Many figures have left their imprint on US history, yet only a handful make it into the schoolbooks. What about the people who slipped through the cracks? Some were daring spies, some were enslaved laborers, and all of them helped forge the country we know today. In this roundup we spotlight the ten forgotten americans whose deeds deserve a standing ovation.

Why These 10 Forgotten Americans Matter

10. Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Back in 1854, a full century before Rosa Parks made her famous stand, Elizabeth Jennings Graham staged a bold protest on the streets of New York City. Running late for church, she refused to wait for a horse‑drawn carriage earmarked for people of colour and instead hopped onto the first omnibus she could find. The white driver balked, refusing to move, but Graham held her ground until the driver finally obliged.

When the driver later stopped to pick up white passengers, Graham stayed put, refusing to give up her seat. The driver, irritated, yanked her from the vehicle and tossed her onto the sidewalk. Infuriated, Graham penned a letter recounting the humiliating episode, which was read aloud to her church congregation and sent to Frederick Douglass’ Paper and the editor of The New York Daily Tribune.

Her father hired future president‑to‑be Chester Arthur to bring the case to court. Arthur won, and within a year New York City’s public transit system was fully integrated. Without Graham’s steadfast refusal to surrender her seat, this milestone might never have arrived.

9. James Armistead Lafayette

Sometimes, the tide of war turns on the whisper of a single spy. James Armisteed Lafayette, a Virginian enslaved man, found the perfect cover by serving under the Marquis de Lafayette, commander of the French forces allied with the Continental Army. He convinced British General Charles Cornwallis that he was a runaway slave hired to spy on the American side.

Through clever deceit, Armisteed earned the confidence of both Benedict Arnold and Cornwallis, feeding vital intelligence back to Lafayette and General Washington about British troop movements and supply lines. His reports proved instrumental in the summer of 1781, helping Washington secure victory at Yorktown and forcing the British surrender.

After the war, Armisteed returned to his master and remained enslaved. When the Marquis de Lafayette learned of this injustice, he testified on the man’s behalf. Two years later the Virginia General Assembly granted him freedom, and he adopted the Lafayette surname in gratitude for the French hero.

8. Elizabeth Freeman

Elizabeth Freeman’s courage sparked a landmark legal battle that reshaped Massachusetts law. Born into slavery in 1742, she was sold in the 1770s to Colonel John Ashley. While living in Ashley’s household, Freeman endured abuse from his wife and eventually fled, refusing to return.

Freeman, having heard the colonists discuss the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, began to wonder why those lofty ideals didn’t apply to her. She enlisted the help of Ashley’s friend, attorney Theodore Sedgwick, who took up her cause. In 1781 Sedgwick filed the case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, arguing that the Massachusetts Constitution, which declared all individuals “born free and equal,” should protect Freeman.

The jury agreed, granting her freedom and setting a precedent that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery throughout Massachusetts. Freeman’s case demonstrated the power of constitutional language when applied to real lives.

7. Roger Sherman

The Constitutional Convention of July 16, 1787 was a pressure cooker of ideas, and one of the most contentious debates centered on Senate representation. Larger Southern states wanted representation based on population and fiscal contribution, while smaller states demanded equal footing for each state.

Enter Roger Sherman of Connecticut, the chief architect of the Connecticut Compromise. Together with fellow delegate Oliver Ellsworth, Sherman proposed a bicameral legislature: one house (the House of Representatives) would allocate seats proportionally by population, and the other (the Senate) would grant each state an equal vote. The Convention voted five to four in favor of Sherman’s plan, forging the structure that still underpins Congress today.

Despite his pivotal role in shaping the nation’s government—and being the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the 1774 Continental Association—Sherman’s name has faded from popular memory.

6. Mary Bowser

Although she never fired a single shot, Mary Bowser’s espionage work proved vital for the Union cause. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1840, she was taken into the household of Elizabeth Van Lew, a staunch Union supporter. After receiving a Northern education as a child, Bowser returned to the Van Lews and became an integral part of their intelligence network.

Bowser relayed critical information to Union generals Benjamin Butler, Ulysses Grant, and George Sharpe. She operated within the Confederate White House, secretly observing and copying documents, letters, and conversations. Her ability to read and write—rare among enslaved women—made her an especially valuable asset for the Richmond underground spy ring.

In recognition of her contributions, Mary Bowser was inducted into the U.S. Army Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1995, cementing her legacy as one of America’s most effective, yet overlooked, wartime spies.

5. Annie Turner Wittenmyer

Annie Turner Wittenmyer was a tireless social and political activist whose work left an indelible mark on American history. During the Civil War, she served as a social worker in army camps across Iowa, but in 1864 she stepped away to focus on improving soldiers’ medical care.

Wittenmyer pioneered “special kitchens” in army hospitals, where two women prepared meals precisely according to doctors’ prescriptions for each patient. This innovation ensured that soldiers received nutritionally balanced food tailored to aid recovery. With support from the United States Christian Commission, she opened her first kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee, and by war’s end the model had been adopted by most army medical facilities.

Beyond wartime service, Wittenmyer became a leading figure in the Women’s Crusade, an early temperance movement. In 1874 she attended the convention that founded the national Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and was elected its first president, a post she held until 1879. She traveled extensively, promoting temperance and women’s rights across the country.

4. Edmund G. Ross

In the turbulent years following the Civil War, the nation grappled with how to reintegrate the defeated South. President Andrew Johnson clashed with Congress over Reconstruction policies, leading to his impeachment in February 1868. Enter Edmund G. Ross, a fresh‑faced senator from Kansas with a reputation for opposing Southern interests.

The House had impeached Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act, and the Senate needed a two‑thirds majority—36 guilty votes—to remove him. As the trial progressed, 24 senators had already voted “guilty,” and another 11 were virtually certain to follow. When Ross’s turn arrived, the Senate stood on the brink of a historic removal.

Defying party pressure, Ross cast a “not guilty” vote, providing the exact number of votes needed to acquit Johnson. His courageous decision allowed the president to finish his term, but it also cost Ross his political standing for years to come.

3. Myra Colby Bradwell

Myra Colby Bradwell devoted her life to advancing women’s legal rights in the post‑Civil‑War era. In 1868 she launched the Chicago Legal News, the first weekly law journal in the Midwest, serving as both business manager and editor. The publication frequently criticized lawyers and judges for ethical lapses, pushing for higher standards in the profession.

Bradwell leveraged her legal expertise to draft two groundbreaking pieces of legislation: the Married Woman’s Property Act of 1861 and the Earnings Act of 1869. These bills granted married women greater control over their own property and earnings, challenging the prevailing notion that a husband owned all assets.

Despite her achievements, Illinois denied Bradwell a license to practice law because she was a woman. She appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the state’s decision. Nevertheless, the Court reversed its stance in 1890, finally granting her admission to the bar and allowing her to fulfill her professional ambitions.

2. Percy Julian

Although limited to an eighth‑grade education due to the racial climate of early‑20th‑century Alabama, Percy Julian rose to become a towering figure in chemistry. Between 1932 and 1935, he partnered with fellow student Josef Pikl to synthesize physostigmine, a naturally occurring compound essential for treating glaucoma. Their successful laboratory synthesis in 1935 opened the door to mass‑production of this life‑saving medication.

Julian’s most celebrated breakthrough came later, when he devised a cost‑effective method for producing cortisone, a steroid vital for treating arthritis and a host of inflammatory conditions. By dramatically lowering the price of cortisone, Julian made the drug accessible to millions who previously could not afford it.

Despite the profound impact of his scientific contributions, Julian’s name remains relatively obscure—a likely byproduct of the racial prejudice that colored his era. Nevertheless, his work continues to benefit countless patients worldwide.

1. Frank Wills

Frank Wills’ keen eyes as a night watchman ignited one of America’s most notorious political scandals. On the night of June 17, 1972, the 24‑year‑old guard was making his routine rounds at the Watergate complex when he noticed a piece of tape covering the lock of a basement door. Assuming an employee had left it to simplify his own entry, Wills removed the tape.

During a later patrol, he discovered the same tape had been reapplied. Recognizing something amiss, he immediately called the police. Officers responded swiftly, securing the building, shutting down the elevators, and conducting a thorough sweep. Their search uncovered five burglars on the sixth floor of the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Further investigation revealed the intruders were acting on orders from President Richard Nixon’s re‑election campaign, igniting the Watergate scandal that eventually forced Nixon to resign. Sadly, Wills left his Watergate job soon after the break‑in and struggled to find steady employment until his death in 2000.

The United States has always had something of an uncomfortable relationship with the people that lived within its borders well before European settlers made their way across the ocean. Today, it’s a relationship that’s better than it ever has been, but there’s still a long way to go and a lot to make up for. Even in roughly the last 100 years, there’s been an incredible amount of horror visited on America’s native tribes. This article outlines the 10 atrocities committed against Native Americans in recent history.

10. Hopi Sentenced To Alcatraz

First discovered by the Portuguese and the Spanish in the 1540s, Alcatraz had already been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. By the time the Spanish came to the area, there were about 10,000 individuals settled in the Bay Area around the island. According to tradition, the island had long been used for exactly the same purposes it later was—isolating people who had broken a law.

In 1894, the Hopi were in the middle of a rebellion against government regulations, which stated that they needed to send their children away from home to attend government‑run schools. In order to force the children to go, it was first suggested that the military and law enforcement be sent in to arrest anyone who wasn’t sending their children away. When bad weather and snows made that impossible, it was decided that they’d interrupt the supply of goods and food instead. It was a completely legitimate strategy, as far as the law was concerned. According to the Rules for Indian Schools of 1892, food and other necessities could be taken away to force compliance.

When that didn’t work and the Hopi still refused to send their children to government schools, 18 tribal leaders were arrested and put on trial for their refusal. Found guilty, they were sentenced to Alcatraz. Those left behind still refused to comply with government orders, and when the original leaders were released a year later, they continued their non‑violent protests against the educational restrictions. With the resistance leaders unwilling to resort to violence, the government‑sanctioned development of schools continued.

In the 1960s and 1970s, members of the Sioux and Mohawk, along with a group going by the name “Indians of All Tribes,” occupied Alcatraz in order to demand that the island be returned to those who had been there first. They didn’t win the island, but they did succeed in bringing attention to problems that had gone unaddressed for too long.

9. Black Mesa

Black Mesa is in northern Arizona, and it’s huge. The coal fields cross both Hopi and Navajo reservations, and in 1909, an incredibly brief survey of the area would determine that there was a huge amount of potential resources that could be exploited. The area already had an operating mine, and the coal was being used on the reservation.

By the end of World War II, the country was looking for some ways to maximize use of their own resources, and that included coal. In 1943, the Navajo attempted to increase their mining operations in the area, recognizing what they were sitting on for what it was—cash. At the time, they were an extraordinarily poor nation, relying on an income from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for support, so they entered into an agreement with the Interior Department. Coal was selling for $4.40 per ton, and in a typical deal, $1.50 of that would be going to the owner of the land. That was the basic price, though it’s absolutely not what the government offered the Navajo and the Hopi; they got $0.17 per ton.

There was also no provision in the contract to renegotiate prices should the price of coal go up, and it did. By the time the country was in the middle of the 1970s oil crisis, coal was $15 a ton. The tribes whose lands were being mined were still receiving $0.17. To add insult to injury, the tribes, who had seen little choice but to agree to the contracts and allow the government to come in and start mining, had their hands tied when it came to how the mining was done. In the early 1970s, the mine was putting out about 1 million tons of coal each year, and the process was likened to tearing down St. Peter’s Basilica for the marble. It wasn’t just environmental groups that leaped on the companies for their strip‑mining processes; the tribes absolutely weren’t happy with the complete destruction of ancient sites.

8. The Termination Of The Menominee

A huge amount of US dealings with various tribes across the country has involved some absolutely audacious attempts to integrate them with what’s considered more mainstream American society. Beginning in the 1940s and continuing into the 1960s, there was a policy put in place that was ominously called Termination. In the 1930s, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs had been a man named John Collier, who had given the different tribes nothing less than the right to keep their own culture. When he left office in 1945, those that hadn’t agreed with him took the opportunity to reverse everything he’d done.

The Termination policy was touted as an emancipation process that would free tribes from the control of the government. What the policies were really doing was taking away the power for tribal governments to run themselves. Reservations were to be broken up and no longer receive any kind of government protection. In turn, groups that had previously been run by their own, generations‑old system of governance would now be answering to the same rules and institutions that European Americans did.

The process was a long one, and it required legislation to be drawn up for each individual tribe. One of the first was Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe. In 1954, they were officially terminated, and Congress declared that they would no longer be recognized as a tribe. The council was told that they would be terminated whether they liked it or not. Several extensions were granted, but eventually, in 1961, they were terminated.

The fallout was fast. Programs that had been supported by the federal government before, like schools and hospitals, didn’t have a funding base. The small population couldn’t afford to support things like utility services on its own, and termination, bizarrely, meant the removal of government funding that small towns all over the country rely on to survive. Hospitals and clinics closed, courts were shut down, police departments dissolved, utility services were shut down, and suddenly, the people needed to pay for hunting and fishing licenses for the land that had sustained them for thousands of years.

Termination was repealed in 1973, largely due to its disastrous results with the Menominee, but the damage was already done. The tribe had been living in the same area for more than 10,000 years and were so closely tied to the land that they took their name from the Menominee River, where their origins were set. Before termination, they were one of the wealthiest tribes in the country, completely self‑sufficient with their own government, law enforcement, and schools. Fifty years later, the Menominee are reincorporated as a tribe, but they’re still picking up the pieces.

7. Lone Wolf vs. Hitchcock

By the turn of the 20th century, many tribes had been forcefully removed from their ancestral lands and forced onto reservations. An 1867 treaty called the Medicine Lodge Treaty appeared to give tribes at least some sort of say in what happened to the lands that they had been forced onto. In theory, the treaty said that in order for reservation land to be made available for other uses, a three‑fourths majority approval needed to be given by the tribe that was currently on the land.

In 1900, though, the government decided to parcel off the land that had been given to the Kiowa‑Comanche tribe. Those that accepted a specific plot of land were also given citizenship with it, and the extra land was also parceled off—to be sold to anyone, even though no approval was given. Kiowa leader Lone Wolf sued the government for breach of treaty, and he lost.

The verdict given was that Congress had the right to change absolutely any previous treaties as they saw fit, because as the government, they had complete control over everything that went on in a reservation. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where the verdict was upheld. Members of tribes were deemed “wards of the nation,” and not long after, 50,000 settlers moved into what had been dubbed surplus reservation land. The verdict has never been overturned and is still a valid precedent.

6. The Cherokee Strip

When the Cherokee were forced to settle in an area that’s now Oklahoma, they were given about 7 million acres in three separate areas. By the 1880s, though, the country was expanding, and ranchers and settlers needed that land. The US government made an offer to the Cherokee, attempting to buy the land at $3 an acre. The offer was refused, and in 1889, Congress ordered them to sell at $1.25 an acre.

The Cherokee had been making a lot of their income from leasing their land to ranchers. In 1890, though, the president signed into effect a law that prohibited all grazing after October, cutting off a huge portion of their income. After several delays, during which the government agreed to enforce the boundaries on the land that the Cherokee had managed to keep, the Cherokee Strip was opened for land claims from settlers.

Somewhere around 135,000 people showed up to stand in line at the nine registration booths that were opened for registering land claims, and it went about as smoothly as you’d guess. Cavalry were called in to keep the peace, but it was a mass of fights (some drunken, some not), bribery, counterfeiting, and no small amount of heat stroke. Individual members of the Cherokee were allowed to make a run for a piece of the land that they’d previously called home, but an overwhelming majority of people who tried for land didn’t get it. And once the land had been handed out, those that did get it found that they were ill‑equipped to handle it. A huge number of claims were abandoned before a year passed. Towns failed, and farms folded, adding insult to injury to those that had been forced to sell their land at a pittance.

5. The Indian Child Welfare Act Of 1978

It wasn’t until the 1970s that a big problem was brought to light, and it was a problem that people didn’t even see as a problem before that. Children were being taken from their families on a huge scale. From 1969–74, 25–34 percent of all Native American children were removed from their homes on a temporary or permanent basis and passed into the system of federal schooling, foster care, or adoption. Compare that with the non‑Native American children removal rate of 5 percent.

Part of the problem was the idea of federally instituted boarding schools, and we’ll look at that more in a minute. The other problem was that laws didn’t take into account the differences in tribal conditions for raising children. Generally more communal in nature, it’s perfectly normal for extended family or even neighbors to take care of children a large amount of the time. In a system that was biased in favor of families made up of only parents and children, this was seen as a problem. In states like North Dakota, about 99 percent of children removed from families were because of cases like this, which were deemed neglect cases.

It wasn’t until 1978 that Congress established the Indian Child Welfare Act, which used a different set of guidelines for the removal of native children from their homes. It included a requirement for the tribal government to be involved in such rulings, added considerations for tribal customs, and, should a child still need to be removed from parent care, placement with a native family. For the first time, part of the guidelines definitely stated that maintaining family and cultural bonds was of the utmost importance.

4. The Burke Act And US Citizenship

For decades, the question of citizenship for Native Americans has been something of a weird dilemma, and the government used it as a sort of blackmail. The Dawes Act of 1887 automatically granted citizenship to any member of any tribe that left their lands and voluntarily moved away… except for those belonging to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes. They weren’t included until a 1901 amendment, but it was the 1906 Burke Act that was really strange and very bizarrely worded.

According to the Burke Act, anyone who moved away from their tribe and accepted an allotment of land was granted citizenship, with a catch: That citizenship was withheld for 25 years or until they received special notice from government officials. Further notes in the law indicated that they not only needed to move away from their tribe but that they also needed to embrace the “habits of civilized life” before they were eligible for citizenship and all the benefits that went along with it. It was up to the Secretary of the Interior to decide if they had fulfilled their obligation to the so‑called “civilized life.” Government officials were also the ones deciding whether or not people who wanted to take allotments were capable of running one. Those who received allotments and either did their 25 years or received their approval for citizenship early still weren’t in the clear; once they died, it was still up to the Secretary on whether or not their descendants were capable of running the land. If they weren’t, the land would be sold.

3. The Theft Of Geronimo’s Skull

According to the story, Yale’s secretive Skull and Bones society was responsible for robbing the grave of Geronimo and stealing his skull. For a long time, it seemed like the story would never be anything more than a rumor, until an author researching a book on Yale’s World War I veterans stumbled across a letter that seemed to prove that they had indeed stolen Geronimo’s skull.

Before the leader died, he had been very specific in his wishes: He wanted to be buried in New Mexico, on Apache land. He definitely did not say he wanted his bones to be in the hands of the rich, elite members of the secret society.

Yale still officially says that they don’t have the bones, but members of the society aren’t saying anything. With more than 800 of those members still around today, that makes things even more complicated. Geronimo’s great‑grandson opened a lawsuit in 2009, suing both Skull and Bones and Yale for the return of the bones. The suit cites plenty of evidence, including the letter and testimony from Skull and Bones members, which confirms that inside their headquarters is a glass case containing bones that they were always told belonged to the Apache leader. The letter, dated 1918, also says that they have other bones, along with some of the tack from Geronimo’s horse. Why steal it? It’s something called crooking, a competition among the society members to see what important things they can steal for their “tomb.”

Still, Yale insists that they don’t have the bones and that they have no control over Skull and Bones, while the society itself isn’t saying anything. It was only in 1990 that a law was passed to protect the graves and remains of Native Americans and to give their families rights to preserve them.

In 2010, Geronimo’s family lost. According to the verdict, only thefts that occurred after 1990 are protected by the law, and the government will not force the society to return remains that had been stolen prior to that.

2. The Innocent Fun Of Grave Robbing

For the citizens of Blanding, Utah, picking up arrowheads and pieces of pottery seemed like no big deal. It was all over the place, after all, and there was so much of it that it often ended up being used for target practice. Finally, Winston Hurst, a local boy turned archaeologist, realized just what it was that people were picking up, destroying, and in some cases selling—part of the history of an entire people.

In 2009, his information led to a 150‑man FBI raid, along with a series of arrests. Jim Redd, a local doctor, was among those that were arrested for looting and selling antiquities; he killed himself the day after the raid. According to the townspeople, picking up artifacts was just a way of life, and according to Hurst, that’s the problem.

When the mayor pointed out that there was just so much of the stuff lying around that no one had seen what the big deal about collecting—and destroying—it was, the implications were horrifying. Archaeologists like Hurst were seeing the historical record of an entire culture wiped out, and as the relic‑hunting operations got larger and larger, so did the destruction. Sites around town, which were roughly 12,000 years old, were badly, amateurishly excavated. By the time Hurst had assembled a case, a staggering amount of artifacts had been looted and sold, which were later seized by the FBI. Once home to the Anasazi, the area around the town has yielded incredible treasures, jewelry, pottery, baskets, feather blankets, and other items, once left in graves as tributes to the dead.

The fallout was incredible, with other suicides following the arrests, and the people who had once been his neighbors cursed Hurst as a traitor. Meanwhile, graffiti is scrawled across pueblo walls and ancient cave paintings, and offerings once left along burial sites are sold on the black market. The town, founded in 1900, was also the site of a recent sting operation in which a single agent spent $335,000 purchasing illegal artifacts over the course of two and a half years. Meanwhile, the locals whose ancestors are buried in the caves won’t even enter them, simply out of respect for the dead.

1. Assimilation Via Boarding Schools

It started in the 1870s, and in 2015, there are still people who remember being sent away from their families to attend Native American boarding schools. The programs and the idea was based on a prison program, and statements made by the man who developed that program are horrific: “All the Indian there is in the race should be dead. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”

That was from a speech given in 1892 by Richard Pratt. Decades later, the practice was still in place and, in 2015, there are still people who remember their mothers crying as they were taken away, being beaten for speaking in their native language, being forced to cut their hair, and being given new, Americanized names. There were around 100 boarding schools operating in the United States, and even into the 1960s, teachers there were told that their first responsibility wasn’t to educate students but to “civilize” them.

The goal of the boarding schools was to take away everything that gave the students their identity. Schedules were so strict that in some cases, they were planned out in increments of five minutes, time that was precisely used for things like making beds and brushing teeth. From hairstyles and clothing to learning a new religion, they were taught everything they needed to know to not be Native American anymore.

Ironically, among those that have spoken out about their experiences in boarding schools, where they were discouraged from embracing their native culture, are the Navajo Code Talkers, whose language was of unprecedented importance throughout World War II—quite a difference from their experiences in school.

There are still a handful of these boarding schools in existence, but now, they have a different mission: to educate and to preserve culture. For those that still remember being torn from their families and forced to become something they absolutely weren’t, though, there’s still a lot that needs to be mended.

When you hear the phrase 15 sporting heroes, you might picture household names like Michael Jordan or Serena Williams. Yet a whole galaxy of world‑class athletes shines brightly on the global stage while remaining virtually invisible to most Americans. From hammer‑throwing prodigies to ultra‑marathon gods, this list celebrates fifteen champions whose trophies glitter abroad but rarely flicker on U.S. television.

Why These 15 Sporting Heroes Matter

Sport, at its core, is a universal language. These athletes have spoken it fluently, setting records, winning gold, and redefining the limits of human potential. Their stories deserve a place in the global sporting conversation, and now, thanks to this roundup, they’ll finally get a shout‑out across the pond.

1 Yuriy Sedykh

The Soviet hammer‑throw titan Yuriy Sedykh ruled the event from the late ’70s through the early ’90s. Unlike most throwers who use four turns, Sedykh favored three, claiming it gave him the same distance with less effort. He captured Olympic gold in Montreal ’76 and Moscow ’80, topped the podium at the 1986 Goodwill Games and the 1991 World Championships, and amassed three European titles. Sedykh missed the 1984 Los Angeles Games because the USSR boycotted, denying him a likely third Olympic gold. He still holds the men’s hammer‑throw world record—a 86‑meter marvel set in 1986—still the longest‑standing record in any men’s athletics discipline. Over his career he shattered the world mark six times, cementing his place as the sport’s all‑time great.

2 Iron Mike Zambidis

If Mike Zambidis were American, his name would be splashed across every fighting magazine, rivaling the fame of “Iron” Mike Tyson. The Greek kick‑boxer, nicknamed “Iron Mike,” boasts an astounding 148‑fight career, 85 of those victories by knockout. A fifteen‑time world champion, Zambidis has hoisted every major title on offer—W.O.K.A., W.I.P.U., W.K.B.F., and K‑1 World Max among them. Analysts often rank him as one of the finest pound‑for‑pound kick‑boxers ever, a true living legend of combat sport whose knockout power and technical brilliance left fans worldwide in awe.

3 Regla Torres Herrera

Regla Torres Herrera stands as the volleyball world’s answer to Soviet great Aleksandr Savin or American legend Karch Kiraly. Towering at 1.91 m, the Cuban middle‑blocker dominated the sport, steering her national team to three consecutive Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000) and World Championship crowns in 1994 and 1998. At just 17, she became the youngest volleyball Olympic champion ever, helping Cuba defeat the Unified Team 3‑1 in Barcelona. The International Volleyball Federation crowned her the best female player of the 20th century—a fitting tribute to a true giant of the game.

4 Jan Železný

Jan Železný, the Czech javelin maestro, seemed born to fling a spear at record‑breaking distances. After a bronze at the 1987 World Championships and a silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he entered a period of unrivaled dominance. Železný seized Olympic gold in Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96, and Sydney 2000, while also capturing World titles in 1993, 1995, and 2001. He set five world records and was named IAAF Athlete of the Year in 2000. Notably, he is the only thrower ever to surpass the 94‑meter mark with the modern javelin, achieving the feat five times—a testament to his extraordinary talent.

5 David Douillet

David Douillet, the French heavyweight judoka, rewrote the record books with a career that eclipsed even Japan’s storied tradition. By the 2000 Sydney Games, he had amassed six major titles: two Olympic golds, four World Championships, and a string of European crowns. Douillet’s 11‑medal haul—three Olympic, four World, and four European—places him atop the all‑time judo leaderboard, surpassing legends like Yasuhiro Yamashita. Persistent injuries forced his retirement at 31, but his legacy as the sport’s most decorated heavyweight endures.

6 Larisa Latynina

Larisa Latynina remains the gold‑standard of Olympic gymnastics. Over three Olympiads she amassed an unprecedented 18 medals—nine gold, five silver, and four bronze—more than any other athlete in any sport. Her 14 individual medals stand as the record for most solo Olympic podium finishes. Latynina’s dominance propelled the Soviet Union to gymnastics supremacy, and her name still shines as the most decorated female Olympian, a record that may stand for generations.

7 Peter Snell

New Zealand’s Peter Snell rewrote middle‑distance history in the early 1960s. At the 1960 Rome Olympics he claimed gold in the 800 m, then repeated the feat in the 1500 m at the 1964 Tokyo Games—becoming the first man since 1920 to win both distances at a single Olympics. By the time he retired at 26, Snell held world records at 800 m and 1000 m, secured a double gold haul at the Commonwealth Games, and had become a national icon. His career, though brief, left an indelible mark on athletics.

8 Sawao Kato

Sawao Kato stands among the most successful male gymnasts ever, with eight Olympic golds and twelve total medals—more golds than any other male gymnast and more than any Asian athlete in any sport. A member of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Kato ranks alongside legends like Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis, and Paavo Nurmi as one of only nine athletes to claim at least eight Olympic golds. His brilliance helped cement Japan’s reputation as a gymnastics powerhouse.

9 Joe Calzaghe

Joe Calzaghe, the Welsh dragon of boxing, is often hailed as the greatest super‑middleweight of all time. Over a career spanning more than a decade, Calzaghe amassed the WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF, The Ring, and British super‑middleweight belts, later adding The Ring light‑heavyweight title. He reigned as world champion for over eleven years, retiring undefeated at 46‑0 with 32 knockouts. Victories over Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, and Mikkel Kessler cemented his legacy, earning him a place among boxing’s all‑time elite.

10 Sébastien Loeb

Sébastien Loeb, France’s rally‑driving virtuoso, rewrote the World Rally Championship record books by clinching eight consecutive titles—a feat no other driver has matched. With 67 rally victories, 808 stage wins, and 103 podium finishes (the first ever to top 100), Loeb’s dominance is unparalleled. He shattered previous records set by Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen, and Tommi Mäkinen, and remains active, still hungry for more triumphs.

11 Pyrros Dimas

Pyrros Dimas, the Greek weight‑lifting titan, earned the International Federation of Weightlifting’s highest honor in 2005 as the sport’s greatest ever. He captured four Olympic medals—three consecutive golds (Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96, Sydney 2000) and a silver in Athens 2004—alongside six World titles and twelve major‑event golds. Known for breaking world records with uncanny frequency, Dimas became a national hero, embodying the spirit of the ancient Greek champion.

12 Sergey Bubka

Sergey Bubka, the Ukrainian pole‑vault legend, dominated the event like no other. Representing the Soviet Union until its 1991 dissolution, he secured six consecutive World Championship golds, an Olympic gold in 1988, and a total of 35 world‑record improvements—17 outdoors, 18 indoors. He was the first to clear 6.00 m and remains the sole athlete to clear 6.10 m. Bubka still holds the outdoor record of 6.14 m (set 1994) and the indoor mark of 6.15 m (1993). His accolades include the Prince of Asturias Award, L’Équipe’s Sportsman of the Year, and UNESCO Champion for Sport.

13 Laszlo Papp

László Papp, the Hungarian pugilist, made history by winning three successive Olympic gold medals (1948, 1952, 1956)—a feat later matched only by Felix Savón and Teófilo Stevenson. He added two European titles and amassed a staggering 306 official wins, suffering just three defeats. After an illustrious amateur career, Papp turned professional, capturing the European title in 1965 and defending it five times. Despite political constraints that barred him from a U.S. world‑title bout, he retired undefeated in the professional ranks (27‑0‑2) and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001.

14 Yannis Kouros

Yannis Kouros, the Greek ultra‑marathon phenomenon, holds an unmatched 134 world records—more than any athlete in any sport, according to Guinness. He has conquered distances ranging from 100 mi to 1,000 km, setting records on road, track, and in multi‑day events. The New York Times highlighted his 16 world records at the 1984 six‑day race. Kouros’ titles include 71 ultra‑marathon victories across every continent, making him the undisputed king of extreme endurance running.

15 Alexander Karelin

Alexander Karelin, known as the “Russian Bear” and “The Experiment,” reigned supreme in Greco‑Roman wrestling for 13 years (1987‑2000). Standing 1.96 m tall and weighing 130 kg, he amassed four Olympic medals—gold in 1988, 1992, 1996, and silver in 2000—plus nine World titles and twelve European crowns. His signature “Karelin Lift” (a reverse body‑lift worth five points) stunned opponents and audiences alike. Despite an upset loss to Rulon Gardner at Sydney 2000, Karelin remains the sport’s most dominant figure, hailed by FILA as the greatest wrestler ever.

These fifteen athletes illustrate that true greatness knows no borders. Their achievements echo across stadiums, tracks, and rings worldwide, even if they haven’t yet captured the American spotlight. Next time you discuss world sport, remember these hidden legends—they’re the real champions of the globe.

When you think of the rich tapestry of American history, the top 15 most influential Native Americans instantly spring to mind. From fierce warriors who led daring battles to artistic trailblazers who broke cultural barriers, these figures have left indelible marks on the nation’s story. Dive in and meet the legends whose legacies still echo across the centuries.

Why These Top 15 Most Figures Matter in American History

Each of these individuals represents a unique thread in the fabric of indigenous resilience, innovation, and leadership. Their lives illustrate the diverse ways Native peoples have shaped everything from warfare tactics to performing arts, language development, and diplomatic negotiations. Understanding their contributions gives us a fuller, more nuanced picture of the United States.

15 Red Cloud

Red Cloud, known among the Oglala Lakota as Makhpiya Luta, earned a reputation as one of the most formidable warriors ever to clash with the U.S. military. He spearheaded what became known as Red Cloud’s War—a fierce struggle for control over the Powder River Country that straddles northern Wyoming and southern Montana. After the conflict, he guided his people through the difficult transition onto a reservation, remaining a pivotal leader throughout his life.

14 Cochise

Pronounced “K-you Ch-Ish,” Cochise stands as the Apache chief second only to Geronimo in fame within his tribe. Tall, muscular, and often seen with his long black hair tied in a traditional ponytail, he embodied the classic image of a Native warrior. Cochise played a central role in resisting encroachments by both Mexican and American forces during the volatile 19th‑century frontier period.

13 Maria Tallchief

Born Elizabeth Marie “Betty” Tallchief to an Osage Nation father, Maria rose to become America’s first major prima ballerina. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1947 and dazzled audiences until her retirement in 1965. Later, she founded the Chicago City Ballet and served as its artistic director for many years. Since 1997, she has mentored countless dancers, earning a spot in a PBS special that ran from 2007 to 2010.

12 Squanto

Squanto, or Tisquantum, of the Patuxet tribe, became a vital liaison for the Pilgrims during their first brutal winter. After being kidnapped in 1608 by George Weymouth and taken to England, he learned the language and survived as a trader. He returned aboard John Smith’s vessel in 1613, only to discover his entire tribe had been wiped out by a devastating plague.

11 Crazy Horse

Born Thasuka Witko—literally “His‑Horse‑is‑Crazy”—the Lakota warrior also carried the name Cha‑O‑Ha, meaning “In the Wilderness.” Often called Curly for his hair, he led roughly 1,500 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors in a surprise assault on General George Crook’s force during the Great Sioux War of 1876. Though the battle caused relatively few casualties, it thwarted Crook’s plans to join General Custer, indirectly paving the way for Custer’s defeat at Little Bighorn.

10 Sacajawea

Sacajawea, born Agaidika—“Salmon Eater”—in the Shoshone tribe in 1788, became an indispensable guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition. In February 1805, shortly after meeting the explorers, she gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, with the help of Meriwether Lewis. Her likeness now graces the U.S. dollar coin, cementing her place in American memory.

9 Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph emerged as a leading figure among the Nez Perce of the Pacific Northwest. He is most remembered for his role in the 1877 Nez Perce War, during which he refused to sign a treaty that would force his people onto an Idaho reservation. Instead, he led a daring flight toward Canada, only to be stopped 40 miles from the border, where he delivered his famous surrender speech. He spent his final years on a reservation in north‑central Washington, passing away in 1904 without ever returning to his cherished Wallowa Valley.

8 Pontiac

Known in Ottawa as Obwandiyag, Chief Pontiac led a resistance against British occupation of the Great Lakes region. In 1763, he and 300 followers attempted a surprise takeover of Fort Detroit, sparking a wider revolt that eventually swelled to over 900 Native warriors. The uprising culminated in the Battle of Bloody Run, where the rebels captured the fort. Although his legacy remains debated, he was assassinated by a Peoria Indian in Illinois in 1769.

7 Geronimo

Geronimo, whose Chiricahua name translates to “one who yawns,” was a formidable leader of the Apache who resisted U.S. and Mexican incursions for over a quarter of a century. Although he never claimed the formal title of chief, he served as both a military and spiritual guide. He famously led raids against settlers, married six wives according to Apache custom, and eventually surrendered, later appearing at fairs and schools as a symbol of Native resistance.

6 Tecumseh

Tecumseh, a Shawnee whose name means “Panther in the Sky,” worked tirelessly to unite disparate tribes against encroaching American expansion. In 1805, his brother Tenskwatawa—known as the Prophet— sparked a religious revival urging Native peoples to reject European ways. Tecumseh’s diplomatic efforts led to the establishment of Prophetstown near Battle Ground, Indiana, before he fell in the War of 1812.

5 Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull, or Tatanka Iyotake in Lakota, served as both a holy man and a military leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota. He is most celebrated for his decisive victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, where his strategic insight helped defeat General Custer’s forces. His name has become synonymous with Native American bravery and spiritual strength.

4 Black Hawk

Black Hawk, born Makataimeshekiakiak—meaning “Be a Large Black Hawk”—was a war chief of the Sauk tribe who inherited a sacred medicine bundle. Though not a traditional chief, he became renowned for leading his people during the War of 1812, initially siding with the British before turning against American settlers in Illinois and Wisconsin. He died in Iowa, and his legacy persists despite myths linking him to later athletes like Jim Thorpe.

3 Sequoiah

Sequoyah, also known as George Guess or Gist, was a Cherokee silversmith born around 1767 who invented the Cherokee syllabary—a writing system that dramatically increased literacy among his people. Though the exact details of his birth and death remain uncertain, his contribution to Native language preservation places him among the most important inventors in history.

2 Pocahontas

Pocahontas, born Matoaka and also known as Amonute, was the daughter of Chief Powhatan of the Powhatan Confederacy. She married English settler John Rolfe, traveled to England, and became a celebrated figure in London society before dying in 1617. Although Disney’s romanticized version diverges from historical fact, her story remains a poignant example of cultural intersection.

1 Hiawatha

Hiawatha, a legendary Onondaga peacemaker, is credited—alongside the Great Law of Peace—with founding the Iroquois Confederacy. Though the historical record is sparse, Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha” popularized his name, cementing his role as a cultural icon and symbol of unity among the Five Nations.

On the untamed Western Frontier, the clash of cultures produced stories that still echo today. Among the most puzzling were the tales of 10 pioneer children who, after being taken by Native American tribes, decided they would never go back to the white settlements that had once been their homes. These youngsters chose loyalty to their captors, forging new identities that outlasted the violence of their capture.

10 Pioneer Children Who Refused To Return Home

In the spring of 1835 a trader named George Ewing crossed paths with an elderly Miami woman called Maconaquah. She was a respected matriarch, a widowed grandmother whose husband had once served as chief. When she disclosed that she herself had been born to white parents, Ewing was stunned.

Maconaquah’s original name was Frances Slocum, a Quaker girl snatched from her Pennsylvania home by Seneca raiders when she was merely five. A Miami family purchased her for a few pelts, raising her as one of their own. Over the next 57 years she married a Miami chief, bore four children, and saw her offspring grow into adulthood.

Her white brothers never gave up the search. When word finally reached them that Frances was still alive, her brother Isaac traveled to meet the sister he had lost decades before. He pleaded for her return, but Frances, now unable to speak English, responded through an interpreter, saying, “I do not wish to live any better, or anywhere else, and I think the Great Spirit has permitted me to live so long because I have always lived with the Indians.” She remained with the Miami until her death, buried beside her husband.

9 Cynthia Ann Parker

At nine years old, Cynthia Ann Parker endured a nightmarish raid in 1836 that left her family slaughtered and her whisked away by Comanche warriors. She survived the horror, but the price of her freedom would be far steeper.

Four years after her capture, a trader named Williams learned she was alive among the Comanche. He offered the tribe any sum they desired for her release. When Williams finally spoke with her, Parker stared silently at the ground, refusing to utter a word.

Two decades later, a Texas Ranger expedition finally rescued her, bringing her back to her white relatives. Yet after 24 years living among the Comanche, she could not readjust. She had married a Comanche warrior, Peta Nocona, who the Rangers had killed. Her grief turned to defiance; she repeatedly attempted escape, then, when she realized freedom was impossible, she stopped eating, eventually dying of starvation and influenza rather than rejoin white society.

8 Eunice Williams

Reverend John Williams watched his daughter Eunice vanish when Mohawk warriors raided their home. He tracked the tribe and begged for her freedom, but the Mohawks refused to sell her, only permitting a brief conversation.

Eunice, terrified, described to her father the tribe’s rituals, calling them “mocking the Devil.” She recounted a French Catholic missionary forcing her to pray in a language she could not understand, pleading, “I hope it won’t do me any harm.”

A decade later, John Schuyler visited the Mohawk settlement, only to find Eunice transformed: she wore Mohawk dress, had converted to Catholicism, married a warrior, and refused to speak English. After two hours of pleading, she offered a single response to Schuyler’s request to return home: “It may not be.”

7 Mary Jemison

Mary Jemison’s childhood turned into a nightmare when an Iroquois raiding party attacked her family’s homestead. The warriors forced the Jemisons to march through unforgiving woods, beating anyone who lagged with a whip, denying them food, and even compelling them to drink urine when they begged for water.

After a grueling march, Mary was torn from her parents and forced onward. She later witnessed a chilling scene: a warrior retrieving her parents’ scalps, cleaning them, and drying them over a fire. The horror of that image haunted her for the rest of her life.

Despite the trauma, Mary chose to stay. She lived with a Seneca family, married a Delaware man, and remained devoted to her new community until death, never seeking to return to the world she had lost.

6 Herman Lehmann

At ten, Herman Lehmann was snatched by Apache raiders and thrust into a life far from his German‑American roots. He grew into an Apache warrior, adopting the name “En Da” and earning the rank of petty chief for his battlefield prowess.

When a tribal medicine man murdered his adoptive father, Carnoviste, Herman avenged the act, killing the healer. Forced to flee, he spent a year wandering alone, evading both Apache pursuers and white soldiers, before finally seeking refuge on a reservation.

His mother, hearing rumors of a blue‑eyed boy on the reservation, journeyed to find him. Initially, Herman did not recognize her and declared, “I was an Indian, and I did not like them because they were palefaces.” Yet his sister spotted a distinctive scar, cried out, “It’s Herman!” The sound of his own name stirred a memory, and he realized his true identity.

5 Olive Oatman

Olive Oatman’s memoir paints her Mohave captors as savage, yet her blue tattoo stretching across her jaw hints at a deeper bond. Born to a Mormon family, she was seized by Apaches while traveling westward, then sold to a Mohave family that adopted her for five years.

When her surviving brother finally located her, the Mohave were enduring a famine, and many tribe members were starving. Concerned for her welfare, her adoptive family released her back to her white relatives.

Olive’s published account condemns the Mohave, but clues suggest she was not entirely truthful. She adopted Mohave dress, accepted their customs, and willingly received the facial tattoo. Moreover, the Mohave name given to her, “Spantsa,” translates to “sore vagina,” contradicting her claims of chastity. Some scholars argue that her time among the Mohave reshaped her identity more profoundly than she admitted.

4 The Boyd Children

The five Boyd siblings survived a brutal raid that saw their mother beaten to death for lagging behind. Captured by Iroquois raiders, they were sold to Delaware families, spending years under Native care.

Father John Boyd eventually rescued his eldest son, David, after four years of searching. Yet David, having grown attached to his Delaware family, slipped away under cover of night, returning to his captors.

Over the next four years, John painstakingly bought back each child, only to watch nearly every one flee back to their Native families. Though he succeeded in freeing all his children, he could not compel them to stay.

3 Mary Campbell

During Pontiac’s War, hundreds of white children were seized as retribution for Native losses. Mary Campbell was among those taken, placed with a Lenape family. When the conflict ended, Colonel Henry Bouquet compiled a list of over two hundred abducted children and demanded their return.

The tribes obliged, but Mary resisted. She was forcibly dragged back to her biological family, yet she repeatedly attempted escape, yearning to rejoin the Lenape who had raised her.

Mary’s defiance was not unique; roughly half of the children released under Bouquet’s agreement chose to flee their white homes and return to the Native families that had become their true homes.

2 Theodore Babb

Fourteen‑year‑old Theodore Babb endured the murder of his mother and the kidnapping of his sister Bianca by Comanche raiders. Determined to hate his captors, he resisted every attempt to assimilate.

After a series of brutal beatings, the Comanche tied him to a tree, preparing to burn him alive. Bianca’s cries fell on deaf ears; Theodore stared his tormentors down, refusing to flinch.

Impressed by his resolve, the Comanche abandoned their execution plan, instead training him as a warrior. Within six months, Theodore mastered riding, weaponry, and raiding tactics, becoming a valued member of the tribe. When his white father eventually bought his freedom, Theodore chose to leave, yet he carried the warrior spirit of the Comanche for the rest of his life.

1 Adolph Korn

Captured at ten by a childless Comanche woman, Adolph Korn was adopted and given a loving home he had never known. The woman nurtured him, providing attention his busy frontier parents could not.

Three years later, his biological family retrieved him, hoping to reintegrate him into white society. Instead, Adolph continued his Comanche ways, raiding neighboring farms and amassing a criminal record. Fearing further loss, his parents moved to a remote ranch.

Refusing to abandon his adopted culture, Adolph fled into the wilderness, carving out a solitary existence in a cave where he remained until death. A family member recalled his final words: “Adolph kept a solitary vigil for the Comanche brothers whom he knew would never return.”

The recent release of Brittney Griner from a Russian penal colony on the morning of December 8, 2022, was hailed by some and criticized by others. The same day, Sarah Krivanek, a U.S. citizen ordered deported by a Russian court due to a domestic dispute, left Russia too. Unlike Griner, though, Krivanek was not a part of a prisoner swap that saw Griner exchanged for Viktor Bout, on whom the 2005 Nicholas Cage film Lord of War is based. Many people are also aware of a third prisoner, Paul Whelan, a former Marine and corporate executive who was convicted of espionage and, as a result, is serving a 16-year sentence.

What many people don’t know is that these three people are a small group of the many other people currently detained in non-U.S. prisons. This article lists just 10 of these individuals, but there are many more.

10 Airan Barry and Luke Denman (Venezuela)

In August 2020, a Venezuelan court sentenced Airan Berry and Luke Denman, two former U.S. Army Special Forces members, to 20 years in prison after the two men attempted to help overthrow President Maduro. The two men were convicted of conspiracy charges, illegal arms trafficking, and terrorism. Both men admitted to participating in Operation Gideon, an unsuccessful attempt to remove Maduro from office. It was part of a plan organized by Silvercorp USA, a private security firm based in Florida. Operation Gideon led to the death of at least eight soldiers and the jailing of another 66 individuals.

Both Berry and Denman were arrested in the fishing village of Chuao. The two men were represented by a public defender after the lawyers hired to represent them were not told about their hearing. The two men were then used by the Venezuelan media to suggest that the United States wanted to overthrow Venezuela’s government. The United States denied any participation in the alleged coup.^[1]

9 Majd Kamalmaz (Syria)

In 2017, Majd Kamalmaz disappeared on a trip to Syria and is believed to have been placed in a Syrian jail. The 63-year-old with diabetes, who is also an American citizen and psychotherapist, arrived in Damascus on February 15, 2017. From this point, Kamalmaz traveled to Syria’s capital after the death of his father-in-law to inquire about elderly relatives. Kamalmaz is believed to have been arrested at a checkpoint on February 16, 2017. Family members have expressed wonderment over why the man was arrested because he is not involved in politics. The family has also worked with the State Department to try to find Kamalmaz and help get him released from prison.

A Czech ambassador later confirmed that Kamalmaz was held because he was seen as a symbol of U.S. interest in Syria after civil war erupted in the country. While the trail has gone cold about Kamalmaz, he is still believed to be alive. Kamalmaz is a humanitarian interested in international disaster relief and worked in Kosovo as well as Indonesia after the tsunami in 2004. In 2012, Kamalmaz became concerned about the growing conflict in Syria and helped various refugees by opening two mental health clinics in Lebanon and Jordan.^[2]

8 David Lin (China)

David Lin is a pastor who has been detained in China since 2006. U.S. efforts to have Lin released finally achieved results in 2022 following a meeting between President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in Bali. This meeting saw the reduction of Lin’s life imprisonment—lowered to 24 years. This means that Lin will be released from prison in 2030. It remains uncertain if Lin will be able to survive until this date, though. Since 2018, Lin has been in poor health.

David Lin served as an economist who advised California and Iowa state officials. Lin’s wife was a Christian, who persuaded Lin to pursue the religion. In the 1990s, Lin began taking trips to China to promote Christianity and help local churches. Lin later registered as a Christian minister in 1999. In 2006, Lin was stopped by law enforcement and placed under house arrest for having illegal religious propaganda. Months later, Lin was arrested formally.

Lin was charged with “contract fraud” as well for helping Chinese nationals enter into contracts for premises designed for non-authorized church usage. A few years later, Lin received a life imprisonment sentence. Lin later stated that he viewed his imprisonment as a mission from God and a chance to promote religion to his fellow inmates. In 2018, however, Lin sent his loved ones in the United States his bible, his prized possession. Lin later urged his loved ones to request his release because he was in bad health and not receiving adequate care while in jail.^[3]

7 Kai Li (China)

Kai Li, an American citizen, was detained in China in 2017 following an espionage conviction. In the summer of 2016, Li transported his son from their home in New York to Harvard University before traveling to Shanghai. Kai Li, who was born in Shanghai, returned to the city for a ceremony commemorating his mother’s death. When the plane landed, Li was met by security agents. In 2018, Li was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for espionage. The Li family argues that these charges are politically motivated. The case involves state secrets that Li and his lawyer claim are freely available online.

Born in 1962, Li later moved to America to study and then became a U.S. citizen. Li opened two gas stations on Long Island and also acted as a buyer and distributor of solar cell technology for U.S. aerospace firms. During these years, Li visited China several times a year.^[4]

6 Paul Overby (Afghanistan)

Paul E. Overby Jr. is a 79-year-old writer from Massachusetts who was abducted in May 2014 in the eastern Khost province of Afghanistan. At the time he was kidnapping, Overby was headed to interview the head of the Haqqani network, an infamous Taliban network. Before disappearing, Overby suggested that he planned to cross into Pakistan.

Overby was in the country at the time to write a book about the war in Afghanistan. Additionally, Overby is reported to have had health issues that require medical care. In the 1980s, Overby fought beside Afghans against Soviet forces. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered a $1 million award for information leading to the return of Overby.^[5]

5 Mark Swidan (China)

In 2012, Mark Swidan was arrested and imprisoned in a Chinese detention center. Swidan was accused of being part of a drug conspiracy while in China for business; he was sentenced to death. Swidan’s mother says he was wrongfully convicted, and she fears she may never see her son again. She has not spoken to him since 2018.

The United Nations Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations have requested Swidan’s release. Despite these requests, Swidan remains in prison. While in prison, Swidan is reported to have little food and to be experiencing deteriorating health; he has reportedly lost about 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Swidan’s mother is heading efforts to get him released and has even started a GoFundMe campaign, so Swidan has money to buy necessaries at the commissary.^[6]

4 Austin Tice (Syria)

Journalist Austin Tice is a 41-year-old man who went missing in Syria in 2012. The last that anyone in the United States heard from Tice was a video released the same year. Tice disappeared in Syria in 2012, at which time he was covering the Syrian civil war. In 2018, Tice’s parents commented that they have new details that lead them to believe Tice is still alive.

In addition to being a journalist who contributed to The Washington Post, McClatchy, and CBS, Tice is also a Marine veteran and an Eagle Scout. Those who have sought details about Tice in recent years have not found any information. President Joe Biden has referred to Tice as a “journalist who put the truth above himself.” Tice’s parents continue to push the administration to secure TIce’s release.^[7]

3 Marc Fogel (Russia)

Marc Fogel is a 61-year-old U.S. citizen and teacher who was arrested after he entered Russia at the Sheremetyevo Airport in 2021 while in possession of medical marijuana. Fogel was carrying less than 20 grams of cannabis at the time of his arrest. The drug was prescribed to Fogel in Pennsylvania for medical purposes.

Fogel has taught history at various high schools in countries like Venezuela, Oman, Colombia, and Malaysia. At the time of his arrest, Fogel was working at the Anglo-American School, which is located in Moscow. The school is an elite private school tasked with teaching the children of international political figures and American diplomats. Fogel also has a history of chronic pain in his spine and was correspondingly prescribed marijuana by his medical doctor.

Fogel was subsequently sentenced to a 14-year prison sentence in a Russian penal colony on the charge of large-scale drug trafficking. Fogel’s sentence was later reduced to nine years. Fogel is reportedly not receiving adequate medical attention while in prison.^[8]

2 Emad Shargi (Iran)

Emad Shargi is an Iranian-American businessman who was arrested in Iran in 2020. Shargi has since been sentenced to a decade of imprisonment as a result of a trial that Shargi did not even attend. Shargi was arrested on espionage charges, which Iran often brings against dual-citizenship holders and foreign nationals. Shargi was first detained in 2018, though. Later released on bail, Shargi was still not allowed to leave the country. He was re-arrested in 2020.

Shargi’s family has expressed worries about his mental state and begged the United States to secure his release. During his time in the infamous Evin prison, Shargi has been allowed to make brief phone calls to his family.^[9]

1 Shahab Dalili (Iran)

Shahab Dalili is a 59-year-old man who was arrested and later imprisoned while in Tehran in 2016 for his father’s funeral. Dalili’s family had recently immigrated to the United States and chose to settle in Virginia at the time Dalili was arrested. Dalili is a legal United States resident with a green card but not a citizen. Dalili has been charged with “aiding and abetting” the United States. For several years following his imprisonment, Dalili’s wife chose not to speak about his arrest out of fear that it might jeopardize his release.

Under the Levinson Act, which was passed in 2020, the United States government must work with both U.S. citizens as well as green card holders who are viewed as “United States nationals.” As a result of this law, the United States has more power to get someone like Dalili out of prison. Further helping matters are two of Dalili’s former cellmates who were released in 2019 and have requested that President Biden not agree to any deal with Iran without securing Dalili’s freedom. One of these men was a United States citizen who was arrested while performing research in Iran as a graduate student at Princeton University.^[10]