These are the coolest dogs and cats you'll read about today. (And probably tomorrow, too.)

Some of us are born for bigger things. Marie Curie, George Washington, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart. That said, greatness isn’t exclusive to humans.

In fact, think about some of our four-legged friends. For example, we all know Lassie, Morris the Cat, Rin Tin Tin and even Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers trilogy.

But dig beyond those Hollywood stars and starlets and you’ll find quite a few that are equally deserving of acclaim.

Here are four we think you’ll love.

Unsinkable Sam

The saying about cats having nine lives could be thanks to Unsinkable Sam.

Originally named Oscar, Unsinkable Sam earned his place in history for having survived the sinking of three warships during WWII.

His first vessel was the German battleship, the Bismarck. After heavy fighting, the Bismarck sank in the North Atlantic. British sailors found the stalwart feline floating on a board in the ocean and brought him aboard the HMS Cossack. From May 1941 through October, Sam called the Cossack home, until … you guessed it.

The Cossack sank due to a torpedo attack.

From the Cossack, he was transferred to another Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal. Unfortunately, Sam’s naval career found no good luck again. The Ark Royal was sunk by a torpedo attack midway through November 1941. When rescued, Sam was described as “angry but quite unharmed.”

At this point, his time traveling the Seven Seas came to an end. He was eventually transferred to live out his days as a landlubber in Belfast, where he received room and board in a home for sailors.

Eclipse the Dog

Anyone who’s taken public transportation can attest to the fact that anything can happen on public transportation.

And if you happen to take a certain bus line in Seattle, you may happen upon a large black dog hanging around by herself. But no need to worry. Eclipse, Seattle’s Bus Riding Dog, is a good girl. And, she knows where she’s going.

In short, she takes the bus to the dog park where she, “spends a couple of hours getting exercise and making friends.” When done, she takes the bus back home. She even has her own bus pass attached to the collar.

According to her owner, Jeff Young, Eclipse decided to hop on the bus on the way to the dog park one day when he was taking too long to finish a cigarette. Ever since then, she’s made the trip to the dog park and back on her own. And apparently, she’s quite popular — as evidenced by her nearly 100k Facebook followers.

And let’s face it … of all the things to happen on public transportation, bumping into this adorable girl is one of the best things that could happen!

Room 8 Cat

There’s an old saying. You don’t choose a cat. A cat chooses you. And in the case of the Room 8 cat, this cat chose an entire school.

In 1952, students at Elysian Heights Elementary School (Los Angeles) found the tabby, “during recess and ransacking the children’s lunches.” They named him after the room they found him in.

And thus, the legend of Room 8 Cat began.

For 16 years, the cat called the school home, only leaving during summer break. No one knew where he went during summers but he always came back in time for the new school year.

But his story doesn’t end there. In fact, Room 8 Cat became quite the celebrity. According to the Los Angeles Times, “A story in My Weekly Reader brought Room 8 10,000 fan letters.” He even had a book, A Cat Called Room 8, written in his honor (and is still read at the school to this day).

And when he died at the age of 22, his obituary in the L.A. Times took up three columns and included a picture!

Not bad for a stray who just wandered in, looking for lunch.

Wilbur Beast

This one may feel a bit like cheating because it’s not so much about one dog as much about the town where this pup is located.

You see, Wilbur Beast lives in the small town of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. But what makes Wilbur — and by extension, Rabbit Hash — so special?

Wilbur Beast is the mayor of Rabbit Hash.

But wait … there’s more.

Every mayor of Rabbit Hash has been a dog.

Wilbur, a French bulldog, defeated incumbent Brynneth Pawltro, a pit bull who was the mayor from 2016 – 2020. His platform focused on mental health and breast cancer awareness.

Now, you may ask, why does Rabbit Hash elect dogs?

Well, don’t tell Wilbur but he’s not really the mayor.

In truth, the election is really just a fundraiser for the Rabbit Hash Historical Society. For $1 per vote, anyone can weigh in on the next leader of this town in the heart of Boone County. And based upon the vote tally, Wilbur’s vision was inspiring.

He gets our vote, for sure!