Being a hero is tough – if not, then we would all be heroes. Many heroes go unrecognized, and of those who are, the recognition seldom lasts for long before their deeds are forgotten. From a heroic World War I nurse, to a heroic WWII spy, following are thirty-five things about heroes whose deeds are little known today.
![Heroes from History People Really Don’t Appreciate Enough](https://cdn.dev.historycollection.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/35edith-cavell-in-brussels-before-wwi.-the-dog-on-the-left-jack-was-rescued-after-her-execution.-imperial-war-museum.jpg)
35. The WWI Heroine Who Saved Hundreds of Lives, and Paid for it With Her Own
Unlike in the movies and comics, the hero in real life seldom wears a cape and tight-fitting leotards. In the case of real-life heroine Edith Cavell (1865 – 1915), she wore a nurse’s smock and cap. As a middle-aged woman, Cavell saved hundreds of lives during WWI. She was not armed with a gun when she did that. Instead, she was armed and armored by faith and a sense of basic decency that compelled her to help those in need.
Also, unlike the movies and comics, her story did not have a happy ending. Because it happened in real life, and in real life, the hero comes to grief more often than not, Edith Cavell’s heroism got her executed by a firing squad.