Curated playlist
Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Montini, once tried to talk a room of cardinals out of electing him. On the 20th of June 1963, the second day of the conclave, Cardinal Gustavo Testa lost his temper. He demanded that Montini's…
- Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on Holy Saturday, the 16th of April 1927, and was baptised the same day. For years as a cardinal, he said what he wanted most was a quiet life in his house in Pentling, a Bavarian village…
- Willy BrandtWilly Brandt, later West Germany's chancellor, fled Nazi Germany under a false name. He made it legal in 1948.
- Kofi AnnanKofi Annan became the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations only after France vetoed him four times and then finally chose to abstain. He was also the first holder of that office to be chosen from the organisation's own staff.…
- Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, left Venice for the conclave of 1958 carrying a return train ticket. He never used it. On the 28th of October 1958, at the age of 76, he was elected pope. The cardinals who chose him seemed…
- Desmond TutuDesmond Tutu, the South African Anglican archbishop who spent decades confronting apartheid, asked to be laid to rest in a plain pine coffin. It was the cheapest one available, chosen to avoid any ostentatious display. He died of cancer on…
- Enrico De NicolaA journalist begged Enrico De Nicola in print to accept leading Italy. He won roughly 80% of votes in 1946.
- Otto von HabsburgOtto von Habsburg, born to be emperor, spent nearly half a century in exile from Austria.
- Alcide De GasperiAlcide De Gasperi cataloged books in the Vatican Library for fourteen years.
- Theodor BlankWest Germany secretly began rebuilding its army under an office with a harmless name. Theodor Blank led it.