Before the reign of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Lower Egypt and parts of Middle Egypt were occupied by the Hyksos. Ahmose the First fought the Hyksos and chased them out of Egypt. He is considered to be the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty and the first king of the New Kingdom.
Akhenaten, or Amenhotep the Fourth, was the son and heir of Amenhotep the Third. He married the famous Nefertiti and had six daughters. During the fourth year of his reign, he moved the capital of Egypt to Akhetaten, modern day Tell el-Amarna.
Alexander the Third, or "Alexander the Great," was the son of Philip the Second of Macedon by his wife Olympias. One of the most important things that Alexander did was to establish Alexandria, which was built by his chief architect, Dinocrates.
King Amenemhat the Third of the Twelfth Dynasty ruled Egypt for about 45 years, during which time Egypt enjoyed prosperity and peace inside and outside the country. Amenemhat the Third was very interested in agriculture.
Amenhotep the First was the son of Ahmose by his state wife, Ahmose Nefertari. Amenhotep paid more attention to rebuilding the country than his predecessor, who had concentrated on expelling the Hyksos, had been able to.
Amenhotep the Third was father to King Akhenaten and married a non-royal woman named Tiye, who had great influence on her husband. During his long peaceful reign, Egyptian art reached its highest glory. Some of Egypt's most spectacular monuments were built during his time.
King Djoser is the most famous king of the Third Dynasty. He is the Pharaoh of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, which was the first huge structure entirely built of stone.
Horemheb was a king of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. Before becoming king, he held military posts during the reigns of King Akhenaten and King Tutankhamun.
Khufu, the second king in the Fourth Dynasty, was the son of King Senefru and Queen Hetepheres. Khufu ordered the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Merenptah was the thirteenth son of Ramesses the Second. He ruled Egypt for about ten years. He erected a temple at Thebes and other structures at Heliopolis, Hermopolis, and Memphis.
During the First Intermediate Period, the unification of Egypt was broken for the first time and the rule of the country was divided between two main ruling houses until Montuhotep the Second succeeded in reuniting the country. Thebes then became the capital of Egypt for the first time.
Neferefre was the fifth of nine kings in the Fifth Dynasty, which was notable for the dominance of the cult of the sun god Re, and for the building of sun temples near the small royal pyramids at Abu Sir.
Piankhi (or Piye) of the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty ascended the Nubian (Kushite) throne as the successor of Kashta. He recorded his victories on a stela that is preserved in the Egyptian Museum.
Psusennes the First was the third king of the Twenty-First Dynasty and ruled Egypt from Tanis in the East Delta. In Tanis, Psusennes built a temple for the Theban Triad, royal palaces, and his rich royal tomb. The Theban Triad included the god Amun, his wife Mut, and their son Khons.
