This was a difficult list to compile and you may not agree with the order or the inclusion of some of these people, but they had an undeniable influence on the 20th century in many diverse areas of life. Some are indisputably deserving of being on the list while others Crick and Watson who discovered the double helix of DNA have been ignored. You may also think that Presidents and Prime Ministers should have been included and one has been, but there are few who were icons in their time.
1. Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela born in 1918 has to be one of the most influential and charismatic figures of the 20th century. He was the son of a tribal chieftain who was extremely weel educated and who turned his considerable talents to righting the wrongs of the Apartheid system in South Africa. Imprisoned for his politics in 1962 after the Sharpeville massacre, he languished on the notorious Robbins’s Island prison until he was finally released in 1990. He went on to become South Africa’s first black President and instead of seeking revenge, preached reconciliation.
2. Moham Das Karam Chand Gandhi
Moham Das Karam Chand Gandhi better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in 1869, and until his assassination practised non-violent resistance to the British rule in the Indian subcontinent. He was a gentle, humble man who helped to shape the subcontinent as it is today. He was the inspiration for those who believed in peaceful protest.
3. Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967)
Ernesto Che Guevara was the antithesis of Gandhi, although he had trained as a doctor and had worked with lepers, he believed that armed struggle was the only way to right the wrongs the poor endured. He was a communist and fighter who joined in what he saw as the struggles of the poor against the wealthy oppressors in South America and Cuba. He was born in Argentina, is best remembered for his fight in Cuba with Fidel Castro and his wild hair and beret can still be seen on posters, mugs and other paraphernalia. He was executed in Bolivia.
4. Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania in 1910, and died in Calcutta in 1997. She is best known for her work in the slums of Calcutta. One of her mast famous sayings was “Yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” She won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1979 and was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church after her death. This was so that people in Calcutta where she had worked so tirelessly to improve the lives of the poor could worship her if they chose without incurring the wrath of the Church.
5. Princess Diana of Wales (1961- 1997)
Hers was a fairy tale marriage according to the media, although she was lady Diana Spencer, so not a commoner. Her marriage ended and she died tragically, but she won the hearts of many in Britain and around the world. She was the member of the British royal family who showed compassion for those suffering from HIV/AIDS and she worked to stop mines being used in areas of war. Her face still adorns mugs and other items and she lives on in the hearts of many.
Dame Freya Stark was the first Westerner to travel through some regions of the Middle East and was the first Western woman to do so. She was fluent in Arabic and Turkish and mastered many other languages and dialects. She liked to be thought of as the female Lawrence of Arabia, but did other work too. She worked as a nurse in Italy during the First World War and during the Second World War worked for the British Ministry of Information, founding the Brotherhood of Freedom in Cairo which was a democratic anti-fascist organization. She wrote many enjoyable, immensely readable books about her travels which are well-worth reading.
Like Freya Stark , Edith Durham as she was better known, spent time in the Balkans, where she won the respect of the fierce tribes peoples in High Albania. She wrote for “The Times” of London and worked to gather information in The Balkans, which was and is a highly sensitive area, and one of importance to the West. Her books are very readable, and although when she died she had lost the respect of some of her fellow-country people, the Albanians remembered her as she would have wished.
Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and sister of Cesare, with whom it is said she had an incestuous relationship. Cesare was the epitome of Machiavelli’s “The Prince” and Lucrezia went down in history as a ruthless poisoner, adulteress and schemer, who involved herself with the politics of Renaissance Italy. She became the Duchess of Ferrara on her marriage, which had been arranged by her brother to further the power and influence of the Borgia family. She is one of the women in history who played a very different role to other women of her time.
Amelia Earhart was an intrepid adventurer and aviator whose motto could have been “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” She was given her first flight by Frank Hawks in 1920 and went on to become only the 16th woman to be granted a pilots licence. Her plane was lost in 1937 and she was legally presumed dead in 1939. In December 2010 some bones were found on a pacific Island which may have been hers, and if they prove to be, the mystery surrounding her demise might be solved.
Mary Ann Evans used George Eliot as her pen name because she wanted people to read her books, and in the 19th century, women were not supposed to be good authors. Undeterred she went on to write some of the best books in English Literature, notably, “Middlemarch”, “The Mill on the Floss” and others. Critics have said that she did not portray male characters realistically, but given the mores of the time this is perhaps understandable and forgivable.
When it comes to the most expensive football coaches of the world, Felipe Scolari, the coach of Bunyodkar football club, tops the list. The club team of Uzbekistan reportedly pays their coach a lump sum amount of 16.6 millions Euros every year. Coach Scolari deserves special mention for training the World Champion Brazil in 2002.
The talented, controversial and obviously ambitious coach of Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho claims the second position in this list. He has signed a contract for eleven million Euro per year. The coach is known for his brilliant strategies that his team, FC Porto, represented during 2004 League games.
It is quite obvious that the most successful coaches deserve the best amount. And when it is about success, one cannot miss Fabio Capello. The coach trusts more the final score of the game than what the players did on the ground. He also charges eleven million Euro for one year.
When it is football clubs, Manchester United has to be there. Not only for their players but also for their coach Sir Alex Ferguson, who is paid a sum of seven million Euros a year. It is his excellent gaming strategies that put Manchester United become one of the top favorites worldwide.
Former coach of Inter Milan club, Robert Mancini is on the fifth position when it comes to most expensive football coaches. One of the most successful coaches and also one of the highly respected ones in the history of world football, Robert Mancini charges about six million Euros for one year.
Think about this one; it actually makes a lot of sense in a negotiating situation. And it was said by Che Guevara who has to be one of the iconic figures of the 20th century, whatever your politics.
Mahatma Gandhi spoke these words and they reflect his philosophy. He, like Che was a revolutionary, although the road he took to achieve his ends was very different in the end to that of Che.
This was said by the great Albert Einstein who was a genius, but whose imaginative leap gave us the theory of relativity which has been more or less proved now. Imagination is extremely important as without it we would have no art, music of fiction.
President John F. Kennedy. He demonstrated a good grasp of history which subsequent US Presidents (with the exception of Bill Clinton)did not seem to have. We certainly have to move with the times and look to the future and try to remedy mistakes of the past, not repeat them.
Dr King would no doubt be happy that at last a Black American is President if the united States, and while his dream has not totally come to fruition America has made great strides forward in the field of race relations since this speech was delivered in 1963.
He rules our hearts with his music. However, controversies followed him as much as his popular music did. He has been accused of child sexual abuse more than once, during his career. It was believed that he has bleached his skin to gain a fair complexion. His huge fan list of 18,497,798 fans on Facebook is still increasing. He died with no confirm reason revealed of his death.
Lady Gaga is more popular for her fashion style then her music. Her music is also outrageous and depicts bare daring acts from Lady Gaga. She does not keep bisexuality a secret from people. In fact, she is very famous in gay community. With 15,634,240 fans following on Facebook, Lady Gaga is one of the most popular celebrities on Facebook.
With his popularity in football game, Cristiano has been famous for his mysterious relationships and women. He is a father to a baby boy. However, the name of the mother is still not public yet. His relationships have been in news as much as his game is. However, he still rules his fans hearts with 10 million figure on Facebook!
Britney has been synonymous to controversies. She married a childhood friend, Jason Alexander in 2004 and divorced him within 55 hours. Later, she gave a statement that she just wanted to know what it feels like to be married. Britney was married to Kevin Federline in September, 2004. She gave birth to two children and filed for a divorce in 2006. On one occasion, she was seen driving with her eldest son on her lap, while she was holding the steering with one hand only. She was also sent to rehabilitation centre due to her drug abuse and behavior. Her fan list still remains one of the best, with 4,034,680 fans on Facebook.
Usher started his music career in 90’s. He has given us several popular singles. However, her relationships are the always surrounded with controversies. He filed for a divorce in 2009 from his wife, saying that they were living separately for almost a year, while their relative claimed that it was a lie. His former girlfriend, who broke up with him in 2003, claimed after that breakup that Usher cheated on her during their relationship. Usher’s huge fans list comprises of 2,698,924 fans. He is controversial, but he is also very popular for his music and innovation among his fans.
The talk show hostess who started her show in 1986, has the last season is due in 2011. The actor is also a producer and a philanthropist. She is known for her philanthropy which is not just limited to the show. She has her own magazine known as the O magazine. She has been considered as one of ‘The Most Important People of the Century,’ by Time.com. She tops the list with earnings of approximately $ 315 million last year.
The show Judge Judy is a rage with the audience. This American court show features the former family court judge Judith Sheindlin. The show started off in the year 1996 and has been extended till 2013, the seventeenth season of this show. Judge Judy is known for being blunt, truthful and outspoken judge in America. She sits second on the list with earnings of $45 million.
The host of the ‘The Late Show of David Letterman,’ David Letterman, started his career as a weatherman. He started with his show in 1992. He has won several Emmy’s and other awards. He has had interviewed several eminent guests in his tenure. He sits third on this list with annual earnings of $28 million.
Ryan Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is also the host of E! News and American Idol. He started his career as the host of Radical Outdoor Challenge in 1993. He started hosting the American Idol with Brian Dunkleman in 2002. Since season two of American idol in 2003, he has been the lone host for the show. He is also the executive producer of several shows including, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Denise Richards: It’s Complicated and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. He sits fourth on this list with annual earnings of almost $15 million.
She shot to limelight with the show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ along with her family. Now she also stars in another reality show called ‘Kourtney & Kim Take New York’ alongside her sister Kourtney. She also earns handsomely with her endorsements deals Skechers sneakers, Kotex tampons and skin care brands Quick Trim with her sisters. The 30 year old has earned $6 million in 2010 alone and she charges $75,000 for an appearance.
Folklore claims that he was the first explorer from Europe to reach America, but the truth really is that he was the first one to show 15th century Europe the opportunities awaiting them in the New World. He set out to look for China and India by sailing to the west and found much more than that.
He cannot be really termed as an explorer but he was the first man to set foot on the moon and he opened up new vistas for all of us to dream about. He was part of NASA’s space program, and even though he was part of a team, he was the commander of the Apollo 11 team.
He was the first English explorer to circumnavigate the world, and while he was doing this he discovered many islands in the Pacific and the Atlantic. He claimed these for his sovereign and he also prevented Spain from taking control of many of the seaways of the world.
Born into a family of Norwegian ship owners, Amundsen led an expedition to Antartica and to a search for the North West passage. He was the first person to reach the South Pole and to fly over the North Pole
A naturalist of immense renown, Charles Darwin spent five years charting out the South American coastline. His travels and investigations into geology and natural history were the sources of his world famous book “The Origin of the Species”.
Their’s was a sad breakup, after nearly 14 years of marriage. According to popular sources, their marriage ‘wasn’t working out’. They had supported each other through important events in each other’s life. Both Hollywood actors, they have 2 children together.
King is a Talk show host, while Southwick is an actress. They have 2 children together. In his divorce filing, the TV host is seeking shared custody of their two sons. Rumours surfaced that the reason for the couple`s split was an alleged affair between King and his wife`s sister.
Considered among Hollywood’s happiest couples, Jim Carrey and Jenny’s breakup came as a surprise to most people. In their 5 years together they shared a special bond, with each other and their respective children.
The on-again, off-again pair, Ryan Phillippe and Abbey Cornish — who were seeing each other when Phillippe split from Reese Witherspoon, 31, last October still have a ton of chemistry. Cornish, 25, has been bonding with Phillippe’s kids. The actress, Abbey Cornish, was spotted removing her belongings from the house she shared with actor Phillippe. The split follows months of paparazzi speculation that Phillippe had been regularly hitting the nightclubs and being linked to other women.
Vincent is playing the lead role of `Phineas` on Disney`s new hit animated series, ‘Phineas and Ferb’, and is now Emmy nominated. He is shooting the fourth season of ‘Everybody Hates Chris’.
A child star, now a troubled starlet, Lindsay Lohan was arrested in May 2007 and again in July 2007 for driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of cocaine. The Beverly Hills police issued a warrant for her arrest in March 2010 for breach of terms in her probation, however, she did not turn up for hearing in May 2010 and on July 6th the Judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail starting from July 20th. To add to this trouble Lohan, is having major differences with her lawyer Shawn Chapman, she may resign her services to Lindsay.
The charming 24 year-old Chace Crawford, widely known as Nate Archibald in ‘Gossip Girl’ series was caught with 2 ounces of marijuana in his hometown of Plano, Texas on June 3. Apparently he was rolling a joint in clear view of everyone. He is currently out on bail and if convicted he faces a six month jail term.
Renowned spiritual and religious guru Swami Nithyananda leader of Dhyanapeetam (Knowledge Centre) who has followers across the globe, shocked his devotees with a video of himself engaging in sexual acts with a Tamil actress. His arrest in April 2010, Himachal Pradesh, India created a troubled wave among his followers. In June, the court granted him conditional bail and is required to stay in the country until further notice.
Pete Doherty, UK band ‘Babyshambles’ frontman and former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss was among the three people taken in for questioning in March 2010 for supplying drugs that caused the death of 27 year old film-maker Robin Whitehead, in her flat in east London. He was out on bail until his hearing on April 2010. He was arrested again in June for possession of Heroin and released on bail for ₤50,000. His hearing is scheduled for August.
Gary Coleman, the famous child actor Arnold Jackson of ‘Different Strokes’ was arrested by the Utah Police for domestic violence – a misdemeanor, the identity of the victim was not released. He was released on a bail of $ 1,725 in January 2010.
