History is full of people whom we consider our heroes, it also consists of many unforgettable events. If we were to go through the list of influential and famous figures in history, it would take us years. Not to mention that even during those years and right now, history is being made by notable figures. Whatever their field is, they have left a legacy and major mark on the world. The likes of scientists such as Albert Einstein and Galileo Galilei, to this day, help us understand the universe, with theories about gravity, the invention of the telescope, and much more.
Be it positive or negative, we all have something to take from history and allow it to shape our perceptions. Our role models vary from each other, according to their values and even the way they died. However, not all our heroes have died naturally or by accident. In fact, some have gone so far as to commit suicide, throwing away years of power and glory within minutes. In the list of these suicides, Cleopatra, Socrates and most surprisingly, Adolf Hitler is included. Socrates' death is considered heroic because he drank a bowl of poison instead of handing himself over to be killed by others. Cleopatra's death has the same storyline. Rather than surrendering herself to the Octavian Empire, she ended her life via the poison of an Egyptian serpent. Socrates and Cleopatra would rather have their names written in gold, than surrender to their enemies.
However, the death of Adolf Hitler is in a context that cannot be termed heroic. The day of April 30, 1945, had sent shockwaves among people, as Hitler ended his own life by swallowing a cyanide pill and gunshot. He had thought he would be able to rule for a 1,000 years, so he couldn't handle watching Germany surrender to the Allied Forces. Initially, a few German military commanders had also tried to assassinate Hitler, as he was disturbing all negotiations for peace but their attempts had failed. Repulsed by this, Hitler had responded by killing over 4,000 German citizens. A few conspiracies had revolved around his suicide at that time, claiming that he had gone undercover or alive. It is because of his personal motives and lust for power that he does not have a good reputation.
Also See: The Unknown Dark Side to 13 of History's Favourite People #infographic
Another notable detail we can derive from the statistics is that political figures have mostly been killed, while artists and scientists have mostly died of pre-existing medical conditions or sudden disease. Below are some of the most important historical figures, the age at which they died, and exactly when and how they died.
Infographic by: Lucian Alexe
