Having vented my spleen.
Does not have to be too recent.

Chet Baker
Keith Flint

Noam Chomsky.
Pete Seeger.

John Snow the bastard.

John Snow the bastard.

… but…. he knows nothing

Edit: A few from me:

Robin Williams
Bruce Dickinson
Prof. Iain Stewart

Just got back from a Chvrches gig, so tonight, for me, it’s Lauren Mayberry.

Bruce Dickinson’s not cool. He’s awesome, but he’s not cool.

Terry Pratchett, he was cool. Started out, let’s be honest, as a total hack knocking out unfunny fantasy pastiches. Found a voice, and what a voice, then built and populated a world. Then once he became ill became a huge force for alzheimers awareness, research and support, and absolutely fearless in the right to die debate. Cool.

Also, when I’m gambling I like to have a safe bet and a wild card so I’m also going with Macklemore, mostly because Downtown and its video are genius. But I like his style in general, he reminds me of MC Tunes.

How recent is ‘recent’. For me it is Dr Martin Luther King jnr. I was lucky enough to be present when he made his most famous speech. Unfortunately I have no recollection whatsoever, just an assurance from my mum that I was there back in 1963.

I don’t know how much of the true personality we get to see, but Tom Hanks seems like a decent person

Prof. Sue Black
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5mg3lGX2qnzBrctXkTPfQ9S/professor-sue-black-obe

Peter Ustinov
Alan Bennett
Ayrton Senna

Brian cox and bill nye.

Prof David nutt gets a mention too for sticking to his guns in post, in the face of an ideology based brief.

Fred Dibnah

Agree with steveoath, Prof.Sue Black. Heard her on Desert Island Discs, an amazing person. The programme is well worth a listen but be prepared to be shocked and upset at her description of her work in Kosovo.

Super Hans

Dara O’Brien
Rory Stewart
John Snow
Boris Johnson
Victoria Cohen Mitchel
That pilot who landed on the Hudson river.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

Brian cox and bill nye.

The actor Brian Cox is most definitely cool. The other one is a fud.

As a devoted fan of the infinite monkey cage, I’d have to disagree

Keith Flint?! That almost cancels your Chet opener.
Bruce Dickinson rocked a mullet for 30 years, he’s barred.

I’d probably second Tom Hanks

Obvious, but Steve McQueen sweated cool from every pore.

Prof Hawkins is pretty cool, the universe theory chomping, multi-lover pleasuring, wheeled genius.

Wilco is unfeasibly cool. And the living embodiment of cool……

Wilko Johnson
Fred Dibnah
Brian Blessed
Brian Clough

Potentially controversial…

And for her attitude…

Ernest Shackleton (explorer b.1874)
Edward Pellew (naval officer b.1757)
James Cook (explorer b.1728)
William Bligh (naval officer b.1754)

I might be stretching the ‘recent’ thing a bit! Here one to bring it up to date

Mark Beaumont (adventurer b.1983)

Richard Feynman
Glen Gould
Jacob Bronowski
Raymond Baxter / James Burke

Paul Newman. Basically the complete modern man. Multiple acting awards, multiple championships as racing driver, HUGE philanthropist, political activist, impossibly handsome, hugely talented, master of his own destiny and general all round nice guy.

This thread really proves how dorky MTBers are. Does anyone here actually understand “cool”? 😀 8)
Edit: Flying Ox & Binners maybe

Peter Cook
Jimi Hendrix
John Belushi
Vaughn Bode
Paul ‘aroe’ Barlow

geordie – guitarist for killing joke. i win.

Eddie Mabo. A friend RIP.

Guy Martin

You can end the thread now 8)

Eric Brown

Andy Kaufman

John Peel

Steve Mcqueen

HW Tilman

Thom Yorke