To some people, Genghis Khan was a very evil man. He reportedly killed millions of people, most of them in cold blood. To others, he was the man who established an era of peace and prosperity. This achievement allowed the free exchange of ideas and new inventions between Asia and Europe. One thing is certain. According to the results of a newspaper poll, he was the Man of the Millennium. That means he was the most important human being to live between the years 1000 and 2000. What is especially remarkable about Genghis Khan is that he even lived to manhood. His family was abandoned on the harsh steppes of Central Asia. Somehow they managed to survive. Genghis began an upward climb that several times nearly resulted in his death. He overcame those obstacles. Leading one of history s most remarkable armies, he established one of the largest empires in world history.