2. Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, the founder of the militant organization al-Qaeda, became a symbol of *global terrorism* in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Born into a wealthy Saudi family, he became radicalized in the 1980s during the Afghan-Soviet War.
Bin Laden orchestrated several high-profile attacks, most notably the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths. His actions prompted a global response and the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. After evading capture for nearly a decade, he was ultimately located and killed in a U.S. Navy SEAL operation in Pakistan in 2011.
