Who is leading some of the world's biggest countries as of October 2026.
Haakon VIII
Norway
King
Reign: August 28, 2026 - present
The second child and only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja. Haakon succeeded to the throne of Norway upon Harald's death in 2026.
Charles III
United Kingdom
King
Reign: September 8, 2022 - present
The oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Charles became king upon Elizabeth's death in 2022.
Javier Milei
Argentina
President
In office since: December 10, 2023
Leads Argentina, the second-largest country in South America.
Anthony Albanese
Australia
Prime Minister
In office since: May 23, 2022
Leads Australia, which is both a country
and a continent.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Brazil
President
In office since: January 1, 2023
Leads Brazil, the largest country in South America. This is his third term as president.
Mark Carney
Canada
Prime Minister
In office since: March 14, 2025
Leads Canada, the second-largest country in the world by area.
Xi Jinping
China
President
In office since: March 14, 2013
Also the leader of China's Communist Party, in a country with over a billion people.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Egypt
President
In office since: June 8, 2014
Leads Egypt, the home of the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Emmanuel Macron
France
President
In office since: May 14, 2017
Leads France, the home of the Eiffel Tower.
Friedrich Merz
Germany
Chancellor
In office since: May 6, 2025
Germany's leader is called the Chancellor.
Narendra Modi
India
Prime Minister
In office since: May 26, 2014
Leads India, the world's most populous country.
Prabowo Subianto
Indonesia
President
In office since: October 20, 2024
Leads Indonesia, a country made up of thousands of islands.
Giorgia Meloni
Italy
Prime Minister
In office since: October 22, 2022
The first woman to serve as Italy's Prime Minister.
Sanae Takaichi
Japan
Prime Minister
In office since: October 21, 2025
The first woman to serve as Japan's Prime Minister.
Claudia Sheinbaum
Mexico
President
In office since: October 1, 2024
The first woman to serve as Mexico's president.
Bola Tinubu
Nigeria
President
In office since: May 29, 2023
Leads Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.
Vladimir Putin
Russia
President
In office since: May 7, 2012
Leads Russia, the largest country in the world by area. He was also president from 2000 to 2008.
King Salman
Saudi Arabia
King
In office since: January 23, 2015
Saudi Arabia is ruled by a king. His son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is the Prime Minister.
Cyril Ramaphosa
South Africa
President
In office since: February 15, 2018
Leads South Africa, which has three capital cities.
Lee Jae Myung
South Korea
President
In office since: June 4, 2025
Took office after an early presidential election.
Pedro Sánchez
Spain
Prime Minister
In office since: June 2, 2018
Spain's Prime Minister leads the government, while King Felipe VI is head of state.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Turkey
President
In office since: August 28, 2014
Leads Turkey, a country that sits on two continents, Europe and Asia.
Andy Burnham
United Kingdom
Prime Minister
In office since: July 20, 2026
The UK's newest Prime Minister. King Charles III is the head of state.
Donald Trump
United States
President
In office since: January 20, 2025
The 47th U.S. president. He was also the 45th president, from 2017 to 2021.
Kings, queens, pharaohs, emperors, prophets and other people who shaped history.
William I (William the Conqueror)
England
King
Reign: December 25, 1066 – September 9, 1087
Won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and became the first Norman king of England.
William II (William Rufus)
England
King
Reign: September 26, 1087 – August 2, 1100
The son of William the Conqueror, he was killed by an arrow while hunting in the New Forest.
Henry I
England
King
Reign: August 5, 1100 – December 1, 1135
The youngest son of William the Conqueror, he ruled for 35 years and lost his heir in the White Ship disaster.
Stephen
England
King
Reign: December 22, 1135 – October 25, 1154
His reign was called "The Anarchy" because of a long civil war with his cousin Matilda over the throne.
Henry II
England
King
Reign: December 19, 1154 – July 6, 1189
The first Plantagenet king, who ruled England and large parts of France.
Richard I (Richard the Lionheart)
England
King
Reign: September 3, 1189 – April 6, 1199
Spent most of his reign away from England fighting in the Third Crusade.
John
England
King
Reign: May 27, 1199 – October 19, 1216
Forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the power of the king.
Henry III
England
King
Reign: October 28, 1216 – November 16, 1272
Became king at age nine and ruled for 56 years, one of the longest reigns in English history.
Edward I (Longshanks)
England
King
Reign: November 20, 1272 – July 7, 1307
Conquered Wales and fought to rule Scotland, earning the nickname "Hammer of the Scots."
Edward II
England
King
Reign: July 8, 1307 – January 25, 1327
Lost the Battle of Bannockburn to Scotland and was forced off the throne by his wife and her allies.
Edward III
England
King
Reign: January 25, 1327 – June 21, 1377
Ruled for 50 years and began the Hundred Years' War with France.
Richard II
England
King
Reign: June 22, 1377 – September 29, 1399
Became king at age ten, faced the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, and was later forced to give up the crown.
Henry IV
England
King
Reign: September 30, 1399 – March 20, 1413
Took the throne from Richard II and became the first Lancastrian king.
Henry V
England
King
Reign: March 21, 1413 – August 31, 1422
Won the famous Battle of Agincourt against France in 1415.
Henry VI
England
King
Reign: August 31, 1422 – March 4, 1461, and October 1470 – April 11, 1471
Became king as a baby, and his struggles as ruler helped start the Wars of the Roses.
Edward IV
England
King
Reign: March 4, 1461 – October 3, 1470, and April 11, 1471 – April 9, 1483
The first Yorkist king, who won the throne during the Wars of the Roses.
Edward V
England
King
Reign: April 9, 1483 – June 25, 1483
A boy king who was never crowned; he and his brother disappeared in the Tower of London.
Richard III
England
King
Reign: June 26, 1483 – August 22, 1485
The last English king to die in battle, killed at Bosworth Field.
Henry VII
England
King
Reign: August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509
Won the throne at Bosworth Field and started the Tudor dynasty.
Henry VIII
England
King
Reign: April 22, 1509 – January 28, 1547
Had six wives and broke England away from the Roman Catholic Church.
Edward VI
England
King
Reign: January 28, 1547 – July 6, 1553
Became king at age nine and died at fifteen.
Lady Jane Grey
England
Queen (disputed)
Reign: July 10, 1553 – July 19, 1553
Queen for only nine days, which is why she is called "the Nine Days' Queen."
Mary I (Bloody Mary)
England
Queen
Reign: July 19, 1553 – November 17, 1558
England's first queen to rule in her own right, known for bringing back the Catholic faith.
Elizabeth I
England
Queen
Reign: November 17, 1558 – March 24, 1603
The "Virgin Queen," who defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588 and led England's golden age.
James I
England and Scotland
King
Reign: March 24, 1603 – March 27, 1625
Already King James VI of Scotland, he united the crowns of the two countries and sponsored the King James Bible.
Charles I
England and Scotland
King
Reign: March 27, 1625 – January 30, 1649
Fought a civil war against Parliament and was executed in 1649.
Charles II
England and Scotland
King
Reign: May 29, 1660 – February 6, 1685
The "Merry Monarch," restored to the throne in 1660 after England had no king for 11 years.
James II
England and Scotland
King
Reign: February 6, 1685 – December 11, 1688
Forced off the throne in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
William III (William of Orange)
England and Scotland
King
Reign: February 13, 1689 – March 8, 1702
A Dutch prince who took the throne in the Glorious Revolution and ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II.
Mary II
England and Scotland
Queen
Reign: February 13, 1689 – December 28, 1694
Ruled jointly with her husband, William III, after her father, James II, was overthrown.
Anne
Great Britain
Queen
Reign: March 8, 1702 – August 1, 1714
The last Stuart monarch; during her reign England and Scotland joined to form Great Britain in 1707.
George I
Great Britain
King
Reign: August 1, 1714 – June 11, 1727
The first Hanoverian king, born in Germany, who spoke very little English.
George II
Great Britain
King
Reign: June 11, 1727 – October 25, 1760
The last British king to be born outside of Great Britain.
George III
Great Britain and the United Kingdom
King
Reign: October 25, 1760 – January 29, 1820
King during the American Revolution, who reigned for 59 years. He is Luke's Featured Villain.
George IV
United Kingdom
King
Reign: January 29, 1820 – June 26, 1830
Known for his lavish lifestyle, he ruled in place of his father as Prince Regent before becoming king.
William IV
United Kingdom
King
Reign: June 26, 1830 – June 20, 1837
Called the "Sailor King" because of his years in the Royal Navy.
Victoria
United Kingdom
Queen
Reign: June 20, 1837 – January 22, 1901
Reigned for 63 years; the Victorian Era is named for her, and the British Empire grew enormously.
Edward VII
United Kingdom
King
Reign: January 22, 1901 – May 6, 1910
Victoria's eldest son, who gave his name to the Edwardian Era.
George V
United Kingdom
King
Reign: May 6, 1910 – January 20, 1936
Led Britain through World War I and changed the royal family's name to Windsor in 1917.
Edward VIII
United Kingdom
King
Reign: January 20, 1936 – December 11, 1936
Gave up the throne after less than a year in order to marry Wallis Simpson.
George VI
United Kingdom
King
Reign: December 11, 1936 – February 6, 1952
Led Britain through World War II despite a stammer; he was the father of Queen Elizabeth II.
RIP: Queen Elizabeth II
Former Queen of the United Kingdom
1926-2022
Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952-2022.
Abraham
Ancient Mesopotamia and Canaan
Patriarch
Lived: around 2000 BC (exact dates unknown)
Honored in Judaism, Christianity and Islam as a founding father of faith in one God.
Moses
Ancient Egypt and Israel
Prophet and leader
Lived: traditionally around the 13th century BC
According to the Bible, he led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments.
Amenhotep III
Ancient Egypt
Pharaoh
Reign: c. 1386 – 1349 BC
Ruled during one of Egypt's richest and most peaceful times and built huge temples and statues, like the Colossi of Memnon.
Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten)
Ancient Egypt
Pharaoh
Reign: c. 1353 – 1336 BC
Changed his name to Akhenaten and tried to make Egypt worship one sun god, the Aten. He is believed to be Tutankhamun's father.
Tutankhamun (King Tut)
Ancient Egypt
Pharaoh
Reign: c. 1334 – 1325 BC
The "Boy King," who became pharaoh at about age nine. His nearly untouched tomb was found by Howard Carter in 1922.
Siddhartha Gautama
Ancient India and Nepal
Founder of Buddhism
Also known as: The Buddha
Lived: around the 5th century BC (exact dates are debated)
Born a prince, he gave up his wealth to seek wisdom and became known as the Buddha, "the Awakened One."
Ashoka the Fierce (Ashoka the Great)
India (Maurya Empire)
Emperor
Reign: c. 268 – 232 BC
Ruled most of India. After the bloody Kalinga War he turned to Buddhism and peace, ending his time as "Ashoka the Fierce."
Qin Shi Huang Di
China (Qin Dynasty)
First Emperor of China
Emperor: 221 – 210 BC
United China for the first time in 221 BC and was buried with the famous Terracotta Army.
Cleopatra VII
Egypt
Pharaoh and Queen
Reign: 51 – 30 BC
The last active ruler of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, who spoke many languages and allied with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
Kandake Amanirenas
Kingdom of Kush (Nubia)
Kandake (Queen)
Reign: c. 40 – 10 BC
Led Kush's army against the Roman Empire and won a peace treaty with Emperor Augustus.
Jesus
Roman Judea
Central figure of Christianity
Lived: around 4 BC – AD 30 or 33
Christians believe he is the Son of God. His life and teachings began Christianity, the world's largest religion.
Muhammad
Arabia (Mecca and Medina)
Prophet of Islam
Lived: around AD 570 – 632
Muslims honor him as the final prophet of Islam, a religion with around two billion followers today.
Mansa Musa
Mali Empire (West Africa)
Emperor (Mansa)
Reign: c. 1312 – 1337
Famous for his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca, when he gave away so much gold that prices changed. He is often called one of the richest people in history.
Winston Churchill
United Kingdom
Prime Minister
In office: May 10, 1940 – July 26, 1945, and October 26, 1951 – April 6, 1955
Led Britain through most of World War II and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.
Ronald Reagan
United States
President
In office: January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
The 40th U.S. president, who was also an actor and the governor of California.
Pope Francis
Vatican City
Pope
Papacy: March 13, 2013 – April 21, 2025
The first pope from the Americas, born in Argentina, and the first Jesuit pope. He was followed by Pope Leo XIV.
RIP: King Harald V
Former King of Norway
1937-2026
RIP King Harald V, who was succeeded by his son, King Haakon VIII.
