Hi
Thanks for the question. I had a lot of fun tracking these down.
Edward, The Black Prince
_____________________
He was born on 15 June 1330 as the first child of King Edward III of
England and Philippa of Hainault. He was created duke of Cornwall in
1337, the first duke to be created in England, and prince of Wales in
1343. While too young to participate in his father's early efforts at
the battle of Sluys and at the siege of Tournai (1340) or in the
Breton civil war (1342), once King Edward III was again able to attack
the French in 1346, the young prince not only went with him, but also
supplied him with men and revenues from his English holdings
At the Battle of Crecy, he was given command of a line, while still
only sixteen. It was a brutal fight, described by the bourgeois of
Valenciennes as `very perilous, murderous, without pity, cruel, and
very horrible.' The Herald of Chandos agrees: `That day was there
battle so horrible that never was there a man so bold that would not
be abashed thereby.'35 The French cavalry made a number of attacks on
the English line. These charges became directed at the centre of the
English front line, the section commanded by the Black Prince. Indeed,
the Prince himself became the target of many direct attacks, but
despite on one occasion being `compelled to fight on his knees,' he
and his men held their position.
Heres a quote from : Teenagers at War During the Middle Ages
By Kelly DeVries
( http://www.deremilitari.org/devries2.htm )
"Although having previously been knighted when the English landed at
Saint-Vaast-la-Hogue, it was in this battle experience that the
teenaged Edward, the Black Prince, `earned his spurs.' Praise for his
performance at Crecy was almost unceasing. The following day, when the
English king conducted a funeral service for all those who had fought
and died on both sides, the Black Prince stood by his side.37 On 12
October 1347, back in London after the successful siege of Calais, and
despite his age, Prince Edward became one of the first inductees in
the chivalric Order of the Garter, established by his father to honour
those nobles who had performed well in their military escapades in
France; he was by far the youngest inductee. Also inducted were many
others who had stood near him in that centre position and who,
impressed by his strength of leadership, would continue to be his
companions for the rest of his life. His adolescence had not mattered,
for he had performed his military task well, and even much older
soldiers honoured that."
Here is an encyclopaedia entry for him at "Infoplease"
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0816807.html
..o0o..
Alexander the Great
________________
Alexander the Great, who would become the Conqueror of the Ancient
World, was born at Pella, Macedonia in 356 BC. His father was King
Phillip 11 and his mother was Olympias, a deeply spiritual woman who
taught her son that he was an ancestor of Achilles and Hercules. From
the earliest age, then, Alexander was conditioned for conquest and
kingly glory. He, thus, became focused on being a great ruler.
When he was 13, Alexander became student to the great Greek
philosopher Aristotle. Under Aristotle’s tutorship he gained an
interest in philosophy, medicine and science. However, Aristotle’s
concept of small city-state government would not have gone down well
with the young prince who was bent on world domination. Aristotle did,
however, cultivate Alexander’s interest in reading and learning.
At age 16 Aristotle was called to Macedonia to put down a Thracian
rebellion while his father was away. Distinguishing himself
immediately, Alexander quelled the rebellion, stormed the rebel’s
stronghold and renamed it Alexandroupolis, after himself.
Of course Alexander went on to conquer all of his "known" world after
he was twenty, but his drive and ambition was obvious from the
quelling of the Thracian rebellion.
There’s a "chatty" article on Alexander the Great at "Royalty.nu"
here:
( http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/Balkan/Alexander.html )
There’s a rundown of Alexander’s early life here:
Greek History: Alexander the Great
(http://www.hellenism.net/eng/alexander2.htm )
..o0o..
Dalai Lama
_________
The current Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and
spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondrub on
6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet.
Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of
two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his
predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation
Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.
On November 17, 1950, at the age of 15, he assumed full political
power (head of the State and Government) after some 80,000 Peoples
Liberation Army soldiers invaded Tibet
A Biography of the Dalai Lama from Tibet.com
http://www.tibet.com/DL/biography.html
..o0o..
Saint Edmund
____________
Edmund was born about 840, became King of East Anglia in about 855 at
the age of 15, and in 870 faced a horde of marauding Danes, who moved
through the countryside, burning churches and slaughtering villages
wholesale. On reaching East Anglia, their leaders confronted Edmund
and offered him peace on condition that he would rule as their vassal
and forbid the practice of the Christian faith. Edmund refused this
last condition, fought, and was captured. He was ill-treated and
killed. His burial place is the town of Bury St. Edmunds.
Biography: Edmund of East Anglia: King and Martyr
(http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/11/20.html )
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Here’s one from my own country’s history:
King David 2nd of Scotland
___________________________
David was Robert the Bruce’s only surviving son, born in 1324 when
Bruce was aged 50, and he was only five years old when his father
died. At the age four, he was married to Joan, sister of Edward IIIof
England (she was seven) as Robert the Bruce tried to establish better
relations with England. Following the death of Robert the Bruce in
1329, David was crowned at Scone on 24 November 1331, holding a small
sceptre specially made for him.
Edward Balliol soon started a rebellion. In August 1332 at the Battle
of upplin Moor, near Perth, Balliol defeated the Regent, Earl of Mar.
In September, Balliol was crowned at Scone and thereafter there was a
see-saw battle for the throne. He was deposed by supporters of David
II in December 1332, restored in 1333 (after the Scottish army led by
Archibald, Lord of Douglas, attacked Balliol beseiging Berwick Castle
and lost at the Battle of Halidon Hill). Balliol was deposed again in
1334, restored in 1335 and finally deposed in 1341.
The young King David was driven into exile in France in 1334 at the
age of 10 but returned from there in 1341, aged seventeen, deposing
Edward Balliol for the last time and taking his place as King of
Scotland.
A biography from the "Famous Scots" page
( http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfamdavid2.htm )
..o0o..
Louis 14th of France (The "SunKing")
____________________________________
Also called Louis The Great, Louis The Grand Monarch , or The Sun King
, French Louis Le Grand, Louis Le Grand Monarque , or Le Roi Soleil,
he was crowned king of France at the age of 15 ( he actually became
king in name at the age of six when his father died ) and ruled his
country, principally from his great palace at Versailles, during one
of its most brilliant periods and remains the great symbol of absolute
monarchy of the classical age.
Yahoo has a whole directory on the Sun King
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/France/Arts_and_Humanities/Humanities/History/By_Subject/Royalty/Louis_XIV__1638_1715_/
..o0o..
Andrew Fitzgibbon
_______________
At the age of 15 years and three months, Andrew became the youngest
winner of the Victoria Cross during the Third China War
On 21 August 1860 at the capture of the Northern of the Taku Forts,
China, Hospital Apprentice Fitzgibbon accompanied a wing of the 67th
Regiment when it took up a position within 500 yards of the fort. He
then proceeded, under heavy fire, to attend a dhoolie-bearer, whose
wound he had been directed to bind up, and while the regiment was
advancing under the enemy's fire, he ran across the open ground to
attend to another wounded man. In doing so he was himself severely
wounded.
Thomas Flinn
___________
Another, equally young, VC recipient was Thomas Flinn. Also aged 15
years and three months, on 28 November 1857 at Cawnpore, India, during
a charge on the enemy's guns, Drummer Flinn, although wounded himself,
engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with two of the rebel
artillerymen.
Victoria Cross reference page on Andrew
( http://www.chapter-one.com/vc/award.asp?vc=411 )
Victoria Cross reference page on Thomas
( http://www.chapter-one.com/vc/award.asp?vc=414 )
General Victoria Cross page (there are a lot of young recipients )
( http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/exhibits/ex-vc.htm )
..o0o..
Although not a leader per se, my personal inspiration comes Mozart:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
_____________________
Wolfgang , born in 1756, began composing minuets at the age of 5 and
symphonies at 9. When he was 6, he and his older sister, Maria Anna
(who was nicknamed "Nannerl"), performed a series of concerts to
Europe's courts and major cities. Both children played the keyboard,
but Wolfgang became a violin virtuoso as well.
In 1762 the Mozart children played at court in Vienna; the Empress
Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor Francis I, received them. From
1763 - 66, the Mozart children displayed their talents to audiences in
Germany, Paris, at court in Versailles, and London (where Wolfgang
wrote his first symphonies and began a friendship with Johann
Christian Bach, whose became a great musical influence on Wolfgang).
In Paris, the young Mozart published his first works, four sonatas for
clavier with accompanying violin (1764).
In 1768, aged 12 he composed his first opera, La Finta Semplice, which
had its premiere in Salzburg. In 1769-70, Leopold and Wolfgang
undertook a tour through Italy. This first Italian trip culminated in
a new opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto, composed for Milan. In two
further Italian journeys he wrote two more operas for Milan, Ascanio
in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla (1772).
There’s a detailed biography at "The Mozart Project"
http://www.mozartproject.org/biography/
..o0o..
Audie Murphy is just outside your age limit, doing most of his heroic
deeds at the ages of 18-20
Audie Murphy
____________
Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national
fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II.
Following basic training Murphy was assigned to the 15th Regiment, 3rd
Infantry Division in North Africa preparing to invade Sicily. It was
there in 1943 that he first saw combat, proving himself to be a
proficient marksman and highly skilled soldier, consistently his
performance demonstrated how well he understood the techniques of
small-unit action. He landed at Salerno to fight in the Voltuno river
campaign and then at Anzio to be part of the Allied force that fought
its way to Rome. Throughout these campaigns, Murphy's skills earned
him advancements in rank, because many of his superior officers were
being transferred, wounded or killed. After the capture of Rome,
Murphy earned his first decoration for gallantry.
Among his 33 awards and decorations was the Medal of Honor, the
highest military award for bravery that can be given to any individual
in the United States of America, for "conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of
duty." He also received every decoration for valor that his country
had to offer, some of them more than once, including 5 decorations by
France and Belgium. Credited with either killing over 240 of the enemy
while wounding and capturing many others, he became a legend within
the 3rd Infantry Division.
Audie Murphy biography
http://www.audiemurphy.com/biograph.htm
..o0o..
Oh, and if you’d like a woman, …just to even things up a bit : )
there’s always Joan of Arc
(http://joan-of-arc.org/joanofarc_short_biography.html )
..o0o..
I’m sure there are many more, but I’ll stop there and direct you to
the Google searches below, as this is threatening to take over my day
: )
Hope that answers your question, but if you need any clarification,
just ask.
Willie-ga
Google searches used
youngest kings
youngest "Victoria Cross"
youngest saint
"Alexander the Great" biography
"The Black Prince" Biography |
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