The Ten Most Influential People of the 20th Century

10. J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967)

Physics

One of the trademarks of the 20th century, horrible though it may be, is the creation of the atomic bomb.  This is the ultimate weapon of destruction which set our world into a state of fear for the latter half of the century with the cold war, as well as put an abrupt end to the Second World War.  Oppenheimer was a brilliant physicist, unfortunately his legacy will always be the bomb.   Oppenheimer is sort of like the real life Frankenstein; horrified at what he had created, but unable to unmake it.

9. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

Psychology

When Freud came along, he changed the way we thought about the way we think.  He essentially created the field of psychoanalysis, working on interpreting our dreams and our subconscious.  He also made a huge advancement in the liberation of sexual dialogue in society today.

8. Bill Gates (1955- )

Computers

When Gutenburg created the printing press, be revolutionized the world by allowing ideas to spread through the written page.  Bill Gates could perhaps be called the Gutenburg of the information age.  Though he didn’t invent the computer, be did make it accessable to almost everyone in the developed world, once again revolutionizing how we spread information around the globe.

7. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Civil Rights

He had a dream, and people responded.  He was one of the most passionate speakers we had seen since the war, and he fought for a noble and just cause.  He tried to repair race relations by bringing people together rather than keeping them apart.  He brought down the Jim Crow laws in the states.  Though his work is not yet finished, but set the people of his country on a mission of equity and justice.

6. Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)

Politics

Communism was simply a theory on the pages of Marx and Engels’ Communist Manifesto until Lenin came along with a vision to use Russia to put it into practice.  His Russian Revolution in 1917 shook the world.  Communism spread quickly through Eastern Europe and Asia, though the heart of it was in Russia.   Lenin made a superpower out of the USSR and made an indelible mark upon the world.

5.  James Watson and Francis Crick (1928- , 1916 – 2004)

Biochemistry

The number five position actually goes to two people, the scientific pair of Watson and Crick.  These two biologists discovered and developed the molecular structure of DNA, the genetic material which are the blueprints to our bodies and lives.  Today, the impact of their model is everywhere, from cloning, to the Human Genome Project, to genetic engineering.  Biotechnology is the wave of the future, and it all began with Watson and Cricks’ double helix.

4. Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948)

Politics

Ghandi was the leader of India during their revolt against the British Empire which made them an independent nation.  Yet Ghandi’s influence  far beyond this.  Even today, Ghandi is a symbol of the power of peace.  His non-violent movements were an inspiration to the world.  It is this radical thinking that peace can make a difference that sets him apart form most other leaders of the age.

3. Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Industry

Henry Ford changed the way the world travelled with his Model T, popularizing the motor vehicle.  But not only that, Ford’s major influence comes from his use of the assembly line and promotion of mass production.  This is largely responsible for the industrial revolution’s massive spike at the beginning of this century and a big reason why technology and industry are at the point where they are at today.

2. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

Politics

Unfortunately, the most influential people in our history are not always influential in a positive way.   Sometimes there are those whose influence upon the world is one of horror and evil.  Adolf Hitler has become synonymous with the word evil.  His great ambitions ensnared Germany and began the Second World War, one of the largest events in world history.  His terrible policies of discrimination and hate led to the holocaust, one of the greatest atrocities of our time.  Hitler didn’t just leave a mark on the world, he left a scar.

1. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Physics

Over the last couple of centuries, scientific advancement has been making some major advancements, but when Einstein came along, he really took things to a new level.  Einstein’s theories revolutionized the way physicists think about nothing less than the universe itself.  Time and space were suddenly connected and no longer constant.  The theory of relativity would change Einstein’s field.  Einstein’s influence on modern science is one that is so strong, it will cover all scientific areas for many years to come.

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