Governance
Louis, king of France
Louis IX portrait painted 300 years after his death by El Greco
Louis, king of France received an exceptional education and ascended to the throne at age 12. His mother, Blanche of Castile, acted as his regent, and would continue to serve as his closest advisor until her death. Louis displayed courage and diplomatic wisdom at an early age and developed a reputation as a chivalrous knight, a conscientious leader, and a pious man. Because he was so devout, Louis went on Crusade twice, with small victories and ultimate failure each time. He died of the plague on his second trip to the Holy Land. He is known for his kindness, fair dealings, and piety. He was a very popular monarch and is the only French king ever to be made a saint.
Margaret, Queen of Scotland
From Joy Filled Family blogspot
Margaret, Queen of Scotland, seeking to change old-fashioned and careless practices among the Scottish clergy, insisted that Lent begin on Ash Wednesday and Sundays be devoted to prayers. She encouraged the founding of schools, hospitals, and orphanages and, with King Malcolm (of Macbeth fame) improved the quality of life among isolated Scottish clans, rebuilt the monastery of Iona, and founded Dunfermline Abbey. She was a conscientious wife to Malcolm, a strong-willed man, and mother to their eight children.
Gandhi the mahatma
From Kamat’s Potpourri website
Gandhi the mahatma [“great soul”]—Mohandas Gandhi is considered the father of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi spent 20 years in South Africa working to fight discrimination. It was there that he created his concept of satyagraha, a non-violent way of protesting against injustices. While in India, Gandhi's obvious virtue, simplistic lifestyle, and minimal dress endeared him to the people. He spent his remaining years working diligently to both remove British rule from India as well as to better the lives of India's poorest classes. Many civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., used Gandhi's concept of non-violent protest as a model for their own struggles. He is know for “fasting” to bring attention to his issues. In 1948, while on his way to prayers, he was assassinated.
Dag Hammarskjöld
From the website for the country of Sweden
Dag Hammarskjöld—Nobel Peace Prize 1961, a Swede of great intellect and education, a “Renaissance man”, with a prime interest in political economy. He was a leader in foreign relations and global international affairs and secretary of the Bank of Sweden during World War II, and became the Bank’s president during this time. He was Sweden’s representative to the United Nations in the early fifties and was elected Secretary-General of the U.N. in 1953 and re-elected in 1957. During his time, he negotiated the release of American soldiers captured by the Chinese in the Korean War, became involved in conflict resolution on three continents, and tried to ease the problems in the Middle East. He established the first United Nations Emergency Force which he sent to a number of trouble spots around the world, some that resolved and some that did not. While he was in Africa to secure a cease fire in the Congo, he and 15 others perished in a plane crash.