Thursday 2 June 2011

Important People In History

Important people in history have helped influence not only the people around them, but people all over the world. These contemporary people have made it to the museums and history books around the world and remain alive through their names. Let us look at some of the important people in history, who have had a major influence on the masses and altered the course of history. The following important people are from various ages and time periods, who played a major role in changing the world around them. Each person had known triumphs and failures, before their names were etched in history for eternity.

Names of Important People In History

Agricola
The Roman statesman and solider who was born on 13th July 40 AD, became the governor of Britain. He was a supporter of Vespasian, who was successful in his attempt to become the Emperor of Rome. Agricola was appointed as a commander of the Roman legion in Britain. He served as a governor of Aquitania in south east France for 3 years and became the governor of Britain in 78 AD.

Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great needs no introduction. He was the only man who single handedly went on to conquer half of the world in less than a decade. He was educated by Aristotle, the famous philosopher. Alexander went on to conquer the unconquerable Persian empire. Alexander fought and won the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. The young King of Macedonia, the leader of the Greeks, master of Asia Minor and the pharaoh of Egypt, became the 'great king' of Persia. All this when he was just a young man of just 25 years of age. He went to win many more cities, conquer many more countries and reach as far as the Indian province, Punjab. He was one military genius that no other man can match.

Muhammed
The founder of Islam religion, Muhammed received and transmitted the Koran, the Holy book of Islam. He was not just a creator of new religious faith, but the one who restored the original faith of Adam, Abraham and the others after them. Muhammed changed the entire social, economic and politics of Middle East and North Africa. He helped remove the social evils like female infanticide, autonomy for women and set up a just society. You can read more on interesting facts about Muhammad the Prophet

Jesus Christ
The founder of Christianity who preached love and acceptance. Jesus Christ helped people approach God with an open mind. He helped in creating equal acceptance for all with his philosophy, 'Love Thy Neighbor As Yourself'.

Buddha
Buddha was born a prince who forgo his life of privileges and protection when he found that life included sufferings. He gave up his comforts and went in search for enlightenment. He found that present-minded contemplation and sincere meditation as the key to enlightenment.

Christopher Columbus
The explorer who set out on sail that brought the world closer. He discovered North and South America and helped provide information for exploration. He was responsible for spreading deadly infections to the indigenous people of Americas. Arrival of Christopher Columbus on the American soil also lead to end of the tribal groups at the hands of the European invaders.

Sir Isaac Newton
The English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton who discovered gravity. He gave his laws of motion, orbital dynamics, the tidal theory and the theory of universal gravitation. He laid the foundations of physical optics and even worked on the calculus fundamentals.

Albert Einstein
The German born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein was the winner of Nobel Prize in Physics and was the most famous scientists of the 20th Century. He was born in a Jewish family and supported pacifism and Zionism. He emigrated to America when the Nazis took over Germany. He could establish a link between quantum theory and his general theory of relativity. Einstein will forever be remembered for his E= mc2.

Thomas Jefferson
The multi-talented man who authored the Declaration of American Independence. Thomas Jefferson is revered as the founding father of United States and the third president of America.

Edward Jenner
The English doctor who helped the get rid of the nasty small pox disease with his vaccine. He is known as the father of immunology.

Ayotollah Khomeine
The Iranian religious and political leader, Khomeini was an important person in history, who made Iran the world's first Islamic republic. He announced Islamic law across the country and his preachings against the American influence lead to a group of militant Islamic students to storm the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Many American hostages were held as captives for more than a year.

John F. Kennedy
The most popular leader of United States, John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of America. The Cold War was an important event during his tenure.JFK is also known for introducing domestic reforms and extending the civil rights of African Americans. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on 22nd November 1963 by Harvey Oswald. His assassination is still speculated with theories of conspiracies.

Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of United States of America. He was a staunch opponent of slavery that lead to Civil War. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all slaves under Confederate control. This marked an end to slavery.

Benito Mussolini
The founder of Fascism, Benito Mussolini became the leader of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He was ally with the Nazi Germany and a friend of Adolf Hitler. Mussolini, the Italian dictator, drunk with power, was captured by Italian partisans and shot dead in 28th April 1945.

Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, father of India, also known as 'Mahatma' (great soul). He was the the leader of Indian nationalist movement against British rule. Mahatama Gandhi followed non-violence to achieve political and social progress. He was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse on 30th January 1948.

Alfred Nobel
The Swedish chemist who invented dynamite is none other than Alfred Nobel. He is one of the important people in history who actually altered the world with his dynamite! He invented a number of synthetic materials and registered 355 patents in his life. He signed his will that established the prestigious Nobel Prize for people with outstanding contributions in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature,economics and peace.

Louis Pasteur
The inventor of pasteurization, that helped in removing bacteria from milk and preventing spoilage is Louis Pasteur. He was a French chemist and biologist who put forth the germ theory of disease. He went on to explain the cause of cholera, TB and small pox and proved the importance of vaccination.

Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher was the first lady prime minister of Britain. She was not only the first female prime minister, but went on to serve three consecutive terms in office. She build very close political and personal relationship with the US president Ronald Reagan. She was nicknamed the "Iron Lady' by the Soviet Union.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was just a Dutch textile merchant. He used magnifying glass and observed mouth parts, stings, human louse and fungus in details. In 1676, van Leeuwenhoek observed water under his magnifying glass and saw tiny organisms moving. This was probably the first time man may have observed bacteria. He is therefore known as the father of microbiology and went on to lay a foundation for plant anatomy and an expert on animal reproduction. Van Leeuwenhoek was the first person to discover sperm and described the spermatozoa from mollusks, fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. His discovery led to the conclusion that spermatozoa penetrated the egg, that lead to fertilization.

Francis Crick and James Watson
Watson and Crick shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for discovering the structure of DNA. This discovery was one of the most important discovery of the 20th century. You can read more on who discovered DNA.

Leonardo da Vinci
One of the best minds during the Italian Renaissance, who was an artist and sculpture, but also one of the most important people in history who discovered many things as an engineer, scientists and inventor. Leonardo da Vinci became the first person to build a telescope and discovered Mars and Venus.

Indira Gandhi
The daughter of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru, Indira Gandhi became the first women prime minister of India. She was the fifth prime minister of India who was intelligent and charismatic that made her a powerful states person. She is known as the 'Iron Lady of India' and was gunned down by her own bodyguard on October 31, 1984.

Benazir Bhutto
The first woman prime minister of Pakistan, a Muslim nation. Benazir Bhutto was the youngest prime minister at the age of 35 years. She led a political opposition against President Zia-ul-Haq. This lady fought all odds but was overthrown with charges of corruption. The daughter of the east was assassinated on December 27, 2007 while leaving a campaign rally for the Peoples Party of Pakistan at Liaquat National Bagh.

These were just a few names of important people in history. There are many famous people I have missed out or not mentioned in my list. Each and every important person has played a significant role in molding world history. Charles Darwin and his fundamental theory of evolution, Vasco da Gama the famous Portuguese explorer and navigator of the 16th century, Robert Boyle the pioneer of chemistry, President Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States, Confucius the renowned Chinese philosopher and many more important people in history are worth mentioning. You will find many more names of important people in history in books and Internet. I hope this article has helped you learn a few names of important people in history.

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