The famous Hungarian-American stunt performer Harry Houdini (1874-1926), noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice in the US and and later in Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside sealed tanks of water.
John Tyler, who served as the tenth president of the United States from 1841 to 1845. When the American Civil War began in 1861, Tyler at first supported the Peace Conference. When it failed, he remained loyal to Virginia and sided with the Confederacy. He presided over the opening of the Virginia Secession Convention and served as a member of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. Tyler subsequently won election to the Confederate House of Representatives but died before it assembled.
Medieval illustration of George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Protestant Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the Catholic faith. His rule was marked by great efforts to preserve peace and tolerance between the Hussites and Catholics in the religiously divided Crown of Bohemia.