World Leaders | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/world-leaders/RSS feed for World LeadersenFri, 05 Jun 2026 19:14:25 +0000This Basilica Has Been Rising Above Barcelona for 144 Years. With Its Central Tower Now Complete, Pope Leo XIV Prepares to Visithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sagrada-familia-basilica-has-been-rising-above-barcelona-for-144-years-with-its-central-tower-now-complete-pope-leo-XIV-prepares-to-visit-180988906/When Antoni Gaudí dreamed up his ambitious vision for Sagrada Família, he knew he wouldn't live to see its completion. One hundred years after the architect's death, the tallest tower has reached its peakFri, 05 Jun 2026 19:14:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sagrada-familia-basilica-has-been-rising-above-barcelona-for-144-years-with-its-central-tower-now-complete-pope-leo-XIV-prepares-to-visit-180988906/More Countries Agree to Protect the 'High Seas' in a Step Toward Wider Ocean Conservationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-countries-agree-to-protect-the-high-seas-in-a-step-toward-wider-ocean-conservation-180986790/The High Seas Treaty, which would allow nations to create marine protected areas in international waters, is now expected to take effect in early 2026—without the United States on boardMon, 16 Jun 2025 16:39:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-countries-agree-to-protect-the-high-seas-in-a-step-toward-wider-ocean-conservation-180986790/The New Pope Is Calling Himself Leo—Just Like 13 Other Pontiffs Who Came Before Him. Who Are They?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-new-pope-is-calling-himself-leojust-like-13-other-pontiffs-who-came-before-him-who-are-they-180986598/When Robert Prevost was elected pope this week, he chose one of the most popular papal names. The lives of the Pope Leos who preceded him may offer insight into his approach to the papacyFri, 09 May 2025 16:14:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-new-pope-is-calling-himself-leojust-like-13-other-pontiffs-who-came-before-him-who-are-they-180986598/The Ornate Sword That Napoleon Commissioned During His Rise to Power Is Heading to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ornate-sword-that-napoleon-commissioned-during-his-rise-to-power-is-heading-to-auction-180986556/Prior to his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the French ruler gave the saber to one of his most trusted generals, whose family kept it for generationsWed, 07 May 2025 19:54:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ornate-sword-that-napoleon-commissioned-during-his-rise-to-power-is-heading-to-auction-180986556/Five Ways Pope Francis, Religious Leader Who Pushed to Modernize the Catholic Church, Was a Man of Firstshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-ways-pope-francis-religious-leader-who-pushed-to-modernize-the-catholic-church-was-man-of-firsts-180983379/The pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at age 88, strived to make the church more inclusive. But critics believed his reforms either went too far or not far enoughMon, 21 Apr 2025 11:17:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-ways-pope-francis-religious-leader-who-pushed-to-modernize-the-catholic-church-was-man-of-firsts-180983379/A Forgotten Collection of Charles de Gaulle's Personal Letters, Speeches and Manuscripts Has Been Discovered in a Safehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-forgotten-collection-of-charles-de-gaulles-personal-letters-speeches-and-manuscripts-has-been-discovered-in-a-safe-180985666/Most of the documents are heading to the auction block, where they could fetch more than $1 million. They were found in a bank vault owned by the French statesman's sonFri, 13 Dec 2024 17:44:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-forgotten-collection-of-charles-de-gaulles-personal-letters-speeches-and-manuscripts-has-been-discovered-in-a-safe-180985666/See Winston Churchill Through the Eyes of the Political Cartoonists He Inspiredhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-winston-churchill-through-the-eyes-of-the-political-cartoonists-he-inspired-180985640/A new exhibition at London’s Imperial War Museum brings together political cartoons from around the world that celebrate and satirize the wartime prime ministerThu, 12 Dec 2024 15:36:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-winston-churchill-through-the-eyes-of-the-political-cartoonists-he-inspired-180985640/Check Out Ten Never-Before-Seen Paintings by Winston Churchillhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/check-out-ten-never-before-seen-winston-churchill-paintings-currently-on-display-180984706/The former British prime minister was an avid painter who sometimes gifted his works to other world leadersTue, 16 Jul 2024 17:16:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/check-out-ten-never-before-seen-winston-churchill-paintings-currently-on-display-180984706/Curator Uncovers Lost Roman-Era Bust of the Emperor Caligulahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-accidentally-uncover-a-rare-long-lost-bust-of-emperor-caligula-180984601/The small bronze statue, which was unearthed at Herculaneum, had been missing for two centuriesWed, 26 Jun 2024 19:09:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-accidentally-uncover-a-rare-long-lost-bust-of-emperor-caligula-180984601/You Can Now Visit Mussolini's Underground Bunker in Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-visit-mussolinis-underground-bunker-180984190/The dictator constructed the shelters below his family's residence after Italy entered World War IIMon, 22 Apr 2024 20:03:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-visit-mussolinis-underground-bunker-180984190/