General Guan Yu Played Chess During An Operation With No Anesthesia
[ranking: 2]
Generals do more than lead people on the battlefield; their leadership extends to moments between wars. Chinese general Guan Yu demonstrated this when he endured an operation without any anesthesia. After a poisoned arrow struck Guan Yu, a doctor advised him to undergo a procedure to remove the harmful substance. As the doctor scraped toxins off the general's bones, Guan Yu played chess.
Guan Yu led the Chinese army to multiple victories before he died around 220 CE. Many viewed the general with such high esteem that his people supposedly deified him after his death.
Queen Elizabeth I Rejected Gender Norms And Vowed To Fight For England
[ranking: 3]
Queen Elizabeth I of England was a female monarch who succeeded another female monarch. She came to power in 1558, the same year John Knox published a book - The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women - that criticized the concept of women ruling.
Elizabeth knew many in England hated the idea of a female ruler. She even acknowledged that in her famous Tilbury speech, given in 1588 as Spain's armada threatened to invade. Elizabeth declared, "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England, too."
She also said, "I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field." The English won the battle, and Elizabeth became one of the most revered rulers in history.
Rosa Parks Refused To Give Up Her Seat On The Bus
[ranking: 7]
Some leaders aren't generals or royalty. Sometimes they are regular people who inspire the world. This is the case for Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, AL, who refused to give up her bus seat for white passengers in 1955.
In segregated Montgomery, many accused Parks of breaking the law. The bus driver even called the police to arrest Parks, who declared, "I don't think I should have to stand up." Parks refused, and her choice inspired the Montgomery bus boycott. She later became an important civil rights leader.
Julius Caesar Inspired The 'Great Leap Forward' That Saved The Day For The Romans
[ranking: 12]
Julius Caesar earned a reputation as a successful general before he seized power in Rome by crossing the Rubicon. But Caesar's reputation almost fell apart during the invasion of Britain in 55 BCE. When Caesar sailed with an army of 10,000 toward the Cliffs of Dover, the invasion might have failed, except for the bravery of one of Caesar's standard-bearers.
As the troops hung back on their boats, the standard-bearer, who usually stayed in a protected position, jumped forward, crying, "Leap down, soldiers, unless you wish to betray your eagle to the enemy; it shall be told that I at any rate did my duty to my country and my general."
The other troops rallied and followed, saving the invasion. While Caesar didn't personally lead the charge, he inspired the standard-bearer's patriotic zeal and bravery.
Martin Luther King Jr. Improvised 'I Have A Dream'
[ranking: 4]
In one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century, Martin Luther King Jr., declared, "I have a dream." King gave the speech in 1963 during the March on Washington, but most people are unaware that King improvised the famous line.
After MLK spent several minutes reading his prepared speech, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was in the crowd, called out, "Tell 'em about the 'dream.'"
King looked up from his speech and began speaking without a script: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." His inspiring words shaped the Civil Rights movement for generations.
Hern??n Cort??s Sunk His Own Ships So His Men Couldn't Mutiny
[ranking: 11]
Facing an uncertain reception in Mexico and potential execution if he turned back, Spanish conquistador Hern??n Cort??s made a gutsy move in 1519. His men were on the brink of mutiny, and a group had tried to steal one of his ships to flee. To galvanize his men to advance toward the Aztec capital where Tlaxcalan warriors were waiting for them, Cort??s sunk his ships. He declared the ships unseaworthy and scuttled them to ensure his men would have to march forward.
The unconventional leadership decision allowed Cort??s and his men to reach Tenochtitl??n and conquer Montezuma's empire.
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