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Harold Wilson in 1971, after his first period as prime minister. He would take power again in 1974. (Photo by Getty Images)

History hero Jason Watkins chooses Harold Wilson (1916–95) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Rosa Parks (right) riding on a bus following the Supremacial segregation on Montgomery's public transit system. (Photo by Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

History hero Gabby Logan chooses Rosa Parks (1913–2005) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Sylvia Pankhurst is taken into custody

History hero Emma Barnett chooses Sylvia Pankhurst (1882–1960)

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Prime Minister Harold Macmillan at Admiralty House, London

History hero Michael Heseltine chooses Harold Macmillan (1894–1986) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Oskar Schindler, who prevented hundreds of Jews from being murdered in the Holocaust

History hero Simon Reeve chooses Oskar Schindler (1908–74) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A contemporary portrait of scientist Ada Lovelace

History hero Konnie Huq chooses Ada Lovelace (1815–52)

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British journalist Tom Wintringham (1898–1949), the candidate for the Christian Socialist Commonwealth Party. (Photo by Haywood Magee/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

History hero Peter Tatchell chooses Tom Wintringham (1898–1949) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Amelia Earhart, who became the first woman to fly non-stop across the Atlantic in 1932. (Image by Bettmann/Getty Images)

History hero Julia Bradbury chooses Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Margaret Hodge has been the MP for Barking since 1994. She held a number of ministerial positions during the 1997–2010 Labour administration, and was appointed DBE in 2015. (Photo by AP/REX/Shutterstock)

History hero Margaret Hodge chooses Katharine Graham (1917–2001) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Native American leader Sitting Bull

History hero Steven Knight chooses Sitting Bull (1831–90) . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Arthur Ashe in action at Wimbledon, where he won the men's singles title in 1975. (Photo by Ed Lacey / Popperfoto / Getty Images)

My history hero Tracy Austin chooses Arthur Ashe . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Fridtjof Nansen, taken after his daring expedition across Greenland. (Image by Alamy)

My history hero Paul Rose chooses Fridtjof Nansen

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Wilfred Thesiger in Oman, c1946.

My history hero: Frank Gardner chooses Wilfred Thesiger . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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A c1830 portrait of the scandalous but sublimely talented Lorenzo da Ponte. (Photo by Alamy)

My history hero: Katie Derham chooses Lorenzo Da Ponte . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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British Artist Ivon Hitchens. (Image by Bridgeman)

My history hero: Chris Packham chooses Ivon Hitchens . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.