12. Václav Havel
Václav Havel, a playwright and dissident, led Czechoslovakia’s peaceful transition from communism to democracy. As president from 1989 to 1992, he played a pivotal role in the Velvet Revolution, which ended communist rule. After the country’s split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, Havel became the first president of the Czech Republic, serving until 2003. (britannica.com)
