Tangun

Mythological first king of the Koreans, whose reign began in 2333 BC. According to one legend, Tangun's father descended from heaven to rule earth from a mountaintop. When a bear and a tiger expressed the wish to become human, he ordered them into a cave for 100 days; after the tiger grew impatient and left, the bear was transformed into the beautiful woman who became Tangun's mother. Buddhism and Daoism credited Tangun with establishing a national religion and originating the Korean maxim "Hongik-ingan" ("Love humanity"). His birthday is a school holiday.

For more information on Tangun, visit Britannica.com.