List of Donald Duck Characters - Historical Figures in Duck Stories

Historical Figures in Duck Stories

In several Don Rosa stories, Scrooge McDuck encountered historical people. The most notable of these encounters was with U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt and Scrooge would meet each other at least three times: in the Dakotas in 1883, in Duckburg in 1902, and in Panama in 1906. Rosa is famous for his historical accuracy: he checks historical records to make sure that the figures he writes about could have plausibly taken part in those adventures. (This also extends to scientific accuracy for the most part.) Other historical people who met Scrooge:

• Elias Lönnrot, in Glasgow in 1877.
• Jesse James, several times in the late 19th century.
• Murdo McKenzie, in Montana from 1882 to 1884.
• Captain E. Moore, on the Cutty Sark in 1883.
• Sultan Mangkunagara V of Djokja, in Batavia in 1883.

(Which was actually an error since the ruler of Djokja at the time was Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII. The error was derived from the mistake on Don Rosa's source, an 1890's traveller titled On The Subject of Java)

• Sultan Pakubuwana IX of Solo, in Batavia in 1883.
• Marcus Daly, in Butte, Montana in 1884.
• Jakob Waltz in Pizen Bluff in 1890.
• Geronimo, in Arizona in 1890.
• Buffalo Bill, in Arizona in 1890.
• Annie Oakley, in Arizona in 1890.
• P. T. Barnum, in Arizona in 1890.
• The Dalton Brothers, in Arizona in 1890.
• Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, at the Chicago Universal Exposition in 1892.
• Wyatt Earp, in Skagway in 1896 and one year later in White Agony Creek.
• Bat Masterson, in White Agony Creek in 1897.
• Judge Roy Bean, in White Agony Creek in 1897.
• Butch Cassidy, in White Agony Creek in 1897.
• The Sundance Kid, in White Agony Creek in 1897.
• Sam Steele, in Dawson City in 1898.
• Jack London, in Dawson City in 1898.
• William H. Scarth, in Dawson City in 1898.
• Edith Roosevelt, in Panama in 1906.
• General Esteban, in Panama in 1906. This character is named after General Esteban Huertas, who is considered a hero in Panama. Because Rosa needed the character as a villain, he chose not to use the General's full name. Also, the real General Esteban Huertas had only one arm, unlike his counterpart in the comic.
• John F. Stevens, in Panama in 1906.
• Captain George R. Shanton, in Panama in 1906.
• Robert Peary, close to the North Pole in 1909.
• Matthew Henson, near the North Pole in 1909.
• Nicholas II of Russia, in the Winter Palace in 1910.
• John Jacob Astor IV, on the RMS Titanic in 1912
• Frank Lloyd Drake, the designer of Scrooge's Money Bin, was named after famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This character is only mentioned and doesn't make an appearance.
• Sitting Bull, he was called "Standing Bull" until he lost a fight against Scrooge.

Furthermore, Don Rosa often hides images of himself, his friends or Carl Barks in his stories.