History Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead  

alexf
Originally by
119.4k votes 8.3k voters 63.6k views 96 items

List Rules Vote up the historical figures you'd like to see come back from the dead, hopefully to help improve society.

Throughout the course of history, the human race has produced some truly remarkable individuals - individuals who, sadly, have passed away, leaving nothing behind but the footprint of their influence on society. But what if these towering figures didn't have to stay dead? If you could bring someone of significant historical importance back from the dead, who would you pick?

list ordered by

1
2,830 1,511
Jesus Christ is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Jesus, also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, whom the teachings of most Christian denominations hold to be the Son of God. Christianity regards Jesus as ...more

2
2,424 915
Leonardo da Vinci is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 67 (1452-1519) Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is ...more

3
2,721 1,006
Nikola Tesla is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 87 (1856-1943) Nikola Tesla was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current ...more

4
1,273 944
William Shakespeare is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 52 (1564-1616) William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's ...more

5
2,161 772
Albert Einstein is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Morten Evensen-Næri added Dec. at 76 (1879-1955) Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. Einstein's work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He developed the general theory of relativity, one of the ...more

6
2,086 993
Martin Luther King, Jr. is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 39 (1929-1968) Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr., January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for ...more

7
1,948 968
Abraham Lincoln is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 56 (1809-1865) Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his life was taken in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States and its greatest moral, constitutional ...more

8
1,187 782
Aristotle is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 62 (383 BC-321 BC) Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the Macedonian city of Stagira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was ...more

9
1,823 971
John F. Kennedy is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 46 (1917-1963) John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. He served from ...more

10
953 626
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Nate Hodges added Dec. at 35 (1756-1791) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, baptised as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. Mozart showed prodigious ability from his ...more

11
1,549 886
Benjamin Franklin is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 84 (1706-1790) Benjamin Franklin FRS was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, ...more

12
1,034 819
Marie Curie is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Morten Evensen-Næri added Dec. at 67 (1867-1934) Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first ...more

13
802 624
Ludwig van Beethoven is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Nate Hodges added Dec. at 57 (1770-1827) Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and ...more

14
1,027 1,058
Mahatma Gandhi is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 79 (1869-1948) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and ...more

15
1,278 950
George Washington is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 67 (1732-1799) George Washington was the first President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the ...more

16
687 596
Johann Sebastian Bach is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Nate Hodges added Dec. at 65 (1685-1750) Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and ...more

17
1,300 902
Theodore Roosevelt is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 61 (1858-1919) Theodore "T.R." Roosevelt Jr. was an American politician, author, naturalist, soldier, explorer, and historian who served as the 26th President of the United States. He was a leader of ...more

18
664 694
Florence Nightingale is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Morten Evensen-Næri added Dec. at 90 (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC was a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by ...more

19
1,032 929
Thomas Jefferson is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 83 (1743-1826) Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States. He was a spokesman for democracy, and ...more

20
1,108 1,006
George Carlin is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 71 (1937-2008) George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American comedian, social critic, actor, and author. Carlin was noted for his black comedy and his thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, ...more

21
896 964
Winston Churchill is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 91 (1874-1965) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, DL, FRS, RA was a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Widely ...more

22
258 221
Gautama Buddha is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni, or simply the Buddha, was a sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in eastern ...more

23
454 490
Marcus Aurelius is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
bionicdeadpool added Dec. at 59 (121-180) Marcus Aurelius was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is also considered ...more

24
841 890
Alexander the Great is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 33 (355 BC-322 BC) Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a King of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty. Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander ...more

25
275 236
George Orwell is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Dec. at 47 (1903-1950) Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 21 January 1950), better known by his psuedonymGeorge Orwell, was an English author. His work is marked by a profound conscientiousness of social injustice, an ...more

26
167 110
Alan Turing is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
victorBafcop added Dec. at 42 (1912-1954) Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS was a British pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, mathematical biologist, and marathon and ultra distance runner. He ...more

27
664 586
Joan of Arc is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Saffron Higgins added Dec. at 19 (1412-1431) Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans", is considered a heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. She was born to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle, a peasant family, at ...more

28
225 264
Charlie Chaplin is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Dec. at 88 (1889-1977) Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor and filmmaker who rose to fame in the silent film era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona ...more

29
383 384
Michael Jackson is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
EdwardDrawde added Dec. at 51 (1958-2009) Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal ...more

30
935 985
Franklin D. Roosevelt is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 63 (1882-1945) Fright Night is a 1985 American horror comedy film written and directed by Tom Holland and produced by Herb Jaffe. It stars William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall and Amanda Bearse. ...more

31
319 464
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Nate Hodges added Dec. at 90 (1918-2008) Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, historian, and critic of Soviet totalitarianism. He helped to raise global awareness of the gulag and the Soviet Union's forced labor ...more

32
450 499
Cleopatra is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Jennifer Malone added Dec. at 39 (68 BC-29 BC) Cleopatra VII Philopator, known to history simply as "Cleopatra", was the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, only shortly survived by her son, Caesarion as pharaoh. Cleopatra was a ...more

33
510 580
Elizabeth I of England is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Christine Sears added Dec. at 70 (1533-1603) Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, the childless Elizabeth was the fifth and last ...more

34
411 406
William Wallace is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
bionicdeadpool added Dec. at 35 (1270-1305) Sir William Wallace was a Scottish landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle ...more

35
558 696
King Arthur is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Mollevangsvagen added King Arthur is a fictional character from Monty Python's Spamalot.

36
192 115
Jimi Hendrix is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Scott O'Donnell added Dec. at 28 (1942-1970) James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...more

37
649 765
Robert Kennedy is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
age 45 Robert John Kennedy is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in four Tests and seven One Day Internationals for New Zealand in 1996. His best international figures of 3/28 came on his Test ...more

38
775 951
Mother Teresa is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 87 (1910-1997) Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, MC, commonly known as Mother Teresa, was a Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary who lived most of her life in India. She was born in today's Macedonia, with ...more

39
516 630
Harry Houdini is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Chris Keyes added Dec. at 52 (1874-1926) Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the US and then as "Harry Handcuff ...more

40
171 172
Hypatia is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Dec. at 65 (350-415) Hypatia was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher in Egypt, then a part of the Byzantine Empire. She was the head of the Neoplatonic school at Alexandria, where she taught ...more

41
777 1,004
Ronald Reagan is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 93 (1911-2004) Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. Before his presidency he served as the 33rd Governor of California and was also an actor from 1937–1964. Born and raised in ...more

42
186 137
Confucius is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Dec. at 72 (550 BC-478 BC) Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental ...more

43
488 603
Moses is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
icoachfb added Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a former Egyptian prince later turned prophet, religious leader and lawgiver, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also ...more

44
178 201
Boudica is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Boudica, also known as Boadicea, and known in Welsh as Buddug was queen of the British Iceni tribe, a Celtic tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire. Boudica's ...more

45
342 449
Alfred Hitchcock is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Nate Hodges added Dec. at 81 (1899-1980) Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was an English film director and producer. Often nicknamed "The Master of Suspense", he pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological ...more

46
486 564
Prince is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Sandra Spencer added Dec. at 57 (1958-2016) Prince Roger Nelson, known by his mononym Prince, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. A major figure in popular music for over three decades, Prince is renowned ...more

47
458 606
Robert E. Lee is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Randall Feinen added Dec. at 63 (1807-1870) Robert Edward Lee was an American soldier best known for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865. The son of ...more

48
469 651
Vincent Price is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
MargoPflug added Died at 82 (1911-1993) Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice as well as his serio-comic performances in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.

49
78 33
Sitting Bull is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Valdave added Dec. at 59 (1831-1890) Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the ...more

50
463 716
Julius Caesar is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list Historical Figures You Most Want to Bring Back from the Dead
Dec. at 56 (99 BC-43 BC) Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise ...more