May 25

Yao Yanzhang rose through the military ranks under King Ma Yin of the Chu kingdom. He commanded forces in key campaigns to protect Chu's borders against rival states and nomadic raids. Renowned for his strategic acumen, he secured several victories that helped maintain regional stability. Yao also administered frontier territories, overseeing governance and local defense initiatives. His loyalty and leadership contributed to Chu's resilience during a fragmented era of Chinese history.

Born John Griffin Whitwell in 1719, inheriting the barony in 1766. Served in the British Army, rising to the rank of field marshal. Fought in the Seven Years' War and other campaigns. Appointed Lord Lieutenant of Essex in 1763, representing the Crown locally. Influenced both military affairs and county governance. Implemented agricultural improvements on his estates. Died in 1797, remembered for his dual military and civic leadership.

Born in 1777 in Great Britain. Served in the British Army, achieving the rank of general. Fought in the Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington. Appointed Governor of British Guiana in 1833, overseeing the colony. Implemented administrative reforms and infrastructure projects. Advocated for balanced relations between authorities and freed slaves. Died in 1849, leaving a complex legacy in colonial governance.

Witold Pilecki was a Polish Army officer who bravely volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz in 1940 to gather intelligence. He organized secret resistance networks and escape attempts inside the camp. Pilecki smuggled out detailed reports on Nazi war crimes that alerted the Allies to the horrors of the Holocaust. After World War II, he continued his patriotic work but was arrested by the communist regime in Poland. He was executed in 1948 and later recognized as a national hero for his exceptional courage and sacrifice.

Georg von Küchler was a career German officer born in 1881 who served in both World Wars. During World War II, he led the 18th Army in the invasion of Poland and France and later commanded Army Group North during the siege of Leningrad. Under his command, German forces captured key territories on the Eastern Front but were also implicated in war crimes against civilians and prisoners. After the war, he was tried at the High Command Trial in Nuremberg and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released early in 1955 and died in 1968, remembered as a prominent yet controversial military leader.

Wojciech Jaruzelski was a Polish military officer and Communist politician. He rose through the ranks to become defense minister and First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party. In 1981, he declared martial law to suppress the Solidarity movement, a controversial decision that polarized public opinion. Jaruzelski later served as Poland's first President from 1989 to 1990 during the transition to democracy. Born in 1923, he commanded Warsaw Pact forces in 1968 before returning to domestic politics. His tenure is marked by both repression and the eventual accommodation of democratic reforms. Jaruzelski died in 2014, leaving a complex legacy in Poland’s modern history.