Historical Facts & FiguresA look at major events that happened a long time ago and the people who played the biggest roles in shaping the world as we know it.
Popular Myths That Aren't True
Real People Who Inspired Ancient Mythology
Parting Words That Sound Fake
How Other People Described Them as Children
What They Really Looked Like
Consistently Misrepresented in Pop Culture
Legendary Objects That Really Existed
Death Masks of Famous Figures
Figures with Powerful Genes
Fascinating Bad*sses You Should Know
Figures Who Were Unfairly Villainized
Historical Misconceptions to Unlearn
Famous B*stards of the Past
Folks Unlike How They Are Usually Perceived
Figures Who Made Insufferable Small Talk
What Their Kids Said About Them
The Preserved Body Parts Of Historical People
Creepers Who Changed the World
Made Their Marks While in Young Adulthood
Historical Movies That Are Totally Inacurrate
The Ones We Want to Resurrect
Historical Figures With Living Ancestors
These Figures Were Penniless When They Passed
Historical Height Twins
Late Kings Who Might Rise Up
What Famous People From History Really Looked Like
Updated December 14, 2021 2.5m votes 210.7k voters 3.2m views
List Rules
Vote on important figures who have had the most influence on the history of the world, for better or for worse. They can be from any time period.
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 iconic religious figures, recognizable scientists and inventors, and some of the most powerful 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 and inspirational 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.
Featuring historical figures, interesting men, and impactful people, this list of the world's most legendary figures have had all kinds of effects on the biggest and historic events.
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 in history, with your votes and your rankings.
