February is Black History Month. Every year during these four weeks, Americans remember and honor the African Americans who played a central role in shaping the world as we know it today. They were politicians, artists, scientists, veterans, activists, faith leaders and ordinary citizens who became extraordinary when they rose to meet the challenges they faced. There are far too many of these incredible individuals to name, but here are a few of the superstars of Black History Month.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most incredible women to ever live. She was born into slavery in Maryland, but escaped to freedom in the North. She was not content, however, to simply live out her life as a free woman. She wanted to free her people as well. Tubman made 13 separate missions to rescue her enslaved brethren and is perhaps the best-known conductor of the Underground Railroad. She was called the “Moses of Her People” and was famously quoted as saying she “never lost a passenger” on her Underground Railroad trips despite suffering from sudden sleeping spells that were likely a form of narcolepsy caused by an old head injury. During the Civil War, she returned repeatedly to slave territory to act as a scout, guerilla soldier, spy and nurse for the Union Army. Despite spending much of her life with a bounty on her head, she lived to be over 90 years old.

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen is the unofficial name given to the group of black pilots and mechanics who fought in World War II. They were the first black flying squadron and were wildly successful in the war. They flew over 1,500 missions and had remarkably few losses for their work. They were, and still are, considered to be some of the best World War II pilots in the U.S. After the war, they were instrumental in postwar developments in aviation. In fact, Marion Rodgers went on to work on vehicles that flew even higher than planes as a program developer with the Apollo 13 project.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Civil Rights Movement gave America many of its greatest black superstars, including arguably the most famous black leader of all, Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s accomplishments were enormous, and he is still the first name most people think of when they are asked to name a Civil Rights leader. He is best known for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and his work advancing civil rights through nonviolent methods. He was assassinated in 1968, but he is still considered among the greatest leaders to ever live.

Black History Month is a way for Americans to honor some of the most extraordinary men and women this country has ever known. This February, who do you choose to remember?