10 Unsung Heroes Of History

The early 1980s was a time of great political polarisation, as Margaret Thatcher in the UK and Ronald Reagan in the US brought with them a flavour of conservatism that would last throughout the decade. Reagan's appointment in particular surely ruffled the feathers of a large portion of the American population, as his work in Hollywood as an actor - alongside being the president of the Screen Actors Guild - was a puzzling start to his eventual journey to the White House.

The frustrations of one individual got particularly out of hand in the spring of 1981, as a lone gunman opened fire on the President. The White House Press Secretary at the time, James Brady, was hit above his left eye, and though President Reagan was injured in the attempt, he escaped somewhat unscathed.

Brady was permanently disabled following the assassination attempt, and after becoming an advocate for gun control, he died of complications from the wound some 33 years later, with his death being ruled a homicide.

An attempt on the life of an incumbent President is nothing new, but the spectacle of the event surely overshadowed Brady's heroics.