Charlemagne

Charlemagne was a medieval emperor who ruled much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. He was the son of Pepin the Short, who became king of the Franks in 751. He inherited the kingdom of the Franks along with his brother Carloman, but became the sole ruler after Carloman's death in 771. He conquered the Lombards in Italy, the Saxons in Germany, the Avars in Hungary, and other peoples in his vast empire. He was crowned as Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in 800, and became the most powerful ruler in Europe. He promoted education, culture, religion, and law in his realm, and initiated a revival of learning known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He died in 814 and was buried in Aachen Cathedral. He is regarded as one of the greatest medieval rulers and the father of Europe.