A new CNN special report, "Extraordinary People," showcases five noteworthy people who did something remarkable in 2014. One, helicopter pilot Gary Dahlen, braved smoke and flames in September to rescue 12 firefighters who were trapped by a California forest fire.
5 inspiring people of 2014 —
A new CNN special report, "Extraordinary People," showcases five noteworthy people who did something remarkable in 2014. One, helicopter pilot Gary Dahlen, braved smoke and flames in September to rescue 12 firefighters who were trapped by a California forest fire.
CNN
"Everything was happening so fast I wasn't thinking about (myself)," Dahlen said later. "I was just thinking about getting these guys to safety."
Gary Dahlen —
"Everything was happening so fast I wasn't thinking about (myself)," Dahlen said later. "I was just thinking about getting these guys to safety."
CNN
HIghway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, who grew up near Ferguson, MIssouri, was credited with helping to calm the racial unrest that erupted there in August following the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Johnson even took the unusual step of marching with protesters upset about Michael Brown's death.
Ron Johnson —
HIghway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, who grew up near Ferguson, MIssouri, was credited with helping to calm the racial unrest that erupted there in August following the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Johnson even took the unusual step of marching with protesters upset about Michael Brown's death.
Charlie Riede/AP
"The magnitude (of the unrest) ... was so large," Johnson told CNN. "And I didn't know if I was strong enough to face it."
Ron Johnson —
"The magnitude (of the unrest) ... was so large," Johnson told CNN. "And I didn't know if I was strong enough to face it."
Kevin Vickers, sergeant-at-arms for Canada's House of Commons, is seen here with his gun drawn moments after gunning down an armed man who killed an army reservist and then stormed an Ottawa Parliament building in October. Vickers was hailed as a hero for his bravery, which may have saved many lives.
Kevin Vickers —
Kevin Vickers, sergeant-at-arms for Canada's House of Commons, is seen here with his gun drawn moments after gunning down an armed man who killed an army reservist and then stormed an Ottawa Parliament building in October. Vickers was hailed as a hero for his bravery, which may have saved many lives.
CNN
The publicity-shy Vickers was honored with a standing ovation at a ceremony in November. "It's incredibly moving to me still that there was someone who ... would be willing to put themselves in the way of danger for me and my colleagues," said Mylene Freeman, a member of Canada's parliament.
Kevin Vickers —
The publicity-shy Vickers was honored with a standing ovation at a ceremony in November. "It's incredibly moving to me still that there was someone who ... would be willing to put themselves in the way of danger for me and my colleagues," said Mylene Freeman, a member of Canada's parliament.
CBC News
Fatu Kekula, a 22-year-old nursing student in Kakata, Liberia, spent weeks single-handedly caring for her father, mother, sister and cousin when they became ill with Ebola. Three of her four relatives survived and Kekula somehow avoided contracting the virus herself.
Fatu Kekula —
Fatu Kekula, a 22-year-old nursing student in Kakata, Liberia, spent weeks single-handedly caring for her father, mother, sister and cousin when they became ill with Ebola. Three of her four relatives survived and Kekula somehow avoided contracting the virus herself.
John Bonifield/CNN
"I was not afraid," Kekula told CNN. "I had faith, and that is why I'm here today."
Fatu Kekula —
"I was not afraid," Kekula told CNN. "I had faith, and that is why I'm here today."
CNN
In a speech that touched the hearts of millions, an emotional Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder thanked his mother after he was named the NBA's MVP in May. "You're the real MVP," he told her.
Kevin Durant —
In a speech that touched the hearts of millions, an emotional Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder thanked his mother after he was named the NBA's MVP in May. "You're the real MVP," he told her.
"The only thing I wanted to do was to show love to everybody who helped me get to that point," Durant later told CNN. "I knew it wasn't all (just) me that got there."
Kevin Durant —
"The only thing I wanted to do was to show love to everybody who helped me get to that point," Durant later told CNN. "I knew it wasn't all (just) me that got there."
CNN