TOP 10

10. Daniel Daly:             A Sergeant Major in the United States Marine Corps, Daniel Daly leads off our list with one of the most impressive accomplishments in American military history: he’s one of only 19 men to have received the Medal of Honor…twice. Yes, you read that correctly. Daly earned his first Medal of Honor for service in China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. In that instance, he successfully defended his position virtually singlehandedly while inflicting more than 200 casualties. And that was just a warm up act, seeing as he tacked another Medal of Honor onto his resume 15 years later. That one came for his service in Haiti, when he led a group of only about 40 men against an attack by hundreds of Haitian insurgents in the Battle of Fort Dipitie. He led his men to safety, and was quickly rewarded for his heroism. Obviously, you might be wondering what any of this has to do with World War I. Well, as you can probably imagine from s...

10.  Her Secret Is Patience  (2009), by Janet Echelman First up is the most recent sculpture on the list. Echelman’s works are made from galvanized steel and polyester twine netting. This one, the title of which derives from a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson,  is suspended above Civic Space Park at Arizona State University and moves with the wind, a process Echelman deems “wind choreography,” which simulates a cumulus cloud. At night, it is lit with colored lights, giving it the air of a giant  jellyfish  or a terrestrial version of the aurora borealis. For more on Echelman’s vision, view her  TED Talk . 9.  Metalmorphosis  (2007), by David Cerny Cerny is a Czech sculptor who specializes in big heads and controversy. His  TowerBabies  is a work installed on the 709-feet tall Zizkov Television Tower in Prague. As the name implies, it’s a series of cast bronze infants climbing the main tower. Another sculpture in Prague feat...