In this week's Notable People in History podcast, we’ll take a look at the life of Queen Meryt Neith. She’s believed to be the earliest recorded female pharaoh of ancient Egypt. 

In this week's Notable People in History podcast, we’ll take a look at the life of Akhenaten, the 14th-century pharaoh who brought change to the ancient Egyptian kingdom, including changing his name, the country’s religion and its capital.

In this week's Notable People in History podcast, we’ll take a look at the life of Empress Taytu Beytul who prevented Ethiopia from being colonized, and founded its capital city Addis Ababa.

In this week's Notable People in History podcast, we’ll take a look at the life of Nzinga Mbandi, who became queen of Ndongo in 1624. She is known for her diplomatic and military strategies in defending her kingdoms against the Portuguese, transforming them into successful commercial states.

In this week's Notable People in History podcast, we’ll take a look at the life of Shaka Zulu. Before the ascendancy of King Shaka, Zulu referred to only one clan that recognized "Zulu" as its founding ancestor. After Shaka's mission of conquest and consolidation, the Zulu Empire’s population reached an estimated 250,000 and his state emerged as the largest in the history of Southern Africa.