Who is the Most Influential Person in History

[mcpon]

Here is Michael Hart's list of the top 100. He's an author who wrote a book about this.
http://www.adherents.com/adh_influ.html

So. Who would you guys consider the most influential person to have ever lived (that recorded history knows of.) Or make your own list (top 10 or something.) Don't include yourselves on the list, though. Or who would be somebody that has been very influential, but not popularly thought of.

Such as Gutenberg, who created print by movable type and allowed the mass production of books. Or Tsai Lun, who is traditionally credited with inventing paper. All from that guy's list.

Hopefully, third times a charm.

Have fun!

 

[tmw_redcell]

. And I disagree with that list, but I suppose a lot of people will. What influence does Michaelangleo have over people like Julius Caesar or founders of major religions? And why is JFK credited as having being the first to lead people to another planet? The moon isn't a **** planet.

 

[Mic_128]

You haven't read the truth have you! The moon is actually a giant spacestation that was built to take JFK and his scientists to Mars, from there they could take over the free world! But then Batman came and dragged the "moon" out of Mars' orbit, (leaving the scientists on Mars) and told JFK not to do naughy things like that again (old chum). Then he got shot.

Er....what was the topic?

 

[Tipo mastr]

Ronald Regean. Read about him if you don't know why.

 

[CaliburChamp]

Jesus Christ is. No doubt. Cause there would be no hope if it wasnt for him.

 

[ender]

and a lot less war.

 

[Zeeky H Bomb]

Einstein was, of course. Theory of Relativity anyone?

 

[Sudhir]

Einstein is the most influencal and it's been 100 years since his scientific breakthrough.

 

[RT]

It's hard to pick just 100 from all of recorded history...but I agree Einstein was the most influential person of the 20th century. There are other people obviously, but choosing is always hard...

 

[Bowser87]

Ronald Regean. Read about him if you don't know why.

Yeah, screw everything that happened before 1980, history started wtih Ronald Reagan!

That's the guy who supported funding terrorists in Nicaragua right? And who didn't bother to check if US entreprises were selling arms to Iran, when it was fighting Iraq, then a US ally. What good thing has Reagan done anyway? Oh right, he ousted a dictator from Grenada...

Wake up people, the most influential person in history can't have lived only in the past 100 years. Gutenberg makes a lot more sense.

 

[Crimson King]

It's opinions. All of it is people's opinion Bowser.

I think Ben Franklin was the most influential person with all of his inventions, right next to Thomas Edison.

 

[Cashed]

Kirby King is the most influential person, ever.

 

[Zeeky H Bomb]

Edison and Franklins discoveries only lead to better life for us as a whole, not to better understand how the world works.

*******
Kirby King is the most influential person, ever.
*******
Agreed.

 

[Vinnie275]

What about Toke Long Bong, Chinese inventor of pot smokin'.

EDIT: OH you dummies, the topic says "Most influential in History, not Modern World Culture. Stupids. If a dinosaur blew up europe for half a minute by mega-farting then put it back with his dino-eyebrows (shut up it's creative) he'd be the most influential in history but it wouldn't mean anything today.

 

[fluffy-sama]

in no particular order...

Josia Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams (nice name), Oliver Wolcott, William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lews Morris, Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George, Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross, Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean, Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jre., Arthur Middleton, Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton.

All of those peopel put everything they had on the line and many of them ended up losing it. If not for them we may not have the america we have today. = ) I'd say they're pretty darned influential.

 

[McFox]

I think it's a tie between Darth Vader and Jesus.

...but I'd give the edge to Darth.

 

[Stopsign]

I would say any Religous creator would win. Religion may not be all the influencing to us in America. But in many 2nd and 3rd world countries. It is the only thing they have to cling on to.

 

[DarkRoom]

From the website: Hitler was "allegedly a proponent of Germani Neo-Paganism"

Actually, Hitler had Christian beliefs, albeit warped Christian beliefs.

Edit: I should say there is strong evidence for Hitler having been a Christian.

 

[Crimson King]

His heritage was Polish and Jewish. His mother, a christian, had an affair with a wealthy Jewish lawyer I believe. So, Hitler was Christian. His persecution of the Jews was because
A.) Being a bastard from a Jewish father.
B.) His mother died, from persumably cancer, and was tended to by a Jewish doctor.
C.) He attempted to get into art school, but was beaten out be a Jewish artist.

 

[Blazey]

Another reason is that he was in a gym trying to work out, but he was too weak, and then he saw a jew with massive muscles laughing it up with a bunch of women. Classic.


For anyone that doesn't know what I'm talking about and thinks what I just said is really stupid, well it is, but that's because it was on Family Guy.

 

[Shy Guy]

I am going to have to go with Bill Cosby. His influence over the jello industry is mesmerizing.

 

[Vinnie275]

I am going to have to go with Bill Cosby. His influence over the jello industry is mesmerizing.

He knows a thing or two about go karts too.

A thing or two is more than I know, for sure.

 

[Resting_Fox]

Actually, I'd have to argue for Socrates' inclusion on that list, because without Socrates, Plato and Aristotle might have never become the great philosophers that they were. Plus, the Socratic method has been a educational cornerstone for MILLENIA now. And he was really the martyr of free thought, when you think about it.

And kudos to the man who invented the concept of a restroom. Though his name is lost in (pre)history, his legacy will live for as long as excrement is expelled by sentient life (which, as Jesus tells me, will be over three million more years, in Heaven Time of course)

 

[Vinnie275]

Crap, have any of you even read Aristotle's Nicho ethics? I know he's pretty smart for HIS time but you have to consider from a distant view he contradicts himself constantly, he lacks variable common sense, and he's pretty dumb when it comes to means.
He's sorta like a kid, or maybe the annoying asshat type. I would probably forget to invite him to a barbaque because he'd just argue over propane or charcoal and then say something like, "Well in the end, you have to find that the charcoal is just going to maintain the heat longer, not just that, but it will turn grey in good season!", and I'll be like "STFU it's expensive you asshat".

 

[3.14159]

The first people, because without them human history would never have existed.

 

[mcpon]

Actually, I'd have to argue for Socrates' inclusion on that list, because without Socrates, Plato and Aristotle might have never become the great philosophers that they were. Plus, the Socratic method has been a educational cornerstone for MILLENIA now. And he was really the martyr of free thought, when you think about it.

Well, I read parts of Michael Hart's book (internet links of the names on that site are just descriptions of who they are, but not actually Hart's reasons for why he chose them) and he said that Socrates was not included because it is not known for sure if he was a real person or not. Socrates might have just been a character used by Plato (and others) to discuss ideas.

 

[derf]

yeah so why isnt leibnitz on that lis??? or at least bruce campbell

 

[SavesTheDay]

Einstein.
I dont really count the religious supermen like Jesus in, just because I'm not sure if he really did exist...

 

[Wolfgangh]

So according to that only people that can have something to do with releligon count as important?

Um, yay?

What about that person that discoverd you should wash your hands before performing surgery and that kind of shatty wack?

 

[Bowser87]

His heritage was Polish and Jewish. His mother, a christian, had an affair with a wealthy Jewish lawyer I believe. So, Hitler was Christian. His persecution of the Jews was because
A.) Being a bastard from a Jewish father.
B.) His mother died, from persumably cancer, and was tended to by a Jewish doctor.
C.) He attempted to get into art school, but was beaten out be a Jewish artist.

Alright, why then did everybody embark on his Jewish hatred? Antisemitism was already widespread at the time, Hitler didn't invent anything. His antisemitism had the same christian roots as that of other Europeans at the time, and of course the depression, which hit Germany and Italy harder than anywhere else, fueled this hatred among Germans. Besides these are all unfounded claims.

 

[Sakura Haruno]

I'd have to say one of the most influential people in history is Bill Maher.

 

[Crimson King]

How is he influential? He doesn't do anything but have a talk show.

By that token, so is Colin Quinn, Connan O'Brian, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Dave Chappelle, Denis Miller, Johnny Carson, Adam Carolla, Opera, Geraldo, Maruie, Jenny Jones, Jerry Springer, and the millions of others they have.

So what did he do?

Didn't see this one either:

Alright, why then did everybody embark on his Jewish hatred? Antisemitism was already widespread at the time, Hitler didn't invent anything. His antisemitism had the same christian roots as that of other Europeans at the time, and of course the depression, which hit Germany and Italy harder than anywhere else, fueled this hatred among Germans. Besides these are all unfounded claims.

Hitler was the most charistmatic leader in recent history. Look at any of his rallies, he could get anyone to support his cause. No one was anti-semetic really until Hitler did take the reins. Prejudice? Of course, it like the south with Black People or Texans with Mexicans. You find someone to blame your problems on then it's not your fault and you don't have to fix it. All Hitler did was take this minor prejudice and mistrust, add in some ego scratching (he told the Germans they were the best races) and that the Jews were to blame for Germans misfortunes and hey, that makes sense, not their faults.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

I'd say Oprah....she is ruling the world right now. I mean think about it, she says a book is good and everyone goes and buys it even though they know the last one they read that she suggested sucked...and the one before that, and the one before that...

 

[Crimson King]

The title is "Who is the MOST Influential Person in History."

Talk show hosts are worthless. They just got a forum to share their opinions.

 

[Smashman]

Eric_the_Red is, for being the best Universal Discussion moderator ever!

Jesus Christ
Adolf Hitler
Johannes Gutenberg
Aristotle
Copernicus
Isaac Newton
Albert Einstein
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Malcolm X
George Lucas- because Star Wars wouldn't exist!
Steven Spielberg

 

[mcpon]

So according to that only people that can have something to do with releligon count as important?

Um, yay?

What about that person that discoverd you should wash your hands before performing surgery and that kind of shatty wack?

Um, no.
The list provides the religion that the site thinks each particular person belonged to. You do NOT have to have anything to do with religion to be on that list. You just have to be a human. Unfortunately, not everybody that has ever existed were considered because alot of those people are unknown. Such as the one who first controlled fire (if indeed that primitive technology could be traced back to a single person) or whatever.

 

[Resting_Fox]

Well, I read parts of Michael Hart's book (internet links of the names on that site are just descriptions of who they are, but not actually Hart's reasons for why he chose them) and he said that Socrates was not included because it is not known for sure if he was a real person or not. Socrates might have just been a character used by Plato (and others) to discuss ideas.

To that notion, I direct a pointed finger to the many statues and busts of Socrates.

(But of course, there is a statue of moses carved in the Rennaisance, and there are more statues of Jesus, although no one is really certain if he existed as the sculptures depict him)

And for that matter, how can you prove that Plato was not just a pen name created by Aristotle so he wouldn't seem to contradict his own ideas? How do we know that George Washington was not Thomas Jefferson's evil clone from the year 3058....B.C.?

Anyway....MARCO!.... (POLO!)

 

[Bowser87]

A lot of people seem to confuse Most influential person in history with Most important American in history.

Anyway, as for Hitler, a lot of people thought at the same time he did that the Jews were responsible for all the bad things happening. They had been the scapegoats in Europe for over a millenium, it wasn't much different that time. Except, with the extreme poverty and humiliation Germans suffered after WWI, ultra-nationalism and fascism became more influential, and that meant the antisemitism became even more radical. Hitler didn't even invent the NAZI Party (though he did change the name), and he already had a handful of supporters before getting to power. Anyway, my point earlier was that his hatred of Jews didn't have so much to do with his past as did the conditions under which he lived.


Now, about the most influential person in history, I reiterate my choice, Gutenberg. He invented printing, how more influential does it get?

 

[mcpon]

Edit: To elaborate

 

[mcpon]

After I read Michael Hart's list, I decided to come up with my own. Some entries are questionable, but it seems that more likely than not, to me, they were probably actually historical. Who would you put on your lists?

1. # Mohammed
2. # Aristotle
3. # Tsai Lun (credited with the invention of paper)
4. # Johann Gutenberg
5. # Jesus of Nazareth
6. # Paul of Tarsus
7. # Shih Huang Ti
8. # Louis Pasteur
9. # Plato
10. # Siddhartha Guatama
11. # Confucius
12. # Abraham (reportedly the founder of Judaism)
13. # Isaac Newton
14. # Sri Krishna (since I included Abraham, I'm going to include him too, his historiocity wasn't challenged until Christian missionaries did so)
15. # Euclid
16. # Tim Berners Lee (invented the world wide web (with help))
17. # Adolf Hitler
18. # James Watt / Matthew Boulton (Watt invented it, but Boulton manufactured it and made it into big business)
19. # Constantine I (the Great)
20. # Genghis Kahn
21. # Thomas Edison
22. # Karl Marx
23. # Alexander the Great
24. # Albert Einstein
25. # Nikolai Tesla (invented the radio as found by the Supreme Court & pioneered AC polyphase power distribution system)
26. # Christopher Columbus
27. # Hernan Cortes
28. # Nicolas Copernicus
29. # Socrates (just because of his reputation)
30. # Philo T. Farnsworth (invented electronic television that most closely resembles contemporary ones)
31. # Asoka (for turning Buddhism from a tiny sect into a world religion, brought Mauryan empire to largest land extent)
32. # Moses
33. # Augustus Caesar
34. # Gavrilo Princip (unwittingly, triggered the two World Wars and Cold War)
35. # Henry Bessemer
36. # Sui Wen Ti (reunified China)
37. # Martin Luther
38. # Umar (greatly expanded the Islamic empire outside of Saudi Arabia and most responsible for establishing the Islamic government of today, and most of his conquests have stayed Muslim)
39. # Pope Urban II (his speech ignited the Crusades)
40. # Galileo Galilei
41. # Sigmund Freud
42. # St. Thomas Aquinas
43. # Charles Darwin
44. # Alexander Graham Bell (telephone would have been invented anyways without him, but still beat Root to it)
45. # Charlemagne
46. # Nicolas von Otto (developed a car engine that most closely resembles contemporary ones)
47. # William the Conqueror
48. # Francisco Pizarro
49. # Saint Augustine of Hippo
50. # Charles Babbage, Howard Aiken
51. # Saints Clement of Ohrid, Cyrill, Methodius
52. # Napoleon
53. # Lao Tse
54. # Zoroaster
55. # Galen (his emphasis on investigation and observation influenced Arabic science and he was the leading medical authority in the west for around 1400 years)
56. # Wilbur & Orville Wright (Wright brothers)
57. # Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley (invented the transistor)
58. # Queen Isabella & Ferdinand
59. # Julius Caesar
60. # Cyrus II (the Great)
61. # Menes (started the dynastic tradition of Egypt)
62. # George Washington
63. # William Shakespeare
64. # Steve Jobs / Steve Wozniak (invented the personal computer)
65. # Jack Kilby / Robert Noyce (for inventing the silicon chip)
66. # William T. G. Morton
67. # John Locke
68. # Sir Alexander Fleming
69. # Muawiya I (of the Umayyad dynasty)
70. # Michael Faraday
71. # Adi Sankara (revived Hinduism after Buddhism and Jainism were starting to take over Southeast Asia)
72. # Ibn Al-Haytham (Alhacen, "first modern scientist")
73. # Vladimir Lenin
74. # Carl von Linde
75. # Simon Bolivar
76. # Maharshi Veda Vyasa (I'm going to credit him with the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita or just only the BG)
77. # Mencius
78. # Al-Khwarizmi / Leonardo Fibonacci (for their parts in getting the West to adopt the Hindu-Arabic numeral system that is used by most countries in the world today (along with their other influences on math))
79. # Adam Smith
80. # Richard Arkwright
81. # Mao Zedong
82. # Zayd ibn Thabit
83. # Madhavira
84. # Nagarjuna
85. # Vinton Cerf (for his part in the creation of the Internet)
86. # John Calvin
87. # Han Wu Ti ("martial emperor" not the other one)
88. # Leo Baekeland (invented the first "real" plastic)
89. # Mani
90. # Edward Jenner / Lady Montagu
91. # Tribonian
92. # Louis Daguerre (would have happened anyways, but still beat Fox Talbot to it)
93. # Du Fu (poet influential in China and Japan)
94. # Alessandro Volta
95. # Franics Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin
96. # Johann Karl Frederich Gauss
97. # Homer (wrote Greece's national epic poems)
98. # Ferdowsi (wrote Persia's national epic poem)
99. # Zhu Xi
100. # Ibn Firnas / Salvino D'Armati (supposed inventors of reading stones and eyeglasses, respectively)