In the 1970s, Bantu Steve Biko fought against South Africa's racist regime until his brutal death.

Lope de Aguirre called himself the "Wrath of God, Prince of Freedom, King of Tierra Firme." But his fellow explorers just called him a madman.

Even though 77 hopeful fugitives were caught just two days after trying to escape aboard The Pearl, their daring attempt would inspire abolitionists nationwide.

Gaston Means used his connections to President Warren Harding to convince bootleggers that he could protect them from the law for a price — and pocketed up to $60,000 a day.

Although never numbering more than 200, Lehi would leave a permanent mark on Israeli politics, history, and culture due to their violence.

Aftershocks of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake were felt as far away as Finland — and people were so traumatized that they questioned their faith and turned toward science.

After invading Manchuria in 1931, Japan turned much of northeast China into an opium plantation, then used the drug to subdue the population and used the profits to fund its military.

We might not even know the name Mafia today had this fledgling criminal group not narrowly defeated the rival Camorra gang in a bloody war on the streets of New York between 1915 and 1917.

As one of the most ruthless villains of the Wild West, John Joel Glanton and his gang terrorized the Apache for cash throughout the 1840s.

A slave known only as Gordon had trekked 80 miles to freedom after escaping a Mississippi plantation where he'd been whipped nearly to death. His story was quickly published — along with a gruesome photo of his injuries.

More than 250 years later, Mir Jafar's name is still synonymous with "traitor" in India and Bangladesh today.