Khan's skill and brutality on the battlefield are legendary - no warrior has left such an indelible mark on history as Genghis Khan.

We could discuss at length his many military campaigns over his short life, but two points highlight the vastness of his rule:

1) Ever heard of China? How about Russia? Eastern Europe? Genghis conquered virtually all of that vast territory while building the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world. Keep in mind that he began as the leader of a nomadic tribe.

His name still elicits fear in modern Iran and Iraq, a region he brutally conquered.

2) Eight Percent of the men in Asia are descendents of Genghis Khan. 1 out of 12. This is such an anomaly that it is known as the Genghis Khan Effect. Apparently Khan was both a lover and a fighter.

Khan's persona has resulted in multiple books and movies, most famously in Star Trek and Conan the Barbarian, modeled after Genghis Khan.