The most significant person of the twentieth century?

Question

In your mind, is there one person, that did one single thing, that affected mankind the most during the twentieth century? Who do you think that person was and what did she or he do?

All good answers so far but- Einstein and his work were significant, but the bomb would never have been developed had another string of events not taken place. This also goes for Hitler's rise to power. There is another far more significant event in the twentieth century, which was carried out by one person triggering a chain of events that had by the year 2000 touched virtually ever person on the planet in one way or another.

Churchill is good but wouldn't have been much without Hitler.

Answer 1

Albert Einstein and his gang of scientist at Los Alamos in New Mexico. The invention of nuclear reactions by far is the most earthshattering invention in humankind. Although he doesn't deserve all the credit, Einstein is always given the most credit for devising the bomb.

Answer 2

I think Princip merely set the fuse to what was already a time bomb. People accross europe were so enthousiiastic about the "great war" when it broke out, they cheerily marched to the front. Also, atlhough ww2 cannot be understood without knowing about ww1, histoey i not a single track from cause to effect. Without the ignorant pride of clemenceau, the post ww1 world would have looked a lot different too. Becasue of the dominant role of science in the 20th century, the most significant person of the century in my view has to be a scientist, and the scientist who influenced politics the most through his actions was Robbert Oppenheimer, so that would be my vote. the invention made by his team determined the coming world order, with its proxy wars, minuteman missiles and diametrical political ideologies. On a side note, Robbert Oppenheimer did strive for nuclear disarmament straight after the war, and he vigorously opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb.

Answer 3

Albert Einstein. His E = mc^2 made the world a very dangerous place.

After the development of the atom bomb, Einstein regretted it very much by saying "If I only knew, I would rather been a watchmaker"

Answer 4

Winston Churchill.
Churchill was a statesman, orator, author, historian and Prime Minister who rallied the British people in the Second World War and took them from the edge of defeat to victory.

Churchill’s leadership during the war is legendary. He became Prime minister when the Cabinet were on the verge of seeking terms with Hitler and Germany. But Churchill would not contemplate defeat or even a honourable truce. His saying was ‘We will never give in’. Churchill is credited with conducting the war single-handedly. He made himself Minister for War as well as being Prime Minister and delegated the running of home affairs to junior ministers. Churchill sat at his desk in the Cabinet Office, dictating memos and orders and giving instructions but letting others get on with it. Churchill’s true talent was leadership, not performance. Churchill had a bed in his office suite and habitually slept in the afternoon. He had by a side, in his office, a mixture of brandy and water, which was continually refreshed. Critics say that this put him in a continuously drunken state.

Churchill was a historian. He wrote The History of The English Speaking Peoples, an account not just of English history but also of the British Empire and United States. This work was designed to demonstrate that the British people and their colonies are a unique culture distinct from European civilisations.

Churchill was an author. His book My Early Life, although outwardly an autobiography, is in fact novel with the young Churchill as one of the characters. In the book, Churchill sits the entrance examination for Harrow but on taking the Latin paper, carefully wrote the title, his name and the question number 1. After further thought, he adds brackets to the number but cannot think of anything to write and his paper is smudged by an inkblot. Churchill’s comments on the wisdom of the headmaster in accepting him despite this is an ironic comment not on the inability of his younger self but on the educational system of the time.

Churchill was known for his eloquence and his ready wit. On being accused of being a turncoat for changing parties twice, Churchill reposted ‘anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat.’ When an official criticised other writers for ending sentences with propositions, Churchill added a note ‘This is the sort of English, up with which I will not put’. On one occasion a lady heckler shouted ‘Sir, you are drunk’. Churchill replied ‘And you, madam are ugly, but I shall be sober, tomorrow!’

Answer 5

Hitler in starting WWII change the face of Europe weakling it leaving Russia and US to face off in the cold war. In creating the Holocaust he so shocked the world that the racism and antisemitism remarks became unacceptable in public, which change the culture in the US and Europe.

Answer 6

One of the most significant people that has ever lived was Mother Teresa. She could have lived a really great life, but she chose to live her life helping others. We should all take a lesson from this saint.

Answer 7

Bill Gates comes to mind and his development of Microsoft and its products for the betterment of communication in speed and accuracy and the development of the world wide web and the Internet

Answer 8

Carrot Top, no doubt. Shocked you even asked the question.