Top Ten Greatest People In World History Who Are Not Religious Figures

People that brought major change to many ideas, places, and people. These people benefited the world by standing by their beliefs and not giving it up at all costs. This list DOES NOT include religious figures.
The Top Ten
1 Mahatma Gandhi

And inspiration of non-violence. The most powerful force is with words and non-violent actions, not rebellions or wars. His ideology helped India gain independence from British control and influenced many people with his ideas such as Martin Luther Kind, Jr and Nelson Mandela.

On top because 30% users of TheTopTens are indian...

2 Martin Luther King, Jr.

A man with courage who was determined to stop the judging of people by their skin color and ethnicity. Receiving many threats and later on assassinated at an early age, he quickly gained support of both blacks AND whites. He never encouraged violence no matter how badly they were attacked by white forces. He stands today as an American hero and the Father of Civil Rights. Influenced by Gandhi.

3 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 focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.

The man who brought an end to apartheid in South Africa. Despite being constantly threatened and thrown in jail, he never left his will for justice and always saw the future as a bright, free, non-segregated place. His legacy stands today and was influenced by many past civil rights leaders.

4 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 forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and served as the president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which created the Constitution of the United States and the American federal government. Washington has been called the "Father of the Nation" for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the country.

The Founding Father of America. He had the courage to gain independence for America and was never afraid. Even though America had a huge disadvantage, his courage and will influenced the Americans to not give up. His tactics were also creative and key to defeating the British army.

Revisionists again trying to judge historic figures by modern standards. Better take a hard look at several other names on this list, who were well-known to have something of a penchant for underage females.

He won the first election unanimously. But I'd like to point out he owned slaves. And he was also one of the Founding Fathers. That's to say, he sort of started the US, and the US is- well, you know.

Well, he owned slaves. That's not right.

5 Abraham Lincoln

Honest Abe was one of the biggest figures in the Civil War and abolishment of slavery. He wanted to keep America united and his goal succeeded. He avoided America from splitting apart and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the Confederate area. Although abolishing slavery wasn't his key goal at the beginning, he later on saw the light of it and once he put that on his list, he never took it off.

6 Jane Addams

Also a figure of selflessness. She set up free daycare, housing, and education for people in need of it. The poverty problem was huge during the Industrial Revolution and she was a huge part in tackling the problem.

7 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.

The man who discovered gravity. The man who altered scientific understandings to a level of such well comprehension that technology suddenly became so much easier. Without him, scientists say, our technology may be set back for about 200 years, which places us in 1800s life.

Actually he was Christian as well as several other historical figures on this list.

8 Susan B. Anthony Susan Brownell Anthony was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement.

A person can't be judged by their gender. One of the most well known figures of women rights, she never let go of the dream of the right to voting and many other privileges for women. She influenced many to support women suffrage and later on did see the dream come true.

9 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 of the theory of quantum mechanics. Relativity and quantum mechanics are together the two pillars of modern physics. His mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, which arises from relativity theory, has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical ...read more.

A scientist of innovation. A man who contributed to the society of science. His work is a huge reason for our science today.

10 Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai S.St is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.

Another huge figure in women's rights. A Pakistani Muslim who is passionate about rights for women, especially education. She survived a bullet through the head and influenced thousands with her courage and passion of her belief. She is also the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in world history.

The Contenders
11 Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.

John Oliver's take on Harriet Tubman on the $10 bill:
"This exemplifies what's wrong with gender equality movements these days: women ask for something they want and deserve, so we give them half and make them share it."

Not only did we NOT kick off Andrew Jackson from the $20 (the guy who believed paper money wasn't even real money and passed the Indian Removal Act), we got half the value and are sharing the $10 with Hamilton.

Harriet Tubman wasn't just a powerful woman, she was a powerful human on a whole representing bravery and courage and what we put slaves through for hundreds of years in America-as well as an exemplary human being for all of us to learn from. Get her on the $20, and get her higher on this list-at least.

12 Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African American civil rights activist, whom the United States Congress called "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".

The Mother of Civil Rights. She was tired of giving up seats just because she was black and refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was arrested and thrown in jail, but she didn't care. She inspired many others to fight against segregation and was a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement.

13 Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as America's greatest inventor.

You see, he holds patents for a bunch of inventions. However, he made slight alterations to previously existing inventions and then patented them. The only thing he invented by himself was the electric chair, which he tested on animals. That was only made to prove that Nikola Tesla's idea of alternating current was dangerous and that direct current was safer and better (that's how AC/DC got their name, by the way). We now use alternating current everywhere, so his status as an inventor is complete bull. When he wasn't stealing inventions, he was starting businesses that quickly failed and neglected his kids. When he was in his 50's or 60's (I can't remember at the moment), he married a 19-year-old girl, his second wife. Talk about a hero...

Light bulb! This is what he is known of, but his contributions go far beyond that. He holds over 1,000 patents and has a huge lab of amazing work and inventions. He never gives up and instead learns from mistakes to enhance his next step.

One of history's great geniuses, too bad the revisionist liberal brainwashers have decided to deconstruct him and his accomplishments.

14 Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British statesman who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, and a writer.

Stands for his nation at all costs. How much longer would Nazi Germany exist if it wasn't for him? He protected his nation and carried them through dark times and brought them back to light.

15 Karl Marx
16 Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.

In 10,000 years, not one other name on this list will be remembered except for Neil Armstrong's.
First human being to leave the planet and walk on another world.

17 William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

The art of literature. The understanding of the struggles of life turned into entertainment. The innovation of English. Without him, many words used in daily life today may not exist.

18 Anwar el-Sadat

A Muslim who agreed to stand by and allow Israel to be. While the majority of the Arab world roared with rage at his actions for the peace treaty with Israel, many Egyptains supported his action and saw it as a huge step to Arab-Israeli relationships.

19 Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei, was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician who played a major role in the scientific revolution during the Renaissance.

Father of Physics. The reason we understand how things move, stop, and work. We wonder how set back out understandings of movement would be without him.

20 Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a King of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty.

The man who started the spread of culture. An amazing tactitian whose force remained undefeated for his entire life, he took over land from Greece all the way to India in less than 15 years. He spread cultures from West to East, which later combined and formed a new culture.

Was especially fond of raping young girls from conquered tribes, and then killing them..

21 John F. Kennedy

With the majority of political power, especially South, opposed Martin Luther King, JFK, the highest seat, took King's side. He believed that everyone had a right to basic human privileges. He took a major part in the Civil Rights Movement and space exploration, in which he convinced America to send a man to the moon.

22 Charles Darwin
23 Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy. ...read more.

If only youngsters would listen to him
No more problems
(run around as if you won the world cup)(or superbowl)

24 Maharana Pratap Pratap Singh or Pratap Singh was the ruler of Mewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan.
25 Kate Sheppard
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