Famous monikers

Did you know these 10 famous nicknames?

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While there’s not a lot of mystery as to why someone named Phillip may be known as Phil, the same cannot be said for a number of downright weird nicknames. Outlandish or extravagant nicknames can be great conversation starters, and they can often be a better description of someone’s nature than their given name. In that regard, the 10 individuals in this article received truly unique and incredible nicknames that helped them cement their legacy. So, without further ado, here’s our pick of 10 of the best nicknames in history!

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Who says that a nickname needs to be complicated? In fact, an argument could be made that the simpler the nickname, the better it communicates its point across. Case in point: Muhammad Ali will forever be remembered as "the Greatest", regardless of the highly unlikely case of a better boxer coming along in the future. This nickname truly describes Ali to perfection, and it is a great homage to this amazing athlete’s legacy.

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William Frederick Cody was definitely a jack of all trades: Not only did he serve his country during the American Civil War (earning a Medal of Honor in 1872), but he was also an excellent hunter and showman. In that sense, can you think of a flashier and more extravagant nickname for a showman than Buffalo Bill? According to historians, Cody received this nickname after the Civil War, thanks to his hunting prowess.

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President Abraham Lincoln was surely the recipient of very high-praising nicknames, including the famous "Honest Abe" moniker, but perhaps the one that speaks to his legacy the most is the one he received after the American Civil War, when he became known as "The Great Emancipator". This nickname naturally comes from the fact that our 16th President issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

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The world of rock and roll is filled with many famous and flashy nicknames: For instance, Chuck Berry is known as "The Father of Rock' N’ Roll", while Billy Joel is known as "The Piano Man". However, every music fan knows that there is and will ever be only one King of Rock' N’ Roll, and that title goes to Elvis Presley. This nickname is truly synonymous with Elvis, to the point that most music lovers instantly think about Presley whenever they hear the phrase "the King."

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This is one of the oldest nicknames in this list, which is ironic since readers began calling William Shakespeare "The Bard" almost 200 years after his death. Often considered England’s national poet, Shakespeare became known as "The Bard" or "the Bard of Avon" sometime in the 1800s, at the time when his popularity started spreading across the world, cementing him as one of the greatest authors in history.

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There’s definitely no one more deserving of the title "Father of His Country" than George Washington: His contributions to the independence and consolidation of the United States are literally too many to count. While you would think that this title was given to Washington posthumously, this nickname first appeared in print in 1778, with this publication immortalizing an already extremely popular nickname.

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For many, Arnold Scharzenegger is the ultimate action movie star: From "Conan the Barbarian" to "Commando", Arnold has given life to many iconic and adrenaline-filled movies. However, there’s one movie that has given us what’s probably Arnold’s most memorable role, and that’s his incredible performance as the Terminator, a ruthless and fearsome robot sent back to the past. In fact, when Schwarzenegger became the 38th governor of California in 2003, he quickly became known by the nickname "The Governator".

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The concept of "Blonde Bombshell" is almost as old as cinema itself: It’s a trope that involves a blonde "femme-fatale", who effortlessly steals the heart of both characters and audience. While this concept predates iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe, the truth is that no other actress in history has ever embodied this concept better than Monroe. In that sense, it seems only logical that Marilyn became known as "The Blonde Bombshell".

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As we mentioned before, the world of rock and roll has produced some rather colorful and unique nicknames. However, few are as unique as the one Jim Morrison, the legendary singer of the rock band "The Doors", gave himself. Morrison displayed a fascination with lizards from an early age and, in a 1970s poem titled "Celebration of the Lizard", he wrote "I am the Lizard King". Thus, Morrison is still known by fans for his "Lizard King" title.

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British Prime Minister Winston Churchill became known as "the British Bulldog". You would think that this is not a particularly flattering nickname, but it is a testament to Churchill’s tenacity and gruff demeanor. Interestingly, Churchill did have a fondness for dogs, but not exactly for bulldogs, since he was the proud owner of a Poodle called "Rufus":

Heroes against the odds

What would you have done? 12 incredible survivor stories

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Slot canyons, the icy Andes, Australia’s desert, and the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean: These are all spots where people have been stranded and survived to tell the story. From following water streams to fending off sharks, these heroes have taught us not only how to survive in the wilderness but also how to believe in one’s own strength and not lose hope. Read on to discover amazing tales of real survivors!

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You might not know his name, but surely you’ve heard his story. In 2003, Aron Ralston set out to explore the slot canyons of Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. Disaster struck when a boulder dislodged, pinning his right arm against the canyon wall.

Aaron was trapped for six agonizing days and eventually made the unthinkable decision to amputate his arm using a multitool. After freeing himself, he rappelled and hiked miles to find rescuers. The movie 127 Hours (2010) retold his story.

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When she was 17 years old, Juliane Koepcke boarded a plane with her mom to fly over the Peruvian Amazon. This was on Christmas Eve, 1971. Tragically, the plane was struck by lightning and fell. Jane survived the two-mile drop strapped to her seat.

The dense jungle canopy caught her. The daughter of German zoologists, Juliane was aided by her knowledge of the forest to navigate for 11 days, finding water and disinfecting her wounds. She finally found a logging camp where she was rescued.

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In 1915, during the Mexican Revolution, Wenseslao Moguel was captured by government forces and sentenced to death. He was shot nine times.

Against all odds, Wenseslao survived by playing dead and crawling to safety once the soldiers left. Nicknamed El Fusilado ("The Shot One"), he later lived a long, full life and became a folk legend to symbolize Mexico’s fighting spirit.

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A rugby team’s flight crashed into the Andes Mountains in 1972. The 16 out of 45 survivors were stranded at an altitude of 12,000 feet, far from civilization, in the icy expanse between Chile and Argentina, for 72 days.

With no rescue in sight, two of the survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, trekked for 10 days through the treacherous mountains to find help, eventually alerting authorities and saving the others. Their story was retold in several books and films.

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In November 1942, Chinese sailor Poon Lim was aboard a British merchant ship when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the Atlantic Ocean. He found a wooden raft among the wreckage in which he would be set adrift for 133 days.

He rationed supplies and crafted tools to catch fish and collect rainwater. He used the natural currents to fend off sharks. Eventually, Brazilian fishermen spotted and rescued him near their coast. Forever known as the "Castaway King," Poon holds the record for the longest time surviving alone at sea. He said he never once doubted he’d live.

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In 2013, Harrison Okene, a Nigerian cook, was aboard a tugboat that capsized off the coast of his country. The ship sank 100 feet to the seabed, and he was trapped in a tiny air pocket inside a bathroom. For 60 hours, he survived in pitch darkness, waist-deep in freezing water.

He rationed sips of Coca-Cola and used his faith to stay calm. Miraculously, divers searching for bodies discovered him alive. Harrison’s survival was nicknamed the "miracle in the Atlantic" because an hours-long survival at such depths was unheard of.

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In May 1996, Beck Weathers survived one of the deadliest blizzards in Mount Everest's history. This storm claimed eight lives in a single night. Beck, who was partially blinded after complications of a recent eye surgery, was abandoned by his climbing group after being presumed frozen dead.

Miraculously, he awoke and, despite his blindness, managed to stagger toward the camp. He lost parts of his body to frostbite but lived to tell an amazing story of resilience and to see his ordeal and that of his team inspired several movies.

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Amanda Eller was a physical therapist and yoga instructor who went for a solo hike in Maui's Makawao Forest Reserve during the spring of 2019. This is a beautiful, lush, but very disorienting jungle.

Amanda veered off the trail and became lost for 17 days in the dense wilderness. She kept her strength by drinking river water, eating wild plants, and meditating. Aided by social media and crowdfunding projects, rescuers found her sunburned, shoeless, and 15 pounds lighter —but alive.

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33 miners were trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days. This happened in 2010 in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, after a mine collapse left them in a small refuge with limited supplies. Their camaraderie and rationing skills kept them alive.

Once they were located, NASA engineers and the Chilean government collaborated to design a special capsule called the Phoenix to rescue them one by one. The miners emerged to a hero's welcome, and their story became known worldwide.

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When they were in their 20s, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to conquer Siula Grande, a peak in the Peruvian Andes. Fate struck when Joe broke his leg in a fall. Simon attempted to lower Joe down the mountain, facing brutal weather and dwindling supplies. But a misstep sent Joe plummeting down.

Assuming his friend had perished, Simon descended alone. Against all odds, however, Joe had survived the fall. He crawled back to base camp over three days, enduring frostbite, dehydration, and hallucinations before he was rescued.

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Anna Bågenholm was skiing near Narvik, Norway, when she fell into an icy stream. She was trapped beneath the frozen surface for 80 minutes. Her body temperature plummeted to 56.7°F, the lowest ever recorded for a surviving human.

Anna was clinically dead when rescuers pulled her out. Doctors performed groundbreaking procedures to gradually rewarm her body, and she recovered with only minor nerve damage. Her story revolutionized the understanding of hypothermia and cold-weather survival.

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Sometimes, it’s not nature that’s to blame. In 2006, Ricky Megee was driving through the desolate Australian Outback when he was attacked. The men left him for dead, lost in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

He survived for 71 days on a diet of insects, frogs, and vegetation while sheltering in a makeshift dam. Rescuers finally found him emaciated and sunburned but alive. Interestingly, he claims he doesn’t hold a grudge against his attackers.