St. James the Elder, Apostle
1 — 44 · Feast day: December 30
Son of Zebedee and brother of John, James was among the first fishermen called by Jesus and one of the inner three who witnessed the Transfiguration and the Agony in Gethsemane. His hot temper earned him the nickname 'Son of Thunder'; his courage brought him to be the first of the Twelve martyred, beheaded by Herod Agrippa I around AD 44. His shrine at Santiago de Compostela draws pilgrims across the Camino routes to this day.