10 Heroes Who Made The World A Better Place!

10 Heroes Who Made The World A Better Place!

Every day, each one of us is fighting some or the other battles of our own. Maybe with family issues, personal problems, financial problems, addiction problems or simply over-thinking of all the problems and letting yourself slip into anxiety outbursts. But amongst us, are a few people, who successfully rise above the problems of themselves. They feel that our everyday small problems are too mundane when compared to the problems that are faced by our community and humanity as a whole. They leave comfort lives and choose to do things so as to make other’s lives better, happier, healthier, safer and what not. Such people are legends. They are revolutionaries. They go against the wrong practices, speak up against the wrong-doings and stand up against wrong actions. They put other’s interests above their own and show the world the right path. These heroes change things, make things better. They are hated by few, loved by many but respected by all. These are the heroes who dared to be different and changed our world for better. 

1. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

19 May, 1881-10 November, 1938

Mustafa Kemal Pasha was a dictator in the country of Turkey. But mind you, not all dictators are bad and Kemal Pasha turned out to be one of the best leaders of the country. He was an army officer, a statesman and later, he went on to become the first President of Turkey. He is known to have founded Turkey as the country we see today, modern, liberal and beautiful. He undertook various development plans and made sure that the people benefited the most from his actions. In 1934, he was given the title 'Ataturk' which means “Father of the Turks” and this title is forbidden to be conferred to anyone else. He is what one can call a benevolent dictator.

2. Simon Bolivar

24 July, 1783-17 December, 1830

Latin America is a world in itself. It is exotic, beautiful and very peaceful. This peace was disrupted after the Spanish conquests. There was one man who did not bow down to this conquest and he was Simon Bolivar. A military and a political leader, Bolivar fiercely protested against the rule, tyranny and the unjust laws of the Spaniards who had taken over his motherland. In what later comes to be known as is one of the greatest freedom struggles, he was the pioneer of the Latin American struggle against the Spanish. He successfully ruled the Spanish out, formed government and ensured peace and progress in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru etc. He is now known as 'El Libertador' throughout Latin America which means The Liberator.

3. Mao Zedong

26 December, 1893-9 September, 1976

Today, we cannot imagine a day in our lives without the existence of the country of China. But, if it weren’t for Mao Zedong, things would have been very different. He is the founder of the People’s Republic of China and he also governed the country from 1949 to 1976. He is the main reason who China has catapulted so greatly in all walks of life. He is also the founder of the Maoism religion which is basically Marxist-Socialism with some elements of military strategies. Although his image now stays torn between lovers and haters, we cannot deny the fact that he changed the way China worked and was and made it much better.

4. Mother Teresa

26 August, 1910-5 September, 1997

One woman who gave her entire life to help the sick, the wounded and the poor: Mother Teresa. She gave shelter to patients with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis etc., and also treated them in hospices and hospitals. She came from a good family but she gave it all up and helped the needy. It was only after her that people realized the importance of helping those in need. She changed the way people thought of and behaved with poverty-struck people. She has uplifted lives of thousands but she has enlightened the lives of millions and so, she will always be a hero of her own kind.

5. Vladimir Lenin

22 April, 1870-21 January, 1924

Russia is one big country amongst the small scattered countries that once together formed the mighty USSR. And the one man who bought about the actual formation of USSR was Vladimir Lenin. After the execution of his brother, Lenin got really interested in leftist politics and took upon himself to change the way the Tsars ruled in Russia. He started a revolution in 1917 which overthrew the Tsar regime and he founded the USSR, a communist, socialist country which at that time, was the only worthy competitor to the capitalist USA.

6. Martin Luther King Jr.

15 January, 1929-4 April, 1968

Our world was not always as liberal and just as it is today. People have had to fight for their rights and the community which faced some of the biggest discriminatory phases is the black community. But then came a leader who had a dream and he changed things. Martin Luther King Jr. was the man behind the Afro-American Civil Rights Movement. He asserted the importance of equality, and ended the white oppression. He is now an icon of American progressivism and he is rightly one person who changed the world to make it a better place.

7. George Washington

22 February, 1732-14 December, 1799

The land of dreams, the land of golden opportunity and the land of freedom would not have existed today if it weren’t for George Washington – the man who led the American colonies into a freedom war against the British. He is the founding father of America and he had his ideas and goals very straight- freedom from the tyrannical rules of the British. He rooted the idea of freedom in the minds of Americans and today, freedom is what every person in the world seeks when they think of America. He set the golden rules and formed the government and we know how the country then zoomed ahead on the path of success.

8. Che Guevara

14 June, 1928-9 October, 1967

Coming from a very wealthy family, Ernesto Guevara had all that he needed but he didn’t have the peace of mind. He watched people, so poor and unhealthy and gave up his luxurious life to revolt against the unjust American laws. Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara is the man behind the Cuban Revolution. His guerrilla warfare, his tactics, his strategies have all helped in freeing Latin American countries of the unjust laws of USA. He is very popular with the youth today as they see him as a symbol of rebellion. He made the world a better place, but were his ways right? That is one debatable topic!

9. Nelson Mandela

18 July, 1918-5 December, 2013

Madiba! Madiba! Roared the chants in South Africa last week when we saw the passing of a legend, a hero, a revolutionary man – Nelson Mandela. He is accredited with being the person who went against the Apartheid System in South Africa which segregated the whites and blacks and gave them different sets of rights and laws. Nelson Mandela served 27 years in prison for rebelling against the government but when he didn’t let that get him down. He fought and fought until he successfully abolished the apartheid system and today, he is and will always remain an inspiration for millions of people who are fighting for racial equality.

10. Mahatma Gandhi

2 October, 1869-30 January, 1948

The person who needs no introduction: Mahatma Gandhi, revolutionized not only Indian politics and freedom struggles, but the world too. His non-violence approach quickly gained him the respect and love of millions all over the world. He, along with many other freedom fighters in India, stood up against the British rule, day after day, week after week, never growing tired. His resistance movements were all non-violent and thus, even without hurting a person, he showed the world that justice can be availed. He truly made the world a better place to live and for that, we can and we should never ever forget him.