A book published in October this year has listed history’s most influential figures. A big ask, you may think, to order everyone who has EVER EXISTED in order of importance. The authors mainly decided positions by each person’s significance on the internet. Her Campus take you through the top 20:
1. Jesus. We’ll give them this one: the J-Man was pretty influential, no matter your religious stance. Whether you think he brings messages of love, peace and goodness to the world, or is more a vehicle for oppression, justified violence, war and bloodshed, influence is influence, right? Historical evidence is pretty conclusive in saying that a guy existed in the 1st century, who preached religious messages and was crucified. Give it up for our Top Internet Sensation, Mr J. Christ!
2. Napoleon. A great military leader (and later self-appointed Emperor of France – yeah, EMPEROR) who was responsible for a number of important reforms in France and the rest of the world. The Napoleonic Code, a core code of civil laws; higher education system; tax, banking, sewer systems – yep, Napoleon dealt with it all, from Uni to poo. Although he was ultimately defeated in the Napoleonic Wars and exiled to the middle of the Atlantic, he saw many impressive victories throughout his career.
3. Muhammad. Same deal as with Jesus: influential regardless of your beliefs. Muhammad is believed to be the last prophet sent to us by God, and anyone who’s the last to do anything is pretty significant in our opinion!
4. Shakespeare. Ah, Shakespeare, the bane of many a students’ academic life, but respected nonetheless. Will did big things for the English language; without him, we would not be able to make such exciting statements as: I ‘bedazzled’ the ‘puking’ ‘alligator’ with my ‘swagger’. And there’s a long list of films based on Shakespeare’s plays that we’d be worse off without. Anyone for The Lion King, 10 Things I Hate About You, or My Own Private Idaho?
5. Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President of the US of A, Lincoln is admired largely for leading America through the Civil War of the 19th century. His Presidency saw the abolition of slavery in America and a serious upheaval of the country’s infrastructure. Plus, he had a pretty rockin’ quiff.
6. George Washington. President #1 and one of the Founding Fathers of America. (Yeah, who’s the Daddy?) This basically meant that George, unhappy with America’s original Continental Congress, helped form the Government and was elected to run the joint. Which turned out to be a pretty influential joint as it saw the drafting of the United States Constitution, which is still the supreme law of the USA today.
7. Adolf Hitler. Well, we never said they had to do good, did we? His death count is estimated at 11 million (that’s 1.3 times the population of London, or 323 times the number of students at Nottingham Uni). If he was influential in any way, it’s in being a big, flashing beacon of warning against any ideology that could lead to the brainwashing of so many people and the deaths of so many more.
8. Aristotle. Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great (see below), Aristotle was a brainy chap. He covered pretty much everything (think of him as a primary-school teacher from Heaven): physics, theatre, politics, biology, ethics, music, and much more. Although he lived over two thousand years ago, his ideas are still cited by students and scholars worldwide.
9. Alexander the Great. King of Macedon, Northern Greece, this powerful fella had in his pocket one of the largest empires in history (about 2 million square miles) by the time he’d hit 30. What are YOU going to have in your pocket by the time YOU’RE 30? Half a pack of chewing gum and a fiver? He’s regarded as a military genius, so his death from a fever is a bit of an anti-climax.
10. Thomas Jefferson. Standing alongside Mr Washington as Founding Father, and the 3rd President of the USA, Jefferson was the brains behind the Declaration of Independence. He also helped wave the flag for Enlightenment Stateside. That is, he was one American who was all for the intellectual renaissance that was seemingly being led by Europe. We at Her Campus are behind Jeffy 100% in his quest to dispel myths of American stupidity.
11. Henry VIII. Founder of the Church of England and founder of the before-its-time Jeremy-Kyle-esque message: ‘Hey, it’s OK to have 5 failed attempts at marriage, there’s plenty more fish in the sea!’ Henry had a reputation as a bit of a ladies man, a bit indulgent, with a bit of a temper and a bit of a belly. We at Her Campus like him for his ‘Go Get ‘em’ attitude. That is, Go Get ‘em, and if they can’t pop out a son in a few years, go get another one. And another. And another.
12. Charles Darwin. Much more than just a spectacularly fluffy beard, Darwin’s theory of natural selection contributed significantly to the theory of evolution and caused many people to question what they were being taught in Sunday School. Simultaneously, it caused many others to wish Darwin would crawl back in to the hovel that evolution had dragged him from.
13. Elizabeth I. The last of the Tudor Monarchs, Elizabeth is best remembered for her unlikely defeat of the Spanish Armada, sent from the Continent to put a stop to all of this Protestant nonsense that the Queen was promoting. That and her apparent lifelong virginity. (You’re fooling no one, Liz).
14. Karl Marx. Beating even Darwin in the Beard Department, Marx was a leading thinker in the fields of philosophy, economics and sociology. One of his most influential books, intimidatingly titled ‘The Communist Manifesto’ promoted Socialism, an ideology which has been controversial on a whole new level (see Joseph Stalin).
15. Julius Caesar. One of the most influential people in the rise of the Roman Empire, which was in turn influential in the development of much of the modern world (to simplify massively). Britain would look very different these days if it weren’t for Caesar. (To dispel a common misconception, Julius Caesar cannot, however, be credited with the invention of the Caesar Salad, which moves him down the list somewhat for Her Campus).
16. Queen Victoria. Vic led us through one of the fastest period of development in British History. Her reign oversaw the Industrial Revolution, the Crimean War, the rise of the British Empire and numerous reforms in law for gender, race and class equality. Her husband Albert also famously introduced the Christmas Tree to the Brits. Cheers Al!
17. Martin Luther. Of the 16th century, not to be confused with Martin Luther King. This friendly German monk led the Protestant Reformation, which challenged the authority of the Pope by questioning lots of Catholic beliefs at the time, mainly that you can buy your way in to Heaven. He also translated the Bible in to everyday lingo for yourself and your fellow pious Christian friends.
18. Joseph Stalin. Leader of the Soviet Union, Stalin saw his State turn in to a worldwide Industrial Powerhouse. WW2 saw the USSR enter with Nazi Germany and then be well and truly stabbed in the back by Hitler and his buddies in 1941. Stalin was having none of it though, and soon showed Hitler who was boss. Stalin is now regarded as a bit of a tyrant, but it’s undeniable that he helped shape the world we live in today.
19. Albert Einstein. The classic mad professor. Responsible for the famous E = mc2 (yeah, we’re not sure what it means either), his general theory of relativity and his important role in quantum theory. It all sounds pretty complex, but Einstein basically set the curriculum for half of what we learn in secondary school physics classes.
20. Christopher Columbus. Most famous for establishing links between America and the ‘civilised’ world, i.e. Europe; we owe quite a lot to Columbus! Without him, there would be no McDonalds, no iPhone, no Her Campus.