Famous Animals Who Changed The World Forever

History is full of incredible animal stories that have touched people’s hearts. We're talking brave companions who risked it all for their humans, on-screen critters who changed Hollywood forever, and amazing four-legged war heroes. And that’s just the start! So get ready to learn the remarkable stories of some of the best boys and girls of all time. They deserve all the head pats and belly rubs they can get.

1. Togo

The famous husky Balto was the lead dog of one of several husky teams that ran a dangerous baton race across Alaska in 1925. Nome village suffered from an outbreak of diphtheria, threatening the lives of everyone living there.

The village’s children were the most at risk, and the antiserum was 674 miles away. Their only hope lay with the local mushers and their sled dog teams. They had to traverse life-threatening terrain under extreme conditions to have a hope of stopping the outbreak.

Race for life

In a tense mission that nearly failed multiple times, the sled dog teams successfully delivered the antiserum, and Balto was credited as the hero of the hour. Most dog teams ran 31 miles, and Balto and his handler ran the final 53-mile stretch, securing his place in history. But although all the mushers and their teams were heroes, one unsung duo went the extra mile… so to speak.

Togo and his musher Leonhard Seppala not only set out first, but they also covered a vast 264 miles in total! So while it was indeed a group effort, they were the team who traveled the furthest and ran the hardest. Of course, the most important thing is that the medicine saved 10,000 people in Nome.

2. Icarus II

If you’ve heard the saying “pigs might fly,” you’ll be astonished to know that one really did back in 1909 when Icarus II took to the skies thanks to aviator John Moore-Brabazon. He told The Daily Mirror, “I was shooting in the neighborhood when a farmer casually suggested to me that I might take a pig up in my airplane.”

Fittingly, as Moore-Brabazon was the first powered aviator in Britain, six-week-old Icarus II was the first pig to get airborne in the 3.5-mile biplane trip. Moore-Brabazo said, “Though he squealed a little to begin with, my four-legged passenger soon quietened down, and behaved as if he quite realized the importance of the occasion.”

3. Jumbo

After being poached as a calf in 1862 and spending a brief period in a French zoo, Jumbo became the first African elephant in Europe when London Zoo acquired him. It was here that he rose to an unprecedented level of fame that few — if any — animals have enjoyed since!

The beast was incredibly docile around humans, and he would take visitors for rides on his back. It made him the zoo’s biggest draw, with crowds flocking to see him. Queen Victoria and, if you believe the rumors, a young Winston Churchill are among the famous faces who saw Jumbo.

The greatest showman

But Jumbo’s attitude changed as he grew. He began to resent his role as an attraction and came to dislike being around everyone except his favorite keeper and trainer, Matthew Scott. So the zoo decided to sell Jumbo when an offer came in… to the famous P.T. Barnum.

Yet the public wouldn’t relinquish their beloved elephant without a fight. They blocked the transition at every turn, but they could only do so much, and eventually, Jumbo’s transfer went through. Sadly, there was a railway accident in transit between shows three years later, and Jumbo died as a result. His last moments were spent with his trunk wrapped around Scott’s hand.

4. Larry the No. 10 cat

The British royal family is known for their dogs, but the political parties are all about cats! The prime minister’s home office — 10 Downing Street — has hosted cats as rat-catchers for hundreds of years.

Larry settled down there in 2011 and is still the current rat-catcher. Yet unlike his predecessors, he has an official title! Larry not only has the honor of being “Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office,” but he’s also witnessed five Prime Ministers come and four go — so far!

5. Tirpitz

Tirpitz’s story is a bit of a mixed bag. The poor piggy was originally kept aboard the German ship SMS Dresden in 1915. The crew abandoned Tirpitz when the ship went down, but she proved to be quite the pigheaded survivor. The HMS Glasgow saved her bacon, and one crew member almost drowned saving her.

The crew gave Tirpitz a tongue-in-cheek Iron Cross for her service to the SMS Dresden and she remained with them for a year before her retirement. The story has a bittersweet ending, though: in 1919 Tirpitz was auctioned off for meat. All of the proceeds — roughly $2,200 — went to the British Red Cross, and her head was despatched to London’s Imperial War Museum.

6. Stepan

Bears have a bad rep for being ferocious predators, but Stepan is subverting expectations by being Russia’s famous gentle giant. Originally born in St. Petersburg Zoo, when Stepan’s mother abandoned him Yury and Svetlana Panteleenko adopted the three-month-old cub.

According to the Moscow Times, in 2020 the Panteleenko couple “managed to melt the predator’s heart with their love and kindness” and Stepan’s photographer, Mila Zhdanova, agreed. “Stepan is so friendly thanks to his trainers' care and love,” he elaborated.

Bringing smiles

Zhdanova would know: he spends a lot of time with Stepan, who’s quite the star. People come from all over for one of their 30-minute photoshoots, and when Stepan’s not busy with those, he’s in the movies! He’s in such high demand that it’s a surprise he can, ahem, bear it.

Stepan’s loved ones believe that he’s the icon they need to break the old stereotype of a bear-filled, smile-starved Russia. “We do have bears but I want to show in my pictures that we do smile,” Zhdanova explained. He’s quick to point out that Stepan’s behavior is unlike other bears. “He’s smart, kind, and incredibly beautiful,” he concluded.

7. Elsa

The name Elsa commonly conjures up images of Disney’s Frozen these days, but it was a famous name even before the movie was conceived. Kenyan game warden George Adamson and his wife Joy adopted a lion cub in 1956 they called Elsa, and they raised her themselves. But the amazing thing is, they successfully released Elsa into the wild!

First, Joy released a book loosely based on Elsa’s life called Born Free in 1960 and then a movie of the same name in 1966. But Elsa’s legacy went further than that, because the movie was an effective way of raising awareness of conservation efforts in a time that was more, err, conservative about such issues.

8. Beautiful Jim Key

The horse Beautiful Jim Key and his owner, a former slave called Dr. William Key, did what few others could in the late 19th and early 20th century: they brought people of different races together. So how did a horse manage such a feat? Well, Beautiful Jim was no ordinary equine.

Jim was a performer and William trained him well. In front of astounded mixed-race audiences, Jim would seemingly count, do math, write, answer the telephone, and read… His talents were apparently endless! Even President William McKinley attended a show in Tennessee, describing it as “the most astonishing and entertaining exhibition I have ever witnessed.”

9. Pink Panther

Older readers might remember The Pink Panther, an Inspector Clouseau movie about an ineffective detective. It originally came out in 1963 and a remake starring Steve Martin came along in 2006. Well, the opening credits featured a pink cartoon cat to entertain audiences, but he wasn’t the original Pink Panther!

The name actually belonged to a diamond that thieves attempted to steal in the movie. Yet the film’s mascot overtook the diamond’s fame, and he proved so popular he went on to feature in a huge amount of merchandise: comics, cartoons, and even his own film! His popularity was only perhaps matched by the movie’s classic theme tune.

10. Unsinkable Sam

The black-and-white cat originally called Oscar is one feline who isn’t afraid of water! He earned himself the much cooler nickname of Unsinkable Sam when, if you believe the stories, he survived the ordeals of World War II in spectacular fashion. And it only cost him three of his nine lives.

He’s called Unsinkable Sam because he was on the German ship Bismarck that the allied battleship The Prince of Wales helped to destroy. Only 118 of the German vessel’s 2,200 crew members survived, and Sam was among them. The British ship HMS Cossack found Sam floating in the water and rescued him.

Nine lives

But as it turned out, Sam was luckier than the Cossack. It was torpedoed in 1941 and was claimed by the waves, as was Unsinkable Sam… temporarily. HMS Ark Royal allegedly discovered him clinging to a plank and the crew adopted him.

Even when the HMS Ark Royal went down after an encounter with the Germans, Sam was allegedly discovered floating on another plank! He was described as being “angry but quite unharmed,” if you can believe it. Yet some claim this story is just a tall tale.

11. Seabiscuit

Everyone loves an underdog, but if there was ever such a thing as an underhorse this one would take the, um, biscuit. Few people believed that the racing horse Seabiscuit and his jockeys would go the distance, but the steed had a winner’s spirit.

Although his success was hard-won, Seabiscuit triumphed in many races, including one against his nemesis — a horse called War Admiral — in 1938; the victory earned him the title American Horse of the Year. Seabiscuit even made an incredible comeback after a leg injury experts said would end his career.

12. Koko

The impact Koko had on the fields of animal empathy and communication was immense, but her story is as much tragedy as it is a scientific success. Koko was born in captivity and spent her life with Francine Patterson, a researcher who taught the gorilla sign language. She understood 2,000 words of English and could sign over 1,000.

In 2018 anthropology professor Barbara King told National Geographic, “Because she was smart enough to comprehend and use aspects of our language, Koko could show us what all great apes are capable of: reasoning about their world, and loving and grieving the other beings… Equally importantly, though, she raised our awareness of the costs to animal individuals of our scientific curiosity about other sentient lives.”

13. Punxsutawney Phil

February 2 marks Groundhog Day, where the famous weather-watching groundhog Punxsutawney Phil of Gobbler’s Knob emerges from his burrow. And if he sees his shadow, six weeks of winter will follow… or so the stories say.

Whether you believe the legend or not, Phil’s such a celebrity that the media covers Groundhog Day every year. In 2023 National Centers for Environmental Information told CNN, “On average, Phil has gotten it right 40 percent of the time over the past ten years.” Not bad, Phil!

14. Lassie

While she probably needs no introduction, Lassie is featured in movies based on a story created by Eric Mowbray Knight following the adventures of the best of girls. She has become so imprinted in our pop-culture memory that you’ve likely heard the name even if you haven’t seen her show. She was such a big star that she even dined at the White House!

But would you believe us if we told you, despite being associated with the States, Lassie isn’t American? “In fact, it is a classic British tale about triumph over adversity,” film producer Ed Guiney informed The Independent in 2005. Yet Lassie’s story touched so many hearts she transcended her home country and became an American star, too.

15. Winnie-the-Pooh

Beloved across the world, Winnie-the-Pooh — a tale about a young boy and his magical animal friends — is actually based on a true story. Well, not the magical part, but the real Christopher Robin was the son of Pooh’s author, A. A. Milne. But the true story is much darker than the family-friendly stories would have you believe.

Christopher’s mother didn’t take to parenting well, and Milne suffered from PTSD thanks to WWI. When he returned, Milne spent some time playing with his son in the woods. He later turned this into the stories we all know and love.

Love and hate

Unfortunately, Milne grew resentful of his son’s fame, and a rift formed between them. Christopher sought only to return to the days of wonder where he’d played freely with his father, but pressure from his new public image and his father’s consequent jealousy sullied that.

They had their ups and downs, but ultimately Christopher made his peace with his father’s works. “It's been something of a love-hate relationship down the years, but it's all right now,” he said in 1996. “Believe it or not, I can look at [Winnie-the-Pooh books] without flinching. I’m quite fond of them really.”

16. Cher Ami

The pigeon called Cher Ami is the definition of a hero. Cher was a messenger in WWI belonging to the “Lost Battalion,” a company of soldiers who were missing for days. It turned out they had come under German fire then they were accidentally bombarded by friendly mortar fire.

The Lost Battalion sent Cher Ami with a message of their location and a request to cease the bombardment. Cher literally delivered but received serious wounds to his chest and leg in the process. All the same, he survived long enough to save the battalion and receive a military honor, the Croix de Guerre with palm, for his service.

17. Naruto

The crested black macaque called Naruto became famous in 2011 when he took a selfie of himself using a camera set up by British nature photographer, David Slater. That was impressive enough in itself, but Naruto climbed to higher branches of the fame tree when a copyright battle over the photo ensued.

Wikipedia claimed the photos were fair use, while Slater said they belonged to him, and PETA argued Naruto himself owned them! Slater initially won but agreed to donate some of the proceedings to placate PETA. The events made history, and PETA even named Naruto “Person of the Year.”

18. Cocaine bear

You’d think that the movie Cocaine Bear was just another wacky creation of Hollywood, but we have news for you: it was inspired by a true story. When a drug smuggler had the bright idea of dropping cocaine from a plane into a Tennessee Valley forest, he clearly didn’t think things through. The smuggler died jumping from the plane.

The aircraft itself, along with its entire cargo of drugs, crashed into the forest. Apparently, hungry black bears will try anything once — including cocaine — and one devoured an estimated 74 lbs of narcotics. Instead of going on a crazy escapade though, the poor thing simply died and its stuffed body ended up in a mall called Kentucky For Kentucky.

19. Toto

Toto has the honor of being one of the most famous dogs of all time, even if he was not technically real. We’re of course referring to Dorothy’s Cairn terrier from The Wizard of Oz. He was the whole reason she wound up in Oz in the first place.

When Toto was in danger of euthanization, Dorothy ran away, hit her head, and wound up in Oz… or did she? Whatever your interpretation, the quote “Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,” is repeated even today, over 80 years later.

20. Pickles

Pickles is the pooch who is single-handedly credited with saving the soccer World Cup! The story dates back to 1966 when thieves stole the Fifa World Cup — which was called the Jules Rimet trophy back then — from London’s Central Hall. Police scoured London and rewards were offered for its return. But no one claimed them until Pickles made his move.

While David Corbett, Pickles’ human, was out walking his dog, the mixed-breed collie discovered the trophy hidden in some bushes. The National Canine Defence League rewarded Pickles with a medal for his service, and he even got his own movie, The Spy with a Cold Nose, in 1966!

21. Laika

The story of Laika the space dog is both a tragedy and a scientific triumph, although for animal lovers the cost was great. She was originally a stray on the Moscow streets, but the Russian space program enlisted her for an experiment to test how animals would cope with the conditions in space.

Tragically, Laika didn’t survive for long, despite official documents at the time falsifying information to maintain the charade that Laika could be saved. Some people protested against the experiment, but their complaints fell on deaf ears. Laika became famous for being the first living creature sent into Earth’s orbit, albeit at the cost of her life.

22. Grumpy Cat

Even considering how much the internet loves cats, the legend that is Grumpy Cat reached heights of fame only memes can bring. Renowned for her trademark scowl, Grumpy Cat actually had an underbite and feline dwarfism, which led to her continually unimpressed appearance.

Everyone could relate to how she apparently felt, though, and Grumpy Cat went viral in 2012. As a result, she wasn’t just a meme: she had over 1 million followers on social media, appeared on TV shows, and even had her own movie called Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever before her passing in 2019.

23. Dolly

In 1996 a unique sheep was born that would change the scientific community forever, and that sheep was Dolly. A year later, her existence was announced, and it shocked the world… because Dolly was a clone. For a time, controversy around her existence swirled.

Some believed that Dolly’s cloning was unethical because no one knew how such a procedure would affect her quality of life. Others thought it signified the beginning of even more controversial human cloning. But several other cloned animals have followed in Dolly’s hoofprints without incident.

24. Bobbie the wonder dog

If you want a true story that exemplifies the dedication of dogs, look no further than Bobbie “the Wonder Dog,” Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brazier’s best friend. On a road trip to Indiana in 1924 Bobbie went missing, but he reappeared six months later on the Brazier’s Oregon doorstep apparently having walked the whole way home.

His story hit the news and Bobbie became a celebrity. He received fan mail, was presented with city keys, and even became the star of his own movie! Official investigations confirmed that Bobbie had walked 2,800 miles during winter on foot to get home, so the good boy deserved all the recognition sent his way.

25. Hedwig

Harry Potter’s owl Hedwig is one of the most famous birds of all time, if not the most famous. And while many fans mourned her sacrifice in the novels, did you know that it wasn’t one owl who portrayed Hedwig in the movies, but seven different birds?

Ook, Swoops, Gizmo, Kasper, Oh Oh, Elmo, and Bandit all had a turn as Hedwig on screen, with some of them acting as her stunt doubles. They were almost all male owls, which have different markings from their female counterparts. So now you know!

26. Keiko

If you saw the 1993 movie Free Willy then you’ll know Keiko as the titular orca, who at the time of filming led a life of stark contrast to the movie’s happy ending. Keiko was, in fact, mistreated and suffered from several health conditions, including malnourishment and skin lesions.

Thankfully, with the added attention from the movie, wheels were put in motion to save Keiko. After both the general public and Warner Bros. invested a lot of money into his welfare, the orca’s quality of life was vastly improved and he was finally released into the wild. In 2003 Keiko died, but at least he died free.

27. Ham

Despite the name, Ham wasn’t actually a pig, but a chimpanzee, and arguably he was one of the most instrumental figures in the American space program. Ham was sent into space in 1961, and for once an astronaut animal had a happy ending.

The idea was to see if chimps could perform tasks in a spaceship, and thanks to some intensive training Ham proved they could. Not only did he make history, but Ham also made it back to Earth safely and paved the way for human space flight shortly after.

28. David Greybeard

You’ve heard about the scientist Jane Goodall, right? She’s famous for her work with apes. Well, her career began climbing with the help of a chimpanzee called David Greybeard in 1960. It turns out, he wasn’t just instrumental to Goodall’s findings, but to science as a whole.

Goodall observed David doing several remarkable things researchers hadn’t witnessed before. At first, she saw him using a stalk of grass to get termites out of a hill to eat. That’s right, he was using tools! He and another chimpanzee were also later observed fishing with twigs.

29. Kermit the Frog

Regardless of your age, it’s hard not to love the adorable Muppet Kermit the Frog, who stands as one of the most iconic puppets in the whole Muppet-verse. He’s had hit movies and songs and he’s loved worldwide, but there’s a mystery surrounding Kermit: no one knows where creator Jim Henson came up with the frog’s distinctive eye pupils.

When Kermit was first made, he wasn’t designed as a frog, so they’re not based on real amphibian eyes. There are numerous rumors regarding the pupil’s origins: some claim Henson modeled them after a vehicle’s silhouette, but no one knows for sure. What we do know, though, is that it’s not easy being green.

30. Hachiko

Now Hachiko has his own movie you may have heard of him, but even before that, he was famous in his Japanese homeland. The dog was known in Shibuya because he used to wait for his best friend and human, Eizaburo Ueno, to finish work every day and meet him at the train station. But one day in 1925 Ueno didn’t return.

He’d passed away unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage, but Hachiko continued to wait until his own death in 1935 when, hopefully, he finally met his friend again. Hachiko had such an impact in the area that you can still find a statue, erected in 1934, to honor the dedication the dog showed to Ueno.