Who would you say is the most courageous person in history (can be from any civilization, time period, etc.)? Why?

There are almost too many choices, some sharing a similar form of courage, others unique in style.
Julius Caesar - crossing the Rubicon was a courageous act marking him as an outlaw with severe consequences if he lost - whatever other mistakes he made, it was for the benefit of Rome.
Thomas Becket who, whatever his past, stood against a king for the sake of faith.
Thomas More who did likewise.
Elizabeth I - so many reasons, quite a few of them involving her faith before she took the throne.
Abraham Lincoln - a man who understood the hatred focused on him - whether he truly anticipated an assasination, he was devoted to the country above all.

Just a few - all major names of history which does not take away from lesser names whose courage may or may not be recorded. Certainly there were many courageous people during the great depression - a few probably greater than the names above. Certainly Thomas More was not alone in his defiance that was almost certain to lead to his own destruction.

An interesting question - think I'll select Elizabeth I for an unwavering, clever approach to survival and challenge. One thing I find in my own list is that these people put a higher value on something beyond their own personal advantage.

The nameless (?) guy who stood in front of the tanks in Tianeman Square -

Picture.

He wasn't a powerful 'historical' figure. He stood to gain nothing from his action - not even recognition by posterity, which was possibly uppermost in the mind of those figures named above.

I read, somewhere - I've lost the reference - that he wasn't a student connected with the Tianeman Square demonstration. He was just someone walking home with his shopping, who decided, literally, to make a stand. It would have been so easy to pass on by.

Thanks for the suggestions, Prothero and newnickname!

Sadat. Making peace with Israel when no one else wanted to talk about anything else but war. I'm not surprized he was assassinated - just that it didn't happen for years after the settlement. To bad other leaders didn't follow his lead.

Jesus was the most courageous person in history!

Sadat and Jesus are both great ideas. Thanks for the suggestions.

I think Ali bin Abi Taleb
and his Son hussein in Karbalaa

My answer is David Crockett. Because he knew he had to die at the Alamo. His fame led him to his death because he could not back out. He faed the enemy head on.