June 22

Born in 1593, John Gell rose to prominence as a baronet and local magnate in Derbyshire. He organized and led a Parliamentarian regiment during the English Civil War. Gell fought in key engagements, including the defense of Derby and skirmishes against Royalist forces. His leadership strengthened the Parliamentary position in the Midlands. After the war, he faced disputes over his estate and standing. He died in 1671, leaving a complex legacy as both military leader and controversial landowner.

George Vancouver served as a lieutenant under Captain James Cook before leading his own expedition to the North American west coast. From 1791 to 1795, he commanded HMS Discovery on a voyage that produced some of the most accurate maps of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington state. His careful surveys of Puget Sound and other waterways laid the foundation for future settlements. Vancouver's name lives on in Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver in Canada. His work greatly advanced European knowledge of the Pacific Northwest.

Dula served in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. After the war, he was accused of murdering Laura Foster in North Carolina. His trial and conviction in 1868 drew widespread attention. Dula was executed by hanging, and his story became an American folk legend. The Kingston Trio popularized his tale with the song "Tom Dooley" in 1958.

Born into a naval family, von Spee climbed the ranks of the Imperial German Navy. He commanded the East Asia Squadron, winning the Battle of Coronel in 1914. His strategic victory marked the first defeat of the Royal Navy in over a century. At the Battle of the Falkland Islands, von Spee was killed and his squadron destroyed. His leadership and naval tactics are studied in military history for their boldness and skill.

Born in 1890 in Tori parish, Warma fought in the Estonian War of Independence as a naval officer. He held various diplomatic posts between the wars, representing Estonia abroad. After the Soviet occupation in 1940, he joined the government-in-exile and became its 4th Prime Minister in 1963. Warma tirelessly advocated for Estonian sovereignty and international recognition during the Cold War. He combined military leadership with statesmanship until his death in 1970 in Stockholm.

Born in 1892 into Bavarian nobility, von Greim joined the Imperial German Army and became a fighter ace in WWI. He earned the Pour le Mérite for his aerial victories and later pursued civil aviation. Rejoining the military in the 1930s, he commanded bomber units in Poland and France. In April 1945, Adolf Hitler appointed him commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. Von Greim flew into beleaguered Berlin to serve Hitler in his final days, then escaped back to Munich. He died of wounds sustained during the war in 1945.

Leonard W. Murray was born in 1896 in Prince Edward Island and joined the RCN as a cadet in 1911. He served in WWI as a young officer and gained experience in naval operations. During WWII, he led the Canadian Atlantic fleet and directed escort convoys against U-boat threats. Murray introduced innovative convoy tactics that reduced losses and secured vital supply lines. After the war, he oversaw the peacetime transition of the navy and retired in 1951. He passed away in 1971, remembered for his leadership in the Battle of the Atlantic.

John Hunt, 1st Baron Hunt, was a distinguished British Army officer and mountaineer renowned for leading the successful 1953 British Everest expedition. Under his leadership, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, marking a milestone in exploration history. Hunt brought military precision and logistical expertise to high-altitude climbing, pioneering techniques still used today. After Everest, he continued to serve in the army, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel and later contributing to mountain rescue and training. His leadership and organizational skills in extreme conditions have inspired generations of adventurers.

Yuri Artyukhin was selected as part of the Soviet Union's elite cosmonaut group in the 1960s. He served as a Russian Air Force colonel and played a key role in space engineering programs. Artyukhin participated in experiments aboard orbital stations, advancing life support and spacesuit technology. His technical expertise bridged military discipline and scientific inquiry in the quest for human spaceflight. Beyond his missions, he mentored the next generation of cosmonauts and engineers before his passing in 1998.

Jerry John Rawlings, born in 1947 in Accra, Ghana, first came to power in 1979 after leading a military coup and briefly served as head of state. He handed over power to civilian rule later that year but returned in 1981 to lead another coup. As head of the Provisional National Defence Council, he implemented economic reforms and anti-corruption measures. In 1992, Rawlings was elected as Ghana’s first president under a new constitution and served two terms until 2001. His leadership guided Ghana through structural adjustment programs and laid foundations for stable democracy. Rawlings remained an influential figure in West African politics until his death in 2020. His legacy includes both bold economic transformations and debates over human rights during his military regimes.