Hero

We all know that the word Hero is used in English to describe a person who shows some extraordinary character/will/skill in doing things.

Hero (n):A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

But, the origin of this word is very interesting. A man named Herostratus wanted his name to remain forever in this world. The lust for fame made him burn the Temple of Artemis on July 21st 356BC. This temple was one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world. Herostratus was executed for this deed and was condemned to the legacy of obscurity by forbidding mention of his name under the penalty of death.

The evolution of the human civilization is so strange that we actually granted Herostratus's wish and made him eternal by deriving the word HERO from his name.