Angus MacGyver
It is not often that a man’s impact on society is so dramatic, that his very name is entered into the public lexicon. MacGyver was just such a man. He was an amazing hero because he hated violence, guns, injustice, and did everything in his powers to right wrongs across the world. For seven glorious seasons we got to watch “Mac,” as his best friends liked to call him, fix heavy machinery, diffuse bombs, save maidens in distress, and avert international incidents using everyday objects like eggs, duct tape, window cleaner, candy bars, paper clips, and a trusty pocket knife.
The Urban Dictionary defines the term “MacGyver” as:
1.(n.) Main character of a popular T.V. show in the 1980s with unbridled ingenuity and cunning.
2.(n.) 1980s T.V. show where in every episode the hero would use objects around him to escape dire situations or fix something up through physics, chemistry, or duct tape.
3.(v.) To repair or enhance something previously broken through use of everyday objects.
Examples:
1. “The name’s MacGyver. Just, MacGyver.”
2. MacGyver created makeshift grenades from some junk and chemicals he found in an aircraft garage in order to get rid of the gunmen holding people hostage inside a diner.
3. Tim’s mouse had broken, so he popped it open and used some chewing gum to MacGyver it back together for a while.
Macgyver hated guns and if you ever forgot it the show was kind enough to remind you nearly every day through Mac’s insightful voiceovers. When he spoke, it felt as if we were inside his very head.
Here is a short list of amazing things he did using only his imagination and unequaled intellect.
Combined animal fat & kerosene in a can to work as a flare
Used rosary beads to focus sunlight and to trigger a slingshot
Used fertilizer and a rag in a can inside bamboo for rocket
Took wire & rope to make a remote starter for engine
Made explosive with gas can & oil soaked rag
Bamboo bazookas filled with methane mud
Made fake bloodstains from red wine and ketchup
Combined carbon, oxygen, & a glove to make a smoke bomb in a potato dish
Crushed nitroglycerin tablets & alcohol to make an explosive
Used a toy plastic tube as a weapon against a knife
Was there anything this man couldn’t do? Macgyver, or can I call you Mac? Even if you are doing episodes of Stargate SG1 on Sci-Fi channel now, we will always remember you for your delicious hairstyles, non-violent teachings, and for being the positive male role model we never got to have in real life. For all of this, you are our Daily Hero.