People who should be more famous than they are

[mason55]

Hopefully this will go better than "what celebrity do you hate"

I kind of remember doing this thread before so don't crucify me but I can't find it.

I'll start with someone who I think is becoming more famous lately, "the man who saved the world"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov



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Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov is a retired Russian Strategic Rocket Forces lieutenant colonel who, on September 26, 1983, deviated from standard Soviet doctrine by positively identifying a missile attack warning as a false alarm. This decision, according to several sources, was a major factor in preventing an accidental retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States. Investigation of the satellite warning system later confirmed that the system had been malfunctioning.


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I'm sure there are a ton of people out there who have done awesome things, invented cool stuff, said stuff that stuck with you, etc etc. Please don't just name your favorite obscure musicians. Interesting stories!