20 Historical Figures Who Would Be Most Shocked By Their Modern Fame

People who end up in positions of immense power and leadership tend to actively seek them out. There aren’t a lot of presidents, generals or pop stars who just kind of Mr. Beaned their way into the gig. A lot of them are forgotten by history, which would disappoint them greatly, but we’ve only got so many pages in the textbooks. If they wanted to be remembered, they should have achieved more in their terms/lyrics about boning.

There are people throughout history, however, who never sought power, never gained it in their lifetimes and/or would be completely surprised that anyone today knows who they are, let alone everyone. They were just doing their own thing, and years later, someone dug up their art or documentation of their quietly incredible feats. And so, when user GCanuck asked r/AskReddit, “Which historically famous person do you think would be most surprised to learn they are famous?,” it was a nice reminder that you, too, could be remembered for your talent, bravery or spectacular fuck-ups, even if they’re not recognized now.