Fear of deportation and no access to fundamental rights
Henry "Ducky" Norwest was a Canadian sniper who fought in World War I. Norwest was an accomplished sharpshooter awarded with the Military Medal. In August 1918, Norwest was fatally shot by an enemy sniper.
William "Billy" Sing was an Australian sniper who served in World War I. Sing played a vital role during the Gallipoli Campaign (in modern-day Turkey).
Billy Sing lived up to his nicknames of "The Assassin" and "The Murderer," with over 200 kills, becoming one of the most effective snipers during the conflict.
Häyhä was eventually wounded by an explosive bullet, which injured his jaw. When asked about the amount of people he killed, Häyhä said, "I only did my duty, and what I was told to do, as well as I could." Simo Häyhä died in 2002 at the age of 96.
Francis Pegahmagabow is the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in the country's military history. Pegahmagabow went on to become involved in activism and politics in several First Nations organizations.
Francis Pegahmagabow was a First Nations Canadian soldier who fought in World War I. Pegahmagabow was the most effective sniper of the conflict, with 378 kills.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko volunteered to join the Soviet Red Army after the German invasion of 1941.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko is arguably the most successful female sniper of all time. Her feats earned her the Order of Lenin twice, and the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" in 1943. She died from a stroke in 1974, aged 58.
His reputation grew and local insurgents nicknamed him Al-Shaitan Ramad (the Devil of Ramadi). A US$20,000 bounty (which was later increased to $80,000) was put on Kyle's head.
Tragically, Chris Kyle was murdered (together with his friend, Chad Littlefield) in 2013 by veteran Eddie Ray Routh at a shooting range in Texas.
Chris Kyle is one of the most successful and famous American Navy SEAL snipers. He famously shot an enemy who was holding a rocket launcher and was about to attack an Army convoy. The target was 2,100 yards (1.9 km) away.
One of the deadliest snipers during the Vietnam War, the American sniper even had a bounty of US$30,000 put on his head by the enemy. Until 2002, Hathcock held the record for the furthest kill in history (2,500 yards/2.2 km).
The "unseen terror of East Prussia," as a Canadian newspaper described her in 1944, was the first servicewoman to receive the Order of Glory. Roza Shanina was killed in action while shielding a wounded commander in 1945. She was 20.
Roza Shanina was a Soviet sniper who fought in World War II. Shanina, who joined the army after her brother was killed, proved to be an impressively accurate sniper. According to records, Shanina has 59 confirmed kills.
In 2012, Chris Kyle published his autobiography, 'American Sniper,' which was later adapted into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle.
A young Simo Häyhä joined the army when the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939. Not long after, he became one of the world's most feared snipers.
Thomas Plunkett was an Irish soldier in the British Army's 95th Rifles regiment. He certainly won’t go down in history for his number of kills (two), but he did manage to accomplish quite an extraordinary feat.
During the Peninsular War in 1809, Plunkett managed to fatally shoot a French general at a range of 65 yards (600 m), which was indeed a very impressive distance back then.
Carlos Norman Hathcock II, aka "White Feather," remains a United States Marine Corps legend, who even had an M21 rifle named after him.
After World War II, Pavlichenko finished her education at Kyiv University and became a historian, as well as a research assistant for the Soviet Navy.
Adelbert F. "Bert" Waldron III was an American sniper who served during the Vietnam War. With over 100 kills, Waldron was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses, a Silver Star Medals, three Bronze Star Medals, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
Charles Benjamin "Chuck" Mawhinney served in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1970. Mawhinney still holds the record for the most confirmed sniper kills in the Marine Corps (103), but unofficial numbers are closer to 216.
Josef "Sepp" Allerberger (not pictured) was one of the deadliest snipers of the German Wehrmacht. Credited with 257 kills, Allerberger managed to slow down the Soviets.
The Red Army sniper (not pictured) went down in history for killing 225 enemies during the Battle of Stalingrad. Jude Law (pictured) plays the legendary Soviet sniper in the movie 'Enemy at the Gates' (2001).
"Lady Death," as the Germans called her, finished her career with 309 kills, 36 of them Axis snipers. Pavlichenko was withdrawn from combat after being wounded by a mortar in 1942.
Zhang Taofang was a highly effective sniper who served in the Chinese Army during the Korean War. Despite having no previous sniper training, Taofang managed to get 214 kills with 442 shots within 33 days.
The Red Army sniper is credited with over 500 kills during World War II, making him one of the top snipers of the entire conflict. In 1944, Ivan Sidorenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
A former Canadian Armed Forces sniper known as Wali traveled to Ukraine to fight in the war against Russia. When asked why he joined the Ukrainian forces, Wali responded: "I want to help them. It's as simple as that."
Sources: (Military.com) (The Times of India) (Owlcation) (TopTenz) (ABC News)
See also: Infamous dictators who were executed
Dubbed "The White Death" by the Soviets, Häyhä lived up to his name and finished his career with a whopping record of over 500 kills in less than 100 days.
Snipers are trained to shoot targets from a concealed position, in a location where they are undetected by their targets. This means that most are capable of shooting a target from a very long distance. Military snipers in particular are skilled in a number of special operation techniques, making them crucial during wars. Many of them have played vital roles in major conflicts, from the First World War to the current Ukraine conflict.
Indeed, there are many snipers who made history, and in this gallery we highlight some of the men and women who proved to be at the top of their game. Click on and get to know them.
History's most infamous snipers
Famed war heroes, outlaws, and assassins
LIFESTYLE War
Snipers are trained to shoot targets from a concealed position, in a location where they are undetected by their targets. This means that most are capable of shooting a target from a very long distance. Military snipers in particular are skilled in a number of special operation techniques, making them crucial during wars. Many of them have played vital roles in major conflicts, from the First World War to the current Ukraine conflict.
Indeed, there are many snipers who made history, and in this gallery we highlight some of the men and women who proved to be at the top of their game. Click on and get to know them.