Tauseef Ahmed 09/01/03 “Ten most important people of the 20th century” The world we see today has had a lot of changes and developments, which are contributed by some very important people. In the 20th century there were some people who helped in the development of art, music, medicine, technology, government, and peaceful resolutions. Either in a good or in a bad way these people have greatly influenced the world. Although there are more than ten people who have had the world influenced greatly, these ten have a relatively high importance than the others. However it is very hard to compare these ten people because one is as important as the other. One of these people is Henry Ford, who was born on 1863 in Michigan, United States. Although the first motor cars were manufactured in 1890s, they were not affordable by many Americans.
In 1903 Ford developed his first motor company and designed cars that could be afforded by most Americans. Henry Ford also introduced the first assembly line and other new techniques for manufacturing cars. This effort of Ford influenced the whole lifestyle of traveling by making it much cheaper and faster. Vladimir Ilich Lenin, who was the leader of the Bolshevik party in Russia, influenced the 20th century by his revolutionary acts in Russia. Born in 1870, Lenin and Bolsheviks started their revolutionary plans and gained control of Russia by 1917. He became the leader of the USSR when it was founded in 1922.
Lenin died in 1924 but his actions had a great impact on the various systems of government around the world. The Spanish painter who is widely known to be the most influencing artist of the 20th century is Pablo Picasso. He introduced a range of themes and styles in art during his career. Some main contributions of Picasso is his modern art movement called cubism, an artistic technique called collage, and a technique of making sculptures called assemblage. Picassos art had a great impact on world because he gave the world another way of expressing their feelings other than words. One of the most powerful dictators in the 20th century was Adolf Hitler.
He was born in 1889 and was held responsible for starting World War II in 1939. Hitler converted Germany into a strong military nation and built the Nazi party which he headed. He also contributed in the slaughter of millions of Jews and Gypsies and is responsible for the Holocaust. Hitler had greatly influenced the world; his decisions led Europe into war and destruction and left an example of how destructive can wars be and how dictatorships cant head a country into proper peaceful decisions. The British prime minister during World War II was Winston Churchill. His courage, decisions, and political experiences led United Kingdom through the World War II, which was a great struggle for Britain in the 20th century. Churchill set an example of great leadership and is still considered as a reflection to the new leaders. The most well-known scientist of the 20th century is the German-born American, Albert Einstein, who was born on March 14th, 1897. Einsteins most famous theory is the theory of relativity.
He showed brilliant talent to the world by understanding nature and complex mathematical concepts. In my opinion Einstein was the best discover in the field of science and technology. Born in 1856, Sigmund Freud was a physician and was the founder of psychoanalysis. He was born in Czech Republic and got his education from Vienna University. His experiments on psychopathology and nervous diseases have been very influential in medical science of the 20th century. His efforts have led medical science into a very high position today. Mohandas K.
Gandhi was one of the most nonviolent revolutionaries of the 20th century. Just like Lenin, Gandhi wanted change but he didnt choose violence as a solution but he introduced new peaceful ways of protesting. He helped India gain its independence in 1947. I think he was one of the most peaceful people the world could have had at that time. Nobel Prize winner and the leader of the American civil rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr., who was born in 1929. He opposed the segregation and discrimination between whites and blacks in the United States. Many whites were convinced by his speeches and supported his idea.
One of the most largest protests in the United States history was organized by King and his followers, his famous speech I Have a Dream was also presented to the world in that protest. Martin Luther King has a great contribution in the nations unity today. One of the most popular music singers of the 20th century was John Lennon, from Britain. He has greatly influenced the rock-music and was a member of Beatles, which were behind the music revolution. Lennon basically came up with new and different rhymes with the guitar, and this act of his is behind the rock music we hear today. In other words we could call him the inventor of the modern music.
According to me the most influential person of the 20th century was Adolf Hitler. He was behind one of the most destructive battles of the century. The deaths of millions of Jews and Gypsies and the use of concentration camps were all the decisions of Hitler. The Holocaust in which Jews were just slaughtered, tortured, and disrespected was the responsibility of Hitler. He was responsible for starting the World War II, which led into thousands of deaths and much of Europe lay in ruins after that. Hitler made our opinions very clear about democracies and dictatorships by presenting such a violent example.
In my opinion he is the person of the century because for what bad he did the world will never forget him. I think Sigmund Freud could easily be dropped from the top ten most important people of the 20th century, because I dont think he influenced the world as much as the others. Bill Gates and Elvis Presley were more influential to the world, in my opinion. However he did have a great contribution in medical science but if we compare it with what other nine people did its importance is relatively lower. I think the music and acting of Elvis Presley and the computer company Microsoft headed by Bill Gates, influenced the world more than the research of psychoanalysis. This discovery might be more important than Microsoft and music but it didnt influence the world as much as they did. The ten most influential people of the 20th century are all great.
Although some of them might be considered relatively lower, they all had a contribution in the world we are living in today and so we should accept the fact that they are somewhat important to our lifestyle. There were many other immense personalities in the medieval ages and the 1800s which are more influential to us but in this century these are the most important people and they have been chosen wisely, in my opinion..