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In 1978, Michael H. Hart published a book called The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. It was a ranking of the 100 people who, in his opinion, most influenced human history. The book was hotly debated, and its concept widely copied. It is important to note that Dr. Hart is not ranking the greatest people. His criterion was influence.
The book was reprinted in 1992 with several notable revisions made to the original list of 100 people and their associated rankings. Chief among these revisions was the demotion of figures associated with Communism, such as Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev. Hart took sides in the Shakespearean authorship issue and substituted Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for William Shakespeare. Hart also substituted Niels Bohr and Henri Becquerel with Ernest Rutherford, thus correcting an error in the first edition. Henry Ford was also promoted from the "Honorary Mentions" list, replacing Pablo Picasso. Finally, some of the rankings were re-ordered, while no one listed in the top ten changed position.
Hart's Top 15 (from the 1992 edition)
| Rank | Name | Influence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muhammad | Prophet of Islam |
| 2 | Isaac Newton | physicist, theory of universal gravitation, laws of motion, major developments in mathematics, optics, thermodynamics |
| 3 | Jesus Christ | central figure of what would become Christianity |
| 4 | Buddha | founder of Buddhism |
| 5 | Confucius | founder of Confucianism |
| 6 | St. Paul | proselytizer of Christianity |
| 7 | Ts'ai Lun | inventor of paper |
| 8 | Johann Gutenberg | developed movable type and made great advances in printing |
| 9 | Christopher Columbus | explorer, led Europe to the Americas |
| 10 | Albert Einstein | physicist, relativity, Einsteinian physics |
| 11 | Louis Pasteur | scientist, pasteurization, Germ Theory |
| 12 | Galileo Galilei | astronomer, accurately described heliocentric solar system, led way to Newton's work |
| 13 | Aristotle | Greek philosopher |
| 14 | Euclid | Greek mathematician, Euclidean geometry, author of various influential theories |
| 15 | Moses | major prophet of Judaism and leader |
Subjectivity
Both the selection of the 100 individuals and their ranking in relationship to each other are highly subjective enterprises. While Hart makes an effort to justify his selection and ordering, he makes it clear that both are entirely his own opinion.
Hart admits that any assessment of historical significance depends on a perspective which only time can provide. To rate the historical importance of contemporary figures is almost impossible, while in other cases ranking will depend on an individual's assessment of the relative importance of the fields of scientific, cultural and religious endeavour.
Hart makes the point in the book where he points out that prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Vladimir Lenin was ranked much higher on the list.
Further reading
- The 100, Michael H. Hart, Carol Publishing Group, July 1992, paperback, 576 pages, ISBN 0806513500
- The 100 Most Influential Scientists, John Simmons (1996, 1997), Robinson, paperback, 504 pages, ISBN 1-85487-989-8.
- Quantum Leaps - 100 Scientists Who Changed the World, Jon Balchin (2004), Capella - Arcutus Publishing Ltd, large format paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 1-84193-156-X
- Philosophy - 100 Essential Thinkers, Philip Stokes (2002), Capella - Arcutus Publishing Ltd, large format paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 1-84193-139-X
Other lists
- 100 Greatest Britons
- 100 Worst Britons
- Unsere Besten
- The Greatest American
- Le Plus Grand Français
- The Greatest Canadian
- De Grootste Nederlander
- List of South Africans, SABC3's Great South Africans
- Suuret Suomalaiset
- Belg der Belgen
External links
- SMART 100: Get smart Australia's smartest 100, from The Bulletin
- Top 100
- Europe's Top 100 - Seeking to collect Europeans' views on who they think are the most influential Europeans of all times
- Full List
"The 100"