Nicholas Winton — The Man Who Saved 669 Children and Never Told Anyone

Nicholas Winton was a London stockbroker who organized the rescue of 669 mostly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of WWII. He chartered trains, forged documents, and found British foster families — all on his own. The operation was kept secret and his wife Greta only discovered the truth in 1988 when she found a scrapbook in their attic containing the children names and photos. On the BBC show 'That's Life!' in 1988, the host revealed that every person sitting around Winton was one of the children he saved. The audience of 669 stood and applauded. He received no official recognition until he was 89.