Top Badasses You Haven’t Heard Of

Okay granted there may be one or two on this list that you do know – though maybe not by name – but hopefully the vast majority of readers will be unfamiliar with most of the badass men and women featured on this list. History is full of badasses, and it is very hard to rank them, so here we are ranking by reverse chronological order. Enjoy the list and be sure to mention other badasses in the comments. This list was inspired by the book “Badass” by Ben Thompson which contains a chapter on each of the characters below as well as dozens more. You can buy it here.

10 Chandragupta Maurya
340 BC – 298 BC

Chandragupta Maurya, born in Bihar, Eastern India, was an orphaned commoner who changed the face of India and forever altered its history, by clawing his way from the slums to forging one of the most expansive Empires in India’s history. Not only did he command nine thousand war elephants, fifty million people and an army of thirty-six thousand – he also had one of the most badass (and awesome) bodyguard units ever. His personal bodyguard unit was made of up more than five hundred Greek and Indian warrior women. In order to destroy the Nanda empire, Maurya simply grabbed a bronze sword and singlehandedly stormed the palace. He was captured and jailed, but escaped – further cementing his place in history as a badass. Ultimately, he went on to destroy the ruling dynasty and put into place the long lasting Maurya dynasty.

 

9 The Surena
84–52 BC

The Surena (a general) was born into the Surena family who had, for generations, protected the Kings of Parthia (found in Modern day Iran), but it was the general who cemented the family name in the books of history. By all accounts he was the hottest guy in town, the strongest, the manliest and the deadliest – and was obviously such a badass that he is known only as THE Surena. When King Hydrodes was overthrown and expelled from Parthia, the Surena led the mission to recapture the Kingdom. He also had a huge harem of concubines, which took two hundred wagons to transport, that travelled with him everywhere – including on military campaigns. When Crassus stupidly decided to take over the Parthian Empire at the battle of Carrhae, he was brutally put down in one of the most embarrassing trounces of the Roman Army ever, by the Surena and his men. When offered the chance to surrender, Crassus told his men to flee and consequently sent them all to their deaths as the Surena chased them down and killed the lot of them. Crassus was personally beheaded by the Surena and had molten gold poured down his neck. Oh – and did I mention that the Surena was a cross-dresser? Well, not quite, but this is what Plutarch said of him: “[He was] the tallest and finest looking man himself, but the delicacy of his looks and effeminacy of his dress did not promise so much manhood as he really was master of; or his face was painted, and his hair parted after the fashion of the Medes.”

 

 8 Charles Martel
688 – 22 October 741

Charles Martel – otherwise known as Charles the Hammer – was so badass that he not only stopped the Islamic invasion of Western Europe, he is considered to be a founding father of the Middle Ages and all of the delights that came from it (feudalism, knights and chivalry), and laid the groundwork for the Carolingian empire (he was Charlemagne’s Grandfather). He came to be in a position to lead the army against the invading Muslims, because he was the Mayor of the Palace under the Frankish kings. At that time the Kings were pretty useless and left all of the hard work up to the Mayor. He lost only one battle in his lifetime (the Battle of Cologne) but, most importantly, he won the Battle of Tours (October 10, 732) in which two French towns fought against the armies of the Umayyad Caliphat. The defeat of the Muslim army was very significant and, if the battle had gone the other way, we would probably all be speaking Arabic right now. The French army fought the battle entirely on foot which led many to declare that God had given the French the victory. Oh – and to top it all off he was humble too! Martel refused to accept an honorary title from the Pope for saving Europe.

 

 7 Ulf The Quarrelsome
11th Century AD

Ulf (which means wolf) the Quarrelsome was a brutal Irish Warrior and brother of High King Brian Boru (pictured above). He despised the vikings because they murdered his mother while he was young. While King Brian made a name for himself by uniting Ireland, Ulf made a name for himself by whacking people over the head with a giant battle axe. The union of Ireland put an end to the Scandinavian power over the nation of small states and kingdoms, but some people weren’t too keen about the new state of affairs and they rebelled – with the help of thousands of vikings. It was the famous Battle of Clontarf, in 1014, that Ulf really showed his badassness. After almost singlehandedly destroying the viking rebels, Ulf came upon Bróðir of Man – one of the nastiest vikings around (and a sorcerer to boot). Here is Njals saga’s account of how Ulf ended the life of Bróðir – in revenge for killing his brother, King Brian: “Ulf the Quarrelsome cut open his belly, and led him round and round the trunk of a tree, and so wound all his entrails out of him, and he did not die before they were all drawn out of him.”

 

 6 Harald Hardrada
1015 – September 25, 1066

Harald was the youngest of Saint King Olaf II of Norway’s three half-brothers, born to Åsta Gudbrandsdatter. After King Cnut killed his brother Saint Olaf (while Harald was a mere 15 years old), he went off to Constantinople and made himself rich. He then took the opportunity to join the most feared mercenary army, (the Byzantine Vanguard) and began working (or rather cleaving) his way through various armies at the paid request of various European kings. Over his lifetime Harald went on to battle anywhere he could – Europe, the Middle East and Jerusalem. He even managed to take a bit of time out to marry Princess Elisabeth of Russia. Eventually, Harald became the King of Norway (after the young illegitimate King Magnus mysteriously died). Not being content to rule just one country, he spent years trying to conquer Denmark (much to everyone’s annoyance – in Denmark and in Norway). He finally decided to put his energies elsewhere, which was to be his downfall, but the main reason that history remembers him – he decided to conquer England. Alas, his attempts to take England failed and his army was smashed by that of King Harold Godwinson. Harald was the last great Viking king of Norway, and his invasion of England, and death at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, marked the end of the Viking age and beginning of the High Middle Ages.


5 Tomoe Gozen
1157 – 1247

Two words sum up this amazing woman: concubine, warrior. Tomoe Gozen was an extremely rare thing: a female samurai warrior. Here is what a historical account of her says: “Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.” High praise indeed for a male dominated nation, in the 13th century. This warrior woman was also a concubine of Minamoto no Yoshinaka, a revered Japanese general. When he was defeated on the battle field, the sexist pig told Tomoe to leave as he would be ashamed to die with a woman. She went on to behead many, slaughter many, and retire to a quiet life as a nun. Yes – a nun.

 

 4 Miyamoto Musashi
1584 – 1645

Miyamoto Musashi was a kensei – a sword saint. In Japan, this word was used to refer to someone so badass with their sword that they were believed to posses preternatural abilities. Miyamoto Musashi was about the best example of this, ever. In his lifetime he fought over 60 duels, and won them all. He was trained in swordsmanship at the Yoshioka ryu school – a school he later singlehandedly destroyed. His first duel was at the age of thirteen and after that he basically wandered the country fighting as many people as possible, regardless of the weapon they wielded. At the age of thirty he had his most famous duel, against Sasaki Kojirō (The Demon of the Western Provinces). Sasaki Kojirō, fighting with a two handed sword, was defeated very quickly by Musashi, who fought with a little wooden staff, he carved in the boat on his way to the fight. Sick of fighting (and suffering from ill health) he retired to a cave to live as a hermit and write books. He died kneeling, with one hand on his sword and the other on his walking stick.

 

 3 Agustina of Aragon
March 4, 1786 – May 29, 1857

Agustina de Aragón was a Spanish heroine who defended Spain during the Spanish War of Independence, first as a civilian and later as a professional officer in the Spanish Army. So badass were her actions that she became known as “the Spanish Joan of Arc”. When war broke out in 1808, in her small Spanish town, she took a basket of apples to feed the gunners. When she arrived she saw the Spanish soldiers take heavy losses to the French army, causing the Spaniards to flee. Instead of running away, Agustina ran to the cannons and began to defend the town on her own. The sight of her doing this gave the Spaniards the courage to return and help. After a bloody struggle, the French gave up the assault on Zaragosa and abandoned their siege for a few short weeks, before returning to fight their way into the city, house-by-house which ultimately won them the town. After being captured by the French, she was imprisoned but she subsequently mounted a daring escape and became a low-level rebel leader for the guerrilleros, helping to organize raids and attacks that harassed the French. On June 21, 1813, she acted as a front line battery commander at the Battle of Vitoria, under the command of Major Cairncross. This battle was to see the French Army that had occupied Spain effectively smashed beyond repair and driven out. She eventually married a doctor and lived the rest of her life in peace, proudly wearing her battle medals.

 

 2 Jack Churchill
16 September 1906 – 8 March 1996

Now here is a man everyone should know about – he truly typifies badassness and bravery. Nicknamed “Fighting Jack Churchill” and “Mad Jack”, he was an English soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with just a longbow, arrows and a claymore (sword). He once said “any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.” Remember that during this war he was basically using a sword and a bow and arrow against men with tanks and machine guns. He is the only soldier to have killed an enemy with an arrow in the war. And in true quirky British style, not only did he fight the good fight – he would rouse the troops with a merry tune on his bagpipes, as he was an expert piper and always took them with him to battle. In his most awesome moment, Churchill led a team of commandos into enemy lines playing “Will Ye No Come Back Again?” on his bagpipes. He was the only member of the group that made it to the objective alive – everyone else was killed around him. Perhaps the Germans liked his playing too much to kill him. When the war ended and the world celebrated, Churchill was not happy. He is recorded as saying: “If it wasn’t for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years!” In retirement he took up surfing in Australia before returning to England to live. In the photograph above you can see Churchill on the right with sword in hand.

 

 1 Bhanbhagta Gurung
September 1921 – 1 March 2008

Bhanbhagta Gurung was from Nepal and for his actions of one day in World War II he received the Victoria Cross – the highest honor available to British and Commonwealth soldiers. The best way to appreciate Gurung’s true badassity is to read what the London papers said of his deeds: “On 5 March, 1945, at Snowdon-East, near Tamandu, Burma (now Myanmar), Gurung and his unit were approaching Snowdon-East. His company became pinned down by an enemy sniper and were suffering casualties. As this sniper was inflicting casualties on the section, Rifleman Bhanbhagta Gurung, being unable to fire from the lying position, stood up fully exposed to the heavy fire and calmly killed the enemy sniper with his rifle, thus saving his section from suffering further casualties. [And then it really gets badass:]

“The section advanced again but came under heavy fire once again. Without waiting for orders, Gurung dashed out to attack the first enemy fox-hole. Throwing two grenades, he killed the two occupants and without any hesitation rushed on to the next enemy fox-hole and killed the Japanese in it with his bayonet. He cleared two further fox-holes with bayonet and grenade. “During his single-handed attacks on these four enemy fox-holes, Rifleman Bhanbhagta Gurung was subjected to almost continuous and point-blank Light Machine Gun fire from a bunker on the North tip of the objective.” For the fifth time, Gurung “went forward alone in the face of heavy enemy fire to knock out this position. He doubled forward and leapt on to the roof of the bunker from where, his hand grenades being finished, he flung two No. 77 smoke grenades into the bunker slit.” Gurung killed two Japanese soldiers who ran out of the bunker with his Kukri, and then advanced into the cramped bunker and killed the remaining Japanese soldier.”

Frankly, while everyone on this list deserves a place, the last two do so especially.

Top Crimes in The World

Shocking stories of true crime capture the public's imagination in a way that news seldom can. But what is it that makes certain crimes stick in our minds, and leaves us glued to the headlines for new clues?

For some, it's the sheer brazenness of a daring daylight robbery. For others, it's items missing from an impenetrable vault, or crimes that involve well-known people. While huge cash heists and the theft of priceless artifacts can still intrigue, nothing piques public interest like an unsolved mystery. As long as the loot is still missing or the burglars are still at large, we wait to see how the drama will unfold, or maybe even fantasize that we'll crack the case.

While crime has changed dramatically over the past century, with cyberthieves taking the place of the Tommy-gun toting mobster, these Top Crimes in The World prove that there's always someone willing to break the law to score a massive illegal payday.


10. The Gardner Museum Theft

Boston socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner left her home and art collection to the city of Boston upon her death in 1924, with the stipulation that her home remain arranged exactly as she left it. Museum curators managed to leave Gardner's collections intact until 1990, when a group of thieves disguised as Boston police officers executed a daring robbery. The unknown burglars got away with a collection of 13 works of art valued at more than $500 million. To add insult to injury, the museum was uninsured at the time, and to this day the artwork has never been recovered.

The empty frames for these works hang on the museum's walls as a memorial to the lost paintings. Despite a $5 million reward, offers of immunity to the thieves and a stint on "America's Most Wanted," the case remains unsolved. A 2009 book, "The Gardner Heist," claims that the theft was carried out by an imprisoned Boston mobster with links to the Irish Republican Army, but this theory is yet unproven. Today, the museum holds out hope for the return of the missing pieces, and provides instructions on its Web site explaining how to protect and store the works, just in case the thieves happen to check in.


9. Brink's Security Robbery

It takes extreme confidence -- or sheer stupidity -- to rob one of the world's leading security companies. Yet in January 1950, a gang of thieves infiltrated the Brink's Security World Headquarters in Boston. The perpetrators wore rubber Halloween masks and homemade Brinks uniforms to penetrate the building. Their haul of $3 million was at the time the largest heist in history, and they vowed not to spend the money until the six-year statute of limitations for theft had passed.

Without use of the money from the robbery, some of the thieves continued living a life of crime. One member of the group was soon arrested for an unrelated incident, and ended up serving as an informant for the Brinks case after his fellow thieves made several attempts on his life. Based on his testimony, the entire gang was sentenced to life in prison.

Only a small portion of the money was ever found, and the rest is rumored to be hidden somewhere in the hills of Minnesota. A series of movies were made based on this story, with the 1978 film "The Brink's Job" among the most well-known.


8. Lufthansa Heist

The Lufthansa Heist has all the makings of a classic mobster movie, and did serve as inspiration for the popular film "Goodfellas." In 1978, the Lucchese crime family learned of a cash-filled vault at New York's JFK airport. To avoid problems with the rival Gambino family, who claimed JFK within their home turf, the Luccheses invited the Gambinos to take part in infiltrating the vault. They waited until a night in December when the vault was stocked by a recent arrival on Lufthansa Air. Relying on help from carefully placed insiders, the gang stole $5 million in less than an hour and headed off to celebrate.

Despite the reputation for criminal success that each of these families enjoyed, much of what happened after the theft made them look like rank amateurs. The night of the robbery, the getaway driver took the van from the scene of the crime straight to his girlfriend's house. Instead of destroying the van as directed, he parked in a no-parking zone and went inside to imbibe in marijuana and cocaine. Cops quickly spotted the van and linked it to the crime, then arrested the driver. In an effort to save himself from prison, he provided information on the rest of the gang, resulting in multiple arrests. The driver was soon found dead, likely killed by a fellow family member, and the rest of the gang members ended up in prison or witness protection. To this day, no one but the thieves knows what happened to the money.



7. Stealing the Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa may be one of the most famous works of art in the world, but few people are aware that she was once stolen by an overly patriotic Italian man. On August 21, 1911, guards at the Louvre noticed the painting was absent, but failed to act because they assumed it was out for restoration. It wasn't until the next day that the museum alerted authorities, who sealed the French border and undertook a massive manhunt. Fans of the painting visited the empty spot on the museum wall, and some even wrote love letters to the lost Lisa. Artist Pablo Picasso came under suspicion when police discovered he had likely purchased some other works of art that were stolen from the museum years earlier.

In December 1913, thief Vincenzo Peruggia was apprehended after trying to sell the painting to an art dealer. Astoundingly, Peruggia had once worked for the museum, and had even built the case the Mona Lisa was housed in, but never came under suspicion until he was caught. Peruggia became a national hero in Italy for trying to bring the Mona Lisa "home," even though Leonardo da Vinci actually created this famous work of art in Paris. Peruggia served less than a year in jail for his crime. Today the Mona Lisa is much better protected, reigning over the Louvre from behind a thick panel of bulletproof glass.



6. Antwerp Diamond Heist

 

More than 80 percent of the world's diamonds pass through the Diamond District in Antwerp, Belgium, so it's no wonder the area is under 24-hour police protection. Despite the area's extreme security, a group of thieves known as the School of Turin managed to steal more than $100 million in cash and diamonds over Valentine's Day weekend in 2003.

The group's mastermind, Leonardo Notarbartolo, spent nearly 2 years working in the district as a diamond dealer prior to the robbery. This extraordinary dedication to casing the scene of the crime was necessary to allow Notarbartolo to penetrate the 10 layers of security used to protect the diamonds. During the robbery, the thieves beat security cameras, motion detectors, a drill-proof steel door and a lock with more than 100 million possible combinations to gain access to the vault, all without setting off the alarm.

After all of their careful planning and preparation, these thieves were caught when they were nabbed for littering. A few days after the heist, a local farmer called police to report that trash had been dumped on his property, and investigators found documents that led them to Notarbartolo and his cohorts. While Notarbartolo was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the gems and money were never found. Notarbartolo claims he was double-crossed by insiders within the diamond trade, who ended up with the bulk of the loot . The 2010 book "Flawless" provides an inside look at the fate of the cash and jewels.



5. Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping

Charles Lindbergh became an American hero in 1927 after he completed the first solo flight around the world. While his fame helped him promote the aviation industry in the U.S., it also led to personal tragedy when his son Charles was kidnapped and held for ransom.

On March 1, 1932, Lindbergh's maid discovered his infant son Charles had been taken from his crib. Lindbergh found a ransom note nearby and quickly alerted authorities. After a series of bizarre exchanges with the kidnappers, including 13 ransom notes, the Lindberghs paid $50,000 to an unnamed individual in May 1932. This individual provided the family with a note that said the child could be found on a boat off Martha's Vineyard. Police raced to the harbor, but the child and the boat were nowhere in sight.

The next day, the child's body was found by accident and identified. An autopsy showed the child had been dead for 2 months, indicating that he was killed immediately after he was taken.

It wasn't until 1934 that investigators traced some of the ransom money to New York based on a list of serial numbers. A quick-thinking gas station clerk matched serial numbers to a license plate, which helped the police finally capture the killer. Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested in the fall of 1934 and put to death for his crime in April 1936.


4. The Great Train Robbery

In August 1963, it took just 15 minutes for a gang of thieves to swipe nearly $7 million from a British Royal Mail car. While their total haul would be worth about $80 million today, much of the loot was never found. But despite their quick getaway, the thieves made it easy for law enforcement to catch up and secure their arrest. Not only did the perpetrators leave fingerprints all over the train car, they also spoke openly about their hideout during the robbery, allowing passengers and crew to gather important clues.

Once the gang was apprehended, the local government began a courthouse renovation designed to accommodate the massive trials required for all 15 thieves. Each received a 30-year sentence, but one, Ronnie Biggs, managed to escape after just 15 months. Biggs fled to Brazil, which refused to extradite him, allowing him to live openly in Rio de Janeiro despite his criminal status. His son even became a famous musician, providing an upscale lifestyle for Biggs. At the age of 71, Biggs had a change of heart and returned to England to serve the remaining 28 years of his sentence. He was released eight years later on compassionate grounds due to illness.

The bizarre story of the Great Train Robbery continues to intrigue the public, and has been immortalized in books, movies, TV, the theater and pop music.


3. D.B. Cooper

In November 1971, a man named Dan Cooper bought an airline ticket from Portland to Seattle and boarded his flight. Once on board, Cooper produced a ransom note asking for $200,000 and four parachutes, threatening flight attendants with a bomb if his demands were not met. The flight crew landed, released all passengers and secured the required items before taking off again under Cooper's orders.

Shortly after takeoff, Cooper strapped on one of the parachutes, grabbed the cash, and jumped from a height of 10,000 feet into the deep woods below. To this day, no one knows if he lived or died.

Despite a massive manhunt, no evidence of the case was found until 1980, when a child playing in the woods discovered $5,800 floating in the river and along the bank. The FBI later confirmed that the serial numbers on these bills matched those given to Cooper on the plane. To this day, the rest of the money has never turned up in circulation, which indicates Cooper never got around to spending a dime of his haul.

In 1995, Floridian Duane Weber confessed on his deathbed that he was the elusive D.B. Cooper. His wife alerted the FBI, who deemed him a credible match, but dropped the case in 1998 due to lack of evidence. Today the mystery remains unsolved, and Cooper's story continues to live on in popular culture, as well as in the hearts of treasure hunters who search the woods for the remainder of the lost fortune.



2. Baker Street Robbery

This 1971 London bank robbery combines comically poor police work with a royal sex scandal that remains shrouded in mystery to this day. Late on the night of September 11, a gang of thieves entered a nearby storefront, then tunneled up into the bank. The burglars used a set of walkie-talkies to communicate, but had no idea their entire conversation had been picked up by a local ham radio enthusiast. Though the radio user quickly contacted the police, they were unable to determine exactly which bank the thieves were targeting. Despite the fact that the police could hear the entire conversation, the gang managed to get away with more than 500,000 pounds (about $775,000) in cash and jewels from bank deposit boxes.

The story made headlines for the next three days, until the British government mysteriously issued a gag order that prevented news media from covering the robbery. Though rumors suggest the thieves were eventually caught and sentenced to prison, their identities and the terms of capture were never revealed. In 2008, a movie titled "The Bank Job" was released, and was largely based on information about the case. The movie suggests that the British government imposed the gag order and covered up the story to protect Princess Margaret and other royals from damaging photos taken from the vaults. To this day, there is no evidence to suggest the money or jewels were ever found.



1. Bernie Madoff

Disgraced-financier Bernie Madoff might just be the most brazen thief in history. Not only did he scam investors out of as much as $50 billion, but he did it out in the open, for the entire world to see. From 1960 to 2008, Madoff operated an incredibly successful Wall Street investment firm. Known for earning his investors historic returns, Madoff counted some of the world's richest and most famous people among his clients. For many, the success of Madoff's firm seemed too good to be true, but that didn't stop investors from pouring billions into the company.

As early as 1999, financial analysts pointed out that Madoff's return rates from his investments were not only unbelievable, but also mathematically impossible. Using a giant Ponzi scheme, Madoff used money from new investors to pay returns to older clients, and then generated new clients to continue the cycle. Despite years of complaints to the SEC, no action was taken and the scam continued.

It all came crashing down in 2008, when Madoff found he was unable to drum up enough new clients to keep the cash flowing. He let his sons in on his secret, and they alerted authorities. After a swift investigation, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison.

All About Che Guevara

Che Guevara. He is loved and he is hated. He is one of the biggest commercial successes and one of the most brutal murderers in recent history. It is no wonder that a man so passionately loved and hated is familiar to most people. This list looks at some of the less familiar aspects of his life. If you have other little known facts about Che Guevara, be sure to tell us in the comments.

 10. Not so Glamorous Name

The name “Che Guevara” either incites love or hate. The name is synonymous with freedom fighting to some, and butchery to others. What most people don’t know is that Che’s real name was not quite so romantic; he was born Ernesto Lynch. That’s right – Che Guevara was actually plain old Mr Lynch. It doesn’t have quite the same ring to it does it? His surname comes from the fact that his family was half Irish. Ernesto Lynch is pictured above at the age of 22.

9 Stinky Che

Che Guevara as a youth was nicknamed “Chancho” (pig) because of his bathing habits (or lack thereof) and the fact that he proudly wore a “weekly shirt” – ie, a shirt he changed once a week. All through his life people commented on his smelliness (though obviously not to his face once he had the power to execute people on a whim).


8 Ernesto The Geek

Contrary to the image we all have of Guevara, in his youth he was quite the geek. He loved playing Chess and even entered local tournaments. In between hanging out with his chess buddies, Ernesto would read poetry which he loved with a passion. His favorite subjects at school were mathematics and engineering. I think we could safely say that if he were a teenager today, he would be EMO. Pictured above is an artist’s impression of EMO Ernesto Lynch (AKA Che Guevara).


7 Cuban or not?

While Guevara is best remembered for his actions in Cuba, he was actually born in Argentina to wealthy parents and he never became a Cuban citizen. When he was born, his father said “the first thing to note is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels.”


6 Doctor of Medicine

There seems to be some dispute about this fact around the Internet, but in June 1953, Guevara completed his medical studies and graduated as Doctor Ernesto Guevara. While studying he was particularly interested in the disease Leprosy.


5 American Trip

In 1964, Guevara travelled to the United States to give a speech to the United Nations in New York. You can watch a portion of it in the video clip above. Whilst there he condemned the US for their racial segregation policies: “Those who kill their own children and discriminate daily against them because of the color of their skin; those who let the murderers of blacks remain free, protecting them, and furthermore punishing the black population because they demand their legitimate rights as free men — how can those who do this consider themselves guardians of freedom?”

4 Five Children

We tend not to see Guevara as a family man, but in fact he had one child with his first wife, Hilda Gadea, a daughter who was born in Mexico City on February 15, 1956, and he had four children with his second wife, the revolutionary Aleida March. Pictured above is Camilo – Che’s son.


3 No Hands

After hie execution, a military doctor amputated Che’s hands. Bolivian army officers transferred Guevara’s body to an undisclosed location and refused to reveal whether his remains had been buried or cremated. The hands were preserved in formaldehyde to be sent to Buenos Aires for fingerprint identification. (His fingerprints were on file with the Argentine police.) They were later sent to Cuba.


2 Ironic Icon

The high-contrast monochrome graphic of his face has become one of the world’s most universally merchandized and objectified images, found on an endless array of items, including t-shirts, hats, posters, tattoos, and even bikinis, ironically contributing to the consumer culture he despised. The original image was snapped at a memorial service by newspaper photographer Alberto Korda. At the time, only Korda thought highly of the shot, and hung the picture on his wall, where it stayed until an Italian journalist saw it, asked if he could have it, and Korda obliged.


1 Saint Ernesto

Guevara remains a beloved national hero to many in Cuba, where his image adorns the $3 Cuban Peso and school children begin each morning by pledging “We will be like Che.” In his native homeland of Argentina, where high schools bear his name, numerous Che museums dot the country, and in 2008 a 12 foot bronze statue of him was unveiled in his birth city of Rosario. Additionally, Guevara has been sanctified by some Bolivian farm workers as “Saint Ernesto”, to whom they pray for assistance. Needless to say, the Catholic Church does not consider Guevara to be a saint and strongly opposes the adulation of him.

Hollywood Actresses have Physical Defects!!

Most of us think that celebrities are perfect people. They are not. In fact, some of the famous Hollywood actresses have physical defects, as they are human-beings just like the rest of us. Inside this post, you’ll find physical proofs.

Lily Allen

Defect: Third nipple
“When you touch it, it becomes solid,” Lily does not miss a single opportunity to talk about her… third nipple. Usually, the story is followed by a public demonstration of this miracle of her body. Lily is lucky to live in the 21st century. There were old times when the owner of a third nipple was considered to be a witch and had to be burned at the stake. Today, such a genetic anomaly appears in one woman of fifty, and it looks like a big mole.


   

Paris Hilton

Defect: lazy eye
Have you ever paid close attention to the photographs of Paris Hilton? She has a wonky left eye. A few years ago, possibly after a failed eye lift surgery, the famous blonde got a “drooping left eyelid”. This defect cannot be fixed, because of her love to the colored contact lenses. Yet, Paris does not want to change anything. She wouldn’t refuse wearing sky-blue colored contact lenses because this would mean she’ll have to return to her natural brown eyes. And this is too boring!




Megan Fox

Defect: deformed thumbs
The actress had to use hand double in the promotional clip for Motorola. Megan asked not to show close up shots of her hands. It turned out that “the sexiest woman on the planet” is beautiful everywhere except her fingers. She has a genetic condition called brachydactyly, which means she has clubbed thumbs. And the nail of the thumb is very short and wide.



Kate Bosworth

Defect: eyes of different color
Kate Bosworth always looks dazzling on the red carpet, but coming closer you’ll think that she has messed up with her colored contact lenses. The actress has one brown and one blue eye. This phenomenon is known as Heterochromia Iridium. It is common among dogs, cats, horses and other animals, but it’s rare among humans.




Vanessa Paradis

Defect: gap teeth
Do not rush to the dentist if you have a big distance between your front teeth. Due to the charms of Vanessa Paradis perfectly straight teeth are no longer in fashion! Glossy magazines and the beauty industry giants are singing praises to gap teeth which don’t spoil the person but make her look special. Today gap teeth are even considered to be an evidence of sexuality and joyfulness. But dentists call this defect diastema.


Kate Hudson

Defect: small breasts
Kate Hudson has never been embarrassed of her small breasts, which looked boyish when she weared bikini. “She is pretty but she got a chest like me in WhiteChicks,” actor Marlon Wayans wrote after the acress flashed her chest at the American Music Awards. Kate assured that she was perfectly happy with her body. However, there are rumors that on her birthday in April 2010 she had a breast increase from A to B.



Julia Roberts

 Defect: huge mouth
Several years ago, recalling his joint set with Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant confessed that when he was kissing her he “was aware of a faint echo”. Of course, the British heartthrob was joking! However, beauty’s huge mouth really violates the ideal proportions of her face. Still, would Julia’s spectacular career be the same without her broad smile and endlessly long legs?




Hayden Panettiere

Defect: short legs
Wladimir Klitschko’s girlfriend is an unhappy owner of problematic figure. Not only that she has to constantly struggle with her weight, but she also suffers from her short legs. To hide her defects, Hayden carefully chooses her wardrobe giving preference to wearing stunning heeled shoes and dating two-meter gentlemen.



Katy Perry

 Defect: skin problems
Before her wedding with Russell Brand, 25-year-old Katy is fighting desperately with both her overweight and skin problems. She admits that she has always been quite pimply and shy because of it. She has to thoroughly obscure tonal cream to cover up her acne issues. This year Katy has announced a war to acne on her face promoting the Proactiv Solution skin-care line.



Halle Berry

Defect: six toes on her leg
Every year a respected male magazine includes Halle Berry in the ratings of the most beautiful women on earth. And it’s despite the fact that the actress was born with six toes on her right foot. This anomaly is called polydactyl by doctors. According to statistics, one baby out of 5000 is born with with six toes and usually has an extra toe surgically removed. We are curious to know why Halle’s parents decided to leave her sixth toe.

Beutifull and Hottest Tennis Players

Tennis is one of the most popular games on the Earth and no doubt there are many super hot female tennis players out there in courts, Today we had selected and ranked up a list of top 10 sexiest tennis players in the World with their hottest pictures we had found on the web. I hope you will enjoy the list because the photos are sizzling hot.

10: Elena Dementieva

• Country      
• Russia
• Residence     
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Date of birth     
• October 15, 1981 (1981-10-15) (age 29)
• Place of birth     
• Moscow, then Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
• Height     
• 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
• Turned pro     
• 25 August 1998
• Retired     
• 29 October 2010
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

9: Martina Hingis

• Country     
• Switzerland
• Residence     
• Hürden, Switzerland
• Date of birth     
• 30 September 1980 (1980-09-30) (age 30)
• Place of birth     
• Košice, Slovakia (then Czechoslovakia)
• Height     
• 1.70 metres (5 ft 7 in)
• Turned pro     
• 1994
• Retired     
• 2007
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

8: Sania Mirza

• Country     
• India
• Residence     
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Hyderabad, India
• Date of birth     
• November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15) (age 24)
• Place of birth     
• Mumbai, India
• Height     
• 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
• Turned pro     
• 2003
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

7: Olga Poutchkova 

• Country      
• Russia/ Belarus
• Residence     
• Miami Shores, USA
• Date of birth     
• September 27, 1987 (1987-09-27) (age 23)
• Place of birth     
• Moscow, USSR (now Russia)
• Height     
• 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
• Turned pro     
• 2002
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

6: Sabine Lisicki 

• Country      
• Germany
• Residence     
• Bradenton, Florida, United States
• Date of birth     
• 22 September 1989 (1989-09-22) (age 21)
• Place of birth     
• Troisdorf, West Germany
• Height     
• 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
• Turned pro     
• 2006
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

5: Caroline Wozniacki 

• Country      
• Denmark
• Residence     
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Date of birth     
• 11 July 1990 (1990-07-11) (age 20)
• Place of birth     
• Odense, Denmark
• Height     
• 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
• Turned pro     
• 18 July 2005
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

4: Anna Chakvetadze 

• Country      
• Russia
• Residence     
• Moscow, Russia
• Date of birth     
• March 5, 1987 (1987-03-05) (age 23)
• Place of birth     
• Moscow, Soviet Union
• now Russia
• Height     
• 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
• Turned pro     
• 2003
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

3: Maria Sharapova 

• Country      
• Russia
• Residence     
• Bradenton, Florida, USA
• Date of birth     
• April 19, 1987 (1987-04-19) (age 23)
• Place of birth     
• Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
• Height     
• 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
• Turned pro     
• April 19, 2001
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

2: Ana Ivanovic 

• Country      
• Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)
• Serbia (2006–present)
• Residence     
• Basel, Switzerland
• Date of birth     
• November 6, 1987 (1987-11-06) (age 23)
• Place of birth     
• Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
• Height     
• 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1][2]
• Turned pro     
• August 17, 2003
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

1: Anna Kournikova 

• Country     
• Russia / United States
• Residence     
• Miami, Florida, United States
• Date of birth     
• 7 June 1981 (1981-06-07) (age 29)
• Place of birth     
• Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
• Height     
• 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
• Turned pro     
• October 1995
• Plays     
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)