February 22

Robert Baden-Powell was a British Army officer whose experiences in colonial conflicts inspired the creation of the Scout Movement. He gained fame for his leadership during the Siege of Mafeking in the Boer War. In 1908, he published “Scouting for Boys,” outlining outdoor skills, survival techniques, and character building. Baden-Powell organized the first experimental camp on Brownsea Island, marking the birth of Scouting. He became the first Chief Scout and was later ennobled as the 1st Baron Baden-Powell. Under his guidance, the movement spread rapidly to countries around the world. His vision emphasized self-reliance, community service, and youth development.

Born in 1897 in Poland, Karol Świerczewski joined the Red Army after the Russian Revolution. He commanded International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War on the Republican side. During World War II, Świerczewski served as a Soviet military leader on the Eastern Front. After the war, he held senior positions in the Polish People's Army and government. He played a role in postwar reconstruction and consolidation of communist rule in Poland. Świerczewski died in an ambush in 1947, remembered as a controversial yet prominent military figure.

Jean-Bédel Bokassa was a Central African Army officer who seized power in a 1966 coup and became the country's second president. In 1976, he declared himself Emperor Bokassa I of the newly proclaimed Central African Empire. His reign was marked by lavish ceremonies, authoritarian rule, and widespread human rights abuses. International criticism grew over reports of brutality, including allegations of torture and forced labor. In 1979, he was deposed by a French-backed coup and lived in exile before returning to face trial. Bokassa's complex legacy includes his role in post-colonial African politics and the controversies surrounding his extravagant regime.