You might not recognize the name Götz von Berlichingen, but he left his mark on history forever by coining the phrase "kiss my ass." That in itself is quite a legacy, but there was much more to the 15th-century German knight. In his 47-year military career, von Berlichingen fought for the Holy Roman Emperor, then against him, then for him again. He earned the nickname "Germany's Robin Hood" when he led a peasant's revolt and the nickname "Iron Hand" when he lost his right arm early in his career and replaced it with a metal prosthetic.
Götz von Berlichingen felt at home fighting and leading armies. At age 20, he retired from regular military service after several years and then raised his own army of mercenaries. They fought for whoever hired them for many years. Later in life, von Berlichingen lent his service to underdogs fighting for their freedom from oppression. He made a couple of attempts to retire that didn't stick, because von Berlichingen was born to fight. When he finally did and wrote an account of his life, it became a best seller and a play by Goethe. Read about the toughest knight of the Middle Ages at Military History Now. -via Strange Company
