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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Beulah Mae Donald's son Michael Donald (Michael left and Beulah right) was lynched by the Ku Klux Klan in Mobile, Alabama, in 1981. She fought back and took them down. Her story is now a four-part CNN Original Series.
By John Donovan
Prince Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth helped cement 1,000 years of European royal dynastic history. His death puts an end to that system that endured for a millennium.
The late Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was the first woman to lead a dinosaur excavation expedition — into Mongolia's Gobi Desert no less. And her volumes of research provide most of what we know today about the evolution of modern mammals.
By Mark Mancini
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Malcolm X was the leader of the Nation of Islam for more than a decade. His speeches were often militant in tone and he was labeled a firebrand by many. But was he simply misunderstood?
By Oisin Curran
Bugsy — nobody called him that to his face — Siegel was a shrewd mobster whose crew was dubbed "Murder, Incorporated" by the press. But that fast life got him killed by age 41.
By John Donovan
Frédéric Chopin gave only 30 public performances of his stunning piano works during his lifetime, but his influence on the soul of classical music was immeasurable.
We may think of Thoreau as the Walden Pond hermit who penned profound books on nature and philosophy. But he was also funny and sociable and valued his friends deeply. What can we learn from some of his best quotes?
By Dave Roos
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An intrepid world traveler, skilled mountaineer and noted archaeologist, Gertrude Bell broke all the rules at a time when women lived under the oppressive thumb of Victorian-era England.
Bass Reeves was no ordinary officer of the law. Over his three-decade career, this African American arrested more than 3,000 individuals and survived countless skirmishes with armed outlaws. In short, he was a real frontier hero.
By Dave Roos
She was the first woman to ride solo on a motorcycle across the United States, and was known as the 'Motorcycle Queen of Miami.' And that's just the beginning of her story.
Sacagawea, at around the age of 16 or 17, guided the Lewis and Clark expedition thousands of miles from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean, and in the process became a legend.
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Edgar Allan Poe was the master of the macabre, but the story of his life and mysterious death is as fascinating as his most suspenseful work of fiction.
Galileo Galilei made huge discoveries in physics and astronomy, helping to establish the modern scientific method of experiments and mathematics. Along the way, he fought for intellectual freedom and became the first celebrity scientist.
John Smith has been described as a tireless soldier, self-promoter and publicist. In today's speak, you might even call him an influencer.
What did these two U.S. presidents, who were also father and son, have in common beyond their first and last names?
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Walt Whitman's collection of poetry, "Leaves of Grass," is considered a landmark of American literature. But the man himself — and his lasting legacy — is much more complicated.
By John Donovan
Herodotus was a natural-born storyteller, whom scholars revere as the first historian ever, and critics dismiss as just a teller of tall tales. What's the real story?
By Dave Roos
We'll be blunt: Mary Edwards deserves mad respect. She was a feminist and abolitionist; the first female Civil War surgeon in the U.S. Army; and a Civil War POW. Plus she wore pants!
The Founding Father was a prolific writer during his day. He wrote so much, in fact, he required a steady supply of quills.
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Over 130 years after his passing, the story of Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man" can still teach us important lessons about acceptance and love.
Revolutionary War turncoat Benedict Arnold is one of the most reviled figures in American history. But what did he do to deserve this ignominious fate?
In a quest to build a socialist country that morphed into a communist society, Vladamir Lenin and the Bolsheviks executed and imprisoned hundreds of thousands, and starved millions more.
By John Donovan
History says Ivar the Boneless was a ruthless Viking warrior. But why the name boneless? Was he truly disabled, or was there a another more sinister reason for the nickname?
By Mark Mancini
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Lying in state beneath the U.S. Capitol Rotunda is an honor that has been bestowed on only a few people. Who decides which Americans are so honored?
By John Donovan
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wore her heart on her sleeve — or her decision on her neck, to be more precise.