14 Real Life Heroes Who Have Changed The World

12. The Unknown Protester

This man hasn't revealed himself so he is simply referred to as the Tank Man or the Unknown Protester. The Tank man temporarily stopped the progression of a column of tanks on the morning of June 5th 1989, armed only with two shopping bags that he carried in each hand. Despite the tanks trying to drive around him, he simply continues to step in front of their path in an attempt to stop them. Considering the man was carrying his shopping implies that he was on his way home and that this action wasn't planned.

This occurred on the day after that the Chinese government declared that they would violently crackdown on all Tiananmen protests and after speaking to one of the crew members of the tank, he quickly stands in their way as they once again try to manoeuvre around him. The man was later dragged away so that the tanks could move on their way but no one knows what happened to the Tank Man or even if he is still alive.