A celebrated hero of the Revolutionary War, Aaron Burr was a US senator from New York who came within a hair's breadth of becoming the 3rd US president when in the 1800 election he received the same amount of electoral vote as Thomas Jefferson. Congress broke the tie in favor of Jefferson, and Burr had to settle for the vice presidency.

In July of 1804, Burr became most famous for shooting Alexander Hamilton dead in a duel at Weehawken, NJ. Because dueling was illegal in New Jersey and New York, Burr was charged with murder in both states. Despite this, he returned to Washington, DC, where he was immune from prosecution, and finished out his term as vice president.

Burr then turned his attention to the West where he tried to raise interest in a military expedition to liberate Mexican territories from Spain. Though his true motives are uncertain, Burr was arrested in 1807 on charges of treason and was accused of attempting to break away the territories of the United States west of the Mississippi, combine them with Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Mexico and make himself emperor of a new sovereign nation.

Though aquitted of all charges, Burr's political future was ruined and he fled to Europe for several years where he kept a journal of his many sexual conquests, and again attempted (unsuccessfully ) to raise funds for an expedition to liberate Texas and Mexico from Spain. Burr returned to New York City in 1812 after the murder charges against him were dropped. He reestablished his successful law practice, married a woman ten years his elder, and finally died in 1836 at the age of 80.

In 1861, a book titled The Amorous Intrigues and Adventures of Aaron Burr offered readers a saucy and salacious retelling of Burr's life with a special focus on the naughty parts. He is also rumored to have been Martin Van Buren's biological father.

- Text by Thad B. Awesome

This video is easily one of the most incredible events in the history of AwesomeOff. Our own Thad B. Awesome wanted to nominate Banacek for AwesomeOff. But when looking around the internet for the right video to use with the entry, he could not find one that he really thought showed how awesome the character was. So he took the natural next step: HE WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES ON DVD AND BOILED IT DOWN TO THIS VIDEO. If that sentence didn't process, please read it again. If this does not give you reason to consider this nomination, please check your pulse!

More Info on Banacek from Thad:

Banacek specializes in solving the unsolvable. When a famous NFL quarterback, or a priceless museum artifact, or an early 70s room-sized computer vanishes inexplicably in front of crowds of onlookers, leaving the police and other investigators baffled, only the suave, sophisticated Polish-American freelance insurance investigator Thomas Banacek can crack the case.

In the process, he'll fend off numerous sexual advances from women young and old. He'll consult his effeminate rare-bookstore owner pal Felix Mulholland. He'll hit you with some Polish wisdom in proverb form. And he will, of course, introduce himself by name about 8,000 times.

"A duck with three wings and a loaf of bread, is brother to the turkey." -T. Banacek

Thanks again for Mr. Smith for this wonderful video, and of course, Mr. Peppard for his amazing character.