Steve Irwin

Famous for his perpetual exuberance, tacky khaki outfits and "crikey!" catchword, this late Aussie animal activist-cum-TV-personality amazed audiences with his outrageous  not to mention dangerous  animal stunts. Raised on his parents' wildlife park, which he later expanded and rechristened Australia Zoo, Irwin launched his seminal Crocodile Hunter series in 1997. A fixture on Animal Planet, the show gave Irwin his nickname and featured the somewhat goofy environmentalist and his wife trotting the globe wrestling creatures wonderful and wild. In the late '90s, his career got a big boost when he began showcasing his shtick on stateside talk shows and by the '00s, he was famous enough to warrant a cameo in Dr. Dolittle 2 and parlay his persona into myriad products, including books, games and action figures. Although some critics questioned his intrusive methods and overblown theatrics  he was widely chastised for feeding a crocodile while holding his infant son back in 2004  the public adored him, and his message of animal conservation was a positive one. Unfortunately, his untimely and freakish death caused by a poisonous stingray served to undermine his work. Irwin had spent his life trying to convince people that animals, even threatening ones, needed to be understood not feared, yet even he fell prey to nature's dangers.