Anna Montemayor

In 2010, the words “earthquake swarm” entered the lexicon in Oklahoma. That same year, a trove of Michael Jackson memorabilia—including his iconic crystal-encrusted white glove—was sold at auction for over $1 million to a guy who was, officially, just the lowly forestry minister of the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea. And in 2014, Ukrainian revolutionaries raided the palace of their ousted president and found a zoo of peacocks, gilded toilets, and a floating restaurant modeled after a Spanish galleon.

Best-selling author and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel has influenced millions around the globe with his lessons of compassion and love in the face of hardship. Born in 1928, Wiesel found himself in a fight for his life during World War II as he was persecuted for his faith and eventually sent to Auschwitz. Following World War II, Wiesel used his life to tell of the tragedies he witnessed in hopes future generations would not make the same mistakes.