As the successor to his father, Hafez, Bashar al-Assad has continued with his father's brutal rule of Syria.

Robert Mueller served as director of the FBI from 2001 to 2013. In 2017, he was named special counsel to investigate Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election.

President Hassan Rouhani warned President Donald Trump from pulling out of the nuclear deal. U.S. sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 will resume unless Trump waives them again on May 12. “Our response will be stronger than what they imagine,” Rouhani said on state TV.

Brazil's courts ruled that ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will remain in jail. Lula was convicted for corruption and money laundering last year & hoped to remain free while appealing a 12-year sentence. His successor was removed from office amid a crippling recession.

Nicolas Sarkozy told a French court there was “no evidence” he received illegal funding from Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign and said the case has made his life “hell.” The former French president has a complicated relationship with the former Libyan leader.

Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump met for a historic 5 hours of talks, signing a joint statement where the North Korean leader "reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," while the U.S. president agreed to "provide security guarantees" to North Korea.

Winnie Mandela has died at the age of 81. The longtime wife of South African President Nelson Mandela, she was also known for her political involvement and efforts to combat apartheid, as well as controversial actions that led to convictions for kidnapping and fraud.

When Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001, she became the first American first lady to ever win a public office seat. She later became the 67th U.S. secretary of state in 2009, serving until 2013. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party.

Netflix has named Susan Rice to its board of directors. The former Obama ambassador has been criticized for her handling of the 2012 attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi. Meanwhile, Barack and Michelle Obama are reportedly in talks to provide shows for the company.

Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States (1977-81) and was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Prince Charles plans to declare Camilla Parker Bowles, his second wife with whom he had a long affair while married to Princess Diana, Queen of England upon his ascension to the throne, a source told The Daily Beast. The palace says Bowles will be “Princess Consort.”

Vladimir Putin gifted President Donald Trump an Adidas soccer ball to celebrate the World Cup, held in Russia, which had markings indicating it had a chip that allows fans to access mobile content and could theoretically be programmed to initiate an attack on nearby phones.

Catherine II was empress of Russia, and led her country into the political and cultural life of Europe, carrying on the work begun by Peter the Great.

Queen Elizabeth approved of at least one of Princess Margaret’s affairs, claims a new documentary, ‘Elizabeth: Our Queen.’ A friend of the princess says the Queen told her that her sister’s 8-year relationship with landscape gardener Roddy Llewellyn had been good for her.

Madeleine Albright became the first woman to represent the U.S. in foreign affairs as the secretary of state.

Queen Victoria was queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901—the second longest reign of any other British monarch in history.

Silvio Berlusconi appeared at a political rally a week before parliamentary elections to support his party. Pundits say the former Italian president, who is still popular among fans despite a series of sex scandals and legal cases, may be trying to make a political comeback.

Jacob Zuma has resigned as South Africa's President over corruption scandals. Known as the "Teflon president" after more than eight years in power, Zuma faces 783 corruption allegations around a 1990s arms deal, and courts have forced him to repay the millions in public money spent on refurbishing his home.

In the 10th edition of their annual letter, Melinda and Bill Gates took on President Trump’s “America First worldview,” with Melinda writing: “I wish our president would treat people, and especially women, with more respect when he speaks and tweets.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu served the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, dessert in a shoe--highly offensive to Japanese. Several Israeli officials and diplomats voiced disbelief, as the Japanese are known not to wear shoes at home or often even at work.

Politician Nancy Pelosi became the first female Democratic leader of the House of Representatives and the first female speaker of the House.

Deemed one of the finest contraltos of her time, Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1955.

Condoleezza Rice is the first black woman to serve as the United States' national security adviser, as well as the first black woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State (2005-09).

Ralph Bunche was a Nobel Peace Prize–winning academic and U.N. diplomat known for his peacekeeping efforts in the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean.