If you could meet someone in history, and bring them forward to show them their achievements?

Answer 1

What a great question!

This probably sounds strange, but I've often daydreamed about this myself - wouldn't it be cool to bring someone like Thomas Edison to 2006 and be his tour guide around the modern world, showing him all the things that have changed in the last 75 years?

I've thought a lot about who I would want to give this tour of the modern world. There are a lot of good choices, but I think I'd choose someone like Thomas Edison. He's far enough back in time that the modern world would really impress him, but not far enough back that his mind would just be blown away by all the changes. Some people answered this question with Leonardo DaVinci. I think he's so far back in time that he would just have a mental overload about all the changes. It would be too hard to even know where to start to explain every piece of technology, social structure, history since his time, etc.

I would choose Thomas Edison because you wouldn't need an enormous amount of time to bring him up to speed, he could really appreciate all the changes, he would understand the basic science and technology behind everything, and he would have a good perspective on how things have turned out since the beginning of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century (both good and bad).

Answer 2

That would certainly be Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Born in 1806, Brunel was an engineering genius, designing and building railways, bridges, ships.... He designed the wonderful Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol when he was only 23 years old - but didn't live to see it completed. I think that was so very sad.

Answer 3

Louis XVI of France. He was a good man but most at the time considered himself to be bad king. He probably went to the scaffold thinking he was a failure, but his conciliatory actions and refusal to use force against his people helped bring about liberty and prosperity in his own country, in Europe and in the US. I'd like him to know it all turned out OK and that he was not such a failure, after all. I'd like him to be able to hold his head up at those celestial family gatherings.

....no pun intended.

Answer 4

Thomas Edison - Very few of the achievements we have today would exist without his revolution of the communications industry (the phone) which allowed for people to spread the news about their endeavors and for others to learn from their mistakes and successes.

Answer 5

I would want to bring with me to this time right now, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln! The first two to show them what has become of the Country that they did help create and what it has done and where it has been. Then Abe Lincoln to show him what he never got to see. What did become of the Country that he did fight to keep United and what it has done since he did save it!!!

Answer 6

Winston Churchill. So he can see that Britain is the 51st state of the usa and is sabotaging the eu. He would be disapointed to see what the great british empire of 1940 has become.

Answer 7

Chief joseph of the nez perce,sitting bull of the sioux,and geronimo of the apache to show them that the white man DID keep coming and coming and that their resistance,while i understand it, was futile and if they had integrated in some way then their nations would have survived .

Answer 8

John Lennon, he was one of history's greatest minds, peace mover and a music legend. He has continued to sell music even after his death. There is a movie released yeaterday The US vs John Lennon, about the conspiracy against him. Is legacy definately lives on.

Answer 9

Leonardo DaVinci
he envisoned helicopters in the 15th century!, not to mention his insight into the natural laws of optics

Answer 10

Nicola Tesla.