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30 Historic Beards So Hot Your Head Will Explode

"Historic" as in black history, that is. But good beards should be enjoyed by all.

Driadonna Roland
by Driadonna Roland

BuzzFeed Staff

Alice Mongkongllite / Via BuzzFeed

1. This beard, which is the richest of all time.

2. This beard, belonging to the first recorded free black person to set foot in what would become Canada.

3. This beard, which purchased its own freedom from slavery for $425 in 1830.

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In 1853 Anthony Bowen founded the first African-American YMCA. He was also the first black clerk at the U.S. Patent Office.

4. This beard, belonging to the first black person elected to public office in the United States (and Langston Hughes' great-uncle).

5. This beard, on the first African-American to serve in the United States Senate.

6. This beard, belonging to the first black state governor.

7. This beard, which helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1875.

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James Rapier became a U.S. Representative in 1872, one of only three black congressmen during Reconstruction.

8. This beard, awarded a patent for an automatically opening and closing elevator door design in 1887.

9. This beard, which performed the first successful open heart surgery.

10. This beard, which co-founded the NAACP and was the first black person to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard.

11. This beard, which you know but how many hot, young pics have you seen of him?

12. This beard, which has barssss.

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John Stewart Rock was the first African-American lawyer to be admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also a dentist and abolitionist, and helped assemble the first officially recognized black unit in the Union Army during the Civil War. Can't stop, won't stop.

13. This beard, which is literally "The Real McCoy."

14. This beard, which studied at the National Academy of Design in 1918.

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In addition to being ~ruggedly~ handsome and having a poppin' curl pattern, William H. Johnson was a painter who became famous for his Scandinavian landscapes and primitive scenes of black life.

15. This beard, one of the creators of modern jazz.

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Thelonius Monk's unique improvisational style and trove of jazz standards has made him the second-most recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington. Catch this beard on the piano "Round Midnight," baby.

16. This Rastafari beard, which wants you to know "every little thing is gonna be all right."

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This is Bob Marley, one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. But you knew that.

17. This beard, which founded Motown Records in 1960.

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Berry Gordy put an entire city and genre of music on the map. He had all the hits, boy.

18. This beard, which co-founded the Black Panther Party.

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Perhaps the most badass beard on this list belongs to Bobby Seale. Just look at how he smokes that cigarette like, IDGAF.

19. This beard, which won 19 Emmys.

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Would you have 60 Minutes for journalist Ed Bradley?

20. This beard, which pities the fool.

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Mr. T. became an icon for several reasons when The A-Team premiered on NBC in 1983.

21. This otherwordly beard, which was the second African-American astronaut in U.S. history.

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Ronald McNair, Ph.D., was aboard the Challenger in 1986. RIP.

22. Thie beard, which won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama.

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August Wilson was a playwright whose work included a series of 10 plays known as "The Pittsburgh Cycle." Each is set in a different decade, depicting the African-American experience in the 20th century.

23. This beard, which started a revolution by saying, "Fuck tha police."

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Young Ice Cube made a protest song with N.W.A. in 1988 that's just as relevant almost 27 years later. He had a good day in between now and then, though.

24. The beard belonging to this Bawse, which has inspired many of your friends and lovers to join the #beardgang.

Shout-out to all the pear, Rick Ross.

25. This beard, one of the last real emcees left in the world.

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Common is ageless. He just won a Golden Globe for Best Song and is in the race for an Oscar as well. Is there any other handsome face with a beard on it that deserves it more?

26. This beard, belonging to the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.

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Mike Tomlin is the first black head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and is among the youngest head coaches in any of the four major North American professional sports. Bonus: He looks like sexy ass Omar Epps.

27. This beard, which you can see five nights a week in the house band for the iconic Tonight Show.

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Amir "Questlove" Thompson is drummer, DJ, virtouso. This modern-day music historian gives us all a little pride every time we see him rock his trademark black-fist afro pick.

28. This beard, belonging to the brand "King James."

29. This beard, which thinks you're the prettiest in sweatpants, hair tied, chillin' wit no makeup on.

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

But "if you're reading this, it's too late." —Drake

30. And this beard, which probably belongs to the next James Bond.