Curated playlist
Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- George H. W. BushAfter being shot down in 1944, George H. W. Bush asked why he alone had been spared. Both of his crewmates died.
- Mohammad Reza PahlaviOn his first day at a Swiss boarding school, Iran's crown prince got beaten up.
- Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Gorbachev refused to declare a state of emergency during the August 1991 coup.
- Abdullah II of JordanIn 1996, a man who would become King Abdullah II of Jordan appeared on screen in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager titled Investigations. At the time he was a prince commanding his country's Special Forces, and his part had no lines. He was…
- Hamad bin Khalifa Al ThaniSheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, born on the 1st of January 1952, ended his time as Emir of Qatar with a short televised address on the 25th of June 2013. He told the nation: "The time has come to open a new page in the journey of our…
- Hassanal BolkiahHassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei, has held his throne since 1967. That makes him the longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state anywhere in the world. He is also counted among the few absolute…
- HirohitoEmperor Hirohito's first radio broadcast announced Japan's defeat.
- SukarnoYouth leaders took Sukarno from his house by force to make him declare independence.
- Haile SelassieIn 1992, the bones of Haile Selassie I were found beneath a concrete slab on the grounds of a palace. The man buried there had been born Tafari Makonnen. He had ruled Ethiopia as emperor from 1930 to 1974. How does a ruler of such rank end…
- VajiralongkornVajiralongkorn, also known by his regnal name Rama X, became King of Thailand at the age of 64, the oldest person ever to take that throne. He is the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, which has ruled the country since 1782. He is also…