The Most Influential People of All Time People
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The Most Influential People of All Time

List Criteria: Vote on humans who have had the most influence on the history of the world--good or bad. They can be from any period of time.

This is a list of the most influential people of all of human history. This means that the individuals on this list have had a significant effect on how regular people live their lives today and have had a large impact on how modern society works. The names on this list include religious figures, scientists and inventors, and some of the most important leaders in world history. Vote for your top choices and re-rank this list your way.

What makes an individual worthy of a spot on a list of the most influential people ever? Certainly, some of the greatest minds of all time deserve to be ranked highly. Examples include Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, and certainly Albert Einstein. Each one of these incredible people used the power of their minds to change the world. Not surprisingly, several names on this list are also among the most famous role models we'd like to meet in person.

And modern-era figures also deserve to be listed here. Can anyone argue that Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg aren't among the most influential contemporary Americans? It's time to add your opinions on who you believe are the most influential people who ever lived, with your votes and your rankings.
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  1. 1
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    Down 10692

    the people's #1 7-2 BC

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  2. 2
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    1643

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  3. 3
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    Down 11444

    c. 570

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  4. 4
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    Down 6502

    1879

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  5. 5
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    Down 5632

    1452

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  6. 6
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    Down 5727

    384 BC

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  7. 7
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    Down 17269

    alert! 1889

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  8. 8
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    Down 5528

    1809

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  9. 9
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    Down 4819

    ranked low on reranks 1564

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  10. 10
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    Down 4911

    428-423 BC

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  11. 11
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    356 BC

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  12. 12
    Up 5179
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    1869

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  13. 13
    Up 3995
    Down 4833

    often listed & ranked high on reranks 563-483 BC

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  14. 14
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    c. 470 BC

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  15. 15
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    Down 3854

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  16. 16
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    1809

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  17. 17
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    Down 3858

    1564

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  18. 18
    Up 3646
    Down 4114

    100 BC

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  19. 19
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    Down 3446

    1847

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  20. 20
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    Down 3779

    1732

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  21. 21
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    Down 1227

    ranked low on reranks 1756

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  22. 22
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    1818

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  23. 23
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    Down 2395

    c. 5

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  24. 24
    Up 3174
    Down 3450

    1769

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  25. 25
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    Down 4361

    1856

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  26. 26
    Up 2340
    Down 2978

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  27. 27
    Up 1923
    Down 1586

    ranked low on reranks 1475

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  28. 28
    Up 2643
    Down 2865

    1743

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  29. 29
    Up 2893
    Down 3840

    551 BC

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  30. 30
    Up 1015
    Down 771

    ranked low on reranks 1770

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  31. 31
    Up 2279
    Down 2087

    c. 570 BC

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  32. 32
    Up 2106
    Down 2384

    1483

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  33. 33
    Up 2565
    Down 2829

    c. 1162

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  34. 34
    Up 3326
    Down 3250

    1929

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  35. 35
    Up 2724
    Down 2646

    1706

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  36. 36
    Up 2029
    Down 1904

    1847

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  37. 37
    Up 2441
    Down 2144

    1871

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  38. 38
    Up 777
    Down 625

    1867

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  39. 39
    Up 2106
    Down 2824

    often listed & ranked high on reranks 1870

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  40. 40
    Up 2433
    Down 2222

    1863

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  41. 41
    Up 1528
    Down 1252

    1918

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  42. 42
    Up 1842
    Down 2161

    1856

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  43. 43
    Up 2136
    Down 2507

    1473

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  44. 44
    Up 2054
    Down 2008

    1874

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  45. 45
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    c. 8th century BC

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  46. 46
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    added by EnriqueSanchez 1685

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  47. 47
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    63 BC

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  48. 48
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    often listed & ranked high on reranks 1451

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  49. 49
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    ranked low on reranks & added by jhggins 1935

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  50. 50
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    Down 1740

    often listed & ranked high on reranks 742-748

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