Top 10 Smartest People of All Time

Albert Einstein: He had the hair of a genius and the brain to match! His contributions to physics were so mind-boggling, they couldn't be contained within the boundaries of space-time. Not only did he revolutionize our understanding of the universe, but he also proved that even wild hair can't hide true brilliance. Talk about thinking outside the box - Einstein practically invented the box! Let's just say his E=mc² formula didn't just stand for energy, mass, and the speed of light - it also stood for "Extraordinary Mind, Creative Genius, and Total Legend!"

Behind Tesla on the list, but equally intelligent in his own right, Nikola Tesla had inexplicably innovative and radical ideas. Most importantly, his ideas were ones that could be three-dimensionally rendered. Albert Einstein, on the other hand, brought forth ideas that were not experimentally verifiable in all circumstances. The two were in separate domains. When Einstein did bring a conceptual idea to a 3D implementation with the introduction of the atomic bomb, it created as significant an impact as any of Tesla's inventions, arguably more so. Years from now, both will be regarded very highly, as many of their contributions have yet to be fully realized.

Look, according to historical academia, Jesus was just a person who, yes, was important to religion but was just a man of normal biological reproduction. He did suffer at the hands of the Romans, and he could easily be of exceptionally high morals, but to say that he knows all and is so superior to scientific geniuses like Einstein, Darwin, and Hawking is an insult to the human race. These scientists were real and came up with groundbreaking theories. We know they were real and not just a myth. That's what bugs me about religion. We are so arrogant to say that Jesus was real and the smartest person when there is no proof that he was more real than Zeus, Jupiter, or Odin. Religion should not be in this competition because you cannot prove it. I am agnostic about the whole thing, so I am not saying that Jesus is wrong. I'm just saying that let's keep it to quantifiable people. Hence, Einstein is the man.

He proved that time is relative and created E=mc², among many other things that made the world a better place and increased our understanding of the universe.

Nikola Tesla is an underrated and forgotten genius. Einstein was amazingly intelligent, but he was assisted by his very intelligent wife and an assistant. Nikola Tesla was a complete lone wolf. He had great memory, amazing visualization skills, and was years ahead of his time. He invented the modern world as we know it, with an astounding 700 patents. In my opinion, he is the greatest genius ever. He probably could have single-handedly destroyed the world. An amazing man!

I think he made discoveries more shocking than any other inventor, such as the 369 theory. I tested it out, and it's shocking. Here's a short example: one day is 86,400 seconds. Remove the zeros: 8+6+4 equals 3+6+9 because their sums are the same. That's just an example. There's more to it if you try studying it. There is even more if you learn about him. It is impressive. He invented wireless smartphones and devices. He also invented the radio, the induction motor, and alternating current. He created so much more. His discoveries are amazing. As an 8th grader, my mind is blown by him. I have studied Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, and I just started studying Nikola Tesla. I think he was the smartest of all time.

The greatest mind the world has ever seen was able to conduct electrical experiments nearly two centuries ago that scientists still have difficulty replicating today. Some have not been duplicated since his lifetime. Even more admirable than Tesla's unparalleled genius, however, was his empathy and concern for the betterment of human society as a whole. Illustrated by his desire to give the world an unlimited supply of free electrical energy, Tesla was not seeking to make a profit from his genius but instead wanted to improve the living conditions of not only his contemporaries but also their descendants and future generations. An exemplary individual in every sense of the word, if his name were to be completely claimed by the annals of history and his memory forgotten, it would be a great tragedy for the many who would be deprived of the knowledge of his character and contributions.

Einstein was brilliant, but Tesla made everything real. He came up with the theories and was able to bring them to life. In the year 3000, people will read about Tesla and say that he could fit in quite well in that millennium. He was THAT ahead of his time! We have our whole world because of him, and if he had gotten additional funding, we'd have a lot more. If Tesla were alive today, we'd be living like the Jetsons... period.

As for Jesus being even a blip on this list, it shows that people just can't separate reality and religion. In 200 years, religion will be dead. As an atheist, I wish I could be alive to see it.

Wake up, people... PLEASE!

Newton is really underrated. He, along with Leibniz, invented calculus, advanced physics and chemistry to great lengths, and laid the foundation for many scientific and mechanical discoveries with his three laws of motion. He deserves to be right up there in the top three.

Knowledge is humanity's greatest treasure, and this man greatly expanded human knowledge, paving the way for many others, including various sub-disciplines. Other geniuses such as Planck, Einstein, and Bohr have built their theories upon the foundation that Newton laid centuries ago. It is unimaginable to think how much he accomplished in the first quarter-century of his life. Leonardo da Vinci is a close second.

By the way, people who vote for Hitler should have their priorities sorted out. If conquest, manipulation, and the ability to govern large empires should be valued above all else - such as a thirst for knowledge and the desire to share it with others - in measuring intelligence, why not mention Alexander the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Genghis Khan, Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, or Napoleon? All of them have "accomplished" much more and shaped human history in a much greater way than 'ol Adolf. Or, are people unable to recall history that predates the 20th century?

There's no debate when it comes to Isaac Newton. Try to visualize and comprehend the achievements of this man. Even if a fictional writer were trying to create a fictional genius, they would not use the achievements of Newton because they are too ridiculously impressive and unimaginable. Bear in mind the time and era from which Newton came. He had to conceive everything from scratch. The man spent a significant amount of his time writing about alchemy and religion, which shows how little people knew at that time and how limited he himself was. Imagine what Newton would be able to do today. No one has made such significant leaps of understanding in the history of mankind.

Sir Isaac Newton had a curious mind all his life. However, as the legend goes, it wasn't until an apple fell on his head that he was truly struck with inspiration. He quickly determined that the level of mathematics that existed at the time was not sufficient for him to work out the nature of gravity, so he invented calculus. As a result, he quickly derived the laws of universal gravitation, the law of cooling, and many more - most famously, the laws of motion. His book, "Principia Mathematica," still remains one of the most influential texts in recorded history. All of this was completed before his 26th birthday.

So, an apple falls on Isaac Newton's head. What does he do? He scratches his head, invents the most advanced form of math that exists today, solves the mystery of gravity, creates the laws of motion - previously debated over for thousands of years - writes one of the most influential books in history, and then celebrates his 26th birthday. Personally, my favorite ...more

He was centuries ahead of his time. CENTURIES. Not decades. He was the first to research the mechanics of human anatomy, and the way he presented his knowledge of it wasn't possible for us until we acquired the technology several decades ago. He correctly theorized geological time while everyone else still believed in the Great Flood. And not only was he a genius in science but also in engineering and art. He is the definition of a genius. Yes, Einstein was amazing, but remember that da Vinci had none of the technology or schooling of modern times. All he had was unquenchable curiosity for EVERYTHING.

He had ideas for inventions that were centuries ahead of his time, from the tank to an early form of robot. He deserves to be on this list.

Da Vinci was centuries ahead of his time. He designed a tank, a diving suit, a machine gun, and a few flying machines, among many other things that wouldn't be realized until hundreds of years later. His 4,000 pages of detailed notes about various previously unexplored ideas and concepts are baffling and mark the true extent of his genius. He was the Renaissance Man of the Renaissance, a true polymath who wouldn't realize his potential even if he were to live to be 500 years old. If he were still alive today, he would be a billionaire simply from licensing fees from all of his reproduced works. Oh yes, and he is arguably the best painter to have ever lived, as his Last Supper and Mona Lisa, two of about 17 examples, prove to be true. His lifetime achievements provide an astonishing collection of evidence attesting to his name and brilliance. He is the smartest person to have ever lived.

It's a toss-up between Leo and Tesla. I'm a great fan of both, for they both had great ingenuity and both are true artists whose art still stands to this day. It's crazy how both of them created weapons for destruction, but I believe they regretted it. Leo built the catapult for some rich dude, then he soon left that department and painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Tesla was all about free energy. He wanted to see the world light up and came close to achieving it. But the powers that be would have lost a lot of money. He is linked to the dreaded HAARP machine. I think that's how it's spelled. Anyway, it's crazy how after he died, the Feds raided his place, taking all his paperwork and ideas. I didn't choose Jesus for the fact that he isn't human. He even states so himself, when asked, "Who are you then?" He replies, "Truly, truly, before Abraham was. I am." Knowing that they knew Exodus 3:14, where God tells Moses of His identity, He says the same: "I Am." So as they were ...more

Don't get me wrong, Galileo was one of the most intelligent humans of all time, but many mistake him for inventing the telescope. Galileo only made improvements to the spyglass/telescope. He was essentially the founder of modern-day science and astronomy, which is why he should be higher on the list. Without him improving the telescope, we would only be able to see 2x to 5x times further.

The commonly called "first law of Newton," or law of inertia, was discovered by that guy about 100 years after Sir Isaac... and the second one too! He is also the creator of the standard scientific method we use nowadays. And what about his discoveries in the field of optics? He invented not only the telescope. He discovered the laws governing lenses. He was among the first people who, in life, fought against the church and tried to present evidence to the scientific community.

This guy had a brain for astronomy. I'm a major astronomy fan, and every night when I go outside with my telescope, I thank him for inventing the telescope. Galileo is my major idol, and I believe he should have a much better position on this list.

In 1989, NASA launched a spacecraft into outer space to study the planet Jupiter. The spacecraft's name? The Galileo Orbiter!

I do not dispute that Newton and Einstein are undoubtedly the giants of science, and Shakespeare the giant of art. But I have to vote for Hawking, and let me explain why.

Stephen Hawking is admired by many, but not necessarily for the same reasons. Let's start off with what he was originally known for: his research in relativity in the late 1970s. Using the results of Einstein, he employed sophisticated mathematical methods with Penrose to show that singularities are not mathematical artifacts but are, in fact, real and generic. That is, black holes are real, and he concluded this well before the identification of Cygnus X-1.

In 1974, Hawking sent shockwaves throughout the physics world with his discovery that black holes radiate. The result provided mankind's first glimpse of uniting quantum theory with general relativity, which, before this time, seemed irreconcilable. It also set the direction for theoretical physics ever since.

If you read Kip Thorne's account ...more

Stephen Hawking is probably the smartest person ever known. Jesus is the most powerful person ever. (I believe he really existed thousands of years ago.) Albert Einstein had most of his theories backed up by Stephen Hawking, right? Well, perhaps Albert discovered the theory of relativity and Jesus saved us all from death, but Stephen Hawking has extensive knowledge of the universe and was helping us significantly in 2012. (Ever seen the Science Channel on DirecTV? Channel 284?) There's a show called "Stephen Hawking's Brave New World." And that's all I have to say about this. However, I'm only 9 years old, so I can be disproven. To show you how smart I am, I once gave a lecture on stars, black holes, and wormholes to fifth graders. (I skipped a grade.) And I apologize for the punctuation. I'm running out of battery. So that's my conclusion.

The smartest person on Earth, Stephen Hawking, has made so many great discoveries that no one, and by this, I mean no one, can ever match. I don't underestimate Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein, but after such a hard life, Stephen Hawking has been the greatest scientist in the world, no matter what you say.

Concisely and precisely speaking, Stephen Hawking is better than Einstein and, as such, holds himself as the number 1 on this list. It is because he is not only the most intelligent but also the most brave. Despite his physical disability and the prospect of an early death, he managed to further and validate Einstein's progress on our understanding of the universe. Einstein was seemingly gifted owing to his thicker corpus callosum, which might have been present since birth. Moreover, much of his theories turn out to be a mystery to most people. On the other hand, Hawking seems to be more comprehensible. He not only first understood the former's work but also took it to the next higher level. Well, we must appreciate this living legend. There is no doubt that no one can equal Einstein, but if Einstein is in the first position, then this man deserves nothing less than being at par and, preferably, must occupy the zeroth rank.

Ben Franklin was a genius in many areas, not just one or two. Science, literature, politics, invention, people skills, and leadership are all areas in which he was an authority. He was not a genius for hire. He had principles and worked to change the things he deemed important. He changed the world.

A genius. He invented the glass armonica, improved the postal system, invented the lightning rod, helped create the U.S., and was also morally wise! In his later life, he campaigned to abolish slavery! Next to George Washington, he may have been the greatest American of all time!

Benjamin Franklin was one of America's Founding Fathers. He helped during the War for Liberty by traveling to France to get money for the Army and created many things for the war and for people. All I can say is he is the kindest, sweetest, smartest person I know!

Benjamin Franklin was brilliant and is the greatest American of all time. He invented the lightning rod, improved the postal system, and created the library system. He was a writer, a philosopher, an inventor, and one of the Founding Fathers.

Charles Darwin was not only a man with the observational skill of a genius (I make this statement because of how he realized the similarities in species and the slight differences due to different environments), but he also managed to apply his observations to develop logically beautiful and seemingly flawless theories, at least so far. His understanding of humanity is comparable to that of Hitler, Napoleon, Jesus, Buddha, and Shakespeare. Although his achievements have not had an evident impact, he and the philosopher Montaigne were among the first to tackle the subject of sexuality. His ideas inspired many sexologists, as we now call them, to develop theories that have brought about equality among the sexes and are freeing sexuality today. These ignored facts about Charles Darwin may shed some light on his true greatness.

Here is a guy who was raised believing one thing. Yet, through careful observation and relentless application of logic and reasoning, he arrived at a more accurate interpretation of the world. This new interpretation was at odds with conventional wisdom and his own upbringing and took true courage to present to the world.

Charles Darwin is not just a genius. He's a hero.

It is an undisputed fact that Jesus did, in fact, exist. All of academia believes so. Jesus's existence is no more disputed than the existence of the ancient pharaohs of Egypt. That being said, the accomplishments of Darwin irrevocably changed human perception of biological processes for the better. Natural selection is a statistical anomaly that must occur.

Everything we see in nature, everything around us, leads to evolution. And this great man, Charles Darwin, saw it. Thanks to him, the world makes more sense now. We can truly appreciate the beauty of life on Earth and understand how it came to be. The principles of survival of the fittest, variation, and all other things related to evolution are truly amazing.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, the picture of Einstein's personal library must be worth at least 10,000 words because among his books, the name GOETHE was the most representative author (52 books in total). The day that Willard Gibbs becomes synonymous with Johann Goethe will be the day that everyone understands why Goethe is #1 beyond anyone the future has yet to produce.

He had a used vocabulary of about 50,000 words - twice that of Shakespeare! He was claimed to know all the knowledge available in his lifetime! He was a poet. He wrote simple love poems, profound philosophical poems, and scientific theories. He was a poet, lawyer, botanist, politician, civil servant, physicist, zoologist, landscape painter, and theater manager. In addition, he was a philosopher, whose perception was unbelievably sharp!

He has been claimed to be the greatest German mind that has ever lived!

I saw him on the list, and I was too curious to avoid looking him up and seeing his descriptions and works and such. I am absolutely convinced that he should be quite a lot higher up on the list than this.

Among us smart folk, Einstein is considered "a little slow," and Hawking "means well," but you have to be a little clever just to appreciate the accomplishments of Goethe.

Though his motivation was evil, he was indeed brilliantly manipulative, and because of this combination of both brilliance and world impact, he deserves to be on this list.

Hitler was an Aries/Taurus, which means he was very passionate about being number one in everything he did. He was rejected as a painter or artist because his works were too vibrant and were Postmodern Impressionism. Had he been born during the hippie era, when people were into that vibrant technique, he would have been looked up to. But people were just not into that at that time. After he was rejected in school, he put his passion into another possibility and became the most ruthless leader in history. Yes, the way he did things was wrong. Yes, how he killed many innocent people was wrong, but this was not his objective. Many people don't understand that an Aries' passion goes beyond the approval of others. They have to be number one at all costs. I, myself, am only an Aries. I have such passion in everything I do. However, I do not have Taurus in me, which helped him finish what he started. Many of my passions die out eventually, and I lose interest before completion. He didn't!

Hitler united a country wallowing in economic depression, hopelessness, and a sense of utter defeat after the Allies defeated their kingdom in World War I. From the ashes of complete desperation, he rose to create the most powerful military machine in history. The forces of Nazi Germany saw combat with the whole world, fighting the hordes of men thrown at them by the USSR, the tactical machinations of Britain and the United States, and the subterfuge of the French. All by Hitler's creation.

It is indeed a tragedy that one of the most skilled orators and politicians in history, next to Augustus of Rome himself, built his legacy on the atrocities his regime committed. One can only imagine with awe what wonders his country could have achieved under him, had he committed to other political agendas. None other moved humanity into such a vast sphere of progress, but none other moved it into a quagmire of hate and violence.

Only Hitler could have held the hilt of that knife.

It is easy to say that he was evil, but evil is not a form of intelligence. Rather, it is an opinion based on human perceptions of morality and virtues. In accordance with his tactics and approaches, he was able to unite a fractured country to revive the economy of a once-thriving people and reestablish them as a world power. Even today, Germany thrives due to the attention it gained from its followers. Hitler's focus on scientists has paved the way for the discoveries of various medical procedures and cures for many deadly illnesses. Hitler was a morally bad man, but arguably the most intelligent man of his time.

Greatest mathematician of all time. He had to spend a lot of his valuable time on land measuring and astronomy (boring, repetitive jobs with lots of numerical data analysis), but in his free time he saw so much further than all other mathematicians that his notes were a valuable source of mathematical discoveries for centuries. On his 18th birthday, he thought up a geometrical construction for dividing a circle into 17 equal parts (unsolved at the time). Oh, and he invented the telegraph (the basis of all modern communication), but just on the side.

Gauss could have advanced mathematics and science by 100 years or more had he published his results as he discovered them. It took more than a century to understand his notes after his death.

When Jacobi visited him and proudly presented the discovery of Jacobians, Gauss pulled some old dusty notes out of his drawer and showed Jacobi that he had already solved the problem like 30 years ago, much more rigorously, but thought of it as a trivial matter not worth much effort. Jacobi returned home deeply impressed and wrote in his diary that he had met a genius of gigantic proportions.

I had to vote for some mathematicians, and of course Gauss is at the top of my list (with Euler, of course). Reading stories about him is fascinating and inspiring, and his work formed the foundation for much further work in mathematics.

This man must have been one of the most intelligent ever. His works, knowledge, insight, and general capacity for understanding, comprehending, and tackling mathematical and physics-related problems showcased him as a man with a mind of pure brainpower.

William Shakespeare was a genius. How did an uneducated man write countless plays, poems, books, and sonnets, and make millions? Shakespeare knows the answer to that one. If you are looking for genius, look at him. He also lived at a time when there was a great risk of being killed if he ever slightly offended the king. He was able to be funny and knew which people to pick on to please the king. That takes genius.

He understood human nature better than anyone else. He could summarize a thought and a whole range of emotions in a single sentence. He has influenced the English language more than anyone else. We quote Shakespeare every hour of every day and don't even realize it. He's wired into our psyche. A true genius!

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." Literally every piece of modern literature since the Elizabethan age can be traced back to Shakespeare. His words are embedded in each of our subconscious minds. He is the epitome of greatness.

He is the greatest man. As I have read Julius Caesar, the famous play by him, I have no words for this drama. He had explained every expression of the situation. Not only that, he also wrote many influential poems. Truly, he was the greatest and smartest.

Edison did a lot for America and should not be in the lower half of this list. He invented many things and might have been a president of the United States of America. I am not 100% sure because I am only in seventh grade, but still, I do not know anything about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or Peter Higgs, and I completely disagree that Michael Jackson would be 22 places higher on this chart than Thomas Edison. And I think Abe Lincoln, one of my favorite presidents, should not be so low on the list either! And this is all coming from a 13-year-old girl.

He improved many inventions: the telephone, microphone, telegraph, projector, phonograph, and photography. Without his work, these things wouldn't be as useful as we know them to be. His developments were vitally important for technology, even without the invention of the electric light bulb. I strongly believe his achievements demonstrate much optimism and perseverance. You only have to read his quotes to notice that. For instance, he tried more than a thousand times to make a light bulb and never gave up.

What the heck is this? Edison at 19, you've got to be kidding me. He is the only person who changed the world with the phonograph, telegraph, and the light bulb. He is the only one who had 100 inventions that failed. He is the king of inventors. He should be after Jesus.

He did invent one thing, the light bulb, that inevitably led to some of the most important things in today's society. Computers, then came more advanced computers, then phones, eventually the Internet, and arguably, the most important thing in everyone's life, the smartphone.

Jesus Christ is essentially God in human form, sent down to save us from ourselves. Yes, Einstein and Da Vinci were smart, but Jesus was not only God. He was also filled with the Holy Spirit and had knowledge of the universe, technically. God is within him, and therefore he knows everything that there is to know, just as God does. Seriously, he's only this low because of anti-religious bias.

Whether you believe that he was a deity, a divinely inspired prophet, or merely a rebellious philosopher who challenged the status quo, one thing is undeniable - the influence that Yeshua of Nazareth had on the entire world. Allegories of his life are recorded all throughout literature, and he inspired a religious revolution among a sect of Jews (Proto-Christians) who influenced religious jurisprudence for nearly 2,000 years. Clearly, he is of grand influence, and that takes clear intelligence.

He is hands-down smarter than anyone on this list by miles. You people say Einstein was smart, but he's obviously overrated. And before you bash my opinions like a regular historical simp (Jesus is a Biblical human), Jesus died because of our ignorance and jealousy. But I guess some idiots will take this the wrong way and will try to cancel me in any way possible, but to be honest, canceling me only makes me stronger.

Jesus Christ taught people to love one another. He confounded the Philistines with his parables and gave people the path to happiness in life. He set up his church where people could go to find guidance and inner peace. He performed what are miracles to us: walking on water, feeding a multitude, turning water into wine, and spending 40 days in the desert without food or water. He ascended into heaven after rising from the dead. Overcoming death should get him the number one spot and opens the door to eternal life for all of us.

As Leo Valdez himself said (I always make sure I have a credible Rick Riordan character as my source), "He was like the Albert Einstein of Ancient Greece." Given that statement coming from a fictional character, I could argue that half the people on this list would be nothing without him and maybe Copernicus. (With the exception of Hitler, sadly. Yes, despite the fact that he was a terrible person with bad motives, he was smart.)

He was probably the first physicist in history and one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He pioneered the method of infinitesimals, which eventually led to the invention of calculus around 1800 years later by Leibniz and Newton. He approximated the value of Pi and formulated what is probably the oldest physical principle, Archimedes' Principle. He invented many tools, like Archimedes' screw. He was centuries ahead of his time.

Archimedes invented so much in math and physics that, without him, Albert Einstein wouldn't have created his theories. He's surely the smartest man who ever lived. Born into a poor family and making such good use of his resources, I'd say he was the biggest genius, just forgotten because he was from the Greek era.

Anyone who has done their research would agree that Archimedes is at the very least in the top five. He is said to have created the first computer (backed up by the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism). Keep in mind this is over 2000 years ago. He also found pi and the volume of a sphere, both using integral calculus. Yes, calculus was supposedly first invented 2000 years later by Newton. This is merely the tip of the iceberg that is the inventions and discoveries of Archimedes.

Solomon asked God for wisdom above all else, specifically wisdom to lead the people that God put him in charge of as king. He was given wisdom above and beyond any man past, present, or future. Read it in 2 Chronicles 1:8-13. Also realize that wisdom is not what you might think it is. There is wisdom from the world and wisdom from God. Read James 3:17. Thanks and God bless!

Jesus Christ should be first, then following him would be Solomon, since God gave him the intelligence and wisdom to rule a country fairly. Solomon was the wisest man (remember, man) on Earth. Following him, I believe, would be King David.

There is no doubt that in the rankings that matter, Solomon is ranked in second place regarding the wisest men to have ever lived.

The leader who could speak not only with human beings but also with animals, jinn, and birds, as well as any other living things. He asked his Lord for wisdom, and Allah granted him a fabulous one.

He was a great musical composer. If you think about it, by the time he was 20, he had written enough symphonies to last a lifetime. Not only was he great, but he was also a great prodigy. He taught himself to play the violin at 7! How could you do this when you're angry at your father and your mother dies? He was in grief! Yet he could do these magnificent things. Without Mozart, Beethoven couldn't have done anything.

Although Albert Einstein was a smart mathematician and physicist of his century, Mozart, in my opinion, is the Einstein of music. Even people usually call him a "musical genius." Not to mention, although Einstein loved music, he started falling in love with Mozart's music the most.

Listening to Mozart is like witnessing some kind of divine revelation. But I voted without really stopping to think, and if I had that vote again, I would vote for Rothko. In the work of Rothko, I see myself. I see Rothko, and I come to know that communication with another human being is not just possible but also a truly sublime experience.

He revolutionized music in a way no one else could have. He wrote over 40 symphonies by the time he was 35. Plus, if you listen to his music, people say you will get smarter. Some of his most famous works are Requiem, Rondo Alla Turca, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and much more.

His ways and thoughts are principles that can be applied throughout one's life. He lived simply, wearing modest clothing, but became globally famous and helped India gain independence from the mighty British Empire. He also fought against apartheid in South Africa. Although he had many detractors and still faces criticism today, he persevered, and his revolution of non-violence is still in use.

Mahatma Gandhi was a kind and peaceful man who fought for India's independence with non-violent demonstrations. Although he was quite brilliant and intelligent, he was not known for any kind of work in science. He was perhaps more involved in literature and thought, which makes him less popular than Albert Einstein. Had he lived longer, he might have had an even greater impact on the world.

He was one of the simplest men on Earth, never living in luxury like some other so-called "leaders." Although I am not from the country he fought for, I see him as a role model. I have read many articles about him and can see that he is widely admired.

He is the greatest ever to walk on Earth.

"The future generations may or may not believe that a person of flesh and blood like this man ever walked on Earth." - Albert Einstein.

Neither gods, nor Karl Marx's socialism, nor any other philosophy can change the lives of the oppressed. It's only Gandhian philosophy that paves the way for the oppressed. - Martin Luther King.

This guy structured math and influenced the entire scientific and mathematical body of knowledge ever since. He's clearly a genius. I won't pretend that I fully understand his work, though, so I'll just stop talking now.

I fear he is in this position because people are ignorant of his achievements, which required both calm, persistent logic and free-flowing, unstoppable creativity.

Hitler was a dysfunctional loser, but Pythagoras and others here were major contributors to humanity. Hitler killed millions.

He discovered one of the most astounding mathematical concepts in the world. It was so ahead of its time that it had to be covered up.

Probably the smartest man who ever lived. Just not well-known. He accomplished more before his teen years than most do in a lifetime. Although not necessarily interested in language as an adult, he could still put anyone to shame with the number of languages he mastered. This guy wrote so many books, it's said that there could be at least 50 that have never even been read by anyone. Most people likely wouldn't understand them anyway. His theories on space and time were right up there with Tesla's, and he even invented a perpetual motion clock. The issue with him is that he dropped out of society for most of his adult life. Frankly, I don't see anyone on this list coming close to him in intelligence. When you know the answers before you even open the book, you are in a class by yourself. Yet, he's way down the list because the average person is going to pick names they know. Many of them don't have that natural intelligence. They just happen to learn a lot and apply it.

William James Sidis wrote countless books under pseudonymous names. For instance, The Animate and Inanimate presented concepts that were far ahead of his time. They are uncannily reminiscent of Christopher Langan's profound remarks, but I can assert that this fellow had a profound gift from a young age. It is a pity that the public gave him what he believed to be excessive attention, with which he could not cope. It is a story that can readily foment melancholy.

Born in Boston in 1898, William James Sidis made headlines in the early 20th century as a child prodigy with an amazing intellect.

His IQ was estimated to be 50 to 100 points higher than Albert Einstein's. He could read The New York Times before he was 2. At age 6, his language repertoire included English, Latin, French, German, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian. At age 11, he entered Harvard University as one of the youngest students in the school's history.

Well, I think that the top ten of this list is right if you are talking about achievement and knowledge rather than raw intelligence. The ability to learn quickly and process very fast is raw intelligence. James Sidis did not accomplish as much as the top ten of this list, but he was more intelligent. His IQ was estimated to be around 250 to 350, and he could learn an entire language in one day. When you talk about intelligence, it is the potential that someone has. When you say someone has the potential to do something, it means that he has the ability to do it, but it does not mean that he is going to do it. William James Sidis does not have more achievements than the top ten of this list, but he has more potential than them. And I think Goethe should be second.

Alexander Graham Bell, an ancestor of mine, may have produced the telephone but the invention is only a grain of sand in his ocean of ideas and capabilities. His knowledge will continue to shine down upon us..

Not only did he invent the telephone but he also invented the metal detector which almost saved president Garfield's life.

The man changed the world as we know it. Without him, who knows where we would be.

Come on people if we didn't have the telephone then what would we be doing right now? :-I

23?! I'm surprised. She is one of the most intelligent and clever people in all of history! She discovered two elements, Polonium and Radium, plus she invented the X-ray. Without her, many people could have had broken bones and we would have never known. So, if you have broken a bone and appreciate it being fixed, vote for Marie Curie! Not to mention that Marie Curie also faced hardships, such as scientists going against her. So, for these reasons, Marie Curie is one of the most intelligent people in history!

I see she is the only woman on the list, but what more could I have expected from this century? Marie Curie won Nobel Prizes twice. She was also the first woman to earn a doctorate in Europe. Her investigations led to the discovery of radioactivity as well as the element radium. Did I mention the fact that she also had to overcome pig-headed sexists all the while?

It pains me that there are so few women on this list, none in the top ten, of course. But it's hardly surprising - women have never really been allowed to be smart, or at least famous for being smart. That would be too threatening. Hopefully, that will change in the coming generations. It's amazing that this woman was as accomplished as she was for her time.

Maria Salomea Sklodowska was a famous chemist and physicist. She was known for discovering Radium and Polonium. She was truly an amazing woman. She is my idol. How is she not at least number two on this list? She is very smart, logical, and amazing. Marie Curie is truly awesome.

Abraham Lincoln was better than George Bush and made a significant difference. He knew what was right and what was obviously wrong. He spoke the truth, delivered one of the greatest speeches in the world, and freed slaves.

The smartest American president in history, and the only person capable of preserving the fragile Union of the United States.

I think he is smart, and he made one of the greatest speeches.

Best U.S. president to stop war. His words are great.