History Awesome / RealLife

--->'''Jon Oliver:''' I feel bad for 'em. But... ''[[PrecisionFStrike fuck 'em]]!''

** He has 37 gold medals across both his junior and senior career, broken 19 world records (many of which are ''his''), holds all the world records for men's singles skating, is the first and only male singles skater to achieve a Super Slam]]having won all major competitions in his senior and junior career[[/note]], is a two-time ''consecutive'' Olympic gold medalist (the first since Dick Button in 1952), and the youngest to win Olympic gold (also since Dick Button in 1948). See Wikipedia for a more complete list of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzuru_Hanyu his achievements.]] He is considered a consummate skater by experts, combining technicality and artistry.

*** She really hammered this point in when talking to Manson, delivering the mother of all [[ShutUpHannibal Shut up Hannibal's]] to him, saying "I'm not you, Charlie. I can't kill anyone."

---> "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We're doing our damnedest to get them going again, and I trust you're not in too much distress."

* On October 1st, 2015, Chris Harper Mercer went on a shooting spree at Oregon's Umpqua Community College, Chris Mintz, an army veteran and student there, got his classmates to safety and confronted the gunman, declaring [[YouShallNotPass "You aren't getting by me."]] The gunman shot him three times and twice more after he fell to the ground. While nine others around the campus were slain and many more injured, Mintz was credited for saving his classmates with his worst injuries being two broken legs, requiring him to learn to walk again.

*** Leading to the classic Daily Record front page headline that sums it up neatly and in true Scots fashion -- "''HERO CABBIE:'' '''I kicked burning terrorist so hard in balls I tore a tendon in my foot'''" -- remembered as part of [[https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/ten-years-glasgow-airport-terror-10716113 this tenth anniversary retrospective article]] that honours Smeaton, the still slightly crippled cabbie Alex McIlveen, and several other heroes of the day.

* Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins. At the age of eight she was one of the youngest to participate in what became known as [[https://share.america.gov/crawling-up-steps-demand-their-rights/ the Capitol Crawl]], in which physically disabled activists protested the delayed passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act by leaving behind their wheelchairs and crawling up the steps of the Capitol Building. Jennifer was [[https://youtu.be/kU9cDyqvH-g videotaped]] stating [[{{Determinator}} "I'll take all night if I have to]].

* In the early decades of the 20th century the KKK had the habit of attacking not only Blacks but also immigrants, including Italians, who, knowing they were outnumbered, did not react. Then in 1933 they tried to run the Italians out of Vineland, NJ... Where Italians made up 20% of the local population, and this time they ''did'' fight back. The Klan was quickly run out of town.

* Music/MileyCyrus

* The Muslim man in [[https://youtu.be/Blw-ZaY_V70 this video]]. He is surrounded by a mob of angry Christians, chanting and throwing crosses at him. And what does he do? ''He ignores them completely''. Instead, he simply carries out his prayers. And it turns out that he prayed for the families of the mob. The Muslim man's ReasonYouSuckSpeech at the angry Christian mob is also pure awesome.

* The first openly gay NFL player got some controversy because of homophobic NFL heads/coaches talking about how "uncomfortable" it would be. Dallas/Forth Worth sporscaster [[http://superlolbubblesblog.tumblr.com/post/76485784812/kristin5sos-watch-this-ok-this-is-my-local-news Dale Hansen]] responded to the "controversy" by delivering this '''epic''' ReasonYouSuckSpeech to said bigots, than proceeded to give an equally epic PatrickStewartSpeech in which he states [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments how gay people are just as much a part of the world as everyone else and that it's about time we got used to it]].

* On July 9, 2020, [[BigBrotherInstinct Six-year-old Bridger Walker]] saw a dog attacking his little sister. He threw himself at the dog, which savaged him enough that he required 90 stitches. His sister was unhurt. Asked why he did it, he said "If someone had to die I thought it should be me." Unsurprisingly, he came in for a great deal of praise from around the world.

** Don't forget where it all started... with the murder of Emmett Till and the amazing courage of his great-uncle, Rev. Moses Wright. At the trial, Wright was asked to identify the man who took Emmett away. He'd been told he would be killed if he said anything. Without hesitation, he stood, pointed and said "[[https://bycommonconsent.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/mose-wright-in-court3.jpg Dar he]]" (there he is). The photo (snapped in defiance of a judge's no-pictures order) is by Ernest Withers of the Chicago ''Defender'', who said "intimidation of Delta blacks was no longer as effective as the past", and Wright had "crossed a line that no one could remember a black man ever crossing in Mississippi".

*** And NBC's John Chancellor had his moment as well. During an interview with a black lady outside the courthouse, she suddenly ran away and Chancellor saw a white gang charging at him. He stood his ground, held up his microphone and said "I don't care what you do to me, but the whole world is going to know it."

** [[http://wonderwall.msn.com/music/Miley-Cyrus-confronts-fan-over-gay-rights-tattoo-1633175.story?gt1=28135 She]] told a fan who was furious with her gay rights tattoo (an "equals" sign on her finger representing "equality"), said "Where in the Bible does it say to judge people? Oh right. It doesn't. GOD is the only judge, honey. GOD IS LOVE".

* Federal District [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_G._Heyburn_II Judge John G. Heyburn II]] is just one of many judges who have overturned bans on same-sex marriage. However, his conclusion contains one of the best lines written on the matter. Referring to the opposition, he said [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe "These arguments are not those of serious people."]] [[TakeThat Burn.]]

* In Shreveport, LA, City Councilman Ron Webb sought to repeal a measure forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, claiming that Literature/TheBible considered LGBT people to be evil. Dozens of LGBT people showed up to protest but the best one was a transgender woman named Pamela Raintree, who dared Webb to stone her to death in accordance with biblical law. She said [[http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/01/17/trans-woman-dares-bible-quoting-councilman-stone-her-death "I brought the first stone, Mr. Webb, in case that your Bible talk isn't just a smoke screen for personal prejudices."]] Webb withdrew his measure without calling for a vote.

* During WWII, one of the leading wagons on a freight train passing through the village of Soham in Cambridgeshire caught fire. The problem with this was that it was a trainload of bombs. The reaction of the driver and fireman? Pin down the rest of the train, uncouple the locomotive with the burning wagon(s) and make a run for it until the developing problem was well clear of the village. They got to the next signalbox before being stopped, which was when the burning wagons, locomotive, fireman, and the signalbox and signalman were blown to kingdom come, and the driver seriously wounded. Nevertheless, Soham is still where it was which it would not have been if the whole train had gone up, and the crew received George Crosses for their quick thinking and bravery. The remains of the locomotive can be seen [[https://www.lner.info/locos/O/o7.php here]] .

*** It's also worth noting that the response song chosen by the general consciousness of Britain wasn't some tubthumping war-cry, but instead a sad, but defiant song that basically said 'we aren't playing your game, we aren't giving in to rage'.
** During the London Bridge attack, 47 year old Roy Larner took on three knife wielding attackers at once with his bare fists when they burst into a restaurant, shouting, "Fuck you, I'm [[UsefulNotes/BritishFootyTeams Millwall!]]" (Millwall FC being a football team infamous for its violent firm of FootballHooligans). Despite numerous stab wounds, [[{{Determinator}} he kept fighting,]] giving the other restaurant patrons a chance to escape, and when the attackers left (possibly perturbed by the madman who just wouldn't stop), he actually ''chased them outside''. He was consequently, and deservedly, dubbed 'the Lion of London Bridge' by the British press. [[GallowsHumor Britain being Britain,]] when he was recovering in hospital, his mates got him a magazine called 'Learn to Run'.

* Karina Chiktova, a three-year old girl, was stranded deep in [[BearsAreBadNews bear]] and [[SavageWolves wolf]]-infested Siberian woods for 11 days. But she and her HeroicDog Kyrachaan managed to tough it out, [[BadassAdorable living off of wild berries and river water and managing to suffer nothing more than mosquito bites and minor scratches on her feet, with Kyrachaan being thought to have cuddled up to her for warmth and scared wild animals away.]] Eventually Kyrachaan went back to the village and got help, leading to Karina finally being found and rescued, malnourished but otherwise fine. Doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.

* On July 29, 1995, 13-year old Thad Philips was abducted by Joe Clark and brought to Clark's house. Clark proceeded to spend the next 43 hours breaking the bones in Philips' legs. Despite his injuries, Philips made at least three attempts to escape, culminating in him breaking down the door of the closet Clark had locked him in, throwing himself down the stairs and dragging himself to a phone and calling 911. Though he was left with a permanant limp, Philips's bravery not only saved his own life, but also probably a number of potential victims that Clark had compiled on a list at his home, and even solved the cold case of 14-year-old Chris Steiner from the previous year.

* A high school robots team created a functional robotic hand with a 3d printer and gave it to a 4 year old girl who had no fingers. [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/20/harmony-taylor-hand-high-school-robotics-team_n_4481441.html Seen here.]] Doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.

* 10 year old Clara Lazen managed to create a new molecule [[http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-02/10-year-old-accidentally-creates-new-explosive-molecule-science-class#mini-panel-comments while in science class]].
* 16 year old Azza Abdel Hamid figured out a way to turn her country's waste into $78 million worth of [[http://inhabitat.com/16-year-old-egyptian-scientist-finds-way-to-turn-plastic-waste-into-78-million-of-biofuel/ biofuel each year.]]

* Gurkhas
** A retired Gurkha soldier on the way home on the train takes on 40 robbers by himself. And wins. Even better, the reason he risked his life? They were going to rape a 18 year old girl on the train. If they had just taken the cash and other valuables he wouldn't have killed 3 of them, injured 8 and drove all 40 off. His only weapon? A kukri knife. Their weapons? Swords, knives and thankfully non-working guns.

** In October 2012, [[https://youtu.be/mvr2Yu7e2is a bus driver]] ''uppercuts'' a rowdy 25 year old woman for taunting him, hitting him in the face, and spitting on him. Also counts as a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}.

* [[http://badassoftheweek.com/wanyandie.html Tom Wanyandie]], a 78 year old Cree Indian wilderness guide, fought off a literal MamaBear [[PapaWolf attacking his son]] while screaming every profanity of his native language.

* Texas State Marching Band contest, November 5th, 2013. There's a lot of State regulars like Waxahachie and Wakeland, but guess who secures [[http://utdirect.utexas.edu/uilsmbc/lbw2_sched_results.WBX?s_conference=4A&s_round=2&s_display_sw=R tenth?]] ''The two year old program and first time at state rookies known as The Lake Ridge Eagle Band.'' Keep in mind that means '''tenth in the entire damn state''' as of November 2013 is held by a two year old program out of hundreds of ''way'' older and more experienced bands. They got it ''their first ever state year''. [[https://youtu.be/F9A-USiM1uU Their show certainly reflects the awesome.]]

*** Afterwards, Fox News claimed that 'one man' had shut down London. [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39365449/people-mock-fox-news-claim-that-terror-attack-shut-down-city The responses to this were gloriously snarky]], with one announcement whiteboard in a tube station, usually reserved for service information, saying "All terrorists are politely remind that THIS IS LONDON and whatever you do to us, we will drink tea and jolly well carry on. Thank you".

* Britain suffered a string of terrorist attacks in 2017 - the Westminster vehicle and knife attack in March, the Manchester bombing in May, and the London Bridge vehicle and knife attack in June, the latter two less than two weeks apart. During and after those attacks, there were some truly amazing moments.

** [[http://thehayride.com/2011/04/westboro-baptist-church-goes-to-mississippi-and-loses/ Yet another fabulous way to screw over the Westboro Baptist Church.]] - basically, counterprotesters found the car park where most of the Westboro visitors were parked, miles away from the funeral site, and parked pick-up trucks in front of every car with a Kansas license plate. The trucks stayed there for the duration of a funeral of a soldier which was taking place in the town, thus thwarting their plan to picket the funeral.

* Anti-Chinese prejudice

** A nearby cab driver helped detain one of the other suspects - who happened to be somewhat on fire at the time - by kicking the would-be bomber so hard in the groin that the cab driver actually tore a tendon in his foot. So to quote [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120218031425/http://www.cracked.com/article/79_the-5-most-embarrassing-failures-in-history-terrorism_p2/ Cracked]], "In the space of about 30 seconds, this man was in a car accident, an explosion, lit aflame and then kicked in the balls with more force than a human foot can technically take."
*** Leading to the classic Daily Record front page headline that sums it up neatly and in true Scots fashion - "''HERO CABBIE:'' '''I kicked burning terrorist so hard in balls I tore a tendon in my foot'''" - remembered as part of [[https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/ten-years-glasgow-airport-terror-10716113 this tenth anniversary retrospective article]] that honours Smeaton, the still slightly crippled cabbie Alex McIlveen, and several other heroes of the day.

* Corazon Amurao, the sole survivor of Richard Speck's murder spree. In court, at the trial of the man who raped and killed eight of her friends and put her through a night of unimaginable hell, she gave her testimony calmly and clearly - and then when she was asked the standard question of if she saw the murderer in court, she walked around the witness stand to where he was sitting, looked him straight in the face, pointed at him and said "This is the man."

* In Finsbury Park, London, in June 2017, a man drove a hired van into a crowd of people leaving late night prayers at a mosque, killing at least one and injuring several others. The perpetrator quickly found himself being mobbed by angry onlookers, while he taunted them and challenged them to kill him - but then the imam, who had every reason to hate him, stepped in to insist that wasn't the way and nobody should touch him except to hold him down and wait for the police. And they listened.
* The man known by many as the Golden State Killer, a serial home invader, serial rapist, and serial killer responsible for 100+ home invasions 45 rapes and 12 murders up and down the state of California, eluded capture for 42 years. He was identified as former police officer 72 year old Joseph James [=DeAngelo=] Jr and arrested in his Citrus Heights home on April 25th, 2018.

* The British politician Jack Straw is certainly a controversial figure, and that's putting it mildly. But his performance on ''Series/QuestionTime'' in 2009 against Nick Griffin, (then) leader of the far-right British National Party, is universally applauded. Griffin had, on tape, claimed that "this nonsense about gas chambers [i.e, the Holocaust] is a total lie". He then tried to back away from his earlier claim, saying that he had changed his mind after seeing "German radio intercepts", but because of the European Arrest Warrant, [[ArtisticLicenseLaw he would be extradited and prosecuted in Germany and Austria for it]]. Unfortunately for Griffin, Straw was Britain's Justice Minister at the time, and knew quite a bit more about [=EAWs=] than Griffin did - he first explained to Nick why that was rubbish, and then offered him a ''personal amnesty'' just in case, so he could explain himself without fear. The humiliated Griffin backed down.

* In March 1933, the German parliament (Reichstag) was voting on the Enabling Act - the legal act which would give Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers. The Communists, having been outlawed, couldn't vote, but the other parties were all present. Every single one of them voted in favor... except the Social Democratic Party (SPD), ''all'' of whose 94 members of parliament voted against the act (these 94 were the only opposing votes). At a time when left-leaning people were facing serious persecution (note: 26 members of parliament from SPD were not present at the vote... due to being either arrested or in hiding!). Oh, also, a bunch of SA brownshirt stormtroopers were in the room during this parliamentary session!
** That's not all. Otto Wels, the chairman of SPD, went up and made a speech - the only opposing speech on that day, in fact. In the presence of Hitler himself, and his stormtroopers. Here are some highlights, using the translation as given on Wikipedia (there are others, slightly different):
--->'''Otto Wels:''' [[DayOfTheJackboot At this historic hour,]] [[HeroicVow we German Social Democrats pledge ourselves to the principles of humanity and justice, of freedom and Socialism.]] [[YouCannotKillAnIdea No Enabling Law can give you the power to destroy ideas which are eternal and indestructible...]] [[DoNotGoGentle From this new persecution too German Social Democracy can draw new strength.]] [[YouAreNotAlone We send greetings to the persecuted and oppressed. We greet our friends in the Reich. Their steadfastness and loyalty deserve admiration.]] [[DoNotGoGentle The courage with which they maintain their convictions and their unbroken confidence guarantee a brighter future.]]

--->"There is no patent [to the polio vaccine]. Could you patent the sun?" - Jonas Salk

* The design of the famous Concorde supersonic passenger aircraft. The technical challenges of making such an aircraft were one thing. The political and economic challenges were quite another. But they were all overcome, and the aircraft gave nearly three decades of service. It even finally turned a profit. It wasn't just a passenger jet: it was an achievement in aerospace, in design, and political co-operation. It was also a stunningly beautiful piece of design, and it became an icon of air travel - as well as the last hurrah of the era of "old" travel in comfort and style. [[Series/TopGear Jeremy Clarkson]] sums it up in his book ''I Know You Got Soul'':

* The rescue of the Danish Jews during WWII. After the reverses in the East showed the Danes that their calculation in 1940 - that they would have to live under German rule and so the best thing was to make it as easy as possible - was wrong, Danish civil society moved from passivity to active resistance to Nazi "protection". In response, Hitler ordered that Denmark's 7800 Jews should be rounded up and deported to Auschwitz. The Danish underground movement, local police, and fisherman, managed to smuggle 99% of the Danish Jews over the Øresund to neutral Sweden. As per their wishes, the Danes who participated are collectively honored as "Righteous Among the Nations" at Yad Vashem.

** "Haven't you heard? ... They've got us surrounded -- the poor bastards." - Easy Company

** On top of which, their nickname was largely earned because the Soviet commanders initially didn't think there was any worth in providing female pilots with valuable, up-to-date top-gun fighters, saving those for the men and instead reserving only the most expendable planes - typically very outdated, underpowered and poorly armed trainer biplanes, which struggled to pick up much speed or altitude - for the women. The sound of the air whistling through their cable-tensioned airframes as they passed slowly a mere few hundred feet overhead put the Germans in mind of witches on brooms, even without knowing the sex of the pilots. That they were able to score such victories in planes that would have been considered barely adequate for combat duty a good 10-20 years earlier, during an age of extremely rapid development in powered flight technology, adds an additional layer of awesome.

** Nguyễn Tri Phương and Hoàng Diệu, the Viceroys of Hanoi, and their heroic to-the-death defense of the citadel. They failed (Hoàng Diệu's suicide letter, written in blood, was a TearJerker) - but the fact remains that they were outgunned and out planned, and yet they were on the verge of repelling the French completely. If the Armory hadn't been blown up, causing resource losses, panic, and decay in morale, they could have stood a chance.

* The Russian brig "Mercury". In 1829, it was cornered by two of the strongest Turkish ships, outgunned ten to one (and one of the ships carrying [[TheQuisling the brig's former commander]]). The crew decided to stand and fight. The last man standing was to blow up the gunpowder chamber for a TakingYouWithMe moment. After a three hour battle, the Turks were forced to break off due to rigging damage, and Mercury went on to rejoin the rest of the Russian fleet. One of the Turk helmsmen wrote in a letter a few days later "I can't imagine a greater act of heroism, but there is no way these guys didn't [[PyrrhicVictory lose half the crew]]". The main damage was actually to the ship itself (on both sides - the Turks reported zero casualties due to the Russians focusing on their sails), which spent the next two years docked, but human losses were four dead and six or eight wounded out of a crew of 115.

* In 2008, Dave Carroll witnessed his guitar, among others being thrown around on the tarmac by the baggage-handling crew of United Airlines. He arrived at his destination to find his guitar with a broken neck, then went through ''nine freakin' months'' of trying to negotiate with United, to no avail. So what did he do? He wrote not one, not two, but ''three'' [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic epic]] "United Breaks Guitars" songs, [[https://youtu.be/5YGc4zOqozo here,]] [[https://youtu.be/h-UoERHaSQg here,]] and [[https://youtu.be/P45E0uGVyeg here.]] And the first one got 150,000 views on the day he posted it. And just to make Dave's revenge a little sweeter, since that day, there have been zillions of people sharing stories about what United did to ''their'' luggage ([[https://people.com/human-interest/united-airlines-destroy-wheelchair-valentin-duthion/ and wheelchairs!!!]]) - don't think anyone in their right mind would fly with United after seeing ''those.'' And all of this just for a guitar. Way to go, Dave - best TakeThat ever.

** [[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/kenya-shopping-mall-attack-fouryearold-british-boy-freed-and-given-mars-bar-after-telling-armed-jihadist-youre-a-bad-man-8836104.html And this five-year-old British boy]] manages to save his sister and his mother by these four simple words: "[[ShamingTheMob You're a bad man]]." Also doubles as SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} as [[EvenEvilHasStandards the gunman]] gave the kids Mars candy bars and said "Please forgive me, [[{{Irony}} we're not monsters]]."

* On May 6, 2013, in Cleveland, Ohio, dishwasher Chuck Ramsey stopped eating his dinner when he heard screams coming from a neighbor's home. He ran to them to find a young woman screaming for help. He kicked open the door, allowing the woman to escape. The young woman was 27 year old Amanda Berry, who had been missing for ten years. After a 911 call, police searched the home and also located 24 year old Gina Dejesus and 32 year old Michelle Knight, who had been missing for 9 and 11 years respectively. The girls had all vanished in separate incidents.

* Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy

* 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing
** David Ortiz during the first Red Sox game after the bombing and one day after the capture of the second bomber: "This is our [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] city!"

* Japan's devastating 2011 earthquake/tsunami

--> '''Sir Arthur Henry Rostron [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever KBE]] [=RD RNR=]:''' [[RealMenLoveJesus I]] can only conclude [[DivineIntervention another hand than mine]] was on the helm.

* [[https://www.cfr.org/blog/great-east-japan-earthquake-and-south-korean-support South Korea's response to the infamous 2011 Earthquake]] is both this and SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoment. When the earthquake rocked the Tohoku region of Japan, who was one of the first countries to respond? UsefulNotes/SouthKorea. Which has a... messy, to say the least, relationship with Japan due to historical reasons. However, after the earthquake, the affected Japanese earned the immediate sympathy of the South Korean public; in an opinion survey conducted by YTN, [=JoongAng=] Daily, and the East Asia Institute in March of that year, 76.4 percent of respondents gave their support for sending aid and rescuers to Japan. The Chosun Daily newspaper initiated a movement for donations which drew more than ''ten thousand'' participants in a ''single day''. The Korean Red Cross amassed 21.3 billion won ($19.6 million) in two weeks, the largest amount of disaster relief amassed in and outside South Korea ''ever''. Myeongdong, a Japanese tourism hotspot, hung up a banner saying “Cheer up, Japanese friends. [[YouAreNotAlone We are always with you,”]] and the Korean Liberation Army asked for roadside donations. Even the ''former comfort women'', Korean women who had been forced into sexual slavery by UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan, who had protested the Japanese Embassy for 19 years, paid their respects, mourned, and donated their share. As of May, contributors in South Korea had donated ₩56 billion won (US$50 million) to various organizations for the disaster relief effort, showing that despite their feelings on the politics of Japan, [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther they know that the people are still people just like them]]. Sadly, [[HopeSpot these efforts]] [[ShaggyDogStory became overshadowed by others and have become almost forgotten by the Japanese public]].

* ''Operación San Lorenzo'' - the rescue operation for the 33 miners trapped underground by a cave-in at the San Jose Mine in Chile in 2010. At least six foreign countries aided in the rescue effort - the capsule was designed by NASA, the drill for the main shaft was provided by Canada, and the drill which made the pilot hole through which supplies were passed was South African. In the end, all 33 miners were rescued in remarkably good health. During the first 14 days, they were presumed dead.

** The shift supervisor was the last miner out. He was greeted at the surface by the president of Chile. He said (in Spanish) "I've delivered to you this shift of workers, as we agreed I would". The president replied "I gladly receive your shift, because you completed your duty, leaving last like a [[GoingDownWithTheShip good captain]]."

* Technically speaking, ''humanity.'' We're average-strength at best, and had an average lifespan of 20-something years for most of our history. Yet, we've managed to go all the way into space, inhabit 6 of the 7 continents with impunity, and pwn just about every other species out there. All within mere millennia!

* A house-cat treed a black bear. Twice. [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5067912.stm]]

* The evolutionary success of cats as hunters, given that they manage to hunt enough prey to live on in just 8 hours a day, as opposed to the 16 hours a day most hunters (including us humans until relatively recently in history). The about 8 hours a day cats gain with their hunting efficiency? They just sleep them away, amounting to a total of 16 hours of sleep per day. The trope may be that "cats are lazy", but in actuality they are just simply ''the most efficient'' of all mammals.[[note]]Of course the downside is that they wreak havoc on ecosystems where humans introduce them as an invasive species--see: {{UsefulNotes/Australia}}--or even in places they're not invasive (just ask any Birdwatching Society in Europe/U.K./U.S.)...[[/note]] Oh, and they also survived the massive murder campaign humans unleashed on them in TheMiddleAges.

* Ants and and termites are probably some of the most successful animal species on the planet. Not only do they outnumber humans to the point where "a million to one" is a ''conservative'' estimate[[note]]Total human population? 9 billion (9,000,000,000). Total estimated ant population? 1 quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000)! [[/note]], but they can perform some impressive tasks. Frequently mentioned is the ant's incredible strength, easily capable of lifting an object ten times their size. Not frequently mentioned is the level of an ant's cohesive unity. Army ants, [[https://youtu.be/h7DskFft1qY for example]] are so coordinated and unified that they are capable of overwhelming just about any animal smaller than a mid-sized lizard through [[ZergRush sheer force of numbers]]. Army ants are completely unstoppable when on the march, going so far as to make [[http://www.catersnews.com/uploadedimages/14082012457412917.jpg bridges and ladders out of their own bodies]] to let other ants cross over wide gaps and streams. Somewhere, Karl Marx weeps with envy.

* '''Bacteria.''' Sure they may not look like much, but they are, without a doubt, the oldest, toughest, and most numerous creatures on the planet. Nine billion humans? One quadrillion ants? There are estimated to be 5 ''nonillion'']] That's a five with thirty zeroes behind it [[/note]] bacteria on Earth. They have an amazing AdaptiveAbility due to their rapid reproductive cycle and free-floating genetic material, allowing them to survive every conceivable extreme. Volcanic hot springs, underground ice caverns, the bottom of the ocean, your intestines, and even environments close to that of ''space.'' And there are some species that survive by feeding on rocks, electricity, and even ionizing radiation. In fact, not only do they survive in hostile radioactive environments that would be instantly lethal to almost all other life, they ''thrive'' in it.

** It's debated what exactly happened aboard the flight[[note]]even Vice President Dick Cheney remarked that we could only guess that "something heroic" must have happened[[/note]], but United 93 is a good example of terrorism's limits. Terrorists, like despots, rely entirely on their victims' fears of what will happen to them. But if [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled the worst is already going to happen,]] and there's a chance to spare others at the cost of your own life, it's [[BigDamnHeroes hero]] [[TakingYouWithMe time.]]

--> "He was last seen on the tenth floor of the World Trade Center, headed up. Of the 2,700 people he had been charged with protecting, all but 6 survived the terrorist attack."]][[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/rescorla.html Source]][[/note]]

*** Mamie Till, Emmett's mother, insisted on an open-casket funeral for her son, because she felt the nation should see his ''bloated, mutilated corpse'',]]the stench from which reportedly was noticeable from two blocks away, and which she had insisted on seeing up close to make a positive identification[[/note]]. It worked. Time Magazine had this to say about a photo of Mamie standing over Emmett's body: "For almost a century, African Americans were lynched with regularity and impunity. Now, thanks to a mother's determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn't see."

-->'''Johnnie Phelps:''' Sir, you’re right. They’re lesbians in the WAC battalion. And if the general is prepared to replace all the file clerks, all the section commanders, all the drivers-every woman in the WAC detachment-and there were about nine hundred and eighty something of us-then I’ll be happy to make that list. But I think the general should be aware that among those women are the most highly decorated women in the war. There have been no cases of illegal pregnancy. There have been no cases of AWOL. There have been no cases of misconduct. And as a matter of fact, every six months since we’ve been here, the general has awarded us a commendation for meritorious conduct.

* The USS ''Constitution'' AKA "Old Ironsides"

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen Dr. Sun Yat-sen]]. He went and with the help of nearly every single person in China, managed to overthrow the corrupt and well-hated Qing Dynasty after many failed attempts, and the armies on his side crushed them in one CurbStompBattle after another. And then he created Modern China. What's not to love? Despite the [[Useful/NoMoreEmperors Warlord era]] that followed and his [[UsefulNotes/ChiangKaiShek protege]] turning out to be a brutal [[TheGeneralissimo military dictator]], both Taiwan and the People's Republic agree that Dr. Sun was indeed the founder of modern China, and he is still revered in both countries today]] Even among pro-independence supporters in Taiwan, he's considered a great humanitarian that genuinely wanted to make things better for China's people [[/note]].

* Scottish bus driver Charmaine Laurie was driving in snow that [[SnowMeansDeath warranted a red warning]][[note]]the Met Office reserves red warnings for when the weather ''is going to'' be shit enough ''to kill people'' - not ''might'', ''is going to''[[/note]], when she saw a Mini in front of her ''attempting a three-point turn''. Despite having little time to react and having to deal with the horrendous SlippySlideyIceWorld-like conditions, [[BadassDriver she somehow managed to swerve around the car and narrowly avoided an accident]]. The whole incident was [[https://youtu.be/mxuVzLU1SOM filmed on a dashcam]] (complete with the van driver's [[OhCrap reaction]]) and ended up [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43255368 making headline news]].

** If we're going to talk about badass mustelidae, how about the Ratel - more commonly known as the honey badger. It may not eat zebras, but they are known for being able to tangle with lions. How does it manage to do this? GroinAttack. With teeth.

** And plenty of birds are still awesome. Take, for instance, cassowaries, which even ''look'' like dinosaurs (and are also deadly, but that's par for the course in Australia.) Then there are all the [[NobleBirdOfPrey birds of prey]].

* The evolutionary success of cats as hunters, given that they manage to hunt enough prey to live on in just 8 hours a day, as opposed to the 16 hours a day most hunters (including us humans until relatively recently in history). The about 8 hours a day cats gain with their hunting efficiency? They just sleep them away, amounting to a total of 16 hours of sleep per day. The trope may be that "cats are lazy", but in actuality they are just simply ''the most efficient'' of all mammals.]]Of course the downside is that they wreak havoc on ecosystems where humans introduce them as an invasive species--see: {{UsefulNotes/Australia}}--or even in places they're not invasive (just ask any Birdwatching Society in Europe/U.K./U.S.)...[[/note]]. O and they also survived the massive murder campaign humans unleashed on them in TheMiddleAges.

* The evolutionary success of cats as hunters, given that they manage to hunt enough prey to live on in just 8 hours a day, as opposed to the 16 hours a day most hunters (including us humans until relatively recently in history). The about 8 hours a day cats gain with their hunting efficiency? They just sleep them away, amounting to a total of 16 hours of sleep per day. The trope may be that "cats are lazy", but in actuality they are just simply ''the most efficient'' of all mammals. [[note]]Of course the downside is that they wreak havoc on ecosystems where humans introduce them as an invasive species--see: {{UsefulNotes/Australia}}--or even in places they're not invasive (just ask any Birdwatching Society in Europe/U.K./U.S.)...[[/note]]. O and they also survived the massive murder campaign humans unleashed on them in TheMiddleAges.

* '''Bacteria.''' Sure they may not look like much, but they are, without a doubt, the oldest, toughest, and most numerous creatures on the planet. Nine billion humans? One quadrillion ants? There are estimated to be 5 ''nonillion'' [[note]] That's a five with thirty zeroes behind it [[/note]] bacteria on Earth. They have an amazing AdaptiveAbility due to their rapid reproductive cycle and free-floating genetic material, allowing them to survive every conceivable extreme. Volcanic hot springs, underground ice caverns, the bottom of the ocean, your intestines, and even environments close to that of ''space.'' And there are some species that survive by feeding on rocks, electricity, and even ionizing radiation. In fact, not only do they survive in hostile radioactive environments that would be instantly lethal to almost all other life, they ''thrive'' in it.

--> "He was last seen on the tenth floor of the World Trade Center, headed up. Of the 2,700 people he had been charged with protecting, all but 6 survived the terrorist attack." [[note]][[http://www.badassoftheweek.com/rescorla.html Source]][[/note]]

*** Mamie Till, Emmett's mother, insisted on an open-casket funeral for her son, because she felt the nation should see his ''bloated, mutilated corpse'', [[note]]the stench from which reportedly was noticeable from two blocks away, and which she had insisted on seeing up close to make a positive identification[[/note]]. It worked. Time Magazine had this to say about a photo of Mamie standing over Emmett's body: "For almost a century, African Americans were lynched with regularity and impunity. Now, thanks to a mother's determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn't see."

** Former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army Sam Manekshaw, himself a pretty Awesome FourStarBadass (his nickname was "Sam Bahadur" - Sam the Brave) said it best:

--> ''I cannot say how proud I am to have been privileged to help form and lead No. 303 squadron and later to lead such a magnificent fighting force as the Polish Wing. There formed within me in those days an admiration, respect and genuine affection for these really remarkable men which I have never lost. I formed friendship that are as firm as they were those twenty-five years ago and this I find most gratifying. We who were privileged to fly and fight with them will never forget and Britain must never forget how much she owes to the loyalty indomitable spirit and sacrifice of those Polish fliers. They were our staunchest Allies in our darkest days; may they always be remembered as such!''

--> "A large Japanese fleet has been contacted. They are fifteen miles away and headed in our direction. They are believed to have four battleships, eight cruisers, and a number of destroyers. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."\\

* The CCCP/USSR's badass female fighter pilots, the Night Witches. They fought in World War 2, and earned their nickname because [[TheDreaded they were so successful and deadly, the Nazis compared them to witches.]] The only two female fighter aces were Night Witches. They flew combat, and dropped 23,000 tons of bombs. Their leader was Marina Raskova, Hero of the Soviet Union. She received the first state funeral of the war, and has a street in Moscow named after her. Another member, Nadia Popva, was shot down three times, and survived each time. Lydia [[RedBaron "The White Rose Of Stalingrad"]] Litvyak was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy plane, and do you know how many Nazis planes it took to shoot her down? [[NoKillLikeOverkill Eight.]] Zhenya Rudneva fought at the front of the war, died valiantly while flying her 645th combat mission, and, after the Nazis bombed her beloved university, [[BadassBoast she swore revenge on the university's behalf, dedicating her first bomb to the cause of avenging the university.]]

* Also from USSR, Marya Oktyabrskaya, after her husband got killed, volunteered to join the army, but was found unfit for duty. She then raised enough money to commision a ''tank'', donated those money to the state and even wrote a personal letter to Stalin, requesting to be made its driver. She only got to spend two months fighting, before being fatally wounded when trying to fix the damaged track while under enemy fire, but she still avenged her husband's death and then some - in her last battle her tank killed 50 Nazi soldiers and officers and a cannon. Marya was awaded a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union Order, and her tank became a LegacyCharacter - her comrades kept giving the name she chose, "Sister in Arms", to new machines after losing the previous ones, and the fourth "Sister" rolled into Berlin victorious.

** The "Sixty Days and Nights of Hanoi", in which the city (once again) worked itself to a fury against the French. Barricades were built everywhere, including wide streets (which is Irony at its best - after the French Revolution (and the July Rebellion of Literature/LesMiserables fame), the city of Paris underwent repairs to widen the streets so that barricades cannot be easily erected.) People contributed whatever they could to erect said barricades, up to and including ''family altars''. (For context, it's like throwing gravestones in. But then again, those ancestors would probably have approved, given prior defense attempts and rebellion.) Other wonders that day were [[TakingYouWithMe soldiers holding bombs in their arms and rushing French tanks]]. Planes were shot down by ground weapons. ''Hanoians destroyed their own houses when the forces needed space to fight.''

-->"Hail to the soldier of Điện Biên!
-->The heroic soldier, with their heads forged in metal fire
-->56 days and nights of carving into mountains, sleeping in tunnels under torrential rain, eating rice patties
-->Their blood mixed with mud, and their wills remained undaunted!
-->[...] Hands that tore mountains and rolled bombs
-->Opening the routes for supplies to the front
-->And the men and women heading to the frontlines
-->[...] Though bombs and bullets destroyed their flesh and bone,
-->No one backed down, no one regretted their green youth..."

* Admiral [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_Sun-sin Yi Sun-sin]]- Korea's greatest war hero, and arguably the greatest naval commander ''in history.'' Just read about his damn career already, the man was ''incomparable'' for his military genius, loyalty, incorruptibility and general badassery. Or better yet, watch the [[https://youtu.be/3ieaDfD_h6s&index=50&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5Aq7g4bil7bnGi0A8gTsawu Extra History]] series ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits'' did on him. It's stirring stuff. His legacy resonated across the world, too-Admiral George Ballard of the Royal Navy called him an equal to Nelson, while Admiral Togo, a hero of the Russo-Japanese war, was fine with being compared to Nelson, but thought that being compared as the Japanese equal to Admiral Yi was far too much.

* It may have been called an EpicFail to those who like 15 minute fireworks shows, but [[https://youtu.be/ndVhgq1yHdA some of us just don't have the time for it]]. You might want to turn your speakers down for this.

* Watching the sunset (or rise). Especially when it's with a friend or loved one.
* High School, College and Master's and PhD Graduations in general. They prove that you've completed important steps in your life.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen Dr. Sun Yat Sen]]. He went and with the help of nearly every single person in China, managed to overthrow the corrupt and well-hated Qing Dynasty after many failed attempts, and the armies on his side crushed them in one CurbStompBattle after another. And then he created Modern China. What's not to love? Despite the [[Useful/NoMoreEmperors Warlord era]] that followed and his [[UsefulNotes/ChiangKaiShek protege]] turning out to be a brutal [[TheGeneralissimo military dictator]], both Taiwan and the People's Republic agree that Dr. Sun was indeed the founder of modern China, and he is still revered in both countries today [[note]] Even among pro-independence supporters in Taiwan, he's considered a great humanitarian that genuinely wanted to make things better for China's people [[/note]].

* A 30-year old man was morbidly obese along with an alcohol problem and severe depression. He then met a woman from UK online via Draw Something. What happened from there? The man was afraid of losing his friendship with this woman, so he actually stopped drinking and lost about 400 pounds in a year ... [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2615082/Man-lost-400lbs-help-friend-met-randomly-playing-game-online.html and eventually met the woman in person to go to climb up the Eiffel Tower]]. Little awesome things like that.
* Some of the latest discoveries by scientists definitely count. In 2013, they invented a Real-Life Lightsaber! And in May 2014, they found a way to turn ''light into matter''! Light exists everywhere, it's just sometimes not visible, and they've made it possible to turn it into solid matter. In other words, ''Humanity is now capable of creating matter out of thin air!'' If that's not awesome, ''nothing'' is.

* Miss Tandi Dupree's unforgettable "[[https://youtu.be/WrW0kySM6CE Holding Out for a Hero]]" performance in 2001, from her ''{{Franchise/Megaman}}'' [[BigEntrance Robot Master style entrance]] to the uncanny choreographed dance.

** He has 37 gold medals across both his junior and senior career, broken 19 world records (many of which are ''his''), holds all the world records for men's singles skating, is the first and only male singles skater to achieve a Super Slam [[note]]having won all major competitions in his senior and junior career[[/note]], is a two-time ''consecutive'' Olympic gold medalist (the first since Dick Button in 1952), and the youngest to win Olympic gold (also since Dick Button in 1948). See Wikipedia for a more complete list of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzuru_Hanyu his achievements.]] He is considered a consummate skater by experts, combining technicality and artistry.
** He is TheDreaded in his field [[note]](to the point where fellow skaters have a - only partially jocular - moment of silence for whoever has to skate after him)[[/note]], despite having racked up a long list of injuries that would make a physiotherapist cry, of the CareerEndingInjury type. The most prominent is probably the horrific crash with Yan Han at the 2014 Cup of China warmup. Despite protestations, Hanyu skated his program visibly disoriented, with bandages around his head and on his chin, slumped limply against his coach as he exited the rink, and burst into tears in the kiss-and-cry area. He still won silver.

** Despite the fame and fortune (including a very, ''very'' intense fanbase that made him a household name pursued by brands for endorsement), he considers achieving his dreams and beating the challenges that skating provides his primary goals. He remains considerate, kind, and friendly, even to his rivals. He became good friends with Javier Fernandez simply because both skaters were ''so nice'', they couldn't have an acrid rivalry the magnitude of Evgeni Plushenko (Hanyu's idol) and Alexei Yagudin. [[note]]Unfortunately, the relationship seems to have fallen apart after Fernandez essentially called Hanyu a liar for apparently blaming a "nonexistent" hole on the Beijing 2022 Olympic ice. There are photos of the hole. However, in public, the two remain nothing but cordial.[[/note]] He acts with BigBrotherInstinct to younger skaters too, including Shoma Uno (another rival) - giving Shoma his coat when he thought the younger skater was cold, crawling on all fours behind Shoma to avoid getting into the camera as Shoma was being interviewed, etc. He stops in the middle of practice to catch bugs off the ice and release them. He both competes with intense, fiery determination, and relishes skating (and life in general) with a refreshing joy.
** After capping his amateur career off with being a three-time Olympian, he announced his transition into becoming a professional skater, by which time the pre-eminent skaters who went senior at the same time as him have long since retired. He then proceeded to host a series of sold-out ice shows with increasingly large audience capacity [[note]]''GIFT'' was held at the Tokyo Dome, which seats a max of 57,000[[/note]] going beyond traditional live TV towards cinema broadcasts, Internet livestreams, and even distribution on Creator/DisneyPlus and Creator/{{Hulu}} Japan.
** It's been said that Hanyu is bigger than (competitive) figure skating, and for good reason - some newspapers even have a "Yuzuru Hanyu" section in addition to their sports coverage. He may be off competition ice but he doesn't think of himself as having retired, rather continuing to bring the sport/art to new heights as he continues to pursue his goal of landing the quadruple axel. This jump, well-known as Hanyu's personal target, was considered BeyondTheImpossible until Ilia Malinin (who did a Hanyu tribute as a junior skater) landed it in competition.

* Men's singles skater Yuzuru Hanyu.
** As of 2020, he has 12 gold medals, broken 19 world records (many of which are ''his''), holds all the world records for men's singles skating, is the first and only male singles skater to achieve a Super Slam [[note]]having won all major competitions in his senior and junior career[[/note]], is a two-time ''consecutive'' Olympic gold medalist (the first since Dick Button in 1952), and the youngest to win Olympic gold (also since Dick Button in 1948). See Wikipedia for a more complete list of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzuru_Hanyu his achievements.]] He is considered a consummate skater by experts, combining technicality and artistry.

** Despite the fame and fortune (including a very, ''very'' intense fanbase that made him a household name and pursued by brands for endorsement), he considers achieving his dreams and beating the challenges that skating provides his primary goals. He remains considerate, kind, and friendly, even to his rivals. He became good friends with Javier Fernandez simply because both skaters were ''so nice'', they couldn't have an acrid rivalry the magnitude of Evgeni Plushenko (Hanyu's idol) and Alexei Yagudin. He acts with BigBrotherInstinct to younger skaters too, including Shoma Uno (another rival) - giving Shoma his coat when he thought the younger skater was cold, crawling on all fours behind Shoma to avoid getting into the camera as Shoma was being interviewed, etc. He stops in the middle of practice to catch bugs off the ice and release them. He both competes with intense, fiery determination, and relishes skating (and life in general) with an almost childlike, refreshing joy.

* Smart phones. About 200 000 years into humanity's run, we invented the bipolar transistor, a way to send signals through an electric current. About 200 0'''70''' years in, we can communicate; schedule; tell the time and set alarms; read the news and weather; take pictures; take videos; watch videos; listen to music and podcasts (basically talk radio except there are thousands of them); check health vitals; look up the details of any known species of living thing, the known history of anything or anyone deemed even slightly notable, the nutrition information of virtually any food, a street-by-street map of many countries across the world, descriptions and examples of storytelling devices, and awesome moments; play countless brainteasers, puzzles, and video games; look up finances, transfer money, and pay bills; make any calculation that one is likely to care to make; and a bunch of other things, from a pocket-sized phone. If any of the above takes more than a few seconds to happen, it's seen as a frustration. The phone and carrier service costs as much as a cup or two of coffee a day, with complaints that corporate greed is the main reason it doesn't cost less than that. Those are seventy productive years.