Oliver Cromwell

Profession: English Military and Political Leader

Nationality:

Biography: Oliver Cromwell was an English politician and soldier, known for the crucial role he played in the first formation of Commonwealth following the English Civil War. He would go on to serve as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, in which role he maintained political power over the realm until his death.

Cromwell is particularly infamous for his role in leading the 1649 invasion of Ireland which was intended to put down an alliance of the Irish Confederate Catholics and English royalists. This was a bloody venture in which Cromwell's disdain for the Irish, at once religious and political, featured prominently.

The impact of Cromwell's conquest of Ireland has subsequently been debated, with many calling attention to the rampant killing of civilians that this entailed. Winston Churchill, for instance, described his impact on Anglo-Irish relations as "a lasting bane."

Born: April 25, 1599
Birthplace: Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England
Star Sign: Taurus

Died: September 3, 1658 (aged 59)
Cause of Death: Septicaemia following a urinary infection