Top 10 Most Beloved People of All Time
This is a list of the most popular and beloved figures in the world and throughout all of history. If you go to remote places on Earth, you should be able to find people who are not only familiar with these figures but also fans of them. Their popularity should transcend cultural barriers, religion, and race.This list is not about infamy, such as the case with Adolf Hitler. It is also not centered on North America, as most of the global population resides in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Keep this in mind when you vote, especially if you have little interest in American popular culture.
A polymath of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci excelled in fields as diverse as painting, sculpture, architecture, and engineering. His masterpieces, such as the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper," are among the most recognized and visited artworks in the world.
Da Vinci's notebooks reveal a mind endlessly curious about the natural world, exploring topics from anatomy to flight. Now, approximately 8 million people around the world visit the Louvre each year to get a glimpse of Leonardo's famous painting, "The Mona Lisa."
The Virgin Mary is a central figure in the Gospel and in Christianity as a whole. She is recognized as the mother of Jesus Christ, who is the central figure of the Gospel and is mentioned more than any woman in the Islamic Quran. Anyone familiar with the Gospel would have heard of the Virgin Mary.
Her story and her role in the life of Jesus are well-documented in the New Testament of the Bible. This means that over 4 billion people worldwide are familiar with the life of the Mother of Christ.
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. He also made important contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics. Relativity and quantum mechanics together form the two pillars of modern physics.
His mass - energy equivalence formula, E = mc^2, which arises from relativity theory, has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation." Einstein is a globally recognized figure, and his fame extends to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Central to the Christian faith, Jesus Christ is believed by Christians to be the Son of God and the savior of humanity. His teachings, as presented in the New Testament, have been the foundation for Christian theology and have significantly influenced Western philosophy and ethics. Crucified around 30 AD, Jesus' sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection are seen as the means by which individuals can attain eternal life, according to Christian beliefs.
According to Christian missionaries, approximately 4.6 billion people have heard of Jesus Christ's life and tribulations as of 2023, several millennia after his life. His influence on society is so great that "Jesus" has become a common everyday phrase around the world.
Born Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha was an ancient Indian monk and the founder of Buddhism. After attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he spent the remainder of his life teaching the path to enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. His Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path continue to serve as the foundation of Buddhist philosophy.
Buddhism, originating from his teachings, has become one of the world's major religions, profoundly influencing a range of cultures across Asia. There are an estimated 500 million followers of him today.
Known as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson is recognized as the greatest and most influential artist of all time, against whom all popular musicians are measured and compared. Since his death in 2009 shocked the world, his fan base has been estimated at 4.8 billion people worldwide by numerous media outlets. Reports suggest he has the largest fan following ever.
According to the National Portrait Gallery in London, he is the single most depicted figure in art. A study conducted in 2010 found that a remote tribe in the Amazon were fans of the singer's music and recognized him instantly, despite being unfamiliar with Islam, soccer players, and even snow. He has repeatedly been cited as the most famous person of all time, with fans in every corner of the planet. In a world where an estimated 7 billion people listen to music in some form or fashion, it's unlikely you'll find many places where the name "Michael Jackson" isn't known by all.
William Shakespeare is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time, as well as the most influential writer in the history of the English language. It's been estimated that over 50% of the world's population studies Shakespeare in school. His plays have been performed in almost every language, on stage and screen, and at popular festivals around the world.
Recognized as one of the greatest and most influential composers of the Western classical tradition, Ludwig van Beethoven defied the onset of deafness from the age of 28. His output encompasses 722 works, including 9 symphonies, 35 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets.
He is universally recognized as one of the greatest musicians of all time. Even in a place as isolated as North Korea, where Western societal culture is so unknown that people are unaware of Mickey Mouse or Disney, people know Beethoven's symphonies.
Known as the Prophet in Islam, Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE and is revered for receiving revelations from the Islamic God, Allah. These revelations were eventually compiled into the Quran, the holy book of Islam. His teachings formed the basis of Islamic jurisprudence, social systems, and ethics.
Muhammad's impact on history is immense, with Islam currently reaching over 2 billion followers worldwide a millennium later.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. His music has been performed and recorded by countless musicians and ensembles throughout the world. His influence spans centuries, and his music is appreciated across various cultures hundreds of years after his death.