The most influential person ever...

[rockytriton]

hmm, I thought that zero was invented in India.

[cwes99_03]

Sorry, you are correct.

 

The nr. zero was invented independently in India and

by the Maya. In India a decimal system was used, like

ours, but they used an empty space for zero up to 3rd

Century BC. This was confusing for an empty space was

also used to separate numbers, and so they invented

the dot for a zero. The first evidence for the use of

the symbol that we now know as zero stems from the 7th

century AD. The Maya invented the number zero for

their calendars in the 3rd century AD.

The number zero reached European civilisation through

the Arabs after 800 AD. The Greek and Roman did not

need the number zero for they did their calculations

on an abacus. The name 'zero' comes from the arabic

'sifr'.

(Data from the book "the calender" by D. E. Duncan).

 

Dr. Wassenaar

from http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov

[nkt]

Hanibal, Troy, any one of the ancient greeks who are known, and hundreds more who are forgotten.

 

More recently, I would argue for the Normans, in the form of William the Conquerer, who won the battle of Hastings in 1066, and was the last successful invader of Britain, setting up the perhaps unique conditions that meant that hundreds of years later, a stable strong system developed which could eventually forge a nation after the collapse of his empire, then grow to form a nation, expand and become an empire, fire the industrial revolution, and provide the mix of the right genes to allow the Brits to produce about 90% of all the major innovations up until 30 years ago. There is no corner of the world untouched by the British and the Empire, and I contend that without that singular invasion in 1066, it wouldn't have happened, and it would have taken hundreds more years for the smaller waring factions to eventually make some sort of peace.

[cwes99_03]

Good one, how about the guy that invented the steam engine, a British guy wasn't he. It wasn't Fulton was it? He was just the guy who raced the first steam boat or something like that. My history is a bit rusty.

[chatlack]

I dont know the others but number one is Hitler or the one who made up his ideas. No one changed the world this big and no one ever will...

 

You can say , WW2 changed lives of at least 60 million people, didnt it? Any other influental people do not have such a big starting point....

[C1ay]

Did anyone mention Euclid or Bill Gates? I don't know that either is the most influential but they're probably near the top of the list somewhere.

[cwes99_03]

What about Steve Jobs, then, though I doubt they are in the top 10. I'm enjoying musing about the impact each person above had on the world. I would include Hitler in the top 10. I think currently Bin Laden/GWBush would also be in the top 10 as their impact is known the world over, but we'll have to wait and see how far reaching into the future it is.

[rockytriton]

maybe hammurabi, maybe not

[pgrmdave]

Alan Turing, without whom there might not be computers.

[rockytriton]

yea and we all might be speaking German without him too.

[goku]

ronald mcdonald :confused:

[goku]

rudolf diesel, the man who invented the diesel engine :confused:

[rockytriton]

well, his name isn't one that's commonly known I wouldn't say so, but I don't know that it would be a requirement. I would think since Henry Ford would go in before him.

[insight]

rudolf diesel, the man who invented the diesel engine :confused:

 

well so how about Sadi Carnot? :naughty:

[cwes99_03]

Henry Ford. Of course, the man who revolutionized industry. Well, I'm not entirely convinced of that. I think the person who first made a machine to stamp out replaceable parts did more for industry than Henry Ford. And others invented the automobile before him too. Doesn't mean he didn't have a big impact though.

That brings up an interesting thought. (Sorry I'm kind of rambling, it is again too late for me to be up.) The men/women who invent a process aren't necessarily the ones that become famous.

Who is more influential on history: the inventor of a process (say steam engines) or the person who makes them famous by putting them in every factory in the world? Or should they share the position equally?

[rockytriton]

well, if people don't know your name, how can you claim influence? I would say someone like that had an impact on society, but didn't influence it.

[C1ay]

I think the person who first made a machine to stamp out replaceable parts did more for industry than Henry Ford.

You're right, Eli Whitney and his insight on mass production is missing from the list here.