Top 10 Most Influential People in History

Founder of classical mechanics, the laws of gravity and mathematical calculus. His scientific principles laid the foundation for the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.

Invented printing with movable metal type around 1440. Without him, knowledge would have remained reserved for the elite, and the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution would have been unthinkable.

His life and teachings formed the basis of Christianity, a religion that has profoundly shaped Western ethics, art, philosophy and law for more than two millennia.

Reshaped our understanding of space, time, gravity and energy with his theories of relativity (E=mc²). His insights made modern technologies like GPS and nuclear energy possible.

The Greek universal thinker whose logic, ethics, biology and political theories dominated scientific thinking in Europe and the Arab world for more than two thousand years.

Conquered one of the largest empires of antiquity within twelve years, spreading Greek culture, language and science across the Middle East and Asia.

His theory of evolution by natural selection changed forever how humans look at themselves and the origin of all life on Earth.

The 'father of modern science', who proved with his telescope that the Earth revolves around the sun and pioneered the experimental scientific method.

His seizure of power transformed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, whose legal system, language and infrastructure still form the foundation of Europe.

With more than a thousand patents, including the practical light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera, he laid the foundation for modern electrified and media-driven life.