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Most Influential People, According To H. Hart
Throughout human history, there have been remarkable individuals who’ve left an indelible mark on our world. They’ve challenged the status quo, sparked movements for change, and dedicated their lives to making the world better for others. While it’s subjective to label anyone as the ‘best’ human (after all, greatness comes in many forms!), I find it fascinating to explore who historians and scholars consider highly influential. Michael H. Hart tackled this intriguing question in his book about history’s most impactful figures. Want to explore some of these fascinating individuals and see what made them stand out? Let’s learn about the top 10 best humans in the world.
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Charles Darwin
Picture a curious young man setting sail on a voyage that would change our understanding of life itself. Darwin wasn’t just any scientist – he was a storyteller of nature’s greatest tale. Born into the comforts of a well-to-do English family in 1809, he could have settled for an ordinary life. Instead, his burning curiosity led him to embark on an adventure aboard the HMS Beagle that would last five years and span the globe.
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Imagine being in his shoes: sketching peculiar finches in the Galápagos, pondering over ancient fossils, and slowly piecing together one of science’s most profound puzzles – how life evolves. His masterpiece “On the Origin of Species” wasn’t just another scientific paper; it was a revolution in how we see ourselves and every living thing on Earth. Even when he wrote about emotions and human origins in his later works, Darwin never lost that sense of wonder that made him ask “why?” and “how?”
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Picture a young minister in the American South, Martin Luther King Jr., whose words could move mountains. Starting as Michael King Jr. in 1929, he grew to become the voice of a generation, leading peaceful protests that would reshape America. His dream of equality wasn’t born of violence but of an unwavering faith and a philosophy he shared with another great soul across the ocean – Mahatma Gandhi.
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Albert Einstein
Scientist Albert Einstein is well-known all across the world. Born in Germany, he was a theoretical physicist. The mass-energy equivalence equation E = mc2, in particular, was influenced by his general theory of relativity. He was among the most accomplished physicists ever.
Even those who are unfamiliar with Einstein and the underlying physics of E = mc2, the equation developed by the physicist to assist in explaining special relativity, also know the equation and its application.
Einstein is also revered for the photoelectric effect and his general theory of relativity, which explains gravity and subsequently how electrons behave under particular conditions). In 1921, he was awarded the Physics Nobel Prize.
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Leonardo da Vinci
If ever there was a person who proved that curiosity knows no bounds, it was Leonardo. Born in 1452 to humble beginnings in a small Italian town, this illegitimate son of a notary would become history’s ultimate Renaissance man. Think about it – in an age without cameras or advanced tools, here was someone who could capture the mysterious smile of the Mona Lisa, design flying machines, and map the human heart.
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What made Leonardo extraordinary wasn’t just his talent – it was his way of seeing the world. He didn’t just paint “The Last Supper”; he studied how light falls on faces, how emotions play across features, and how the human body moves. His notebooks weren’t just sketchbooks – they were windows into a mind that never stopped asking questions. Whether he was designing war machines or drawing delicate flowers, Leonardo showed us that art and science aren’t separate worlds – they’re different languages telling the same story of human discovery.
B R Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, affectionately known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was a distinguished Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer who played a pivotal role in shaping modern India. Ambedkar served as the first Minister of Law and Justice in independent India and is celebrated as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, which laid the foundation for a democratic society.
A dedicated scholar, Ambedkar earned multiple doctorates in economics from prestigious institutions, including Columbia University and the University of London. His commitment to social justice was exemplified in 1956 when he converted to Buddhism, leading to a significant wave of mass conversions among the Dalit community. Ambedkar was also an influential writer and editor, founding various periodicals such as Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, and Equality Janta to champion Dalit rights. Notably, he organized a satyagraha in Mahad to assert the right of the untouchable community to access the main water tank in the town.
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On September 25, 1932, Ambedkar signed the Poona Pact with Madan Mohan Malaviya, which significantly increased legislative representation for the depressed classes. His influential work, Annihilation of Caste, published on May 15, 1936, offered a vigorous critique of the caste system and its injustices. Just days after completing his final manuscript, The Buddha and His Dhamma, Ambedkar passed away in his sleep on December 6, 1956, in Delhi. In recognition of his immense contributions, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, in 1990. Today, Ambedkar’s legacy endures through countless memorials and a continued presence in popular culture.
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Abraham Lincoln
Speaking of transformative leaders, there’s the story of a humble lawyer from Illinois who would become one of America’s most revered presidents. Abraham Lincoln, taking office in 1861, faced a nation torn in half. Through the darkest days of the Civil War, his determination to both preserve the Union and end the moral stain of slavery would forever change the fabric of American society.
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Mahatma Gandhi
In British-ruled India, Mohandas Gandhi took a revolutionary approach to revolution itself. Dressed in simple homespun cloth, he led not with weapons but with peaceful resistance, showing the world that the mighty British Empire could be overcome not through force but through unwavering moral courage.
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Aryabhatta
Aryabhatta’s contributions significantly shaped Indian astrology and had a lasting impact on various civilizations. His groundbreaking studies and calculations were translated into multiple languages, allowing astronomers worldwide to benefit from his insights. The most notable among these translations occurred during the Islamic Golden Age, when prominent mathematicians like Al-Biruni and Al-Khawarizmi recognized and cited his findings, particularly his ideas about the Earth’s rotation.
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His work laid the foundation for trigonometry, introducing concepts such as cosine, sine, inverse sine, and versed sine. Aryabhatta was the first mathematician to accurately create tables for sine and versine (1 – cost) across a range from 0 to 180 degrees, using a 3.75-degree interval and achieving an impressive four decimal places of precision. The modern terms for these trigonometric functions, “sine” and “cosine,” originate from his Sanskrit words “jya” and “Kojya,” respectively.
Additionally, his innovative methods for astronomical calculations garnered admiration from his peers. These methods played a crucial role in the development of Arabic astrological tables known as “zijes,” which were widely utilized by astronomers across regions. Aryabhatta’s legacy continues to resonate in both mathematics and astronomy today, illustrating the enduring value of his work.
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Nelson Mandela
Closer to our time, in the sun-baked prison yards of South Africa, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years behind bars, yet emerged not seeking revenge but reconciliation. From prisoner to president in 1994, he showed the world how to heal a deeply divided nation through forgiveness and unity. His vision transformed South Africa from a land of racial segregation into a rainbow nation of hope.
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Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla, born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, India, was a trailblazer as the first Indian-American astronaut and the first Indian woman to travel to space. Her journey in space began in 1997 when she flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia as a mission specialist and primary operator of the robotic arm. Tragically, her life was cut short on February 1, 2003, when she was among the seven crew members lost in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
Chawla’s first space mission, STS-87, took place in November 1997, during which the shuttle completed an impressive 250 orbits of the Earth over more than two weeks. One of her notable achievements was launching the Sparta Microsatellite from the shuttle. In the year 2000, Chawla was selected for a second space mission, STS-107, where she once again demonstrated her leadership as part of the crew. After several delays, the mission finally launched in 2003, encompassing a 16-day journey during which the team conducted over 80 experiments.
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Key Takeaways
- Throughout history, there have been several smart individuals. The top 10 people in the world are featured on this blog, and they are without a doubt the greatest individuals to have ever lived.
- We’ve compiled a list of the top ten people in the world based on Michael H. Hart’s book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in History. These people have made important contributions in the field of science, religion, etc.
- Confucius, Shakespeare, Wright Brothers, Christopher Columbus, and Johann Gutenberg are some of the greatest humans in the world.
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FAQs
Ques 1: Who changed the world by using non-violence?
Answer 1: Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) was a key figure in the development of the successful, nonviolent civil rights movement. His words and organizational style established the foundation for social change. This resulted in the late 1960s civil rights legislation, which helped gradually weaken racism and segregation in the US.
Ques 2: Who is the most famous person in ancient history?
Answer 2: Julius Caesar (102/100–44 BCE) may have been the most famous person of ancient times.
Ques 3: Who was the first king of the world?
Answer 3: According to legend, more than 4,000 years ago, in Mesopotamia, King Sargon of Akkad founded the first empire in the world.
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