COTOG

1. Nelson Mandela (1918–2013)

• Proof: Thousands of legal, political, and personal documents; photos, interviews, court records.

• Why: Ended apartheid peacefully, led South Africa into democracy, promoted reconciliation over revenge.

2. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968)

• Proof: Verified speeches, FBI files, filmed events, writings like “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

• Why: Led the U.S. civil rights movement; advanced racial equality through nonviolent resistance.

3. Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)

• Proof: Published medical reports, letters, nursing reforms, direct British military records.

• Why: Revolutionized modern healthcare and nursing; saved lives with sanitary reforms.

4. Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)

• Proof: Signed legislation, preserved writings, verified public records, photos.

• Why: Abolished slavery in the U.S.; preserved democracy during its greatest internal threat.

5. Marie Curie (1867–1934)

• Proof: Scientific publications, Nobel Prize records, laboratory data, educational archives.

• Why: First woman to win a Nobel, pioneered cancer treatment and safe scientific methods.

6. Malala Yousafzai (1997– )

• Proof: Verified attack records, UN speeches, Nobel Prize, educational initiatives, public activism.

• Why: Fought for girls' education after surviving a Taliban attack; global voice for youth empowerment.

7. Jonas Salk (1914–1995)

• Proof: Patent-free release of the polio vaccine, medical trials, peer reviewed studies.

• Why: Saved millions by developing the first effective polio vaccine and refusing to patent it.

8. Oskar Schindler (1908–1974)

• Proof: Wartime records, verified testimonies from Holocaust survivors, government honors.

• Why: Saved over 1,000 people during the Holocaust by using his factory as a refuge.

9. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)

• Proof: Verified notebooks, artwork, inventions, anatomy studies, documented commissions.

• Why: Advanced knowledge across science, engineering, anatomy, and art. Many centuries ahead of his time.

What they all have in common:

• Direct physical or documentary proof of their existence

• Long-lasting global impact

• Moral or humanitarian legacy that holds up under scrutiny