2,425 articles
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (1784–1850), 12th U.S. president and Whig general nicknamed Old Rough and Ready; Mexican-American War hero of Buena Vista, slaveholder opposing slavery's expansion, died in office July 1850.
Zahir al-Umar (ظاهر العمر الزيداني)
Zahir al-Umar al-Zaydani (ظاهر العمر الزيداني), c. 1689/1690–1775, Galilee chieftain and tax farmer who ruled northern Palestine from Acre, monopolized the cotton trade with Europe, allied with Egypt and Russia, and was killed in the Ottoman siege of Acre in 1775.
Zahran Hashim
Zahran Hashim, also Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran, was the Sri Lankan National Thowheed Jamaath founder and radical preacher from Kattankudy identified as ringleader of the ISIS-claimed 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings, dying at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Zakaria Mkhargrdzeli
Zakaria Mkhargrdzeli, also called Zakare Zakaryan, was a Georgian commander of Armenian background who served as amirspasalar under Queen Tamar, led forces at Basiani and Shamkori, and died in 1212.
Zakhary Chepiha
Zakhary Chepiha (Захарій Чепіга, 1726–1797) was a Ukrainian Cossack leader who served as kosh otaman of the Black Sea Cossack Host from 1788 until his death in 1797.
Zawisza Czarny
Zawisza Czarny (Zawisza the Black of Garbów, c. 1370 – 1428) was a Polish knight, the most famous of medieval Poland, who fought at Grunwald in 1410.
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1779–1813), American army officer and explorer of the Louisiana Territory's Mississippi and Southwest routes, namesake of Pikes Peak, captured by Spain in 1807, killed at the Battle of York in 1813.
Zemene Kassie (ዘመነ ካሴ)
Zemene Kassie (ዘመነ ካሴ), born in Merawi, North Gojjam, leads Amhara Fano in Gojjam and chairs the Amhara Fano National Movement (2026); former Ginbot 7 member and Amhara Popular Force founder, now head of the anti-Abiy alliance declared on Tigrai TV.
Zenobia
Zenobia (Bat-Zabbai, c. 240 – after 274 CE) was queen of Palmyra who, as regent for Vaballathus, ruled a breakaway Near Eastern empire reaching Egypt, was defeated and captured by Aurelian in 272, and lives on in twin Greco-Latin and Arab (al-Zabbāʾ) traditions.
Zhang Bao (Yellow Turban)
Zhang Bao (张宝, died 184 CE) was a Yellow Turban Rebellion leader, brother of founder Zhang Jiao, titled Terrestrial General, killed at Quyang in 184.
Zhang Fei
Zhang Fei (張飛, d. 221), Shu Han general under Liu Bei alongside sworn-brother Guan Yu, famed as a match of ten thousand men, harsh to his troops, murdered by subordinates Zhang Da and Fan Jiang; also the impetuous hero of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Zhang Jie (Song dynasty politician)
Zhang Jie (章楶, 1027–1102), courtesy name Zhifu, was a Northern Song civil official and frontier commander who built Pingxia City and won a major victory against Xixia there in 1098.
Zhang Xueliang (张学良)
Zhang Xueliang (张学良), the Young Marshal, also known as Peter H. L. Chang, 1901–2001, ruled northeast China, lost Manchuria in the 1931 Mukden Incident, staged the 1936 Xi'an Incident detaining Chiang Kai-shek, and spent 50 years under house arrest before dying in Honolulu.
Zhang Zhaozhong
Zhang Zhaozhong (张召忠), born 1952, is a retired rear admiral of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, known for live war commentary on CCTV and popular online nicknames.
Zhang Zongchang (张宗昌)
Zhang Zongchang (张宗昌, 1881–1932), the 'Dogmeat General' and '72-Cannon Chang', was a Shandong warlord and military governor from 1925, notorious for brutality, concubines, and Time's 'basest warlord' label.
Zhang Zuolin (张作霖)
Zhang Zuolin (张作霖, 1875–1928), the 'Old Marshal,' warlord leader of the Fengtian clique who ruled Manchuria and much of North China, rose from bandit chief, and was assassinated by the Japanese Kwantung Army on June 4, 1928.
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun (趙雲, Zilong, c. 168-229) was a Shu Han general under Liu Bei, famed for rescuing Liu Shan at Changban and the Han River empty-camp ruse; his exalted novel image, including the fictional Five Tiger Generals title, exceeds the brief historical record.
Zhou Yu (周瑜)
Zhou Yu (周瑜, Gongjin, 175–210), Wu general of the Three Kingdoms era, architect and commander of the 208 Red Cliffs victory over Cao Cao; historically broad-minded, later fictionalized as Zhuge Liang's jealous rival in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Zhu De (朱德)
Zhu De (朱德, 1886–1976), founder and commander in chief of China's Red Army, Eighth Route Army, and People's Liberation Army; CCP member from 1922, Mao's co-leader at Jinggangshan, and NPC Standing Committee chair from 1975.
Ziad Jarrah (زياد سمير جراح)
Ziad Jarrah (زياد سمير جراح), born 1975 in Mazraa, Lebanon, was the Hamburg-cell hijacker pilot of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001.
Ziaur Rahman (জিয়াউর রহমান)
Ziaur Rahman (জিয়াউর রহমান), Bangladeshi general, Sector 1 and Z Force commander in the 1971 Liberation War, President 1977–1981, BNP founder, assassinated 30 May 1981 in Chittagong.
Živojin Mišić
Živojin Mišić (Живојин Мишић), 1855 to 1921, was a Serbian and Yugoslav vojvoda, the highest army rank, who fought in every war Serbia waged from 1876 to 1918.
Zulfiqar Khan
Zulfiqar Khan, born Muhammad Ismail (1657–1713), was a Mughal general and statesman who became the first Nawab of the Carnatic and served as wazir under Emperor Jahandar Shah.
Zygmunt Berling
Zygmunt Henryk Berling (1896–1980) was a Polish general recruited by the NKWD in Soviet captivity who commanded the 1st Kościuszko Infantry Division and the 1st Polish Army.
Zygmunt Sierakowski
Zygmunt Sierakowski (Lithuanian: Zigmantas Sierakauskas) was a former Russian army officer who commanded insurgent forces in Kaunas province during the 1863 January Uprising, and was hanged in Vilnius.