Open Side Menu Go to the Top
Register
The most influential people in history The most influential people in history

03-24-2011 , 07:54 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diebitter
I agree. it was the British empire, not the English empire. Lot of good Scots and Welsh did their part.

And Irish too
The most influential people in history Quote
03-24-2011 , 07:55 AM
One person who perhaps should be on the list but virtually no one would consider is US Grant.

His contribution is that he changed warfare, and many of his changes still are relevant today. The include:

The use of overwhelming force against defensive positions. (Think about how following Grant tactics were a disaster in World War I.)

Targeting the civilian population.

Having battles that were no longer quick one or two day affairs.

Being willing to accept casualties at numbers which were previously unheard of.

Using different parts of his army in coordinated ways.

and there's probably much more.

Best wishes,
mason
The most influential people in history Quote
03-24-2011 , 09:26 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mason Malmuth
One person who perhaps should be on the list but virtually no one would consider is US Grant.

His contribution is that he changed warfare, and many of his changes still are relevant today. The include:

The use of overwhelming force against defensive positions. (Think about how following Grant tactics were a disaster in World War I.)

Targeting the civilian population.

Having battles that were no longer quick one or two day affairs.

Being willing to accept casualties at numbers which were previously unheard of.

Using different parts of his army in coordinated ways.

and there's probably much more.

Best wishes,
mason
All of these things existed well before Grant. Why do you think he was an innovator in this regard? Please explain.
The most influential people in history Quote
03-27-2011 , 12:16 PM
My vote would probably go to Aristotle as the most influential. His work dominated European thinking for the best part of two millenia and was incorporated in various religions, particularly christianity. His thinking on a huge range of issues had massive impacts on the course of European and world history - in governance/politics, philosophy, ethics, art and science. His influence only really started to wane during the Enlightenment but we can certainly still feel the effects today.

He also hugely affected history by encouraging Alexander the Great to go on the rampage.
The most influential people in history Quote
03-28-2011 , 02:22 PM
Martin Luther (as frontrunner of the reformation, of course there were others, but he can easily be considered the most influential one)
Augustus (he kind of complete, what Gaius Julius had begun. Doubtful Rome would have grown the way it did without him building the basis for the Ceasar-ship)
Karl Marx (Economist, political and social philosopher and lawyer to the people, while we have not witnessed his revolution come, his ideas are for sure intriguing and have played their part in the world becoming how it is)
Napoleon (created a new Europe, although a lof of it has been revoked afterwards, and created the basis for modern civil law)
The most influential people in history Quote
03-28-2011 , 07:28 PM
Lets everybody chill here and prove to me beyond a doubt that Jesus the person existed granted Jesus the myth number one but as far as we can prove that is all he was!
The most influential people in history Quote
03-28-2011 , 10:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by bob fossil
Lets everybody chill here and prove to me beyond a doubt that Jesus the person existed granted Jesus the myth number one but as far as we can prove that is all he was!
We have a religion forum that is better suited for this, post there:


Religion, God, Theology Forum: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/13...-god-theology/


-Zeno
The most influential people in history Quote
04-02-2011 , 08:26 PM
Surely Karl Marx and or Lenin?
The most influential people in history Quote
04-03-2011 , 01:08 AM
Euclid.
The most influential people in history Quote
04-07-2011 , 01:43 PM
Alexander the Great,Adolf Hitler,Abraham Lincoln,Napoleon and some great minds as Newton or Albert Einstein
The most influential people in history Quote
04-12-2011 , 02:34 PM
I've often asked people; "Who is the most influential person in the history of Western Civilization?".

Now, I'm not too sure what the content was of those posts that were deleted, but there is only one answer to my version of the question... Abraham.

As the father of all modern monotheistic religions, he trumps all choices between Paul, Jesus, or Muhammad.

The idea of One God was not unique to Abraham, but his version changed the way over half the planet behaves. The bedrock foundation of the social, cultural, military, legal, sexual, and dietary practices of The Middle East, Europe, North and South America, at least a quarter of Asia, and a great portion of Africa are due to Abraham's influence.

I can't speak to an equivalent individual in Eastern Culture, because I am not as versed in their history. But I'd be willing to bet that Abraham's influence trumps Confucius, Buddha, or anyone else that I'm unaware of.

In fact, Abraham is so obviously the most influential person in all of Western History, that I find it curious that no one has mentioned him.
The most influential people in history Quote
04-13-2011 , 10:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cup o' Joe
In fact, Abraham is so obviously the most influential person in all of Western History, that I find it curious that no one has mentioned him.
Did he exist?
The most influential people in history Quote
04-13-2011 , 06:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by plaaynde
Did he exist?
At what point in time would you accept an historical record? The Torah is, if nothing else, a record of the Jewish people in antiquity.
The most influential people in history Quote
06-13-2011 , 12:23 AM
T'sai Lun of China is often given the number 1 spot on these lists. He is credited for inventing paper about 2000 years ago. Without paper the rest of the list would be long forgotten.
The most influential people in history Quote
06-14-2011 , 07:02 PM
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī



Quote:
Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī (c. 780, Khwārizm – c. 850) was a Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer, a scholar in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

In the twelfth century, Latin translations of his work on the Indian numerals, introduced the decimal positional number system to the Western world. His Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing presented the first systematic solution of linear and quadratic equations in Arabic. In Renaissance Europe, he was considered the original inventor of algebra, although we now know that his work is based on older Indian or Greek sources. He revised Ptolemy's Geography and wrote on astronomy and astrology.

Some words reflect the importance of al-Khwarizmi's contributions to mathematics. "Algebra" is derived from al-jabr, one of the two operations he used to solve quadratic equations. Algorism and algorithm stem from Algoritmi, the Latin form of his name. His name is also the origin of (Spanish) guarismo and of (Portuguese) algarismo, both meaning digit.
Quote:
Al-Khwārizmī's contributions to mathematics, geography, astronomy, and cartography established the basis for innovation in algebra and trigonometry. His systematic approach to solving linear and quadratic equations led to algebra, a word derived from the title of his 830 book on the subject, "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing" (al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa'l-muqabalaالكتاب المختصر في حساب الجبر والمقابلة).

On the Calculation with Hindu Numerals written about 825, was principally responsible for spreading the Indian system of numeration throughout the Middle East and Europe. It was translated into Latin as Algoritmi de numero Indorum. Al-Khwārizmī, rendered as (Latin) Algoritmi, led to the term "algorithm".

Some of his work was based on Persian and Babylonian astronomy, Indian numbers, and Greek mathematics.

Al-Khwārizmī systematized and corrected Ptolemy's data for Africa and the Middle east. Another major book was Kitab surat al-ard ("The Image of the Earth"; translated as Geography), presenting the coordinates of places based on those in the Geography of Ptolemy but with improved values for the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, and Africa.

He also wrote on mechanical devices like the astrolabe and sundial.
He assisted a project to determine the circumference of the Earth and in making a world map for al-Ma'mun, the caliph, overseeing 70 geographers.

When, in the 12th century, his works spread to Europe through Latin translations, it had a profound impact on the advance of mathematics in Europe. He introduced Arabic numerals into the Latin West, based on a place-value decimal system developed from Indian sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhamma...a_al-Khwarizmi

Last edited by iraise44; 06-14-2011 at 07:07 PM.
The most influential people in history Quote
06-18-2011 , 03:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by powder_8s
T'sai Lun of China is often given the number 1 spot on these lists. He is credited for inventing paper about 2000 years ago. Without paper the rest of the list would be long forgotten.
The problem with these types of figures on this list is that if T'sai didn't invent paper, surely someone else would have before it was crucial to major events in history. The less likely that someone's feats would be accomplished by others is as or more important in judging influence than the magnitude of the feat.

I think that thinkers deserve most of this list.

sun Tzu
confucius
socrates
da vinci
adam smith
darwin
etc
The most influential people in history Quote
06-20-2011 , 02:31 PM
couldn't you make the same argument that if they hadn't thought of it somebody else would have a bit later?
The most influential people in history Quote
06-22-2011 , 11:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Custer
The problem with these types of figures on this list is that if T'sai didn't invent paper, surely someone else would have before it was crucial to major events in history. The less likely that someone's feats would be accomplished by others is as or more important in judging influence than the magnitude of the feat.

I think that thinkers deserve most of this list.

sun Tzu
confucius
socrates
da vinci
adam smith
darwin
etc
Strange how no one but Sun Tzu, on your list, lived before the invention of modern paper. As far as Sun Tzu goes its not even known if he actually existed or is just a mythological figure. But, if paper had existed in 600 bc we might know if Sun Tzu actually did exist. Also within a very short period of time after the invention of modern paper most of the modern religions formed. Maybe thats a coincidence?

I agree w/Charles Darwin being on the list. He scientifically proved the Bible and creation are mythology.

Last edited by powder_8s; 06-22-2011 at 11:42 PM.
The most influential people in history Quote
07-08-2011 , 11:46 PM
Some unorthodox picks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov (may have single handedly prevented WW3)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug (may have saved over a billion lives due to hunger)

Hitler is obviously there, he INFLUENCED much more of the war than Churchill or Roosevelt, single-handedly.

Most of the list will be filled with dictators, because their influence is much greater than democratic leaders.

Julius Cesar influenced more of history than Silvio Berlusconi ever will... Mao Tse Tung had much more influence over the world than Wen Jibao.

Also the scientists who were "lone rangers" in that they worked from their home, with no major correspondence with others, and made revolutions by themselves.

Newton comes to mind...
The most influential people in history Quote
07-15-2011 , 08:35 AM
Mitochondrial Eve
-----------------

The premise of the idea is that we can all be traced back to a single

woman living in Africa approximately 200,000 years ago.

Reseach has suggested a genetic bottleneck – a period in human history

when the population was very small .

If true this woman would be very influential in the history
of us all.


Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A703199
The most influential people in history Quote
07-20-2011 , 01:41 AM
Charlemagne

Whoever invented the Birth Control Pill
The most influential people in history Quote
07-20-2011 , 03:24 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlushRoyal
None of his inventions were created to kill people more efficiently, so that's a big plus as well (so he was different in that aspect than say Da Vinci, who did everything for money).

errr, except for that pesky death ray?
The most influential people in history Quote
07-25-2011 , 10:59 PM
This list is very much like those "greatest pop song ever" lists.

Everyone remembers his favorite song of the last couple of years and nominates it.

No one from the twentieth century should be making this list.
The most influential people in history Quote
07-26-2011 , 03:50 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Mirpuri
This list is very much like those "greatest pop song ever" lists.

Everyone remembers his favorite song of the last couple of years and nominates it.

No one from the twentieth century should be making this list.
But you, who may be close to the objective truth, who do you nominate?
The most influential people in history Quote

      
m