbsp;he was raised. His childhood was masked in secrecy, and few people around the world even knew the man existed before he succeeded his father in 2011&nbsp;to become the leader of the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea (North Korea to the rest of the world). Uncovering the story&nbsp;of Kim&#39;s origins&nbsp;isn&#39;t a simple task, but bits and pieces have leaked out about the leader and his family over the years.

Many of the public details of Kim&#39;s early life are fabricated, exaggerated, or misunderstood as a result of North Korean&nbsp;propaganda. Like his father, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un has led a&nbsp;life filled with rumors, controversies, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/craziest-things-north-korean-leaders-have-claimed/nathan-gibson" target="_blank">exaggerated claims</a>, which&nbsp;can be unsettling considering North Korea is one of the countries in the world that could initiate a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/countries-with-the-atomic-bomb/ceorick" target="_blank">nuclear</a> conflict.&nbsp;What is known about Kim&#39;s&nbsp;childhood might shed some light on the man he has become.&nbsp;

Because much about Kim&#39;s life is shrouded in mystery, many of the dates and details below are estimates.&nbsp;

Kim Jong-Un's Luxurious Childhood Was Spent Preparing For Dictatorship

General

Inside Kim Jong-un's Childhood: What The North Korean Dictator Was Like As A Kid

Jonathan H. Kantor

Trending on Ranker

Winston Churchill is now almost deified as the man who stood between the Western world and utter darkness in that terrifying summer of 1940, and who helped shepherd&nbsp;the Allies to victory over the next five years. His achievements have been hailed in books <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-about-winston-churchill/ranker-film" target="_blank">and on film</a>. In his lifetime, his reputation was much more complex. Many viewed him as a jingoistic imperialist with an antiquated concept of the British Empire. He made plenty of enemies in his long and storied career, and Churchill&#39;s personality traits, enchanting&nbsp;to some, were equally galling to others.

Here&#39;s a collection of descriptions of Winston Churchill from before, during, and after his glory days of WWII.

What Winston Churchill Was Really Like, According To The People Who Knew Him

First-Hand Accounts Of What Winston Churchill Was Really Like

Gordon Cameron

World History

In 1227, one of the greatest conquerors in the history of the world perished&nbsp;- and hid his burial site. For nearly 800 years, the mystery of Genghis Khan&#39;s tomb has captivated people. Was Khan entombed with gold and silver riches captured as his Mongol horde conquered Eurasia? Does his tomb hold secrets about the Great Khan&#39;s legacy? And how did Genghis Khan manage to hide his tomb for&nbsp;centuries?

Born into a nomadic tribe caught up in the harsh warfare of the Mongolian Steppe, Genghis Khan <a href="/list/genghis-khan-facts/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">nearly perished as a child</a>. After rivals slaughtered his father, a <a href="https://www.biography.com/dictator/genghis-khan" target="_blank">9-year-old Genghis Khan</a> tried to take over his father&#39;s tribe. But they exiled the boy, his mother, and six siblings, who had to survive in the wilderness of the Steppe. From those humble beginnings, Genghis Khan went on to unite the Mongol tribes and conquer an empire that stretched <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greatest-empires-in-history#the-british-empire-stretched-over-13-million-square-miles-across-several-continents--23-of-the-worlds-land--at-its-height-in-1922-until-decolonization-began-after-world-war-ii-19" target="_blank">over 12.5 million square miles</a>.&nbsp;

In 2020,&nbsp;research from <a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2020/07/archaeologists-discover-genghis-khans-winter-home/" target="_blank">The Australian National University</a> provided evidence that&nbsp;the site of Avraga in eastern Mongolia served as&nbsp;Genghis Khan&#39;s winter base where he staged his invasion. Radiocarbon dating samples&nbsp;proved that the site&nbsp;was occupied during&nbsp;Genghis Khan&#39;s lifetime, and &quot;more likely than not&quot; functioned as his base camp.&nbsp;

At the height of his power, the great conqueror began planning for his ultimate end. The Mongol ruler went to outrageous lengths to hide his tomb, unveiling a plan that called for<a href="https://www.history.com/news/searching-for-genghis-khan" target="_blank"> thousands of&nbsp;horsemen</a>&nbsp;willing to put&nbsp;their lives on the line to keep the secret of Genghis Khan&#39;s final resting place. And for centuries, no one has managed to find his grave.

Inside The Centuries-Long Search For Genghis Khan's Tomb

Inside The Centuries-Long Search For Genghis Khan Tomb 

Genevieve Carlton

Lists about some of the worst people to ever live and the very bad ways things they did when they let their power go to their heads.

Real Historical Villains

Entertainment

The actors who played&nbsp;history&#39;s worst villains are an incredible bunch. Some, like Joaquin Phoenix and Robert Duvall, are huge stars, others are lesser-known. Some are bankable American performers, while others are foreign actors who shined in lesser-seen films. Many of them are still living and working to this day, whereas others passed decades ago. Regardless of circumstance, what they all have in common is a willingness to put personal vanity aside in order to portray historical figures who are deeply unsympathetic and, in certain instances, actual <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-maniacs-behind-the-worst-genocides-in-history/barbara-gaston" target="_blank">perpetrators of genocide</a>.

The task is daunting&nbsp;because of the ever-present temptation to chew the scenery or end up veering into caricature. In the best cases, these actors avoid such pitfalls. Instead, they seek to illuminate the ruthlessness, narcissism, or just plain evil that resided inside these individuals. Because of their efforts, viewers are better able to understand that which seems impossible to understand at first glance. In the process, they give indelible performances that will continue to resonate for a long time.

Which actor did the best job playing one of the worst people in history? Your votes will decide.

The Greatest Actor Portrayals Of The Worst People In History

Actor

Mike McGranaghan

Politics

Winston Churchill&#39;s career and legacy have been explored in numerous books, television shows, and movies. Stories about Churchill&nbsp;offer one look at the man, but there are a lot of Winston Churchill facts that have gone relatively unknown.

A soldier, statesman and, to some, savior of the free world, Churchill was also considered a bit difficult by <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/first-hand-descriptions-of-winston-churchill/gordon-cameron" target="_blank">those who knew him</a>. Facts about Winston Churchill in life and&nbsp;death alike attest his complexities, but they also humanize him and offer a look into his personality. We found out some fascinating facts about Winston Churchill we never knew, ones that definitely left us saying, &#39;Whoa.&quot;

12 Facts About Winston Churchill We Just Learned That Made Us Say 'Whoa'

Facts About Winston Churchill We Just Learned That Made Us Say 'Whoa'

Melissa Sartore

Ancient Egypt

Modern technology has done a lot to aid in our understanding of the past;&nbsp;from DNA tests to satellite imagery to audio engineering, scholars and non-scholars&nbsp;alike can explore what life was like for our ancestors and how they&nbsp;continue&nbsp;to impact the world around us. Through the shared efforts of archaeologists, forensic scientists, and graphic artists, we&#39;ve gained a better&nbsp;understanding of individuals and&nbsp;produced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/3d-recreations-of-historical-figures/stephanroget" target="_blank">facial reconstructions of historical figures</a>. But bringing history alive isn&#39;t always easy, especially when there&#39;s a paucity of historical evidence with which to&nbsp;work.

Luckily, ancient Egyptian&nbsp;mummification&nbsp;methods offer unique insights into the faces of famous pharaohs. Using skeletons and&nbsp;masks, alongside an extensive understanding of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/everyday-life-in-ancient-egypt/katia-kleyman" target="_blank">daily life in ancient Egypt</a>,&nbsp;professionals across disciplines are bringing&nbsp;new life to some of the best-known rulers who have&nbsp;ever lived.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Here’s What Famous Pharaohs Looked Like When They Were Alive

Person

Innovative CGI Programs Show What Egyptian Pharaohs Actually Looked Like

History

History is replete with enormous empires that rise from humble beginnings, conquer multiple continents and cultures, spread over the face of the Earth, and then collapse - often the victim of a younger, hungrier empire. This cycle is repeated throughout the millennia, from the largest to the smallest scales.

At its height, the British Empire ruled nearly a quarter of the world&#39;s population, and in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongol Empire became the most massive land empire in history. You&#39;ve probably heard of them. But what about the smallest kingdoms in the world, sovereign states that could comfortably fit inside your local school district?

The following are among the smallest kingdoms in history. Vote up the ones that prove size isn&#39;t everything.

Historical Rulers With The Smallest Kingdoms

Alby Thompson

Lists about modern and historical heads of state and world leaders—their struggles, their actions, their eccentricities, and other things written about them by their admirers and their enemies.

The People in Power

When presidents or prime ministers are elected, there&#39;s an expectation the individuals will spend a certain number of days, weeks, and months in service to the government and the people. It extends even further when monarchs accede to the throne, often thought to their role&nbsp;for years or decades.&nbsp;

While&nbsp;leadership positions can come with terms of office attached to them or be (theoretically) for life, that&#39;s not always how events have played out. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-do-military-coups-happen/megan-summers" target="_blank">Coups</a>, untimely deaths, scandal - these can all result in a quick and sudden end to one&#39;s term. From the violent ousting of a president or a smooth transition between prime ministers, a short time in office&nbsp;may result in an individual being completely overlooked.&nbsp;

Don&#39;t blink or you may miss them - vote up the shortest times in office from history.&nbsp;

11 Historical Leaders Who Had The Shortest Time In Office

They don&#39;t hand out nicknames like &quot;the Great&quot; to just anyone. History has seen its share of the Greats, with the works and deeds of such titleholders varying as much as their origins, eras, and cultures. How does one achieve &quot;the Great&quot; status, or quantify such a distinction? Plenty of ways. The number of buildings or statues constructed, for example. Or the amount of art produced. How about progress in science, technology, or medicine? Improvements to political structures?

Then again, this lofty title is often bestowed upon those who earned it the hard way - the bloody way. You can&#39;t expand borders, conquer armies, and exponentially enhance wealth without breaking a few eggs. Some so-called Greats have broken the boundaries, taboos, or social structures of their time. Some have been tyrants, others beneficent caretakers, and others still have been various shades in between. From&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-battles-of-alexander-the-great/reference" target="_blank">Alexander</a> to Peter to Catherine, here are the historical figures who have been bestowed with that rare and simple title: the Great. Vote up the Greats most worthy of the name.

Historical Leaders Called 'The Great,' Ranked By Greatness

Renata Carmen

Everything you didn't know about the so-called leaders of the free world, from their favorite foods to their pets' names.

U.S. Presidents

poll

The worst U.S. presidents of all time, measured by their negative impact on the nation, its citizens health and happiness, and its future prosperity. (In some cases -&nbsp;such as the popular selections of Warren G. Harding and Richard Nixon -&nbsp;the negative view of the president and his administration is due to various scandals and perceived corruption within its ranks. Nixon remains the only president to step down from the office amid&nbsp;threats of impeachment.)

Much of a president&#39;s job -&nbsp;including serving as the figurative head of the American state and setting the nation&#39;s general legislative and diplomatic agenda -&nbsp;is sort of intangible and hard to evaluate in strict &quot;good vs. bad&quot; terms. This makes any list of the &quot;best&quot; or &quot;worst&quot; US presidents essentially subjective, and though there were administrations with a significant series of positive or negative outcomes, it&#39;s rarely clear just how much these had to do with the person in office and how many were simply due to accidents of fate or circumstance. Nonetheless, in particularly extraordinary cases -&nbsp;such as the administration of Abraham Lincoln, which kept the nation intact during the Civil War crisis, or the administration of Andrew Johnson immediately after that threatened the entire success of the Reconstruction project -&nbsp;it is clear which presidents did an overall good or bad job.

So who were the worst presidents of all time? We&#39;re ranking them here, based on your votes! When you&#39;ve had enough political negativity, be sure to check out Ranker&#39;s ultimate uplifting presidential list: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">The Best US Presidents</a>.

Warren G. Harding

The Worst U.S. Presidents

Politician

Top 44 Worst Presidents: List of Failed U.S Administrations

Ranker Community

Some of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-cruel-rulers-in-history-besides-hitler/michael-anderson" target="_blank">history&#39;s most notorious despots </a> demanded absolute authority over their states, but could never claim it over their own bodies. All of the rulers on this list are believed to have suffered from various afflictions, ranging from the curable to the fatal. In some cases, these afflictions shaped their reigns and reputations by exacerbating their worst and most vicious impulses. The medical conditions don&#39;t excuse their deeds. The belief that Adolf Hitler suffered from Parkinson&#39;s, for example, does not explain the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/photos-of-concentration-camps-in-the-holocaust/philgibbons" target="_blank">Holocaust </a> or encourage a more sympathetic view of one of history&#39;s biggest villains. It simply presents context to understand his rule in Germany. Despotic rulers&#39; conditions provide a window into how the precarious health of those in power can shape history, for better or for worse.

Signature Afflictions Suffered By History’s Most Famous Despots

Setareh Janda

How tall were leaders in the past? As in the 21st century, historical famous leaders&#39; height varied considerably, as did definitions of how tall or short a person was. But whether big or small, all of these rulers cast a shadow that exceeded&nbsp;their physical height.

Physical shapes and sizes were often useful political tools for hereditary monarchs and elected officials alike to validate their authority. But though society has used sizes to celebrate or denigrate those in power, these features never impacted a leader&#39;s ability to rule. From an enormous medieval king who stood head and shoulders above his subjects, to a short president of Mexico who had giant influence, historical leaders prove that a person&#39;s physical appearance or size does not determine their skills.

The Different Physical Sizes Of Historical Rulers

When we think of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-dictators/reference" target="_blank">the evilest rulers in history</a>, names like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Benito Mussolini rush to mind. But it&#39;s important to remember that brutality existed in rulers well before the 1930s.

Others, like Attila&nbsp;the Hun or Chinese Empress Wu, may seem like obvious choices. But&nbsp;after looking deeper at the effects of their rule and how they were perceived by those they reigned over, it becomes clear that they&#39;re not the worst&nbsp;rulers in history. Instead, they suffered from then-contemporary historians&#39; ire (Attila&nbsp;because he wasn&#39;t <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nice-things-to-say-about-attila-the-hun-87559701/" target="_blank">Roman</a>, and Wu&nbsp;because she was a <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/" target="_blank">woman</a>).

So, it&#39;s time to focus instead on those despots who were truly the cruelest rulers in history - many of whom are less known,&nbsp;though there will definitely be a few names on this list that ring a bell, including a number of them whose <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-who-played-historical-dictators-cruel-rulers/mike-mcgranaghan" target="_blank">cinematic depictions</a> have only further entrenched their place in the cultural consciousness.

The Cruelest Rulers In History (Who Weren't Hitler)

The Cruelest Rulers in History (Who Weren't Hitler)

Michael Anderson

Living

Most of the facts that we hear about history's <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-dictators/reference" target="_blank">most notorious dictators</a> involve&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/most-evil-dictators-that-existed/demon_boy" target="_blank">their crimes against humanity</a> and horrific&nbsp;political manipulations. These can be so extensive that it's almost shocking when you learn that many of these dictators actually loved animals - at least their animals. After all, how can a monster like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/strange-hitler-facts/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">Adolph&nbsp;Hitler</a>, who devised&nbsp;the Holocaust, have so much love in his blackened heart for his pet German Shepherd,&nbsp;Blondi? And Hitler isn't the only dictator who loved his pets. Some dictators had the types of pets one might expect them to have -&nbsp;like cats and&nbsp;dogs. However, some of the&nbsp;wilder dictator pets include hippos, ostriches, and even man-eating crocodiles.

Even History's Most Evil Dictators Had Pets

10 Pets Of Dictators You Had No Idea About

Anna Lindwasser

Remember that guy? Wondering what he's up to? 

Where Are They Now?

When kids are young, they can be anything: astronauts, politicians, police officers, attorneys, the ice cream man (you know you wanted that job!) and more. They can also turn into corrupt, evil, morally bankrupt people. They're kids, they can be anything! As it turns out, some of the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-film-actors-and-actresses-of-all-time">greatest actors ever</a>, the <a href="/list/greatest-musical-artists-of-all-time/alan-smithee">best musicians</a>, and the most popular celebrities<a href="&lt;a href="></a>&nbsp;were all kids at some point, and they had the choice to pursue noble professions or go, Darth Vader style, to the dark side.&nbsp;These pictures of celebrities when they were kids give a little glimpse into the childhoods of some of the most important people in history. From a well-know performer's humble beginnings in the mountains of Tennessee to the school failings of some of the <a href="/list/top-ten-smartest-living-people-smartest-people-alive/ofey">smartest people who ever lived</a>, these pictures of famous people when they were young will shed some light on what could have been with some of the best known people of our time.&nbsp;Who are some stupid kids who grew up to be smart? What successful people almost chose different careers? This look at the childhoods of famous people is eye-opening in its glimpse into what people have the potential to become.&nbsp;

Who Did These Eventually Famous Kids Grow Up To Be?

Pictures of Famous People When They Were Kids

Jude Newsome

While many world leaders have followed &quot;traditional&quot; career paths of law or the military to rise through the ranks of their country&#39;s government, others have taken more unusual routes to political power.

For instance, it is well-known that Ronald Reagan was an actor in Hollywood prior to pursuing his political career, and Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer - but how many people are aware that the current president of Ukraine and the current leader of Guatemala both portrayed fictional heads of state on television? Or that Harry Truman sold ties and belts as the co-owner of a haberdashery? Or that the current president of Turkmenistan previously worked on his predecessor&#39;s teeth?

Whether&nbsp;taken to support their family or help pay for schooling - or even in pursuit of a true passion - here are world leaders&#39; most surprising jobs&nbsp;before they rose to power.

The Most Surprising Jobs Held By People Who Later Became World Leaders

The Most Surprising Jobs Held By People Who Became World Leaders

TGWrites

World Leaders lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of world leaders lists and rankings

World Leaders lists on Ranker

Jesus Christ

Leonardo da Vinci

Isaac Newton

Marie Curie

Galileo Galilei

List of the Greatest Minds of All Time, throughout history. This list represents the most influential thinkers across various disciplines, ranked in a way that represents the power of their ideas and their impact on the world. The wisest men and women include <a href="/list/top-philosophers-ever-/jedralski">top philosophers,</a> physicists, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-poet_s)/reference">famous poets</a>, thinkers, teachers, physiologists, artists, inventors, engineers, <a href="/list/the-most-irreplaceable-ceos-in-the-world/ready-to-startup">the most irreplaceable CEOs in the world</a>, economists and politicians and those whose talents span across many fields of study.This list takes a historic perspective, so the greatest thinkers who are included on this list come from many different eras. The greatest minds of the 21st century may be quite different from great geniuses from the distant past, but each person should be judged within the context of the time that they were living. For example, inventing a new type of telephone in 2013 would not qualify one as &quot;the most brilliant mind of all time,&quot; but in 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone, it was an act of genius not seen before. See Also: <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time">The Most Influential People of All Time.</a>

The Greatest Minds of All Time

Greatest Minds of All Time |  List of Genius Thinkers in History 

Walter Graves

A look at major events that happened a long time ago and the people who played the biggest roles in shaping the world as we know it.

Historical Facts & Figures

This is a list of the most <a href="/list/important-historical-figures-not-taught-in-school/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">influential people</a> of all of human history. This means that the individuals on this list have had a significant effect on how regular people live their lives today and have had a large impact on how modern society works. The names on this list include iconic religious figures, recognizable scientists and inventors, and some of the most powerful&nbsp;<a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-important-leaders-in-world-history" target="_blank">important leaders in world history</a>. Vote for your top choices and re-rank this list your way.&nbsp;

What makes an individual worthy of a spot on a list of the most influential people ever? Certainly, some of the <a href="/list/greatest-minds-of-all-time/walter-graves" target="_blank">greatest minds of all time</a> deserve to be ranked highly. Examples include Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and certainly <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-historical-figure-facts-09252020/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">Albert Einstein</a>. Each one of these incredible and inspirational&nbsp;people used the power of their minds to change the world. Not surprisingly, several names on this list are also among the most <a href="/crowdranked-list/famous-role-models-we_d-like-to-meet-in-person" target="_blank">famous role models we&#39;d like to meet in person</a>.

Featuring historical figures, interesting men, and impactful people, this list of the world&#39;s most legendary figures have had all kinds of effects on the biggest and historic events.

And modern-era figures also deserve to be listed here. Can anyone argue that Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg aren&#39;t among the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-contemporary-americans" target="_blank">most influential contemporary Americans</a>? It&#39;s time to add your opinions on who you believe are the most&nbsp;influential&nbsp;people&nbsp;in&nbsp;history, with your votes and your rankings.