Hans Sprungfeld, better known as Jebediah Obadiah Zachariah Jedediah Springfield, was the purported historical founder of the town of Springfield and a murderous pirate. Hans Sprungfeld was born around the year 1774 to poor farmers in Axhandle, Virginia, where he learned various skills from his parents. Sprungfeld left his home and joined a merchant ship, where he became a pirate. Sprungfeld was most famous for attacking George Washington with an ax during an attempt to kill him in 1781 while he was stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington handily fought Hans back, and, bested, Sprungfeld escaped back to sea. To hide his identity, Hans changed his name to Jebediah Springfield in 1796 and formed a town. (Source: Fandom.com, CC BY-SA)