Mieszko I of Poland

Family
He was a son of the Siemomysł, the ruler of Polans, and grandson of the Lestek, 

Mieszko Mieszkowic, Świętosława, the queen of the Vikings and the Grandfather of Cnut the Great, the king of the Vikings, Mieszko Mieszkowic, Lambert Mieszkowic and Vladivoj - the Duke of Bohemia.
Politics
Mieszko was a great politician, an example of his political and strategic genius was the fact that he adopted Christianity from the Bishop from Bohemia, which was a German fiefdom, and he stopped most of the attacks of Vielets, Bohemians and Germans. He was also a big friend of the Holy Roman Empire's Emperor. He conquered almost all of the lands of today's Poland and he united all of the Polish tribes in one country, with the capital in Gniezno.
 Blindness 
Gallus Anonymus writes that Mieszko was blind until his 7th birthday. That information was used by later chroniclers, but it's probably just an allegory. 

 Catholicism 
Mieszko was the first catholic ruler in Poland, he married Dobrawa of Bohemia and after that got baptised. 

 References  
 Ilustrowany Poczet Królów i Książąt Polskich

Category:935 births
Category:992 deaths
Category:Polish dukes
Category:Piast dynasty