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History is full of titanic figures, men and women who managed to make a truly significant impact on the world around them. Some of these have been largely viewed as “good guys,” for they often made the world a better place as a result of their work, whether it was charity or inventing. These heroes of history have, at times, been unfairly maligned, while others deserved the opprobrium they received after their deaths.
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History books are full of iconic good guys who made the world a better place, be it through charity, invention, or art
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But most people, even the great ones, are rarely as morally uncompromised as we'd like them to be
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So, today we're going to take a look at some historical good guys who did some terrible things
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Settle in, guys, because this is gonna be good. Unless you've been living in a Martian cave since the 1960s
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you've probably heard of The Beatles. Known as the Fab Four, the mop-topped Liverpudlian scored 17 number one hits
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between 1963 and 1969. Band members John Lennon and Paul McCartney penned most of the group's most beloved songs
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and changed popular music forever. After The Beatles eventually parted ways, Lennon would go on to have a very successful solo career
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particularly with the song Imagine, which is still occasionally massacred by celebrities in times of
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crisis. Though he was often known for being charming, witty, and droll, and being outspokenly
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anti-war, Lennon had a much darker side to his personality. This was especially evident in his
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relationship with his wives and his son, Julian. In addition to having a number of affairs while
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married to his first wife, including with Yoko Ono, whom he would later marry, Lennon was also
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alleged to be physically abusive toward Julian, often striking him for such minor infractions as
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bad table manners. Lenin also readily admitted that he was verbally and physically abusive
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toward his first wife. Some of the finest minds of the 20th century worked on the Manhattan Project
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Its primary aim was the creation of an atomic weapon. But along the way, many of the scientists
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involved made significant contributions to various technological and theoretical advancements. One such scientist was legendary theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, who was very
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influential in the theorization of quantum electrodynamics. There's no way we can explain what that means here, so you're just going to have to take
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our word that it is really, really impressive. The guy won a Nobel Prize for it in 1965
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Feynman's private life, on the other hand, was considerably less inspiring. Feynman's wife claimed that on several occasions he had flown into a rage and violently attacked
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because she interrupted him while he was working or playing his drums
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Presumably, she threw off his rhythm while he was trying to play Moby Dick. Eventually, she divorced him
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But Feynman's problems with women did not end there. There are reports that Feynman was open about his contempt for women he wanted to have sex with
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that he routinely drew naked pictures of his female students. Oh, look, he's an artist, too
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That he held official meetings at strip clubs, and that he even pretended to be an undergraduate to try to sleep with students Like never been kissed only somehow creepier Henry Ford was a revolutionary figure in the history of business and manufacturing
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His development of the assembly line enabled the much faster and cheaper creation of automobiles
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and other products. The affordability of his Model T car led to it being bought by millions
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of Americans, and today Ford is credited with having played a key role in the development of
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the American economy and its infrastructure, as well as some unforgettable commercials about
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cowboys driving pickup trucks. However, in addition to his contributions to industry
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Ford contributed more than his fair share to anti-Semitism. Wielding his enormous business
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and financial clout, he frequently spread conspiracy theories about Jewish people. In fact, he was so proficient at spreading anti-Semitism that he is the only American
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to be name-dropped in Adolf Hitler's memoir, Mein Kampf, which is a pretty dubious honor
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Let's face it, getting a shout-out in Hitler's autobiography is like getting a shout-out in
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Hitler's autobiography. Ford's vitriol wasn't limited to the Jewish people. He was a committed
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opponent of labor unions in any form, and he was determined to exercise dictatorial control over
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almost every aspect of his workers' lives. All in all, a strong candidate for the worst boss ever
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Woodrow Wilson, America's 28th president who served from 1913 to 1921, has gone down in history as one of the US's most notable and accomplished chief executives
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He campaigned and governed on progressive era politics. His administration saw a number of important legislative victories
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And he did it all while being named Woodrow Wilson. That's just tough
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Wilson also led the country through the First World War and was a prominent voice during the deliberations which took place at Versailles
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Wilson wanted to ensure the world was safe for democracy and was a particular champion for countries' self-determination
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although his desire to get the US to sign on to the League of Nations ultimately failed
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Wilson was also a true son of the American South in the worst possible way
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and we don't mean he owned a bunch of Kid Rock CDs, although he may have. History is unclear on that point
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His parents were hardcore Confederates. who vociferously supported slavery, and Wilson himself was pretty dang racist
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He loved racist jokes, and his racist beliefs were often reflected in the ways his policies
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were implemented. For example, he spearheaded segregation in various federal offices, had a confrontation with a noted African-American civil rights leader
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and was generally antagonistic toward efforts to advance the rights of black Americans
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In fairness Wilson did reluctantly condemn D Griffith 1915 pro movie birth of a nation And he also spoke out against lynching which is kind of the bare minimum
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When it comes to children's book authors, few have achieved the beloved status of Dr. Seuss
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a.k.a. Theodore Geisel. Thanks to his unique illustrations and catchy rhymes, it's easy to see why his books remain so popular and influential
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Geisel also cranked those puppies out, publishing almost 50 books and earning himself a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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And he wasn't even a real doctor. However, not all of his work is held up
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The cartoons Geisel drew during World War II were insensitive and anti-Japanese
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He also endorsed the imprisoning of Japanese Americans in internment camps. Some of his books have also been criticized for their offensive portrayal of various ethnic groups
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such as And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo
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You may not recommend these books here or there. You may not recommend them anywhere
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And if that wasn't bad enough, Dr. Seuss's private life was more than a little bleak
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He cheated on his first wife, who was very ill. Some say his philandering may have contributed to her taking her own life
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So some people think he was basically the Grinch, if the Grinch never returned on the presents he stole and cheated on his wife
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Apple is such a dominant part of the American landscape, it's hard to imagine there was a time it didn't exist
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And Steve Jobs was a key factor in its success. Jobs is known for being the driving genius
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behind some of the company's most notable products. Most notably of the notable is the iPhone
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You know, that thing that completely changed the world as we know it? It's almost impossible to overstate his influence
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on the world of technology. His brilliance, though, came with a cost
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And we're not just talking about what he paid for all those black turtlenecks
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Jobs was quite ruthless in his personal life. And despite being one of the world's richest men, he went to extraordinary lengths to avoid
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paying child support. He wasn't any better in his business relations. Among other things, he famously created a toxic atmosphere at his company, fired employees
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unfairly, and asked inappropriate questions of potential employees. presumably things like, on a scale of 1 to 10
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how great do I look in this turtleneck? Charlie Chaplin is widely considered
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one of the greatest actors to have ever lived. The skilled performer and director
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was particularly well-known for creating the character of The Tramp, the mustachioed transient
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famous for making potatoes dance. He was also kind of deep. In many of his films, Chaplin explored
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the complexities both good and bad of the modern world And he is particularly remembered for his film The Great Dictator which was a scathing takedown of Nazism and Hitler And hey we get it Hitler totally stole his mustache
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But Chaplin wasn't nearly as lovable in his personal life. In addition to being a notorious perfectionist
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Chaplin was callous toward his wives and mistresses. Even more troubling is the fact that several of his wives were underage
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when they began their relationships with him. For example, Chaplin's first wife was a 14-year-old Mildred Harris
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Yikes. And being married to the famous comic actor was anything but fun
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In the divorce papers which were filed to dissolve his second marriage, Leta Gray revealed several scandalous details
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including Chaplin threatening and degrading her throughout their relationship. Elvis Presley was the king of rock and roll
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the king of sequined capes, the king of jumpsuited gyrating, and really just an all-around entertainment monarch
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After bursting onto the music scene in the 1950s, his rich voice and suggestive dancing
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rocketed him to superstardom. As of this writing, his albums have sold
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more than a billion copies. That's billion with a B, like in billion
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He was a giant in the world of music, and since his death, he's been the subject
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of numerous biographies, biopics, and continued fan adoration. The King's treatment of the women in his life, however
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was a whole lot less regal than his fans might have hoped. For starters, he was notoriously fond of underage girls
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one of whom, 14-year-old Priscilla, would become his wife and the mother of his daughter, Lisa Marie
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Additionally, by all accounts, Presley was controlling and abusive toward Priscilla. The king's crown is more than a little tarnished
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Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement
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Known for his impassioned speeches, his pursuit of justice, both for African Americans and
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for all those who experienced some form of economic or social disadvantage, and for advocating
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the act of non-violent protest, King was an undeniable force for good in the world
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His I Have a Dream speech remains one of the most widely quoted pieces of oratory in the
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history of the U.S., and his assassination in 1968 remains a tragic event in modern history
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During the height of his public life, King was the object of constant surveillance by
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the FBI. This was partially due to his high public profile, but was also because of the notorious
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FBI chief, J. Edgar Hoover, who saw King as a potent threat
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We know from that surveillance that King had a number of extramarital affairs, which the
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FBI sought to use to damage his credibility with the American public
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Hoover certainly wasn't doing King any favors, but the revelation of King's affairs ultimately
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had little impact on his reputation as a civil rights leader