1. Theodora and Justinian I
   Mark Antony and Cleopatra
2. Sviatoslav I and Saint Olga
   Isabella & Ferdinand

After losing the Battle of Actium, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were forced to retreat to Egypt, where they were pursued by Octavian as he sought to eliminate anyone who stood against him. In Egypt, incorrectly believing Cleopatra to be dead, Antony took his own life. Cleopatra soon followed suit.

1. Neville Chamberlain and Woodrow Wilson
   Clement Attlee and Harry Truman
2. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt
   Anthony Eden and Dwight D. Eisenhower

At the start of WWII, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt fought two completely different battles. Churchill inspired British subjects to remain firm while Germany took the European mainland, and Roosevelt tried to gain support for the war in the United States. Neither leader would be in power by the end of the war, but their efforts helped secure the victory.

1. Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale
   Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
2. Barack Obama and Joe Biden
   Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge

Near the end of his second term in office, Barack Obama rewarded Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The ceremony, which took place in 2017, was a complete surprise to Biden — he didn't know he was receiving the honor until the end of Obama's emotional speech.

1. Grigori Rasputin and Nicholas II
   Theofan of Poltava and Alexander III
2. Sergei Trufanov and Alexander II
   Georgiy Dolganyov and Nicholas I

Grigori Rasputin's influence over Nicholas II was viewed negatively across Russia, which had fallen on hard times after losing a series of battles in World War I. Rasputin was assassinated by Russian nobles. Still, the move was too late, as the Romanov dynasty was already on the verge of collapse.

1. John and Jacqueline Kennedy
   Richard and Pat Nixon
2. Ronald and Nancy Reagan
   Bill and Hillary Clinton

As Bill Clinton's second presidential term came to an end, Hillary Clinton ran for and won a seat in the Senate. She would later serve as secretary of state under Barack Obama after losing the 2008 Democratic primary. She ran for the presidency again in 2016 but lost that year as well.

1. Lucius Sulla and Pompey the Great
   Augustus and Marcus Brutus
2. Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus
   Tullius Cicero and Antonius Hybrida

Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus formed the First Triumvirate, a political pact, with Pompey the Great in 60 B.C. Crassus' death brought an end to the pact, leading to a war between Caesar and Pompey that resulted in Caesar's rise to power.

1. Albert Lutuli and Walter Sisulu
   Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada
2. Andrew Mlangeni and Mac Maharaj
   Govan Mbeki and Raymond Mhlaba

Fearing a rebellion, the South African government arrested Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others who were part of the armed group known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). The arrested were found guilty of sabotage at the Rivonia Trial and served over 25 years in prison.

1. Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Marshall
   Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon
   John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson

After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th president of the United States. Johnson carried over many of Kennedy's policies while also calling for the creation of a "Great Society."

1. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
   Dwight D. Eisenhower and Georgy Malenkov
2. John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev
   Lyndon B. Johnson and Leonid Brezhnev

By the time Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in 1985, the nuclear arms race was at its height, and neither side budged during that first meeting. The two sides met a year later, and though no formal agreement was reached, the meeting is credited with cooling tensions and opening positive dialogue between the two powers.

1. Plato and Socrates
   Leonidas I and Themistocles
2. Alexander the Great and Aristotle
   Homer and Euclid

History teaches about Leonidas' stand at the mountain pass of Thermopylae, where he led a small group of Greek soldiers for three days against the overwhelming forces of Persia. However, what's often left out is that Themistocles also engaged in a naval battle with the Persians at this time that helped the Greeks organize for the coming assault.

1. Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu
   Nguyen Ngoc Tho and Duong Van Minh
2. Huynh Tan Phat and Vo Chi Cong
   Ho Chi Minh and Pham Van Dong

Pham Van Dong first met Ho Chi Minh when he traveled to China in 1926 to study communist theory at the Huangpu Military Academy. The two eventually returned to Vietnam to fight for independence by establishing a coalition known as the Viet Minh.

1. Boniface II and Clovis I
   Gregory I and Louis the Pious
2. Leo III and Charlemagne
   Honorius I and Pepin the Short

Fearing opposition within Rome, Pope Leo III sought an alliance with an empire powerful enough to defend him against his enemies. His desire for protection led the pope to crown Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor, reestablishing a form of Roman influence in Western Europe.

1. Xianfeng Emperor and Empress Xiaoherui
   Xuantong Emperor and Empress Xiaojingcheng
2. Tongzhi Emperor and Empress Xiaodingjing
   Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi

Zaitian, who became the Guangxu Emperor, obtained the throne at the request of Empress Dowager Cixi. However, even after he came of age, the empress continued to push her influence, which eventually led the empress to stage a coup to reassert her power in 1898.

1. Pierre Augereau and Andre Massena
   Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis-Alexandre Berthier
2. Michel Ney and Louis-Gabriel Suchet
   Jean-Baptiste Bessieres and Joachim Murat

Louis-Alexandre Berthier gained Napoleon Bonaparte's support and ear after serving the French leader loyally during his campaigns in Italy and Egypt. Berthier remained by Bonaparte's side until Bonaparte was forced to abdicate the throne in 1814. Bonaparte returned the following year, but Berthier was mysteriously killed, ending their partnership.

1. David II and Edward Bruce
   Robert II and John Balliol
2. William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
   Rob Roy MacGregor and Alexander III

Following his victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace was recognized as the Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland. He was defeated a year later at the Battle of Falkirk. After this defeat, he lent his support to Robert the Bruce, the future King of Scotland.

1. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
   Philip II and Mary I
2. James I and Anne of Denmark
   Charles I and Henrietta Maria

Before Henry VIII could marry Anne Boleyn, he had to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. However, Pope Clement VII refused to annul their marriage, which forced Henry to separate from the Catholic Church. This resulted in the start of the English Reformation.

1. Aurangzeb and Nawab Bai
   Muhammad Azam Shah and Rahmat Banu Begum
2. Bahadur Shah I and Nizam Bai
   Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Though not his first wife, Mumtaz Mahal was the favorite consort of Shah Jahan. To his dismay, she died early, at the age of 38, while giving birth to their 14th child. To honor her, Jahan commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal.

1. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai
   Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao
2. Chiang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen
   Hua Guofeng and Chen Duxiu

Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were two of the early leaders of the Communist Party of China, which they spent their lives building up. They went on to become the top officials in the People's Republic of China when it was established in 1949.

1. Plato and Philip II
   Aristotle and Alexander the Great
2. Socrates and Amyntas IV
   Pythagoras and Perdiccas III

Aristotle spent seven years tutoring Alexander the Great in Greek philosophy, helping Alexander transition from a boy into a philosopher-king. Alexander was so enamored by his tutor that he spread Aristotle's work across the regions he conquered.

1. Justin II and Sophia
   Tiberius II Constantine and Ino Anastasia
2. Justinian I and Theodora
   Maurice and Constantina

Theodora was the wife of Justinian I, who served as the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire. According to some records, she was also his co-regent. Whether she was co-regent or not, her influence was substantial, particularly when it came to women's rights. She helped women with many issues, including prostitution, divorce and property ownership.

1. Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin
   Nikolay Krestinsky and Vyacheslav Molotov
2. Alexei Rykov and Sergei Syrtsov
   Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko

As the elder statesman of Russia, Vladimir Lenin held a deep disdain for Joseph Stalin, the young politician on the rise. However, despite this tension, the two leaders crafted Russia into a superpower that rivaled the United States during the Cold War.

1. George Washington and John Adams
   Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
2. Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
   Benjamin Franklin and James Monroe

The relationship between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison developed while Jefferson was serving as the Governor of Virginia and Madison on the Council of State. Needing the council to pass legislation, Jefferson worked beside Madison on a daily basis, building a friendship that would shape the country.

1. Victoria and Albert
   Edward VII and Alexandra
2. George V and Mary
   Edward VIII and Wallis

Though there are conflicting views on how they actually felt about each other, mainly based around Albert's desire for power, Queen Victoria was greatly affected by his death in 1861. His death caused her to seclude herself from the public, and the crown suffered for a bit because of it.

1. Andrew Johnson and Rutherford B. Hayes
   Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant
2. James A. Garfield and Chester Arthur
   William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt

Abraham Lincoln went through several generals in the Civil War, but he was dissatisfied with them all because they failed to secure a definitive victory against the Confederacy. That was until Ulysses S. Grant came along — a soldier who Lincoln realized was willing to fight.

1. Joanna and Charles I
   Louise and Louis I
2. Maria Amalia and Charles III
   Isabella and Ferdinand

Queen Isabella and Prince Ferdinand united Aragon and Castile, becoming the first monarchs of a united Spain. As Catholic rulers, they initiated the Inquisition to find and kill any heretics residing in their country.

1. George I and Robert Walpole
   George II and Spencer Compton
2. George III and Frederick North
   George IV and George Canning

For a king and prime minister who lost the English colonies in the American Revolution, one might think they would blame one another. However, Frederick North's handling of other issues like the treasury and the Church of England earned him the favor of King George III.

1. Yuan Shikai and Zhou Enlai
   Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek
2. Sun Fo and Wang Jingwei
   Liao Chongzhen and Song Jiaoren

As a member of the Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek served as a lieutenant under Sun Yat-sen as they sought to bring down the Beiyang government. Chiang would eventually lead China to reunification after the death of Sun in 1925.

1. James and Dolley Madison
   Andrew Jackson and Emily Donelson
2. John and Abigail Adams
   Millard and Abigail Fillmore

Primarily due to her advisory role to John Adams, Abigail Adams is viewed as one of the most prominent first ladies in U.S. history. The letters they exchanged expressed much of their political connection and just how important she was in policymaking during Adams' presidency.

1. Urban II and Peter the Hermit
   Innocent III and Frederick II
2. Gregory I and Louis IX
   Benedict IX and Edward I

When the Turks captured Anatolia from the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine emperor reached out to the rest of Europe to aid in the conflict. Pope Urban II echoed this request at the Council of Clermont, calling for a retaking of the Holy Land. Peter the Hermit was one of the first leaders to answer the call.

1. Konoe Sakihisa and Go-Yozei
   Nijo Akizane and Toyotomi Hidetsugu
2. Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide
   Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu

Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu were prominent samurai during the end of the Sengoku period, a time of constant warfare in Japan. The two managed to put aside their differences to unify the country, but after the death of Hideyoshi, Ieyasu seized power and established the Tokugawa Shogunate.

1. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton
   John Adams and John Jay
2. Sam Adams and Benjamin Franklin
   John Alsop and Abraham Baldwin

As the first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton served an important role during George Washington's presidency. In this position, Hamilton was instrumental in establishing the national bank, which he believed was a necessary financial institution for a developing country.

1. James II and Anne
   Charles II and Catherine
2. William III and Mary II
   Philip and Mary I

During their reign, William III and Mary II moved from Whitehall to Hampton Court, which upset others in the government due to its location. To answer these concerns, the two decided to purchase a house in Kensington from the Earl of Nottingham, which they turned into their personal palace.

1. Henry II and Louis VII
   Richard I and Philip II
2. John and Louis VIII
   Henry III and Louis IX

After growing ill, Philip II of France was forced to abandon the Third Crusade, though he did leave forces behind to help Richard I of England. Richard gained a considerable amount of fame due to his victories in the crusade, but he never reconquered Jerusalem.

1. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Sergio Osmena
   George Patton and Manuel Rozas
2. Jimmy Doolittle and Jose Laurel
   Douglas MacArthur and Manuel Quezon

Manuel Quezon is recognized as the second president of the Philippines, a position he held from 1935 until his death in 1944. During this time, he built a relationship with Douglas MacArthur, who he appointed Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. MacArthur is the only person ever to hold this title.

1. Charles Cornwallis and Nathaniel Greene
   Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell
2. Warren Hastings and William Cornwallis
   Richard Cromwell and John Bradshaw

Parliamentarians were fed up with the governorship of King Charles I, who had excluded Parliament's advice for over a decade. Their displeasure with the king led to the English Civil War, which ended with a Parliamentarian victory. The two most prominent leaders to come out of this war were Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax.

1. Emperor Taisho and Fumimaro Konoe
   Emperor Meiji and Mitsumasa Yonai
2. Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo
   Emperor Akihito and Kuniaki Koiso

Asserting that he was merely a puppet, Emperor Hirohito took little blame for the events that occurred during WWII and was not prosecuted for war crimes. Hideki Tojo, on the other hand, was credited with instigating much of the conflict and executed for his involvement.

1. Malcolm X and Jawaharlal Nehru
   Jackie Robinson and Subhas Chandra Bose
2. Jesse Jackson and Bhagat Singh
   Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi

Martin Luther King Jr. was only 19 years old when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. However, despite never meeting, the pair made the perfect match when King started implementing Gandhi's approach to change through nonviolent resistance. Both men had a profound impact on the world, but their lives ended the same.

1. Benito Mussolini and Victor Emmanuel III
   Luigi Facta and Umberto I
2. Pietro Badoglio and Umberto II
   Ivanoe Bonomi and Napoleon

Fearing the effects of civil unrest in Italy following WWI, Victor Emmanuel III appointed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister after he led the March on Rome. However, as it became clear that Italy would fall in WWII, Emmanuel removed Mussolini in 1943 and established a separate government until the war was over.

1. Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler
   Hermann Goring and Joseph Goebbels
2. Rudolf Hess and Reinhard Heydrich
   Adolf Eichmann and Martin Bormann

Heinrich Himmler is often credited with encouraging Adolf Hitler to begin the racial purification of Germany by killing off other races, particularly Jews. Himmler was instrumental in either imprisoning or forcing Jews out of occupied territories and replacing them with German settlers.