Historical Figures

From Musketeers to Nazis, Archimedes to Harriet Tubman, these famous historical figures changed the course of history -- for better or worse.

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Pontius Pilate is best known in the Bible as the Roman governor who gave in to the crowd's demands to have Jesus executed. But contemporary historians don't have much good to say about him either.

By Dave Roos

At just 21, Sophie Scholl fought a murderous regime — not with guns and grenades, but with ideas and ideals. This ultimately led to her execution.

By Dave Roos

On Aug 22, 1781, the court ordered that Mum Bett, later known as Elizabeth Freeman, should be emancipated from slavery. She was the first enslaved black woman to sue for her freedom and win.

By Yves Jeffcoat

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Brutus' name has become synonymous with "traitor." But did he have a good reason to kill Julius Caesar? And what about their surprising 'family' relationship?

By Dave Roos

Abigail Adams was the first second lady and second first lady of the United States. But her legacy goes much beyond being wife to President John Adams. See why what made her known as one of the "founding mothers."

By Patty Rasmussen

How this forgotten cowboy king of the Wild West lived isn't so much a secret. It's how Johnny Ringo died that's still shrouded in mystery.

By Joanna Thompson

Anne Bonny was an Irish marauder whose brief period of piracy in the 18th century Caribbean enshrined her in legend as one of the few documented female pirates in history.

By Mark Mancini

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Before being executed in 1860 for his misadventures, William Walker, known as a 'filibuster,' raised a private army and briefly installed himself as the president of Nicaragua.

By Dave Roos

From Athelstan, who held off the Viking invaders of Britain, to Sobhuza, the longest-serving king of Eswatni (formerly Swaziland), here are 25 of the world's longest-serving monarchs.

By Laurie L. Dove

He's the most decorated American Winter Olympics athlete, with eight Olympic medals. But after he retired from skating at age 28, he had to make a hard pivot and reinvent who he was.

By John Donovan

He's been called the "Jackie Robinson of hockey" and yet hardly anybody knows his name. So who is Willie O'Ree and why is he finally getting his due?

By Thomas J. Whalen

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Son of the venerated Marcus Aurelius, Commodus went in the other direction, killing scores of men and exotic animals in gladiatorial bloodbaths and dressing up in a lion's skin.

By Dave Roos

Columnist and investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen covered numerous big stories from the 1940s through the 1960s. But her death by overdose in 1965 while investigating the John F. Kennedy assassination remains a subject of controversy.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Oliver Cromwell overthrew the British monarchy and became 'Lord Protector,' but was convicted of treason after he died and beheaded. What happened to his head next is a very strange tale.

By Dave Roos

The distinguished American general was the first Black man to become Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff. He died Oct. 18 at age 84 after breaking down many barriers for African Americans.

By Chad Williams

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Plato called him a "Socrates gone mad." Others nicknamed him "the Dog." Yet there was a method to his madness as he barked hilarious takedowns at passersby. Here are a few of them.

By Dave Roos

How did Vincent van Gogh escape mainstream attention during his lifetime and what changed after his death? Meet the intrepid woman who made van Gogh a household name.

By Alia Hoyt

Frances Kelsey saved countless lives when she decided not to approve a drug for morning sickness in the 1960s. Her instinct was spot-on and has had lasting effects on FDA drug approval ever since.

By Joanna Thompson

The Dalai Lama stresses practical wisdom in his words about finding joy and peace, and spreading kindness. These are ideas we can all get behind.

By Dave Roos

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Masterson palled around with Wyatt Earp in Dodge City, then later with President Teddy Roosevelt in New York City. He was also a lawman, gambler, gunfighter and sports writer who was a big fan of boxing.

By John Donovan

Edward Osborne "E.O." Wilson never grew out of his "bug period" as a child and, as a result, became one of the world's foremost experts on the subject of ants.

By Patty Rasmussen

This enslaved man taught an orphaned Daniel the secret of making the smoothest Tennessee whiskey. In turn, Green became the company's first master distiller.

By Stefanie Benjamin

The Mad Trapper of Rat River probably wasn't a trapper, and he most likely wasn't mad, but who was he and why did he lead the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on one its greatest chases ever?

By Nathan Chandler

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He is famous for assassinating Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV. But what was his motive, other than to rid the world of the man who killed President John F. Kennedy days before?

By John Donovan

Nietzsche's prose is playful, but its meaning is often opaque. Though perhaps we should expect nothing less from a philosopher who wrote, "I am not a man. I am dynamite."

By Dave Roos