Ben Gurion, David

Born David Grün in Płońsk, Congress Poland, to a Zionist father, Ben-Gurion’s journey to becoming the architect of the modern Jewish state was hardly a casual Sunday stroll. He arrived in Ottoman Palestine in 1906, quickly became a labor Zionist leader, and later famously declared Israel's independence in 1948, thereby ensuring his place in history (and on countless streets signs).

Ben-Gurion, a man whose iconic white hair and preference for a uniform of shorts and sandals became legendary, was not just a politician; he was the embodiment of the pioneering spirit, somehow managing to found a country while simultaneously looking ready for a rigorous hike. His commitment to establishing and securing Israel was absolute, often to the consternation of, well, almost everyone else.

His legacy, predictably, is as complex and debated as the state he helped create. Yet, even his detractors concede that without Ben-Gurion's unyielding will and prophetic vision, the map of the Middle East might look quite different today. Or, perhaps, it simply wouldn't have an Israel on it at all, which would have put a serious damper on everyone's kvelling opportunities.