The First Emperor of China
Qin Shi Huang
259 BC - 210 BC
"I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use."
Biography
Founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. He undertook gigantic projects, including the first version of the Great Wall of China, a massive national road system, and a city-sized mausoleum guarded by the life-sized Terracotta Army.
Legacy
He standardized Chinese script, currency, and systems of weights and measures, which had a profound impact on the subsequent history of China. Though his dynasty was short-lived, his unification of China has endured for over two millennia.