Bloody Sunday took place in Russia in 1905, during the first Russian Revolution. It involved the massacre of peaceful demonstrators in St. Petersburg by forces associated with the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. It contributed to the decline of the ruling Romanov dynasty.

Iran experienced a revolution in 1979 that led to the expulsion of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the western-minded and West-backed leader. Economic and political crises mounted in the 1970s, and Iran's two identities—the western, secular identity and the traditional, Islamic-based identity—collided. Iran turned towards Islam and eventually established a theocracy with shades of democracy after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

After the First World War President Ataturk of Turkey and the Shah of Iran laid out aggressive policies for the modernization of their two nations. These policies moved away from the religiously governed law codes, and enforced western culture, business, and legal practices.

The Iranian Revolution occurred in 1979. The regime of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic regime led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Kennedy's assassination brought in the presidency of his vice president at the time, Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson thus held the office prior to being elected; Johnson was elected for the first time in 1964, although he served as president from 1963-8.

Muammar al-Gaddafi came to power in a coup d’etat in 1969 and ruled Libya until he was deposed in the Libyan Civil War of 2011. During Gaddafi’s reign Libya embraced a sort of proto-socialism.

Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa were both instrumental in the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent establishment of the Mexican Republic. Villa led the revolutionaries in northern Mexico, whereas Zapata led peasant rebellions in southern Mexico. Together they are more responsible than any other revolutionaries for the successes of the Mexican Revolution.

The Great Leap Forward was an economic policy of the Communist Party of China under Mao. Its primary goals were to transform China from a largely agrarian society to a modern socialist state through immediate industrialization and the collectivization of resources. Many modern historians believe that the Great Leap Forward led to widespread famine and the death of tens of millions of people in China.

Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922 as head of the Fascist Party and elected leader of the Italian government. Italy, at the time, was suffering from extreme economic hardship. Mussolini promised rapid economic growth and Italian territorial expansion. In 1925 Mussolini declared himself dictator for life.

The Cultural Revolution was implemented by Mao Zedong in 1966. Its stated goal was to eliminate the influence of capitalism and traditional Chinese culture from modern Chinese society. In practice it involved the suppression of intellectuals and dissidents, the destruction of historical sites, the forced imprisonment, torture, and humiliation of opposition, and widespread communal disharmony throughout Chinese society.