Top 10 Greatest People of All Time

From innovative scientists to ground-breaking artists, from civil rights activists to legendary leaders, the tapestry of human achievement is as diverse as it is extraordinary.

Creating an ultimate ranking of the greatest people is no easy task. What criteria do we use to measure greatness? Is it the scale of their impact, the nobility of their character, or the obstacles they've overcome? Perhaps it's all of these and more. The thing is, there's no definitive answer, which is what makes this topic so endlessly fascinating.
The Top Ten
1 Jesus Christ Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, Palestine. He was born to Mary, as the bible says "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18). He was both man and God (John 20:28). According to the bible He is God alone (Deuteronomy 6:4)... read more

One day, Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just left the Garden of Eden and was mocking and laughing, saying, "Lord, just see the world full of people down there. They set a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. They all fell! What will you do with them?" Jesus asked.

"Ah, I'm going to have fun with them," answered Satan. "I'll teach them how to marry and divorce, how to hate and abuse each other, to drink and smoke, and of course, I'll teach them to invent guns and bombs to destroy each other. I'm really going to have fun!"

"What will you do when you get tired of them?" Jesus asked.

"Ah, kill them," Satan said with eyes full of hatred and pride.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Ah, you don't want those people. They're not good. Why would you want to take them? You take them and they'll hate you, spit in your face, curse you, and kill you. You don't want those people!"

"How much?" Jesus asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and said sarcastically, "All your blood, your tears, and your life."

Jesus said, "Done!"

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an African American minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King is best known for advancing civil rights through... read more

Martin Luther King Jr. is, in my opinion, the greatest man of all time. He gave his speech, I Have a Dream, and although it did not work the first time, there are barely any racists in the world today because of him! On April 4, 1968, James Earl Ray shot and killed Martin Luther King Jr. when he was not looking and was imprisoned years later. I absolutely hate James Earl Ray for shooting Martin Luther King Jr., the greatest man of all time! Racists are the worst people in the world besides murderers, rapists, and pedophiles.

George Wallace, who was the president at that time, ordered the police to spray black people with fire hoses just for protesting. I want to kill George Wallace, but he is dead, and I would not kill him. I would imprison him because killing anyone is illegal. Racists are just silly, stupid gits who are afraid of people just because they are different. That is no excuse because they treated black people horribly! I cried when I realized that four little girls had died after the bombing of the church in Birmingham. That is just awful!

3 Muhammad Muhammad ibn Abdullah (570 AD - 632 AD) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of the world religion of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet, divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets... read more

His enemies, who did not accept his message, yet trusted him with their deposit, believed he would give it back to them when asked. Pagans Arabs asked him to give up the message of Islam, offering to make him the richest man in Mecca. However, he replied that even if the offer placed the sun on the right hand side and the moon on the left hand, he would not give up the message of Islam.

In the New Testament, he is recognized as the Spirit of Truth, and in the Old Testament, he is recognized as someone who would have the characteristics of Moses.

Moses received the word of God at Mount Sinai, while Mohammed received it at Mount Era. Both Moses and Mohammed fled their homelands. They both emerged victorious over their enemies and both married, had children, and held positions of leadership, being warriors and statesmen with authority. They both had natural births and deaths, among many other similarities.

4 Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity, but he also made important contributions to the development... read more

I just feel very proud of this man in the upper. I am proud of him as a scientist. I am proud of all scientists. I love them because they are really geniuses. If I become a scientist, it's my pleasure to be one.

Einstein is truly a genius, no excuses. But before he became a scientist, he wrote a letter to his father and said, "It would be better if he (Einstein) was never born." It is so sad to hear that, but it really happened. He learned to play the violin, worked hard, and whatever he learned, he discussed with himself in his imagination. He said that imagination is more important than knowledge.

Once upon a time, he was standing at a bus stop and a PhD student was also there. Einstein asked the student, "What are you?" The student replied, "I'm a doctor of physics," and then Einstein questioned him again, "What are you?" Einstein said, "I'm just a student of physics." Surprisingly, the books the student was learning and studying were Einstein's. That means they were the books of the great scientist Albert Einstein. We learn from this that great people don't have such an attitude.

"Great people are great because of their hard work and perseverance. We learn from them and become like them."

Work hard, learn from others' presence and thoughts, and strive to become better in the future than anyone else.

And always keep in mind that we have the power to inspire someone. We can be someone's inspiration, which motivates us to be perfect.

I cannot say anything after that; I'm just a polytechnic student...!

5 Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India.

Gandhi is undoubtedly the greatest living human of all time. He changed the world. Literally. Technology is superb, but Gandhi implemented a peaceful revolution that changed the way the population viewed the world. He gave an example of true freedom, a type of freedom that didn't need murder, killing, or even an offensive strategy. He valued true freedom (the freedom to accept the consequences of his actions) and life before anything else. He is a man worthy of anyone's respect.

Mahatma Gandhi was a truly ascetic man who gave up everything he had and even sacrificed his family life for his ideals. He fought injustice not just for his countrymen but for all oppressed people of the world.

Nevertheless, his fight for justice did not include harming the oppressors. He embraced the essence of every religion, not just Hinduism, and devised the lofty principles of 'Satyagraha' and 'Ahimsa' to persuade a powerful empire through reason.

The simple and straightforward common folk of India recognized this great man as the "Mahatma" and rallied around him to form the nation that is present-day India. He truly is the Father of the Indian Nation.

6 Gautama Buddha Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, or simply the Buddha, after the title of Buddha, was an ascetic and sage, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.

He is the greatest human to ever be born. It is not appropriate to compare Buddha with any other being.

He never killed anyone. He even converted Angulimala, a bandit who had killed 999 people. Can you imagine a person who killed 999 people surrendering at the feet of Lord Buddha (the Blessed One)? So think of the moment when Angulimala would have surrendered to him.

His teachings spread peacefully, unlike others like Muhammad.

He is the perfect combination of both mind and body that the world has ever produced.

Victory to Buddha... Victory to Buddhism.

7 Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War and succeeded in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery,... read more

I don't think I said enough in my last comment. I mean, he is arguably the only human who can compare with prophets. He did the same as Moses (he freed the slaves), but he wasn't given powers by God like Moses was. He was just quite simply a man who disagreed with suffering and wanted to stop it - Unnamed Google User Remade.

He freed the slaves. It's one thing to fight for yourself, but to fight for others until your death is something greater.

He is the one who committed himself, and demonstrated to, and convinced the whole world that all men and women are created equal before God and have the same rights to live in this world, which was created by the same God.

8 Moses Moses is a prophet in Abrahamic religions. He is the Lawgiver of Judaism. God sent him to the Pharaoh in Egypt to tell him to release the children of Israel from bondage. When the Pharaoh disobeyed God, God sent 10 plagues. Finally, Pharaoh relented, and Moses led the children out of Israel (through... read more

Moses was friends with Jesus. He should be at least number 2. Are you saying that Martin Luther King is more important than Moses? He is the most important prophet in Judaism and an important prophet in Christianity. He lived to be 120 years old. Can anyone now bet that?

The greatest preacher of social and human values, messenger of universal brotherhood, preacher of love and equality, stood against ritualism, preached honest living, and sharing with others. Millions of salutations.

The first human to teach and preach equality of genders and downtrodden people of his times, the one who also dared to raise his voice against the injustice done, also preached for the oneness of the Almighty.

9 Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government... read more

This person came from being in prison for almost 30 years and then became the president of South Africa. This person taught people that you must forgive to move on. He has many more outstanding achievements, but overall, he should be in the top ten in my opinion.

He is the Jesus Christ of our time. South Africa is one of the greatest places to live because of the sacrifice he made with his life. He is the father of our rainbow nation. He is my living icon. As I am writing this comment about him, it's his birthday, but he has been in the hospital for the past 30 days. I wish God can give him strength to wake up and come back to his beloved people of South Africa. We're not ready to let go of him, not now. We love you, Tata!

10 Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist and mathematician who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution.

I bet all the souls in the existence of all the humans that ever walked the earth that, without Isaac Newton, the future evolution of technology would be impossible if he never existed. He is my role model, and he has motivated most humans to try new stuff, not the usual stuff we would normally do. Gravity is the best friend of Dr. Newton. His theory of gravity will help us invent time travel, which is just ten years away from now (2018). I will travel back to his time and tell him how he's the hero of humanity.

The Newcomers

? Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years.
? Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works.
The Contenders
11 Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system, X rays, Radio, Remote Control, Laser, and Electric motors. Tesla developed and used... read more

A humble man who chose to remain this way, this human being died poor despite being potentially the smartest man alive. A true born genius, he is the closest thing humanity has seen (so far) to the "superbrain." He was willing to share his ideas without the need to be credited or a desire to profit from them. We've witnessed what's possible when the two hemispheres of the brain seem to be in sync and working together in harmony. His inventions were created by merging his mathematical genius with his imagination and spiritual abilities. He gave us powerfully incredible (or) potentially dangerous codes. Think 'The Matrix' was just a sci-fi movie? Maybe not.

12 Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo, was an Italian polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy,... read more

Leonardo da Vinci is the greatest polymath genius the world has ever produced. "Greatest" doesn't mean most influential, so I have not included the likes of Jesus Christ, who is largely fictitious or a matter of faith. Leonardo is a one-off who, besides being arguably the greatest painter who ever lived, was interested in and excelled at literally almost everything: science, art, sports, entertainment, a healthy diet, engineering, music, philosophy, economics... the list goes on, and we will probably never see his like again.

13 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael... read more

The greatest pop star, broke racial musical barriers, knew that music was a lens to societal issues, sang socially conscious music, perfected the art of video, was beloved worldwide (people in the Amazon knew of him), dedicated himself to his craft, and was a great performer who transcended the stage from a mere platform to hallowed ground. Beloved by many.

A child prodigy and genius, Michael Jackson was able to bring all of planet Earth's people together in love. His art was celebrated by every race and culture.

14 Mother Teresa Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. Although her passport name was Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, she was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, in Üsküb—now Skopje, capital of North Macedonia. After... read more

She is a great lady who is very kind towards the poor. She serves the society as if it were her family. We should learn more from her. She is my inspiration always. She believed that service to the poor is service to God. Thus, she became the mother of the country because of her love, care, and kindness towards the people.

She is a great lady who saw God in downtrodden and fatally ill fellow human beings and she treated them without hesitation. She was the symbol of love, care, and affection. Selfless and totally committed Angel on the earth.

15 Ashoka

He was the greatest king ever born in India. It was very difficult for any other king or emperor to defeat him. He conquered many kingdoms and became the mightiest king. However, after the Battle of Kalinga, when he saw numerous dead bodies lying motionless on the battlefield, he was deeply moved.

He repented for the bloodshed he had caused and realized that military conquest was not the thing he wanted to win in his life. From that moment, he was greatly influenced by the principles of Lord Buddha. He began preaching the thoughts of peace, non-violence, fraternity, love, and compassion. He became a dedicated follower of Buddhist principles and spent the rest of his life spreading the message of Buddhism around the world. He even sent his daughter and son to help spread Buddhism globally.

16 Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx ( 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, critic of political economy, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and the four-volume Das Kapital... read more

Karl Marx was more than just the creator of Communism, but a political philosopher, sociologist, and scholar. Maybe in a Victorian manner, some finer details were overlooked in his work, but ultimately he was an agent of change in the world, striving for equality and an end to monarchism, religious dogma, and oppression. Not what I would call the greatest man in the world, but he is certainly the greatest on this list.

Karl Marx invented socialism! He was one of the greatest philosophers of all time, maybe as great as Jesus! We can agree or disagree with his ideology, but we have to bear in mind that he was one of the most influential people in the history of humanity! He changed the world forever; his influence is visible even nowadays!

17 Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He was the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and a co-founder of Apple Inc., chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar, a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following... read more

I don't see how people dislike these comments. Michael Jackson shouldn't be above him. This man was a computer and technology genius. Sure, he had a bad rep with his temper, but he was very serious about his work and didn't let others tell him his visions were impossible. He was not afraid to say what he thought and put his visions to work. He should always be remembered as one of the greatest men who ever lived.

He was the greatest leader. There would not have been a revolution in the computer, mobile, music industry, and animation. He was one step ahead of all people in our time.

18 Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He was the first African-American president of the United States... read more

The greatest president accomplished as much as any president has for America. He is intelligent, generous, passionate, and accepts all the ungrateful and racist criticism directed towards him. He had to continue the stupid war left behind by the previous president, who did not know how to win besides leaving a big hole in the deficit that could have collapsed the entire country. He finally got rid of Osama Bin Laden, which saved the US and almost eradicated Al Qaeda. He improved US healthcare, aiming to help the poor, but the insurance companies tried everything to boycott it in order to protect their pockets, making billions of dollars every year. He unified all allies and avoided war as much as possible. He used sanctions and pressure against Putin, the most dangerous guy who wants to invade every country. Many things happened in the world (Greece deficit, Syria war) that affected our stock market, and of course, he was blamed for not being able to lift our economy higher. Yeah, right. Wait and see what Trump does...

19 Mary, Mother of Jesus

She was the best person ever. She is part of the reason why we celebrate Christmas, and Christmas is the best holiday ever. Right now, as I type this, Christmas happened yesterday.

She's the best of the best! You know, I really like her. People don't give her enough credit, though. Being a mother at the age of 12-16 and still capable of raising and caring for Jesus. She's the only person that was with Jesus at his birth and his death. No other people have been with Jesus for THAT long! Yeah, sure, Jesus calls her 'woman,' but let's be real here, Jesus' first word isn't woman, it's either mom or dad.

Bless her soul.

20 Jyotirao Phule Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was an Indian activist, thinker, social reformer and writer from Maharashtra.

He and his wife did a commendable job that no common person could do. They started girl education in India during a difficult period. They are great individuals.

Jyotirao Phule is the real Mahatma due to his sacrifice for society. He has done tremendous and very, very difficult work in challenging situations. Today, the development we see in education at all levels is only possible because of Jyotirao Phule.

One should be very proud to know about Jyotiba and his wife Savitribai Phule. Both of them dedicated their entire lives to the betterment of society. They laid the foundation of education in India. They faced all the hurdles and difficulties that came their way in order to enlighten the ignorant and illiterate people in society. They fought for the rights of backward and untouchable individuals, paving the way for revolution, enlightenment, education, and liberation. Jyotiba's wife faced numerous difficulties, humiliations, insults, and harassment from the orthodox people of that time. However, she did not give up and endured all the humiliation and harassment at the hands of the orthodox society. She continued to take steps to educate women in society and fought for their right to education and equal treatment. Both spouses complemented each other and supported one another in bringing about revolution and enlightenment. They were also influenced by the profound philosophy and principles of Buddha and Buddhism.

21 Abraham Abraham, originally Abram, is the first of the three biblical patriarchs. His story, told in chapters 11 through 25 of the Book of Genesis, plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the bible, God called upon him and told him 'through your son, Isaac,... read more

The prophet, whom all three monotheistic faiths believe in, is considered one of the greatest prophets.

Accepted as the founder of the traditions of Jews, Christians, Muslims, among others.

One of the most important prophets of his time.

22 Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh; born Gobind Rai, was the 10th Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher.

He is the greatest Guru and King that humanity can have. He sacrificed his own sons for the sake of humanity. He is the savior of religion against evil practices and injustice, and he is the only personality in the world to achieve such feats within a very short span of life. He instilled great power in common men and women who further fought against the injustice existing in society and helped the poor and downtrodden to lead a life without fear. He is the greatest of all!

An individual who proved to the world the meaning of love for humanity by sacrificing 52 members of his family, including his 4 sons and parents, to save another religion.

His moral rectitude was so exemplary that when he was questioned about why he enticed Gul Khan to stab him, he said that he didn't want history to imply that he was not a martyr. Countless men, women, children, and relatives had already sacrificed their lives in the battlefield based on his words.

He was a poet, a messenger of God, a social reformer and worker, a soldier, a saint, a martyr, and above all, a man who knew the past, present, and future, even though his age was only 42.

His personality was inexplicably gargantuan.

23 George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732– December 14, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army, Washington led the Patriot... read more

I believe this statement to be absolutely true and more. He could have been Emperor at the head of the army at the end of the war, grabbing power as almost all had in that same position. Again, and most importantly, he stepped down from the presidency at the end of his terms, setting the example that all have since followed. The stability and legitimacy that example gave to the office of the president set the standard till today.

No government of the people, by the people, or for the people would have been possible without him. He could have opted for greater glory instead of resigning his command and returning to his farm as just another citizen. Would any person have acted in that manner? There was no historical precedent for such an act. This was a seminal moment for the planet.

24 Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna... read more

It's pathetic to see that Swami Vivekananda doesn't have a place in the top hundred.

"Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached." The man who is the real hero of India.

Only Vivekananda would understand what he has done in his short life. He is the living prophet of the last and the most compassionate incarnation of God - Sri Ramakrishna. He awakened the realization of Brahman in everything he came in contact with and continues his work in the subtle body. No other prophet before him gave a promise like he did: "I shall inspire mankind everywhere until the world shall know it is one with God." Vivekananda is the prophet of every mankind, the prophet of the Spirit, the prophet of the New Age. Without a doubt, he is the greatest person of all time! Know Vivekananda and know the existence of knowledge, bliss, and peace.

25 John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29th, 1917 - November 22, 1963) commonly referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination. The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban... read more

He was a good person, but he didn't make a good president. The reason he is so famous, is because of the era he served as president and his assassination.

He was able to compromise with Khruschev and save the world for the only time in human history. Stood up for what he believed in no matter the costs, and paid for it.

Had some very good ideas, but died before he could actually do much. Overrated.

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