Top 10 Famous Animals That Made History

There are some instances that seem insignificant at the moment, only to lead to huge consequences later on. When King Alexander of Greece attempted to stop a fight between his dog and a Barbary macaque in 1920, he had no idea what was to come. During the fray, he had been bitten by another monkey twice, earning him two deep wounds in his leg and midsection. Though the injuries were cleaned, they weren’t sterilized. That night, an infection quickly spread through his body, and a failure to amputate the affected limb only made things worse. Within weeks, he passed away, bringing up questions about the monarchy and destabilizing the country’s current political regime — ultimately leading to Greece losing the Greco-Turkish war, and the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

Love truly comes in all forms. Though he was a famous inventor of his time, Nikola Tesla had another passion as well— caring for pigeons. He fed and cared for countless birds both at his place of residence and the local parks, but there was one that connected with him in particular. It was a white pigeon with multiple injuries, prompting him to spend thousands of dollars to help her heal. He grew an attachment to her, even remarking that she added meaning to his life and that he loved her the way a man loved a woman. When she inevitably passed away, he was deeply affected by the loss— even telling his biographer that his work had ended with her.

The tracking and eventual killing of Osama bin Laden is one of the most significant events of the 21st century— and it couldn’t have been done without one furry friend in particular. During the raid, Cairo— a Belgian Malinois— was in charge of keeping an eye for anyone coming in or out of the building, along with looking for any hidden rooms that might’ve been inside. With the help of Cairo and his handler Will Chesney ensuring the perimeter was clear from bombs, the human members of SEAL Team Six were able to eventually find bin Laden in the compound safely, and the rest is history. Though it wasn’t Cairo’s only mission, it was by far his most publicized— and cemented him as one of the most important pooches of the 21st century.

Though it may seem that a breed as small as a Yorkie wouldn’t be able to handle the horrors of battle, one in particular proved that size didn’t have to be a limitation. After being found in New Guinea in 1944, Smoky was adopted by Corporal Bill Wynne— who kept her by his side for the remainder of World War II. She participated in a dozen missions and earned several awards and honors — and even aided in the building of a new airbase. However, her biggest contribution by far was providing emotional support for soldiers that had just been injured. This coined her as the first known therapy dog— a position that’s now held by countless others around the world today.

Up until relatively recently, the idea of creatures using and crafting their own tools was essentially unheard of, and rarely observed. In 1960, that all changed. During a study in Tanzania, iconic primatologist Jane Goodall successfully earned the trust of one of the chimpanzees in the community, whom she dubbed David Greybeard. With this trust, she was able to observe him using various tools to hunt termites— even crafting his own from twigs. Though it wasn’t complex, it still proved they were more than capable of it. It completely changed the way humans viewed not only apes, but also our own differences from the animal kingdom— which were now confirmed to have been fewer than what we’d once thought.

While many animals’ contributions to history have been positive, others led to disastrous consequences. Shortly after contracting tetanus in 1901, a horse named Jim was put to sleep. Following his death, his remains were used to create an antitoxin for diphtheria, a bacterial infection. Unfortunately, the very disease that led to his euthanization was still present within the antibodies. The contamination combined with a failure to test the product and the mislabeling of it led to the passing of over a dozen minors. The incident was so severe that it led to the formation of the Food and Drug Administration in 1906– leading to medical regulations that are still in place today.

Throughout ancient times, carrier birds delivered messages during times of war— a practice that was still prominent during World War I. The United States even created a Pigeon Service, where Cher Ami rose to prominence. In 1918, over 500 United States soldiers were trapped and on the receiving end of unending friendly fire. They sent out multiple pigeons to deliver a plea for help, but opposing forces shot them down. Soon, it was Cher Ami’s turn to take flight. Though he’d been hit, he completed his mission and saved the lives of nearly 200 men. He was hailed as a hero, which continued even after his passing in 1919. He’s still honored today as a display in the Smithsonian Institution, where he’s resided since 1921.

Sometimes, the most underestimated creatures can be the most impactful. Though Balto’s assignment as co-leader during an important medicine run was criticized, he ended up being one of the most vital members of the team. He— alongside a whole host of sled dogs— were tasked with delivering an anti diphtheria serum to a quarantined town in Alaska in the throes of winter. Despite the extremely harsh weather and unsafe terrain, Balto led them through the final leg of the run with ease, even saving the team’s life on one occasion. His efforts led to 300,000 units of the medicine to be delivered, saving countless lives. For the rest of his life, Balto was revered— even earning himself an honorary statue in Central Park.

Unfortunately, not every historically significant animal has been lucky enough to have a happy ending. During the Cold War, a space race broke out between the United States and the Soviet Union. Following the success of their initial satellite Sputnik 1, the USSR decided to up the ante by proving that a living being could be sent to the stars and survive. They conducted this test with Laika, a stray dog that they vigorously trained to handle the extreme conditions. She was launched in 1957, where she survived for just a few hours before perishing. Though she didn’t survive, her service helped bring about more successful tests that expanded the boundaries of space travel. To this day, her legacy lives on globally.

As the first mammal to ever be cloned from an adult cell, she’s also one of the most important scientific advancements in modern history. Dolly was created from a mammary gland, leading to a discovery that a whole organism could be formed from a single part of the donor’s body. After being born in 1996, she went on to have a successful life, birthing six lambs of her own and being used as a cell line for other replicated sheep. Her mere existence led to the continued cloning of other mammals, including those that had been considered extinct. Beyond that, she also inspired further stem cell research, which is now being investigated as treatments for certain diseases and conditions.

Which animal do you think has had the largest historical impact? Let us know in the comments below!