My Name is Dr. Benjamin Rush: Physician, Patriot, and Reformer I was born on January 4, 1746, in the small farming community of Byberry, just outside Philadelphia. My father died when I was young, leaving my mother to guide my education and faith. She sent me to live with my uncle, Reverend Samuel Finley, a respected educator who later became president of the College of New Jersey—now Princeton. It was under his influence that I learned the importance of reason guided by mora

My Name is King Shulgi of Ur: The Scholar-King of Sumer I was born in the great city of Ur, the jewel of Sumer, son of King Ur-Nammu, founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur. From the day I first walked the marble floors of the royal court, I was taught that kingship was not simply a crown—it was duty, wisdom, and devotion to the gods. My father was a man of justice and order, but I aspired to be more than a ruler of men. I sought to be a ruler of minds, a restorer of knowledge, a

My Name is Colonel John Glover: Commander of the Marblehead Mariners I was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1732, a rugged seaport where the sea was both our friend and our teacher. From a young age, I learned to read the tides, the wind, and the language of the ocean. My family were fishermen and traders, and I became a ship’s captain before the colonies even dreamed of independence. The Atlantic was my classroom, and the deck of a schooner was my home. The skills I gai

My Name is Shamshi-Adad I: King of Upper Mesopotamia I was born in a time when the great cities of Mesopotamia were fractured, each fighting for dominance, each claiming divine favor. The city of Assur, my home, was little more than a small trading hub clinging to its independence between larger powers. Yet from my youth, I believed Assur could be more. I studied the art of warfare, diplomacy, and administration. I watched how kingdoms rose and fell, and I knew that unity was

My Name is George Washington: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army I was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, among the rolling fields and winding rivers of the Tidewater region. My youth was shaped by the land, by hard work, and by the lessons of duty and perseverance. My father, Augustine, passed when I was young, and much of what I learned came through experience rather than formal schooling. As a boy, I worked as a surveyor, mapping the untam

My Name is Marduk-apla-iddina I: King of Babylon I was born into a kingdom weary and wounded. The great Kassite dynasty that had ruled Babylon for centuries was fading, its strength drained by foreign wars and internal decay. The gods seemed distant, their temples neglected, their favor uncertain. My father served as a noble under the last of the Kassite kings, and from him I learned early that power was not eternal—it must be earned, defended, and restored. When the throne f

My Name is General Artemas Ward: Commander of the Colonial Militia I was born on November 26, 1727, in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer and legislator. My childhood was one of hard work, faith, and study. My father, Nahum Ward, was a respected man in our community, and from him I learned that leadership begins with service. As a boy, I helped tend the fields and livestock, but my mind was always drawn to books and matters of order and justice. When the opportuni

My Name is Sin-Muballit: King of Babylon When I first took the throne of Babylon, our city was little more than a modest kingdom on the banks of the Euphrates, overshadowed by the older and prouder cities of Mesopotamia—Larsa, Isin, and Eshnunna. My father, Sumulael, had begun the work of transforming Babylon from a provincial town into a rising power, but the task before me was immense. The lands were divided, rival kings sought to dominate, and the gods seemed to test every

My Name is Samuel Seabury: Loyalist Clergyman and American Episcopal Bishop I was born in Groton, Connecticut, in 1729, into a family devoted to learning and faith. My father, also named Samuel Seabury, was a minister, and from him I inherited a deep respect for order, discipline, and the authority of both God and Church. I studied at Yale College and later continued my theological studies at the University of Edinburgh, where I was ordained in the Church of England. My years

My Name is Tirigan of Gutium: The Last King of the Gutians I was born among the rugged mountains east of Sumer, where the mists hung low and the people were strong but untamed. We Gutians were a hardy race, living by the axe and the bow, not by the plow. When word reached us that the mighty Akkadian Empire—once ruled by Sargon and his proud descendants—was crumbling under its own weight, our chiefs saw opportunity. We descended from the hills, fierce and hungry, to claim the