Heroes and Stories of Bravery

Join us in celebrating everyday heroes who risk their lives to help others and whose selfless acts and stories of bravery are sure to inspire.

See other topics in Inspiring People

Inspiring Stories

Our everyday heroes risk their own lives to help people in trouble. They know that doing right by others is more rewarding than a big paycheck, and they do it without expectation of accolades or even a thank-you. Tell us about a hero in your community.

Meet Our Heroes

Amazing People
West Point's First Female Admissions Director
Q&A: Kelly Clarkson
Q&A: Denzel Washington
Dreamers: The Digg Idea
Turning a Profit on Juice

A Winning Friendship on the Yankees

Four teammates and the bond that helped make them champions.

Car Wash Calamity

When a freak accident fells an attendant, one customer goes into overdrive.

A Heroic Freight Train Rescue

A freight train was just seconds away, and June Griffith couldn't move. A group of college students knew what to do.

Heroes: Rescue in the Water

How the quick thinking of three college women saved the life of an experienced fisherman.

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1Flight from the Fire: A Dramatic Condor Rescue
The forest was ablaze and eight rare condors were trapped. Joe Burnett led the team to save their lives.
2Our Hero of the Year 2008
You voted, and Iraq war veteran Greg Gadson is the Reader's Digest 2008 Hero of the Year.
3How 7 People Found Hope and Refuge in America
They fled in the dark, hid in black holes, and ran from bullets. Seven remarkable men and women tell how Nazis, Pol Pot, and the monsters of Darfur could not keep them from freedom.
4How You Can Help Wounded Veterans
Want to help heroes and their families get the housing they need? Check out these organizations.
5Dr. Rick Hodes Helps the Children of Ethiopia
Dr. Rick Hodes has devoted his life to helping Ethiopia's most desperate kids-including the five he adopted. His philosophy is simple: "Don't Say No"
6Help for Ethiopia's Children
Watch a slide show of Dr. Rick Hodes in action and learn how to support his work.
72008 Hero of the Year
In 2008, Reader's Digest celebrated 13 ordinary citizens who unexpectedly found themselves confronted with desperate situations--and acted. Their stories are told here. You let us know who inspires you the most by voting in our Hero of the Year poll, and here are the nominees.
8The Searcher: James Spring
James Spring went looking for adventure. What he found: two little girls caught in a fractured family saga.
9Heroes: Jim Grant Braves Inferno
Jim Grant could have kept driving. Instead, he braved a burning building to save a family in danger.

The Ultimate Sex Guide for Newlyweds
Every married couple faces concerns that can cool the hottest love life. Here's how to keep sex fun and fulfilling.
30 Secrets Your Waiter Will Never Tell You
Two dozen servers reveal the truth about what goes on behind the kitchen doors.
Rumor Detectives: True Story or Online Hoax?
Giant dogs? One-winged airplanes? Death by Pop Rocks? Sounds like a case for Snopes.com.
How to Remodel a Small Bathroom
Here's how to give your small bathroom a makeover, featuring a larger shower, a hidden-tank toilet, a wall hung sink and gorgeous marble tile.
41 Secrets Your Doctor Would Never Share
Those free medication samples may not be the best - or safest. Find out what else doctors shared with Reader's Digest when we asked them to tell it like it is.

Heroes and Stories of Bravery

Join us in celebrating everyday heroes who risk their lives to help others and whose selfless acts and stories of bravery are sure to inspire.

See other topics in Inspiring People

Inspiring Stories

2008 Hero of the Year

Heroes of China's Earthquake

Hero of the Year 2007

Reader's Digest Around the World