# Who is actually The Most Interesting Man in the World? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611 "2016-08-03T04:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/21 "2016-08-03T20:23:48Z")
He dropped out of school at age 12 and worked variously as a streetcar conductor, a Cuban adventurer, and then a railroad fireman, until the railroad fired him for brawling with the engineer. He became essentially a paralegal and negotiated favorable settlements for black victims of a train wreck, until he and a client brawled in a courtroom. He ran a ferry. He variously sold gas lighting and automobile tires. He survived having his own car fall on top of him when a rickety bridge flipped over; his scalp was half torn off, but his wife sewed it back on. He ran a service station, occasionally having to chase away armed criminals or intimidate rival station owners with a shotgun. He worked as a midwife. Occasionally he had to summon the drunken and lazy town doctor to assist; again the shotgun came in handy. For this work, and for organizing food donations and driving townsfolk to AA meetings, the governor honored him with a title. His first restaurant received a glowing review from travel critic Duncan Hines. He ran the cafeteria at Oak Ridge, TN during World War II. His first attempt at franchising was rejected, after which the franchisee reverse-engineered his recipe and stole it. He was a mentor to Dave Thomas of Wendy’s. A statue of him was thrown into the Dotonbori river during the celebration after the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Championship Series in 1985, and the team has been cursed to losing ever since. I’m talking, of course, about [Colonel Sanders](https://www.damninteresting.com/colonels-of-truth/). ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/22 "2016-08-03T20:57:25Z")
[Teddy Roosevelt](http://www.biography.com/people/theodore-roosevelt-9463424) Nobel Peace Prize Medal of Honor First President to ride in a car and a plane. Survived an assassin’s bullet Likeness carved on Mt. Rushmore ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/23 "2016-08-03T22:04:14Z")
David Bald Eagle, who died recently at the age of 97, would certainly be a contender. > **[David Bald Eagle, Lakota Chief, Musician, Cowboy And Actor, Dies At 97](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/27/487651658/david-bald-eagle-lakota-chief-musician-cowboy-and-actor-dies-at-97)** > > He was also a war hero and a ballroom dancer — Bald Eagle's life is hard to fit in a headline. He parachuted into Normandy, acted in Westerns and starred in his first feature film at the age of 95. Medal of Honor winner, cowboy, actor, musician, champion Native American dancer and ballroom dancer. Heck, just read the article. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/24 "2016-08-03T22:34:17Z")
Depends what you’re interested in. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/25 "2016-08-03T23:33:59Z")
Maybe if this was “On the World” instead of “In the World”, we would have less dead people being nominated. Hey, I’m alive! For all I know, it could be me! But I doubt it. I do have some good stories, though. ---
**Author:** ![friendlessboob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@friendlessboob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friendlessboob)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/26 "2016-08-04T20:41:06Z")
That dude married to the most interesting woman in the world. Will see myself out. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/27 "2016-08-04T22:27:30Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > David Bald Eagle, who died recently at the age of 97, would certainly be a contender. > > [David Bald Eagle, Lakota Chief, Musician, Cowboy And Actor, Dies At 97 : The Two-Way : NPR](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/27/487651658/david-bald-eagle-lakota-chief-musician-cowboy-and-actor-dies-at-97) > > Medal of Honor winner, cowboy, actor, musician, champion Native American dancer and ballroom dancer. Heck, just read the article. Ditto. He has my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/28 "2016-08-04T22:33:24Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > [Teddy Roosevelt](http://www.biography.com/people/theodore-roosevelt-9463424) > > Nobel Peace Prize > Medal of Honor > First President to ride in a car and a plane. > Survived an assassin’s bullet > Likeness carved on Mt. Rushmore And has an iconic children’s toy/companion named after him. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/29 "2016-08-05T01:03:25Z")
The _really_ interesting men, they’re the ones who are invisible to the public. Either because they’re so wealthy they don’t need to brag, or they’re so desperate they go out and do amazing things because they have no choice, it’s be amazing or die. ---
**Author:** ![grammarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@grammarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grammarian)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/30 "2016-08-06T08:16:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > There are a bunch of them although it usually takes a long time for their stories to get out. [Ernest Shackleton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton), > [Simo Häyhä (the White Death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4) and [Audie Murphy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy) come to mind as fairly recent historical example although they are all dead now. They were all so bad-ass that their real stories would seem contrived if you made them into a movie (ironically, Audie Murphy became a movie star after his service and military awards). > > For living people, I had a friend that ran into Tim Berners-Lee in a local bar in Boston. My friend was young and dumb and didn’t know much about computers (this was the late **1990’s** ) yet they had a great time drinking together. It wasn’t until someone recognized him that he even had the slightest clue that his new buddy was somebody notable. He told me about it and asked me if I ever heard of of him and my only reaction was :eek: It is pretty impressive to get drunk with the person that invented the web and they don’t even mention it until asked. \*1990s. No comma. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/31 "2016-08-06T10:52:12Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > In one of his books, Martin Gardner pointed out that somewhere exists the Least Interesting Person In the World, who, if discovered, would instantly become the Most Interesting. They made a movie of this guy I thought, a gardener as I recall. But he was so forgettable I forget his name. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/32 "2016-08-06T13:08:33Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > And has an iconic children’s toy/companion named after him. I have to admit Teddy Roosevelt is a pretty good candidate. Surviving an assassin’s bullet is an understatement though. “On October 14, 1912, an unemployed saloonkeeper shot former president and Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt outside a Milwaukee hotel. Rather than being rushed to the hospital, Roosevelt insisted on delivering his scheduled 90-minute speech.” “The horrified audience in the Milwaukee Auditorium on October 14, 1912, gasped as the former president unbuttoned his vest to reveal his bloodstained shirt. “It takes more than that to kill a bull moose,” the wounded candidate assured them. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a bullet-riddled, 50-page speech.” > **[When Teddy Roosevelt Was Shot in 1912, a Speech May Have Saved His Life |...](https://www.history.com/news/shot-in-the-chest-100-years-ago-teddy-roosevelt-kept-on-talking)** > > 'It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.' ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/33 "2016-08-06T14:46:25Z")
The word “interesting” was coined to describe Chuck Norris. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/34 "2016-08-06T18:15:15Z")
How about Richard Branson? Founded music/airline/mobile electronics/hotel/space ship company/etc etc Virgin Group. Broke a bunch of sailing and ballooning world records. Occasional actor (usually playing himself). He’s also a big philanthropist. He seems to manage being a billionaire without being a giant douche like Trump. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611/35 "2016-08-06T19:03:17Z")
Eleanor of Aquitaine (_ca._ 1122 – 1 April 1204) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-actually-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-world/761611.md?page=1)