Who, living during 1900 - 2000, do you think had the most profound effect on man?

Question

This can be a leader, spirtual, entertainer, millitary, scientist, whatever good or bad (according to your standards) that had the greatest (postive or negative) influence on society during the 1900 - 2000 era. Not look for cartoon, deceased or conceptiual charters. Just looking for peoples feeling on this .

Answer 1

Hitler, Einstein, Elvis, the beatles, Bogart, mother Thersa, Marilyn Monroe - fake name though, The first chimpanze that went outer space orbiting around earth, Bono will be the next person and already is, and Bin Laden, last but not least, Bin doin' dis bin doin' dat.....

Answer 2

Mohatamas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr,Adolph Hitler(love it or hate it),Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela. I apologize on the deceased but that's my feeling;

Answer 3

Ronald Reagan

Answer 4

Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine. This disease had plagued man for centuries. The vaccine has nearly erradicated polio, making it almost unheard of in countries that have made efforts to remove it. Today's country with the largest number of polio cases is Nigeria. There, muslim clerics had led a boycott against the vaccine.

Answer 5

Watson and Crick, the discoverers of DNA.
Einstein for relativity.
Claude Elwood Shannon, the father of the digital computer.
All positive. I'd say Shannon had the biggest impact.
DNA knowledge has yet to be exploited properly.

Edited - I never thought of Edison, but he worked in the 19th C mainly. But his influence....


Luke.

Answer 6

Carl Marx or Martin Luther King jr

Answer 7

Enrico Fermi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi
For the atomic bomb
then later Albert Einstein carried it further

Answer 8

Without question...Thomas Edison.

Answer 9

Yes, I heartily second the motion on Edison.

Answer 10

Robert stephenson