8. Marc Chagall
The American Vice-Consul in Marseilles ran a rescue operation to smuggle artists and intellectuals out of Europe to the US during occupation by the Nazis in World War II; they did this by providing them with forged visas to the US. Chagall was one of over 2,000 who was rescued by this operation. The artist left France in May 1941, almost too late. Carl Van Vechten Public domain CC Marc Chagall 1941.