The course of human history has been shaped by the actions of numerous individuals whose profound impacts have resonated through time. In ranking the most influential figures, the focus is on those whose actions have dramatically altered the trajectory of humanity. Here are the top ten people whose influence has most significantly changed the world, based on the assessments of Michael H. Hart in his seminal work, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
1. Muhammad
As the founder of Islam, Muhammad’s influence extends through the religious, cultural, and political spheres. His teachings form the foundation of a major world religion followed by billions, and his life and work have profoundly shaped the history and societies of the Middle East and beyond.
2. Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton’s contributions to science, particularly his laws of motion and universal gravitation, revolutionized the way we understand the physical world. His work laid the groundwork for classical mechanics and influenced countless subsequent scientific advancements.
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth, whose life and teachings are the basis of Christianity, has had an unparalleled impact on Western civilization. Christianity has played a central role in the cultural, moral, and spiritual development of the world for two millennia.
Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, offered a path to spiritual enlightenment that has shaped the lives and cultures of millions across Asia and the world. His teachings on suffering, compassion, and mindfulness continue to influence contemporary thought.
Confucius
Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, developed a system of ethical and social philosophy that has profoundly impacted Chinese culture and other East Asian societies. His ideas on morality, family loyalty, and social harmony remain influential today.
Paul the Apostle
Paul the Apostle played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity beyond Jewish communities into the Gentile world. His missionary journeys and theological writings were instrumental in establishing Christianity as a major world religion.
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Cai Lun
Cai Lun, credited with the invention of paper in ancient China, revolutionized the way information was recorded and disseminated. This invention facilitated the spread of knowledge, literature, and bureaucracy throughout the world.
Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the 15th century brought about a revolution in the dissemination of knowledge. The mass production of books made literature and scientific works more accessible, leading to the spread of ideas and the advancement of education.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the Americas opened up the New World to European exploration and colonisation. His expeditions marked the beginning of widespread global interaction, reshaping economies, cultures, and populations across continents.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity fundamentally changed our understanding of time, space, and energy. His contributions to theoretical physics have had profound implications for science, technology, and our comprehension of the universe.
These ten individuals, through their actions and ideas, have indelibly influenced the course of human history. Their legacies continue to shape the world we live in today, demonstrating the enduring power of individual influence.
Here is the full 100 according to American Micheal H. Hart’s book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.
It is important to note that Hart was not attempting to rank “greatness” as a criterion, but rather whose actions most changed the course of human history.
1. Muhammad
2. Isaac Newton
3. Jesus
4. Gautama Buddha
5. Confucius
6. Paul the Apostle
7. Cai Lun
8. Johannes Gutenberg
9. Christopher Columbus
10. Albert Einstein
11. Louis Pasteur
12. Galileo Galilei
13. Aristotle
14. Euclid
15. Moses
16. Charles Darwin
17. Shih Huang Ti
18. Augustus Caesar
19. Nicolaus Copernicus
20. Antoine Laurent Lavoisier
21. Constantine the Great
22. James Watt
23. Michael Faraday
24. James Clerk Maxwell
25. Martin Luther
26. George Washington
27. Karl Marx
28. Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright
29. Genghis Khan
30. Adam Smith
31. Edward de Vere (better known as
“William Shakespeare”)
32. John Dalton
33. Alexander the Great
34. Napoleon Bonaparte
35. Thomas Edison
36. Antony van Leeuwenhoek
37. William T. G. Morton
38. Guglielmo Marconi
39. Adolf Hitler
40. Plato
41. Oliver Cromwell
42. Alexander Graham Bell
43. Alexander Fleming
44. John Locke
45. LudWig van Beethoven
46. Werner Heisenberg
47. Louis Daguerre
48. Simon Bolivar
49. Rene Descartes
50. Michelangelo
51. Pope V Urban II
52. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab
53. Asoka
54. St. Augustine
55. William Harvey
56. Ernest Rutherford
57. John Calvin
58. Gregor Mendel
59. Max Planck
60. Joseph Lister
61. Nikolaus August Otto
62. Francisco Pizarro
63. Hernando Cortes
64. Thomas Jefferson
65. Queen Isabella I
66. Joseph Stalin
67. Julius Caesar
68. William the Conqueror
69. Sigmund Freud
70. Edward Jenner
71. William Conrad Rontgen
72. Johann Sebastian Bach
73. Lao Tzu
74. Voltaire
75. Johannes Kepler
76. Enrico Fermi
77. Leonhard Euler
78. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
79. Niccolo Machiavelli
80. Thomas Malthus
81. John F. Kennedy
82. Gregory Pincus
83. Mani
84. Lenin
85. Sui Wen Ti
86. Vasco da Gama
87. Cyrus the Great
88. Peter the Great
89. Mao Zedong
90. Francis Bacon
91. Henry Ford
92. Mencius
93. Zoroaster
94. Queen Elizabeth I
95. Mikhail Gorbachev
96. Menes
97. Charlemagne
98. Homer
99. Justinian I
100. Mahavira
