Theodoros Angelos was born around 1180 to Ioannes Angelos and Zoe. Ioannes Angelos was a grandson of Alexios Komnenos, the Emperor of Constantinople, and Eirene Doukaina, through their daughter Theodora. Ioannes and his brother Andronikos also used Doukas as their surname. 1/10
In 1185, Isaakios Angelos, son of Andronikos, became Emperor of Constantinople, after Andronikos Komnenos, grandson of Emperor Alexios who had seized power in Constantinople, was killed. But the empire fell into disarray, when Isaakios was usurped by his own brother Alexios. 2/10
Ioannes "Doukas" Angelos watched the chaos unfold and even attempted to become Emperor in 1199. But in 1204, Crusaders besieged Constantinople and expelled its Roman Greek rulers. Theodoros fled to Nicaea, where a son-in-law of Alexios Angelos got proclaimed as emperor. 3/10
In the meantime, Mikhael Angelos, an illegitimate son of Ioannes Doukas Angelos, set up his own independent rule in Epirus on the Adriatic coast. Theodoros joined his brother. The brothers consolidated their rule of Epirus and added Thessaly, Dyrrachium and Korfu. 4/10
In 1215, Mikhael was murdered and was succeeded by his young son, Mikhael. But Theodoros expelled his nephew and seized power. He continued his brother's expansive moves and gained territory at the cost of the Kingdom of Thessalonica. 5/10
In 1216, he captured the French prince, Pierre de Courtenay, who had become the emperor at Constantinople with his marriage to the sister of the earlier Latin emperors. By 1224, Theodoros had annexed the kingdom of Thessalonica and got himself crowned emperor in 1225. 6/10
Theodoros advanced on to Constantinople but faced resistance. The Byzantine remnant of Nicaea still claimed to be the true empire. Theodoros allied with Bulgars and defeated Nicaea at Adrianople, taking the city. In 1228, the Bulgars appeared to ally with Constantinople. 7/10
Instead of recovering Constantinople, Theodoros invaded Bulgaria. Though caught off guard, it was the Bulgar Tsar Ivan Asen who won the battle. Theodoros was captured and blinded. Ironically, the Bulgar Constantinople alliance did not work out. 8/10
The Bulgars invaded Thessalonica and Thessaly. Theodoros' younger brother Manuel managed to hold on to Thessaly, while in Epirus his nephew Mikhael returned to power. Theodoros was freed in 1237 and he deposed Manuel and installed his son Ioannes as ruler in Thessalonica. 9/10
Thessaly was annexed by Epirus in 1241, while Thessalonica fell to Nicaea in 1246. Nicaea captured Constantinople in 1261 and Epirus in 1337. But the descendants of Mikhael from Tocco family ruled different parts of Epirus until 1479, when it finally fell to the Ottomans. 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