Go Back to School with Tattoos of Historical Figures You Should Know

These days, when we hear about public figures we think about the Kardashians, a Hollywood actor or whoever is hot in the rap scene. However, in the grand scheme, it takes a lot more than millions of Instagram followers or a hit song to make an impact on history. You need to change the world, whether that be through politics, science, art or music. Change makers come from every corner of the globe and they’re the ones who have made the society we have today. Take a look at some of our favorite historical figures and the tattoo collectors who love them just as much as we do in the gallery below.

Socrates

Life: 470-399 BC

Nationality: Greek

Contributions to Society: Pioneer in fields of philosophy, ethics and epistemology.

Famous Quote: “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

Al Capone

Life: 1899-1947

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Notable Chicago gangster during Prohibition Era.

Famous Quote: “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”

Cleopatra

Life: 69-30 BC

Nationality: Egyptian

Contributions to Society: Last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.

Abraham Lincoln

Life: 1809-1865

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: 16th President of the United States who abolished slavery.

Famous Quote: “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

Queen Elizabeth the First

Life: 1533-1603

Nationality: British

Contributions to Society: Celebrated Queen of England.

Famous Quote: “God forgive you, but I never can.”

Albert Einstein

Life: 1879-1955

Nationality: German

Contributions to Society: Physicist who developed the theory of relativity.

Famous Quote: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Benjamin Franklin

Life: 1706-1790

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Founding Father, scientist, inventor and writer.

Famous Quote: “Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”

Charles Darwin

Life: 1809-1882

Nationality: British

Contributions to Society: Naturalist, Geologist and Biologist who contributed to the theory of evolution.

Famous Quote: “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

Edgar Allen Poe

Life: 1809-1849

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Notable horror author of short stories and poetry.

Famous Quote: “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

Emily Dickinson

Life: 1830-1886

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Prolific Modernist poet.

Famous Quote: “The brain is wider than the sky.”

Galileo Galilei

Life: 1564-1642

Nationality: Italian

Contributions to Society: Father of Modern Science.

Famous Quote: “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.”

George Washington

Life: 1732-1799

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Founding Father and first President of the United States.

Famous Quote: “It is better to be alone than in bad company.”

Frida Kahlo

Life: 1907-1954

Nationality: Mexican

Contributions to Society: Celebrated surrealist painter.

Famous Quote: “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”

Sir Isaac Newton

Life: 1642-1726

Nationality: British

Contributions to Society: Influential mathematician, scientist and physicist.

Famous Quote: “I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.”

John F. Kennedy

Life: 1917-1963

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: 35th President of the United States.

Famous Quote: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

Life: 1452-1519

Nationality: Italian

Contributions to Society: Influential painter and polymath.

Famous Quote: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Ludwig van Beethoven

Life: 1770-1827

Nationality: German

Contributions to Society: Classical composer and pianist.

Famous Quote: “Music is a higher revelation than philosophy.”

Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi

Life: 1869-1948

Nationality: Indian

Contributions to Society: Activist who led the successful nonviolent resistance for India’s independence.

Famous Quote: “An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

Malcolm X

Life: 1925-1965

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Influential Civil Rights activist.

Famous Quote: “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”

Mark Twain

Life: 1835-1910

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Celebrated author, humorist and publisher.

Famous Quote: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Life: 1929-1968

Nationality: American

Contributions to Society: Leader of the Civil Rights’ movement.

Famous Quote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Nikola Tesla

Life: 1856-1943

Nationality: Serbian

Contributions to Society: Notable inventor, electrical engineer and futurist.

Famous Quote: “The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.”

William Shakespeare

Life: 1564-1616

Nationality: British

Contributions to Society: Influential playwright and poet.

Famous Quote: “All that glitters is not gold.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Life: 1756-1791

Nationality: Austrian

Contributions to Society: Prolific classical composer.

Famous Quote: “I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.”