1. Sir Isaac Newton
Thanks to an apple falling from a tree, he came up with the law of gravity. Developed theories which became classical or Newtonian Physics. We still use his equations to this day.
2. Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was Germany’s leader from 1933 – 1945, during time which he led the world into the most devastating war in history. Hitler’s hatred of Jewish people and his desire for a blue-eyed, blond-haired master race led to the murder of six million people during World War II; most died in concentration camp in Eastern Europe.
3. Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi began his career as a lawyer but became a great political and spiritual leader. He led the peaceful civil disobedience of Indians against British rule in India and negotiated with the British Government until 1947, when India was granted independence. Gandhi became the first icon of a people’s struggleagains oppression. His simple lifestyle and his belief in religious tolerance have made him a symbol of decency and peace ever since.
4. Albert Einstein
Reinvented 20th century physics with over 300 papers. He actually spent 10 years figuring out the Theory of Relativity (e=mc^2) and the paper was just 3 pages long. Definitely one of the smartest people who changed the world in science.
5. Charles Darwin
Naturalist Charles Darwin established the theory of evolution. He began forming his ideas when he served as official naturalist on a world voyage on HMS Beagle (1831 – 36) and spent the rest of his life back in England developing them. When his famous book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selections was published in 1859, there were violent reactions against it. Darwin challenged the Bible’s account of creation and explained that human being are descended from an ape-like ancestor. Another English naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace, independently developed very similar ideas at the same time as Darwin.
6. Martin Luther King, Jr
Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of blacks in the Southern states of the United States. He was influenced by Gandhi and believed in peaceful protest. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King was assassinated in 1968, but will always be remembered for his dignified, passive resistance to an unjust society.
7. Michael Jackson
He practically created the Pop genre. For better for worse, we can thank him for the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and N'sync.
8. Bill Gates
Bill Gates created his first computer program while still at high school, co-founded Microsoft in 1977, and by 1993 was the richest man on Earth. In 2000 Gates and his wife formed the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, which is the largest charity in the world. One of its aim is to rid the Third World of polio and other deadly diseases.
9. Steve Jobs
Talk about making a comeback; he invents a user friendly computer for the masses, gets kicked out of his own company, then came back to reinvent media and mobile computing. Definitely one of the most technically creative people who changed the world.
10. Sir Charlie Chaplin
He made the funniest critically acclaimed silent films. He received a "Special Award" for the First Academy award ceremony for The Circus. Forty three years later, he received the longest standing ovation at the Oscars for receiving an honorary film award. Go to YouTube you'll see his classics; I thought the 'Table Ballet' was hilarious.
11. Walt Disney
Walt Disney founded Walt Disney Corp. from humble beginnings as an animator. His studio produced some of the most timeless children’s movies ever and still continues to do so.
12. Alexander Graham Bell
An eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. Just think of life without telephone...
13. Fidel Castro
The former head of government of Cuba, a position that he held for 50 years. Castro overthrew the US-backed dictator Batista to seize power, and only let go of it by passing it on to his brother. Castro has been alternately reviled and praised for measures that he took with the country as dictator.
14. Bob Dylan
Dylan wrote the soundtrack to the American civil unrest of the 1960′s. Winning a number of awards for his music including an honourary Pulitzer, Dylan created some controversy for his fans when he switched from acoustic guitar to electric midway through his career. One of his most famous songs, “All Along The Watchtower”, was used as a key plot device in the 2003 incarnation of the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica.
15. Karl Marx
Karl Marx’s ideas on economic history and sociology changed the world. Marx was a social philosopher who attacked the state and predicted a future in which everyone was equal. He explained his theories in the Communist Manifesto (compiled with Friedrich Engels and published in 1848) and Das Kapital (1867 – 94). His ideas eventually led to the Russian Revolution and communism. By 1950 almost half of the world‘s people lived under communist regimes.
Thanks to an apple falling from a tree, he came up with the law of gravity. Developed theories which became classical or Newtonian Physics. We still use his equations to this day.
2. Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was Germany’s leader from 1933 – 1945, during time which he led the world into the most devastating war in history. Hitler’s hatred of Jewish people and his desire for a blue-eyed, blond-haired master race led to the murder of six million people during World War II; most died in concentration camp in Eastern Europe.
3. Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi began his career as a lawyer but became a great political and spiritual leader. He led the peaceful civil disobedience of Indians against British rule in India and negotiated with the British Government until 1947, when India was granted independence. Gandhi became the first icon of a people’s struggleagains oppression. His simple lifestyle and his belief in religious tolerance have made him a symbol of decency and peace ever since.
4. Albert Einstein
Reinvented 20th century physics with over 300 papers. He actually spent 10 years figuring out the Theory of Relativity (e=mc^2) and the paper was just 3 pages long. Definitely one of the smartest people who changed the world in science.
5. Charles Darwin
Naturalist Charles Darwin established the theory of evolution. He began forming his ideas when he served as official naturalist on a world voyage on HMS Beagle (1831 – 36) and spent the rest of his life back in England developing them. When his famous book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selections was published in 1859, there were violent reactions against it. Darwin challenged the Bible’s account of creation and explained that human being are descended from an ape-like ancestor. Another English naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace, independently developed very similar ideas at the same time as Darwin.
6. Martin Luther King, Jr
Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of blacks in the Southern states of the United States. He was influenced by Gandhi and believed in peaceful protest. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King was assassinated in 1968, but will always be remembered for his dignified, passive resistance to an unjust society.
7. Michael Jackson
He practically created the Pop genre. For better for worse, we can thank him for the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and N'sync.
8. Bill Gates
Bill Gates created his first computer program while still at high school, co-founded Microsoft in 1977, and by 1993 was the richest man on Earth. In 2000 Gates and his wife formed the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, which is the largest charity in the world. One of its aim is to rid the Third World of polio and other deadly diseases.
9. Steve Jobs
Talk about making a comeback; he invents a user friendly computer for the masses, gets kicked out of his own company, then came back to reinvent media and mobile computing. Definitely one of the most technically creative people who changed the world.
10. Sir Charlie Chaplin
He made the funniest critically acclaimed silent films. He received a "Special Award" for the First Academy award ceremony for The Circus. Forty three years later, he received the longest standing ovation at the Oscars for receiving an honorary film award. Go to YouTube you'll see his classics; I thought the 'Table Ballet' was hilarious.
11. Walt Disney
Walt Disney founded Walt Disney Corp. from humble beginnings as an animator. His studio produced some of the most timeless children’s movies ever and still continues to do so.
12. Alexander Graham Bell
An eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. Just think of life without telephone...
13. Fidel Castro
The former head of government of Cuba, a position that he held for 50 years. Castro overthrew the US-backed dictator Batista to seize power, and only let go of it by passing it on to his brother. Castro has been alternately reviled and praised for measures that he took with the country as dictator.
14. Bob Dylan
Dylan wrote the soundtrack to the American civil unrest of the 1960′s. Winning a number of awards for his music including an honourary Pulitzer, Dylan created some controversy for his fans when he switched from acoustic guitar to electric midway through his career. One of his most famous songs, “All Along The Watchtower”, was used as a key plot device in the 2003 incarnation of the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica.
15. Karl Marx
Karl Marx’s ideas on economic history and sociology changed the world. Marx was a social philosopher who attacked the state and predicted a future in which everyone was equal. He explained his theories in the Communist Manifesto (compiled with Friedrich Engels and published in 1848) and Das Kapital (1867 – 94). His ideas eventually led to the Russian Revolution and communism. By 1950 almost half of the world‘s people lived under communist regimes.