Giovanni de' Medici was born in 1475 to Lorenzo de' Medici and Clarice Orsini. Lorenzo was the de facto ruler of the Republic of Florence and ran the Medici Bank. As a younger son, Giovanni was destined for Church, with Pope Innocent VIII naming him a Cardinal in 1489. 1/10
Because of his age, his official appointment would take till 1492. But his move to Rome had to be curtailed after his father's death the same year. Giovanni's elder brother, Piero, succeeded, but in 1494 the Florentines rebelled and expelled the Medici. 2/10
Giovanni fled for northern Europe, but returned to Rome in 1500. In 1503, Piero de' Medici died, making Giovanni the head of the family. He also took part in two papal elections that year, electing Pope Pius III and later, Pope Julius II. 3/10
Pope Julius II went to war against Venice, who had been eating up Papal states. By 1508, he had gained Romagna and Bologna, to where Giovanni was appointed as papal legate in 1511. In 1512, Giovanni gained control of Florence, where he put his brother, Giuliano, in charge. 4/10
In 1513, Pope Julius died and Giovanni was elected as the new Pope. Taking the name Leo, he was ordained as a priest on 15th March and consecrated as Pope two days later. As a Pope, he spent lavishly on art with artists like Raphael at work. 5/10
Self indulgent, he also put the Church badly in debt and sold more indulgences (essentially "Get out of hell for a donation" cards) to balance the books. When France marched onto Milan, he resisted them, only to switch sides after French victory at Marignano. 6/10
In 1516, the Pope's brother, Giuliano died. This led the Pope to shift his focus on his nephew, Lorenzo, whom he made Duke of Urbino after a costly war. But Lorenzo died in 1519 and Urbino went back to its former lords, though Medici still retained Florence. 7/10
In 1517, the Pope had a Cardinal, who was rumoured to be his lover, killed calling it an assassination conspiracy. With the worsening financial crisis, he appointed 31 Cardinals the same year. Later that year, a German priest called out the practice of selling indulgences. 8/10
The Ninety-Five Theses of Martin Luther immediately went viral, perhaps with a bit of Streisand effect as it led to pamphlet war with Johann Tetzel. The Pope defended his right to sell indulgences in 1518 and attempted unsuccessfully to suppress Luther. 9/10
The Pope excommunicated Luther in 1521 and at the subsequent Diet of Worms, Luther refused to bow down. While the Pope died the same year, Prussia, Hesse, Saxony, Sweden and Denmark had broken away from a self-indulgent Rome by 1540 siding with Luther. 10/10
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Murad was born in 1404 to Mehmed. Mehmed was the son of Bayezid, the Ottoman Sultan who was captured by Timur in 1402. This led to a period of anarchy in the Sultanate. By 1413, Mehmed had managed to defeat his brothers and take over as Sultan of the entire Sultanate. 1/10
The Ottoman had Sultanate emerged in late 13th century after the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm was defeated by the Mongols. Many beyliks rose up in the Anatolian peninsula, one among which was ruled by the ancestors of Bayezid, Mehmed and Murad. 2/10
Rastislav was born in early 9th century. His father may have been Wistrach and his uncle Mojmír, the Duke of Moravia. Little is known about Rastislav's youth, until 846 when Franks invaded Moravia and installed Rastislav as the Duke of Moravia. 1/10
Moravia emerged as a semi independent state in Central Europe not long after the Franks had defeated the Avars in late 8th century. Moravia was not the first power in the region though. The Slavic states of Samo and of Nitra had lasted briefly during various times as well. 2/10
Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck was born in 1815 to Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Bismarck and Wilhelmine Luise Mencken. Hailing from Schönhausen, the Bismarcks were a prominent noble family of the Kingdom of Prussia, with connections in Pomerania. 1/10
Prussia became a kingdom in 1701, but its major part was Brandenburg in the centuries old Holy Roman Empire. Invasion by the French in early 19th century led to the dissolution of this empire, with many of its regions joining Napoleon backed Confederation of the Rhine. 2/10
Camillo Benso was born in 1810 to Michele Benso, Marquis of Cavour, and Adélaïde Suzanne de Sellon. The Bensos were prominent nobility of Savoy. Camillo also had a distinguishing French connection thanks to his mother and his godmother Pauline, sister of Emperor Napoleon. 1/10
The early 18th century saw the French under Napoleon occupy Savoy. But the Bensos managed to see through it in a favourable manner eventually. Young Camilo's career prospects improved with his appointment as page to Carlo Alberto, Prince of Carignano in 1824. 2/10
Iaroslav Vladimirovich was born around 980 to Vladimir Sviatoslavich, Grand Prince of Kiev, and Rogned of Polotsk. Vladimir was initially supposed to rule only in Novgorod, but he had taken Kiev and Dereva from his brothers by 980. 1/10
Iaroslav was given an early charge of Rostov and, later, of Novgorod by 1010. But he sought Kiev and rebelled against his father, when he saw that one of his many brothers may be given Kiev. However, Vladimir died in 1015 and his domain got divided between his sons. 2/10
Birger Magnusson was born around 1210 to Magnus "Minnesköld" Bengtsson and Ingrid Ilva. Magnus was the grandson of the powerful Scandinavian noble, Folke, while Ingrid may have been a descendant of Sverker, King of Sweden in mid 12th century. 1/10
The kingdom of Sweden claimed land on the western and eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea in the 13th century. However, the crown itself was held between two dynasties since Sverker's death in 1156; by Sverker's family and that of Erik who became king after Sverker. 2/10