Thomas More
1478–1535 · English (London) · Tudor England
Known for: Wrote Utopia, refused to endorse Henry VIII's divorce, and lost his head for it — literally
Thomas More was Lord Chancellor of England, humanist scholar, and author of Utopia — a satirical description of an ideal society that coined the word 'utopia' (Greek for 'no place'). He was executed by Henry VIII for refusing to acknowledge the king as head of the Church of England.
He's been canonized as a Catholic saint and is admired by socialists, Catholics, and free-speech advocates for different reasons.
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