History

Heroism is a powerful thing. It can inspire others to act valiantly, turn the tide of a conflict, and live on in history books for centuries to follow. And then there are some acts of heroism - acts so brave, so sacrificial, so unlikely - that <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-from-the-life-of-gladiator-spartacus/carly-silver" target="_blank">they&#39;re hard to even believe</a>.

In 480 BC, 300 Spartan soldiers&nbsp;(along with hundreds of others, it turns out) stood their ground against a Persian army that dwarfed them in size. But not all heroes are fighters. During WWII, Polish resistance member Witold Pilecki volunteered to be held captive in Auschwitz to investigate and send reports to the outside world. And in more recent history, the heroism displayed by the three men who waded through radioactive water during the Chernobyl disaster is truly astonishing.

If you&#39;re interested in&nbsp;heroic moments in history, unbelievable heroic feats, and true stories of sacrifice, look no further than this list. Vote up the stories that seem almost too cinematic to be real life.

Heroic Moments From History So Savage They Sound Made Up - But Aren't

Person

Heroic Moments In History So Savage They Sound Made Up

T.J. Peters

Kings & queens, princes & princesses. They're made of blood and bones like the rest of us, but they're told they can do whatever they damn well please. Sometimes, this causes problems.

Royal Pains

Royalty

The show Versailles includes&nbsp;no shortage of scandals, but the most shocking thing about it is many, if not most, of the salacious details it portrays about daily <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/extreme-versailles-moments-that-sound-fake-but-are-truekw-c/jim-rowley" target="_blank">life in the court of Louis XIV</a> are true. The Sun King led a sensuous and unorthodox life&nbsp;filled with mistresses, drama, and intrigue.

When it comes to the life of Louis XIV, the facts are almost stranger than fiction. From a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/who-was-the-black-nun-of-moret/nicky-benson" target="_blank">baby of African descent being born at Versailles</a> to a wild carriage race between the queen and the king&#39;s mistress, life for the French royals was never boring. And why should it have been? The court was filled with beautiful and ambitious women, and men who had won their place in history as <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/louis-xiv-war-miniatures/cleo-egnal" target="_blank">war heroes</a>. With so many beautiful and striving people in one place, things were bound to get scandalous under the reign of Louis XIV.

The Biggest Scandals From The Court Of Louis XIV

General

Rachel Souerbry

Ancient History

Picture the scene: It&#39;s summer in Egypt, and Cleopatra, the kingdom&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/rulers-who-executed-members-of-their-own-families/carly-silver" target="_blank">infamous ruler</a>, knows Augustus, her mortal enemy, is in Alexandria ready to dethrone her with&nbsp;his legion of Roman soldiers. Cleopatra senses the end is imminent -&nbsp;not just for her, but for her long-time partner, the Roman general Mark Antony.

While historians debate&nbsp;the particular events that transpired that&nbsp;August in 30 BC, it&#39;s certain that, by the end of the month, Cleopatra and Antony were no more. Over the centuries, the legend of Cleopatra&#39;s death has overshadowed the true history of this often misrepresented, self-proclaimed goddess&#39;s final days. However, the truth is sometimes more unbelievable than fiction, and no one proves this better than Cleopatra herself.

Facts About Cleopatra's Death That Sound Made Up - But Aren't

Facts About Cleopatra's Death That Sound Made Up But Aren't

Megan Summers

Lists of fascinating facts and surprising trivia about the rich lives of some of history's most creative people.

The Life of an Artist

Lists of fascinating facts and lesser-known details about the lives of people whose names you learned in History class (or should have).

Down in History

Although it resulted in some of the most remarkable artwork ever created, the life of Vincent van Gogh was&nbsp;marked by poverty, loneliness, rejection, and mental illness. Vincent van Gogh's biography is sad enough on its own; that his paintings would ultimately become the most sought after and expensive status symbols&nbsp;in the art world is an irony practically too cruel to comprehend. To an individual who frequently had to choose between purchasing food or canvas and paint, the idea that even a single Van Gogh would today fetch hundreds of&nbsp;millions of dollars would seem inconceivable. But in the context of the painter's life, it is&nbsp;only appropriate, considering these sad and bizarre facts about&nbsp;Vincent van Gogh. &nbsp;Vincent van Gogh was a failure in just about everything he attempted in his abbreviated life. But he generated&nbsp;900 paintings and over 2,000 artworks in a 10-year period. Mostly ignored, battling his own inner demons, and surviving through the intervention and kindness of a sibling, his major flaw was possessing an artistic genius and vision that were&nbsp;way ahead of its time. His life's sacrifice is a body of work that today elicits a cult-like fascination with both his paintings&nbsp;and his tortured and strange existence.&nbsp;

15 Facts About The Tortured, Miserable Life of Vincent van Gogh

15 Facts About the Tortured Life of Vincent van Gogh

Phil Gibbons

Lists about some of the most extraordinary women who made history, forever changing the world and how we see it.

Well-Behaved Women

British

Dido Elizabeth Belle was England&#39;s first known aristocrat of African descent. She spent the majority of her life at Kenwood, the estate of her great uncle and guardian, the 1st&nbsp;Earl of Mansfield, who also happened to be the highest-ranking judge in England and Wales. But who was Dido Belle, and how did she find herself among the upper class of 18th-century England?

The Dido Elizabeth Belle story is an unusual one from start to finish. Born to an enslaved mother and a British Naval officer, Belle was brought to England as a small child and raised by extended family members as an aristocrat. However, as charmed as her life may have been, she was forced to face discrimination due to her skin color and illegitimacy throughout her life.&nbsp;

Dido Belle lived during the early days of the abolitionist movement in England, and Lord Mansfield was a judge on several prominent slavery-related cases. Through her duties to him as a secretary, she was likely aware of what happened in the Zong&nbsp;Massacre -&nbsp;a&nbsp;horrific case&nbsp;of mass slayings&nbsp;on a slave ship. The events that shaped her lifetime have made her a modern-day icon, and set in motion a wave of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/map-that-convinced-lincoln-to-end-slavery/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">abolitionist support</a> that eventually led to the freeing of enslaved people around the world.

The First Black Aristocrat & The Massacre That Helped Lead To The Abolition Of Slavery

All About Dido Elizabeth Belle, Britain's First Black Aristocrat

Lists about modern and historical heads of state and world leaders—their struggles, their actions, their eccentricities, and other things written about them by their admirers and their enemies.

The People in Power

Identifying the last rulers of historical kingdoms and empires can be messy. Attaching names and dates to these&nbsp;events isn&#39;t always easy, especially as governments transition from one form to the next - often in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

Naming the last ruler in France is full of complexities, as is getting a full understanding of what happened to the last ruler of the Aztec empire or the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/who-is-the-heir-to-the-hawaiian-throne-fight/megan-summers" target="_blank">final monarch of Hawaii</a>.&nbsp;Here are the &quot;whos&quot; and &quot;whens&quot; of some of the biggest, most powerful, and best-known kingdoms and empires in history.&nbsp;

Last Rulers Of Historical Kingdoms And Empires

Melissa Sartore

French History

Princess Isabella is one of many Braveheart characters that are&nbsp;based on historical figures. Like the character in the film, the historical Queen Isabella was the daughter-in-law of Edward I, the brutal English king who set his sights on Scotland. But the similarities stop there: Braveheart's Princess Isabella&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-figure-inaccuracies-in-movies/isadora-teich" target="_blank">barely resembles</a>&nbsp;the historical Queen Isabella. Worse,&nbsp;Braveheart completely strips her of all her glorious complexity and power by reducing her to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/true-story-of-william-wallace-execution/nicky-benson" target="_blank">William Wallace</a>’s love interest. The historical Isabella's&nbsp;wild life was a lot more interesting than Braveheart lets on.Who was the real Queen Isabella of France? Intelligent, beautiful, and strong, she was the leading lady of one of the most dramatic chapters in&nbsp;14th century English history. Born a French princess in the late 13th century, 12-year-old Isabella became Queen of England when she married 23-year-old King Edward II in 1308. But she never intended to be a royal consort&nbsp;that sat on the sidelines, especially as she saw her husband's popularity sink. She soon earned the nickname “the She Wolf” when she engineered a daring rebellion against Edward.The tale of Isabella of France the rebel queen has all the ingredients of a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-historically-inaccurate-movies/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">Hollywood epic</a>. Of all the terrible&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-mistakes-errors-and-inaccuracies-in-braveheart/machk" target="_blank">inaccuracies in Braveheart</a>, the erasure of Queen Isabella’s story of romance, murder, and rebellion&nbsp;is the most unforgivable.

Isabella &quot;The She Wolf&quot; Was A Force To Be Reckoned With,&nbsp;But Braveheart Erased Her From History

Isabella "The She Wolf" Was A Force To Be Reckoned With  – And Braveheart Erased Her Story From History

Setareh Janda

For over half a millennium, the mysterious disappearance of the Princes in the Tower - 12-year-old King Edward V and his 9-year-old brother, Richard, the Duke of York - has been considered a&nbsp;treacherous murder committed by their uncle, Richard III. When the death of their father, Edward IV, his young son became king.&nbsp;Within a few short months, however, both children had disappeared without a trace, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/rulers-who-executed-members-of-their-own-families/carly-silver" target="_blank">Richard III</a> claimed&nbsp;the crown in 1483. It was a short reign: Richard III died in 1485 fighting&nbsp;against Henry Tudor&#39;s forces in the culmination of the War of the Roses.

Almost 200 years later, in 1674, workmen dug up two juvenile skeletons at the foot of a staircase in the Tower of London. These skeletons were presumably the two young princes, and the remains were interred in Westminster Abbey - but this was not the end of the enduring mystery. New evidence has emerged indicating the remains discovered in the Tower of London may not be the princes, and Richard III&#39;s murderous reputation may be undeserved.

Over 500 years after their disappearance, no one knows&nbsp;exactly what happened to the Princes in the Tower.

The Princes In The Tower Were Supposedly Murdered 500 Years Ago, But Science Might Prove Differently

Historians Thought The Mysterious Disappearance of Two English Princes Was Murder – But New Evidence Just Showed They Were Wrong For 500 Years

Christy Box

Shining a spotlight on shocking deeds done by damsels in anything but distress.

Very Bad Girls

Historical Figures

Marguerite Alibert’s story is one of gritty survival followed by a lucrative life of sex work. Alibert was a formidable woman who pulled herself up from a world of poverty to mingle among France’s elite, accomplishing her goal of turning affairs into large sums of money in the process.Marguerite is also commonly remembered as Maggie Meller, a surname she took from the man she claimed was her husband at 17. Meller was one of four different surnames she would use throughout her exotic and exciting life.Marguerite saw love not from a romantic’s point of view, but as a way to survive and thrive. She was even one of Prince Edward VIII’s mistresses and went on to marry an Egyptian royal. However, that monumental event is where her story takes a murderous turn. In the end, Marguerite went down in infamy as the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scary-female-serial-killers/isadora-teich" target="_blank">princess who got away with murder</a>.

From Sex Worker To Princess To Murderer - The Remarkable Rise &amp; Fall of Marguerite Alibert

The Remarkable Rise & Fall of Prostitute Marguerite Alibert

Whoa Facts

When you hear the name of the feared Mongolian leader, you might automatically associate him with war, death, and conquest, and you would be right. Genghis Khan is known as the bloodthirsty leader of the Mongolian people as well as as a military mastermind revered for his political maneuverings and strategies.&nbsp;

Born as Temujin&nbsp;Borjigin in the year 1162 CE, Khan became one of the most feared men the world had ever seen before his passing&nbsp;in August 1227. He lived a prolific life once he set out on the path to unite the nomadic tribes of the Mongolian plateau,&nbsp;setting in motion a rise to an empire worthy of the history books.&nbsp;

At the epitome of his reign, Khan was in control of nearly 12 million contiguous square miles of territory and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-did-the-mongol-empire-change-the-world/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">completely changed the known world</a>. Although he was a mighty war leader and ruler, granting religious freedoms and abolishing acts of torture, history has documented acts of his brutality. During his rise to recognition and power, he rose from humble beginnings to gain the respect of many. Along the way, there are, however, many stories associated with the utter severity that was often required for him to retain his power and continue conquering lands.

13 Extreme Genghis Khan Stories That Sound Made Up - But Aren’t

Extreme Genghis Khan Stories That Sound Made Up But Aren't

Jason F. Collins

Lists about some of the worst people to ever live and the very bad ways things they did when they let their power go to their heads.

Real Historical Villains

What ever happened to the children of the most evil men in history? Some of their stories may surprise you. While we all&nbsp;learn about <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/bizarre-obsessions-of-dangerous-dictators/mike-rothschild?utm_expid=16418821-310.smDnXTH_QT6V93qtvQFoXw.0&amp;utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ranker.com%2Fapp%2Fsearch.htm%3Fq%3Ddictators" target="_blank">history's worst villains</a> in school, it's rare&nbsp;that&nbsp;we&nbsp;hear anything about their descendants. Some of the offspring of these hated men have followed in their <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-male-dictators/reference?utm_expid=16418821-310.smDnXTH_QT6V93qtvQFoXw.0&amp;utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ranker.com%2Fapp%2Fsearch.htm%3Fq%3Ddictators" target="_blank">famous fathers' footsteps</a> to&nbsp;become brutal leaders and dictators, undoubtedly making their parents proud.Yet, there are also the tales of children who do whatever they can to separate themselves from their nefarious relatives. Some of these people go into hiding and deny the very existence of the men who fathered them, living&nbsp;tough lives while trying to escape their inherited&nbsp;past.And while some of the world's worst villains may no longer be alive, in many cases their bloodlines are. Their children are vital&nbsp;and well,&nbsp;mingling&nbsp;often unnoticed&nbsp;among the rest of the population. Check out what the descendants of historical villains such as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/benito-mussolini-photos/rylee_en" target="_blank">Benito Mussolini</a>, Josef Stalin, and Mao Zedong are doing now.

What Actually Happened To The Offspring Of History’s Most Nefarious Figures

What The Descendants Of Historical Villains Are Up To Now

Noelle Talmon

Military

If you&#39;ve heard of <a href="https://www.biography.com/people/hannibal-9327767" target="_blank">General Hannibal (247-183&nbsp;BCE)</a>, you&#39;re probably thinking of the guy who rode several elephants into Italy, and that would be correct. In reality, though, there&#39;s more to Hannibal Barca&#39;s life story than his fabled crossing of the Alps with war elephants. This general&nbsp;made it a habit of outright embarrassing the Roman Army, defeating them by a landslide&nbsp;on multiple occasions. It wasn&#39;t until Rome drew upon the skills of another name from the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-general_s)/reference" target="_blank">list of notable&nbsp;generals</a>&mdash;Scipio Aemilianus Africanus (AKA&nbsp;Scipio Africanus the Younger)&mdash;that they were finally able to defeat Hannibal.

Hannibal Barca&#39;s team&nbsp;was nearly unstoppable, unparalleled in the ancient world. He was the General of all the teams of the ancient Punic Empire, the capital of which, Carthage, rivaled Rome in strength and influence. The Carthaginian Army was augmented by barbarian tribes that Hannibal had enlisted to help in his fight against Rome.

Hannibal himself was strong willed, and these&nbsp;lesser-known Hannibal Barca facts prove it. The timeline of Hannibal&#39;s life, from his early days to his ultimate defeat, tells the story of a man with a single purpose: to destroy the Roman Empire. None would ever come so close to achieving that goal as Hannibal&mdash;that is,&nbsp;until the breakup of Rome hundreds of years later.

Facts About Ancient Military Genius Hannibal Barca You Didn't Learn In School

14 Lesser-Known Facts About Ancient Military Genius Hannibal Barca

Christopher Myers

As long as men have been making history, women have been walking right beside them.

Herstory: Women of the Past

Women war heroes prove that bravery and endurance are not reserved for male military personnel. Many women have served on the front lines, in the resistance, behind the wheel of convoys, in the cockpits of outdated planes, and in hospitals patching up the injured with little more than a standard first aid kit. Women and the war effort have always - and will always - go hand-in-hand.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Night Witches of the Soviet Union took old clunker crop dusters and confounded the German air force. Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester found herself in the middle of an orchestrated attack in Iraq and turned the firepower back on the insurgents. The White Rose of Stalingrad took down numerous enemy aircraft and flew into legendary status.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Female war heroes also include the Dahomey Amazons, wives of the king who shocked their enemies with fierceness and audacity. Or the Vietnamese warriors of legend like the Trung Sisters.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The role of women in wars hasn&rsquo;t always been clear or easy. Cathay Williams changed her appearance and fought in the Union Army as a man until her gender was discovered. But for a while, she fought in the Civil War along with other formerly enslaved people. Then there&#39;s the Polish spy who may have inspired two of Ian Fleming&#39;s Bond girls.&nbsp;

As we look at women in military history, there are myriad ways they serve. Women at home were working in factories making products for the war effort, but there were brave women who saw war up close. Some were able to share their experiences and become historians, teachers, instructors, colonels, and generals. Others faced poverty and lack of recognition for their war efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There are millions who have served. This list of women war heroes sheds a little light on a few.&nbsp;

28 Female War Heroes You've Never Heard About

Female War Heroes | Women Who Fought in Wars in History

Lisa Waugh

House of Tudor

<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-queen-elizabeth-is-badass-english-ruler/setareh-janda" target="_blank">Elizabeth I of England</a>&nbsp;was famously known as the &quot;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-queen-elizabeth-1-facts/alby-thompson" target="_blank">Virgin Queen</a>.&quot; As the second-born daughter of Henry VIII - a daughter who was at times deemed illegitimate - Elizabeth was never supposed to become queen. Nonetheless, she ruled England from 1558 until her passing in&nbsp;1603. Her rule was notable for countless reasons, but Elizabeth I&#39;s love life, not to mention her sex life,&nbsp;has fascinated people for centuries.

As a powerful and influential female ruler&nbsp;in the 16th century, Elizabeth I the Virgin Queen remained unmarried for her entire life, using her position to maneuver through the murky political and religious waters of her day. This <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/conspiracy-theories-about-queen-elizabeth/tamar-altebarmakian" target="_blank">led to speculation</a>&nbsp;about her sexuality and gender by contemporaries, with rumors flying&nbsp;about her insatiable sexual appetite, her inability to procreate, and even about Elizabeth I&#39;s love child.&nbsp;Through it all, Elizabeth kept her rivals at a safe distance while allowing only her favorites to get close - intimate, at times - making her personal life&nbsp;a public and private affair.

Queen Elizabeth I's Personal Life Was So Intense It Nearly Split An Entire Continent In Half

Alexander the Great&#39;s impact upon history can scarcely be overstated. The King of Macedon spent the majority of his short life campaigning to stretch the borders of his realm from Macedonia to Afghanistan. Undefeated in battle, his military prowess was only matched by his boundless ego.&nbsp;

These facts present some lesser-known details about Alexander that offer a more rounded glimpse into one of history&#39;s most influential, fascinating, and complex personalities.&nbsp;

12 Things We Learned About Alexander The Great That Made Us Say 'Whoa'

M. Muir

The last words of historical royalty offer a unique look into the final moments of their lives. Was their last utterance an act of kindness like Marie Antoinette&#39;s? Or a touching, perhaps dazed, expression of love like Napoleon&#39;s?&nbsp;

While some of the last words of famous kings and queens are well-documented, others could be more legend than historical fact - especially those that go farther back in history. But for those royals, the stories surrounding their last words are just as informing as the reported words themselves. In any case, the last words found here range from the incoherent, confused ramblings of royals quickly losing health to the sound communications from royals all too aware of what was about to happen.&nbsp;

The Actual Last Words Of Historical Royals And Rulers

Garri Chaverst

Historical Figures lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of historical figures lists and rankings

Historical Figures lists on Ranker

A look at major events that happened a long time ago and the people who played the biggest roles in shaping the world as we know it.

Historical Facts & Figures

This is a list of the most <a href="/list/important-historical-figures-not-taught-in-school/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">influential people</a> of all of human history. This means that the individuals on this list have had a significant effect on how regular people live their lives today and have had a large impact on how modern society works. The names on this list include iconic religious figures, recognizable scientists and inventors, and some of the most powerful&nbsp;<a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-important-leaders-in-world-history" target="_blank">important leaders in world history</a>. Vote for your top choices and re-rank this list your way.&nbsp;

What makes an individual worthy of a spot on a list of the most influential people ever? Certainly, some of the <a href="/list/greatest-minds-of-all-time/walter-graves" target="_blank">greatest minds of all time</a> deserve to be ranked highly. Examples include Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and certainly <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-historical-figure-facts-09252020/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">Albert Einstein</a>. Each one of these incredible and inspirational&nbsp;people used the power of their minds to change the world. Not surprisingly, several names on this list are also among the most <a href="/crowdranked-list/famous-role-models-we_d-like-to-meet-in-person" target="_blank">famous role models we&#39;d like to meet in person</a>.

Featuring historical figures, interesting men, and impactful people, this list of the world&#39;s most legendary figures have had all kinds of effects on the biggest and historic events.

And modern-era figures also deserve to be listed here. Can anyone argue that Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg aren&#39;t among the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-contemporary-americans" target="_blank">most influential contemporary Americans</a>? It&#39;s time to add your opinions on who you believe are the most&nbsp;influential&nbsp;people&nbsp;in&nbsp;history, with your votes and your rankings.

William Shakespeare

The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

The Most Influential People of All Time

Ranker Community

Weird, spooky, and tragic stories of people who passed in odd ways or on strange days.

Unusual Demises

There were some strange deaths that have occurred during the 20th century and these are the most bizarre ways that people passed in the 1900s. The following list includes some the most unusual ways of passing imaginable. There are plenty of strange ways to perish, but these might be the strangest&nbsp;of all&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;unique and extremely rare circumstances that you can think of.

What are the most bizarre ways famous people have died in the last century? Do you know someone who swallowed a toothpick at a party and then perished because of peritonitis? Did you know about an actress who passed when she fell down a chimney, thinking it was a balcony? If not, read this list of all the unusual deaths of 20th century people who died in strange ways.

Unusual Deaths: Bizarre Deaths Of The 20th Century

Bizarre Deaths | List of Unusual Ways To Die

Notable Famous Deaths

List of the Greatest Minds of All Time, throughout history. This list represents the most influential thinkers across various disciplines, ranked in a way that represents the power of their ideas and their impact on the world. The wisest men and women include <a href="/list/top-philosophers-ever-/jedralski">top philosophers,</a> physicists, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-poet_s)/reference">famous poets</a>, thinkers, teachers, physiologists, artists, inventors, engineers, <a href="/list/the-most-irreplaceable-ceos-in-the-world/ready-to-startup">the most irreplaceable CEOs in the world</a>, economists and politicians and those whose talents span across many fields of study.This list takes a historic perspective, so the greatest thinkers who are included on this list come from many different eras. The greatest minds of the 21st century may be quite different from great geniuses from the distant past, but each person should be judged within the context of the time that they were living. For example, inventing a new type of telephone in 2013 would not qualify one as &quot;the most brilliant mind of all time,&quot; but in 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone, it was an act of genius not seen before. See Also: <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time">The Most Influential People of All Time.</a>

Isaac Newton

The Greatest Minds of All Time

Greatest Minds of All Time |  List of Genius Thinkers in History 

Walter Graves

True Stories

These are some of the most influential, famous, and historically important human beings of all time... who also happened to be huge, shameless perverts and/or deviants. Sure they were all a little predatory, but we wouldn&#39;t be where we are without these forward-thinking men who, in modern times, would have a red dot above their house in a government database.

You will definitely recognize some of these famous perverts, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself. Turns out he wrote a bunch of very untoward songs, including one about licking a certain body part that rhymes with grass.&nbsp;

These historical perverts were musicians, philosophers, emperors, kings, and writers. Were you surprised to learn these gasp-inducing facts? Check out more below.&nbsp;

The Most Historically Important Perverts Of All Time

Beau Iverson

Ronald Reagan

Steve Jobs

Bill Gates

A list of the Americans who have had the most central influence on, or importance to, the modern era. This would include Americans who have most significantly altered the course of events from roughly the 1980s onward. So while someone like Ronald Reagan or Steve Jobs might very well apply, figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt or even Martin Luther King Jr. would probably not be considered contemporary enough to qualify.Americans from every walk of life and every industry have managed to profoundly influence the country. This can include efforts to alter the culture or perspective of Americans, technological or scientific innovations that forever <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/ways-internet-changes-how-we-think/hannah-collins?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">changed the way</a> we live, business achievements which altered the course of one or multiple industries, or political decisions that permanently shifted later events in America and the world.Vote for the important Americans below you think had the greatest impact on the way we live today. Or if you don't see your selection, add it by making your own list.