Ten Greatest People of the Past 50 years..

[joelcrowservo]

So who do you feel are the 10 greatest or most important people (or groups of people) in the last 50 years? We can stretch it to 60 or 70 if need be.To get it started, heres mine:
1:John F. Kennedy (name another president who inspired so many to dream big dreams)
2:Martin Luther King Jr. (for showing so many heaven)
3:Winston Churchill (and he flunked 6th grade!)
4:The Beatles (obviously!)
5:Robert Kennedy (the biggest what if in history)
6:The Apollo astronauts (especialy Deke Slayton)
7:Muhammed Ali (he is still, for many, 'the Greatest')
8:C.S. Lewis (for Narnia, if nothing else)
9:Charles Schulz (for making so many smile for so long)
10:Christopher Reeve (for sheer inspiration)
If I could add an 11th, it would be Lech Walesa, the Polish 'Glasnost' leader of the 80s.
So whats your list?

[ Jun 08, 2003, 06:30 AM: Message Edited By: joelcrowservo ]

[chaitanya]

in no order...

Martin Luther King
Mahatma Gandhi (Jai Karamchand Prabhu Ki Jai !)
Mother Theresa of Calcutta
Pope John the 23rd
John F. Kennedy
Tenzin Gyatso (The Dalai Lama)
Greenpeace
Amnesty International
M.Gorbaciov
....Beatles graemlins/thinker.gif

[SF4-EVER]

My boyfriend (Eugene) and I are discussing this right now, and we're finding it difficult. Part of the problem is we're not sure if we should limit it to "good" people or include other important people who, to put it mildly, weren't so good. Here's a list of some people we think should be on the list, in no particular order:

James Watson/Francis Crick, co-discoverers of the structure of DNA
Ronald Reagan (like him or not)
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, for their contributions to the computer industry
Gorbechav (sp?), for the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Eugene also suggested Carter/Begin/Sadat for their peace efforts.
People already mentioned, such as King, JFK, Mother Theresa, and Ghandi

[Harbidge]

It'd be impossible to compile a truthful list like this in my opinion. There are so many people who could well deserve to be in the top 10, but may not be people we overly recognise. I feel the true people who should be in such a list are people who have given something to the world that is now invaluable to its existence. For example, the creation of medicene (spelling?) such as antibiotics and penecillin that ensure that more people stay fit and healthy and live much more vibrant lives. Also the complete breakdown of the DNA code will mean cures for the incurables.

In my opinion that's more important than going to the moon.

Sorry, had a bit of a philosophical moment there.

[BrazilianFlag]

Sorry, impossible to list. I could quote my personal heroes - Gandhi, Churchill, Albert Schweitzer, The Beatles, Martin Luther King, etc - and yet the list would not be complete...

But sure I'd have to place people you don't know but that are heroes to me, such as Vladmir Herzog (Brazilian journalist killed during the militar dictadure of the 60-70's), and people that you would probably not agree with, such as JK Rowling (I have personal reasons to love the "Harry Potter" series, I might explain it someday).

Anyway, I guess I need to think deep on it and maybe list it - though it wouldn't be "the last word" on it for me!

[Magill]

I think Lady Di should be recognized for her missionary work and for all of her other worthy causes.

[bearkat77]

In random order:

John F. Kennedy
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Jonas Salk
Albert Einstein
Winston Churchill
Mahatma Gandhi
Mother Theresa
John Wayne
Marie Currie
The Beatles

[beatlelover45223]

I find it too, very hard to name the top ten, or even the top 100 of the last 50 years, I would say all the people with medical break throughs, and those that did charitable work, the tech geeks, I think the space explorers too, they are directly/indirectly,created a lot of materials used in medicine, automobiles, computer related things etc; so they have to be counted too, sorry Harb, looking at the big picture here...

[anurag]

Nelson Mandela should also be in the list.

[negative creep]

1. Bob Marley *because he's just wonderful*
2. Marilyn Manson *Because he brought my dream of dating guys who wear makeup to life cause it's now a trend! WOO!*
3.George Harrison *Do I really need to say why?*
4. John Lennon *His art was so cool!*
5.Yoko Ono *For her art*
6.Andrew Wyeth *Has anyone seen the helga pictures!? Theyre wonderful!*
7. Me *Because Im just sheer gay-greatness*
8. Jimmy Hendrix
9.Janis Joplin
10. Tori Amos *Shes so flippin weird and her music is orginal and beautiful*

So those are mine. Im so smart...

[Johnna Lynn]

Not in order
Nelson Mandela
Helen Keller
Elvis
Bill Gates
Walt Disney
Lenny Bruce
Jim Henson
MLK Jr.
Oprah Winfrey
the Simpsons

[D-HaRrIsOnSgUrl28]

Walt Disney^cartoons^
God ^well take a guess^
John Lennon^why not^
Jimi Hendrix^him and his gutiar^
ME!^beauty^
Jim Morrison^sexyness^
Marlyn Monroe^inspiring my beauty^
George Harrison^my future husband DHANI^
linda mccartney^beauty /puting up w/crap^
yoko ono^beauty/puting up w/alot of crap^

[mccartneymaniac]

well as ahistory person and a one who dresses up as people of the past i could not resist.
1.the beatles they most influenced my life and john got me writing.
2.bill gates he changed how we communicate and it all began in a garage.
3.mlk he wanted people to be equal enough said
4.neil armstrong i stayed up to watch grainy tv and marvel that we were on the moon.
5. edmund hillary not just because he climbed everest but because he has given back so much.
6. mother teresa a saint to be sure did what we are called to do give of ourselves to others
7.princess diana not just her style but her sense of herself and her work in charity a good person gone too soon.
8.cher i used to want to look like her she still does her thing and does it well and isn't concerned with pleasing anyone but hersel

[mccartneymaniac]

because i explained my choices i ran out of space with 8. so here are 9 and 10.
9. churchill a man who new politics and how to deal with it and spoke well. a real leader when one was needed.
10. salk polio vacine i recall getting in line for oral doses for a month it saved lots of people
i would barnard also with his transplantation of the heart a tie.

[ringo_rama]

I decided to do it with only musicians and only from the 90s or after for some reason.

1. Kurt Cobain (Spokesman for a generation--definitely an influential guy)
2. Thom Yorke (Troubled genius)
3. Trent Reznor (brought industrial music to the masses)
4. Beyonce Knowles (she's hot)
5. Norah Jones (She was the first to be successful in the new millenium that wasn't a pop diva or boy band)
6. Beck (another spokesman for the generation)
7. Noel Gallagher (forget Liam, who sucks. Noel is a great songwriter)
8. Jack White (another great songwriter)
9. Alanis Morisette (can't deny her influence on other female musicians)
10. Beyonce Knowles (did I mention she's HOT?)

[chaitanya]

Well,sorry I've forgot heroes....
NYC Police Dept. and Firefighters of Sept.11.

Mankind has to learn many things by their example.