A superb general and politician, Julius Caesar (c.100 BC – 44 BC / Reigned 46 – 44 BC) changed the course of Roman history. Although he did not rule for long, he gave Rome fresh hope and a ...

The bulk of the credit for standardizing New Year's Day goes to Julius Caesar, who seized absolute power over Rome in 46 B.C., only to find that the mighty empire's calendar was hopelessly broken.