History BigDamnHeroes / RealLife

* The NATO air forces saving the Libyan rebels, just as their base of operations was about to be invaded by [[GeneralRipper Gadaffi's]] forces.
** Given the aftermath, this unfortunately also falls under NiceJobBreakingItHero, as the rebels turned out to be fanatical Islamsists who, instead of trying Gadaffi openly as Saddam Hussein had been tried, settled for apparently sodomizing him with a sharp object and then executing him. A little while later, they did something similar to the American Ambassador and several others, and trashed the Embassy.

* [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/bethany-arceneaux-kidnapping-rescue_n_4254321.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009 This family,]] who also qualify as a BadassFamily. Bethany Arceneaux's family tracked her down when she was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, and saved her life.

** DanielInouye, the late Senator of Hawaii and former President Pro Tempore, led the 442nd in that rescue. He took a shot to the stomach, destroyed one machine gun nest, destroyed the next with his men, had his arm blown off, pried the live grenade from his (dead) right hand, destroyed the last nest, finished off the last German soldier with a one-handed burst from his Thompson SMG, was hit in the leg, and tumbled down to the bottom of the hill unconscious. For his actions, Inouye was awarded the Medal of Honor. The best part? He was one of '''twenty-one''' soldiers in the 442nd who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

* Both Senator Leticia Van De Putte and the citizens of Texas did this for Wendy Davis, after her 13 hour filibuster of an abortion bill in a special session of the Senate. Right as the Republican controlled Senate was moving to vote to end her filibuster, Senator Van De Putte, who had left her father's funeral to be there, delivered a parliamentary inquiry: [[DoubleStandard "At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over a male senator in the room?"]] The crowd erupted into a solid twenty minutes of cheering, destroying the ability to call order and the roll and pushing the session past its legal end time.

* [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/bethany-arceneaux-kidnapping-rescue_n_4254321.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009 This family,]] who also qualify as a BadassFamily.

* These [[http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/japanese-nuclear-plant-workers-emerging-heroic-figures-tragedy-20110315-095409-676.html guys.]]
** This [[http://www.good.is/post/people-are-awesome-this-guy-scuba-dived-into-the-tsunami-to-rescue-his-wife-and-mother/ guy.]]

* Both Senator Leticia Van De Putte and the citizens of Texas did this for Wendy Davis, after her 13 hour filibuster of an abortion bill in a special session of the Senate. Right as the Republican controlled Senate was moving to vote to end her filibuster, Senator Van De Putte, who had left her father's funeral to be there, delivered a parliamentary inquiry: [[DoubleStandard "At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over a male senator in the room?"]] The crowd erupted into a solid twenty minutes of cheering, destroying the ability to call order and the roll and pushing the session past its legal end time.

* Benito Juárez, one of the most revered Mexican presidents, was about to be executed along with his whole cabinet by a traitor squad, when his friend Guillermo Prieto, then Minister of Finance, barged in. Prieto then put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech with the words: "Put down those weapons! Put them down! Brave men don't murder! You are all brave men, and brave men don't murder. You are Mexicans! This is our representative for the law and our country! Lay down those weapons! Do you want to spill blood? [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Take]] [[TakingTheBullet mine]]!". He spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.

* Benito Juárez, one of the most revered Mexican presidents, was about to be executed along with his whole cabinet by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto, then Minister of Finance, barged in. Prieto then put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech with the words: "Put down those weapons! Put them down! Brave men don't murder! You are all brave men, and brave men don't murder. You are Mexicans! This is our representative for the law and our country! Lay down those weapons! Do you want to spill blood? [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Take]] [[TakingTheBullet mine]]!". He spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.

* Benito Juárez, one of the most revered Mexican presidents, was about to be executed along with his whole cabinet by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto, then Minister of Finance, barged in. Prieto then put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech with the words: "Put down your weapons! Brave men don't murder!". He spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.

* Benito Juárez, one of the most revered Mexican presidents, was about to be executed along with his whole cabinet by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto, then Minister of Finance, barged in. Prieto then put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech include the words: "Put down your weapons! Brave men don't murder!". He spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.

* During the filming of ToTheEndsOfTheEarth in South Africa, BenedictCumberbatch and a few of his co-stars were kidnapped. By armed men. Cumberbatch proceeded to, all by himself, without a single weapon, coerce the kidnappers into letting them go unharmed.

* The NATO air forces saving the Libyan rebels, just as their base of operations was about to be invaded by [[GeneralRipper Gadaffi's]] forces.

** Daniel Inouye, the late Senator of Hawaii and former President Pro Tempore, led the 442nd in that rescue. He took a shot to the stomach, destroyed one machine gun nest, destroyed the next with his men, had his arm blown off, pried the live grenade from his (dead) right hand, destroyed the last nest, finished off the last German soldier with a one-handed burst from his Thompson SMG, was hit in the leg, and tumbled down to the bottom of the hill unconscious. For his actions, Inouye was awarded the Medal of Honor. The best part? He was one of '''twenty-one''' soldiers in the 442nd who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

* There's a video of a fan running onto the field of a soccer match waving a flag, pursued by four police officers. After the four officers pin the fan, one of the officers starts [[PoliceBrutality repeatedly hitting the immobilized fan with his baton]]. This caused several members of the soccer teams playing ''as well as a significant portion of the audience'' to stop what they were doing and ''charge the officers,'' [[OhCrap resulting in said officers immediately running for their lives]] before being [[{{Irony}} beaten by the mob]] and escorted off of the field.

** Daniel Inouye, current President Pro Tempore and Senator of Hawaii, led the 442nd in that rescue. He took a shot to the stomach, destroyed one machine gun nest, destroyed the next with his men, had his arm blown off, pried the live grenade from his (dead) right hand, destroyed the last nest, finished off the last German soldier with a one-handed burst from his Thompson SMG, was hit in the leg, and tumbled down to the bottom of the hill unconscious. For his actions, Inouye was awarded the Medal of Honor. The best part? He was one of '''twenty-one''' soldiers in the 442nd who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

** Ironically enough the rescue resulted in MORE casualties then there would have been if the Hero Moment didnt happen.

* King John III Sobieski of Poland and the Holy League at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman forces have had the city under siege for month and have finally managed to place the underground charges to breach the walls when 30,000 Polish heavy cavalry, led by the King himself and his famed elite Winged Hussars, show up and charge straight into the Ottoman lines, routing them and saving the city. The Pope declared Sobieski the savior of Western civilization.

* King John III Sobieski of Poland and the Holy League at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman forces have had the city under siege for month and have finally managed to place the underground charges to breach the walls when the relief forces arrive and...launch the largest cavalry charge in history, spearheaded by the Polish Winged Hussars. King Jan was considered a Big Damn Hero for that.

* King Jan Sobieski of Poland and the Holy League at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman forces have had the city under siege for month and have finally managed to place the underground charges to breach the walls when the relief forces arrive and...launch the largest cavalry charge in history, spearheaded by the Polish Winged Hussars. King Jan was considered a Big Damn Hero for that.

* Benito Juárez, one of the most remembered presidents in Mexico, was about to be executed along with his whole cabinet by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto, then Minister of Finance, barged in. Prieto then put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech include the words: "Put down your weapons! Brave men don't murder!". He spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.

* These [[http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110315/ts_yblog_thelookout/japanese-nuclear-plant-workers-emerging-as-heroic-figures-in-tragedy guys.]]

** Daniel Inouye, current President Pro Tempore and Senator of Hawaii, led the 442nd in that rescue. He took a shot to the stomach, destroyed one machine gun nest, destroyed the next with his men, had his arm blown off, pried the live grenade from his (dead) right hand, destroyed the last nest, finished off the last German soldier with a one-handed burst from his Thompson SMG, was hit in the leg, and tumbled down to the bottom of the hill unconscious.

* United Flight 93. The plane has been hijacked by kamikaze terrorists and is 15 minutes out of DC, where its target is located. The crew is dead. The passengers' only hope for survival is to retake the plane and land it themselves. At the sound of [[PreMortemOneLiner "Let's roll,"]] the passengers [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome charge the cockpit using the service tray as a battering ram.]] Knowing their defeat is imminent, [[BittersweetEnding the terrorists crash the plane rather than allow themselves to lose control of the airplane.]]

* Blücher ('''[[YoungFrankenstein *WHINNY*]]''') and the Prussians managed to pull this off in the battle of Waterloo.
** [[http://www.denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2004/07/Waterlooasitreallyhappene.shtml The Prussian I Corps won the battle,]] but the [[YouFailHistoryForever British wrote the history books.]]
*** [[DidNotDoTheResearch The Allies won the battle, INCLUDING the Prussians, the Dutch, the English, the Scottish and the Irish, not any ONE country.]] Blücher arrived to tip the scales at a crucial point in the battle, after Wellington had held off for hours.
* A much less famous example is King's & Stålhandske's arrival at the battle of Wittstock, having been detached by Baner earlier on to outflank the imperial fortifications but been delayed by the difficult terrain.
* We also have Crown Prince Frederick at Königgrätz.
* Benito Juárez, one of the most remembered presidents in Mexico, was about to be shot by a traitor, when his friend Guillermo Prieto barged in screaming "Put down your weapons! Brave men don't murder!".
** Just to expand on this, he was not going to be shot by ''a'' traitor, he was going to be ''executed by a firing squad'' along his whole cabinet after traitor and conservative Filomeno Bravo ordered Juárez to be executed. Prieto, then minister of Finance, put himself between the firing squad and Juárez and began a passionate speech with the quote provided above. He then spoke until the firing squad retreated after he convinced them to spare their honor as soldiers and not betray the republic.
* The Battle of Stalingrad. Twice.
** The first time was on September 13, 1942. The Soviet defenders at that point were at the brink of being overrun. Suddenly, reinforcements arrived in the form of the 13th Guards Division. Although a "Guards" unit, most of the 13th's soldiers were new recruits. Many did not have rifles. But the commander of the 13th grimly declared that "I am a communist. I will not abandon this city!" and sent his men into the fray. Out of 10,000 men, only 300 survived the battle. Most died on the first day. But their sacrifice stopped the German advance cold and bought time to restore the Soviet defenses.
** A few weeks later, the Soviet 62nd Army was again at the brink of being overrun in Stalingrad. Out of tens of thousands of soldiers, only a few hundred survivors remained. Suddenly, word came that Zhukov had launched his counter-offensive and surrounded the German soldiers attacking them. Some of the defenders couldn't believe it, but then a Russian tank column smashed through the German lines from behind and reached the beleaguered 62nd. The Russian tanks were greeted with cheers, embraces, and most of all, tears.
*** And you've also got to realize that the battle of Stalingrad was a ''VERY'' important battle.
** This troper forgets the name, but in a town (or field, whatever) in Ukraine, some Ukranians were about to be overrun by the Germans storming the lines. Only 16 men were left, with few ammunition inside one of the trenches. They sealed themselves shut and waited patiently for the enemy so they could spend their last bullets on them.
* Depending on the point of view, this may or may not have happened in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. American troops were surrounded, low on anything and everything, but continued to hold out until elements of Patton's 3rd Army broke their way into the town and relieved them, allowing them to rearm, resupply, and evacuate their wounded. However according Series/BandOfBrothers, no soldier serving in Bastogne at the time has ever admitted that they needed rescuing.
* Bill Clinton rescuing two journalists from North Korea, for both its randomness and heroness. In the words of one of the journalists "And then I looked and saw President Bill Clinton standing there and knew the nightmare of my life was over." It's questionable on how straight the {{trope}} is played. The whole thing may be just political manipulation to make things look like a BigDamnHeroes moment, which may qualify as a subversion or even deconstruction.
** Indeed. As is to be expected, the whole thing had already been negotiated and decided months before. Clinton merely went over to pick them up, as it were.
* [[http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/04/florida.jail.attack/index.htm This event]]. A prison officer was being attacked and choked to death by a far younger and stronger inmate when another inmate pulls off a [[DynamicEntry running punch]] on the attacker. Several other inmates assist in subduing the attacker and calling in help. Apparently, they did it because they liked the officer.
* King Jan Sobieski of Poland and the Holy League at the Siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottoman forces have had the city under siege for month and have finally managed to place the underground charges to breach the walls when the relief forces arrive and...launch the largest cavalry charge in history, spearheaded by the Polish Winged Hussars. King Jan was considered a Big Damn Hero for that

* The pilot of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9 British Airways Flight 9]], Captain Eric Moody, had his plane fly into a cloud of volcanic ash ''while he was in the bathroom'', had all four engines fail, and not only managed to safely land the plane, saving ''everyone'', but also found time to make the incredibly Big Damn Heroic announcement:
--> "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them under control. I trust you are not in too much distress."
* In Disney's African Cats, Sita, a [[MamaBear cheetah single mother]], is trying to draw two threatening male lions away from her cubs. They find her cubs, and the three tiny cheetah cubs face them down. The lions start to back off. Then, an elephant comes and chases the lions off.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM This safari video]]. Lions attacks a baby water buffalo, and drag it near the edge of river, where two crocodiles try to snatch away the buffalo. The Lions manage to pull the buffalo away from the crocodiles. Cue herd of buffalo kicking lion ass. And the baby buffalo survives.

* Both parties finally compromised on America's debt ceiling, days before a default. Subverted in that since it took them so long, S&P still downgraded America's credit rating [[FourPointScale from AAA to AA+]].
** YourMileageMayVary on this one, and that's [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment all we shall say on the matter.]]
* The Rebels in Libya [[CurbstompBattle were not doing well against]] Gaddafi's Army. Then [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys the]] [[InvertedTrope French airforce]] [[GaulsWithGrenades showed up]]. Then [[YanksWithTanks the]] [[BritsWithBattleships rest]] [[CanucksWithChinooks of]] [[TheAlliance NATO]].