# The One Hundred Most Influential People In History Elimination Game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 6, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103 "2010-04-06T02:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/1 "2010-04-06T02:12:34Z")
Based on Hart’s list. You get one vote and the top vote-getter gets eliminated. 1. Mohammed-Founder of Islam 2. Isaac Newton-British Scientist, Theory of Universal Gravitation and Motion 3. Jesus Christ-Son of God, Saviour of Mankind, Founder of Christianity 4. Buddha-Founder of Buddhism 5. Confucius-Chinese Philosopher, Founder of Confucianism 6. St. Paul-Christian Missionary and Apostle 7. Ts’ai Lun-Scientist, Inventor of Paper 8. Johann Gutenberg-Scientist, Inventor of Printing Press 9. Christopher Columbus-Explorer, Discoverer of America 10. Albert Einstein-Scientist, Physicist, Theory of Relativity 11. Louis Pasteur-Scientist, Pasteurization 12. Galileo Galilei-Scientist, Advocated Heliocentricity 13. Aristotle-Greek Philosopher 14. Euclid-Greek Mathematician 15. Moses-Jewish Prophet 16. Charles Darwin-British Scientist, Theory of Evolution 17. Shi Huang Di-Chinese Emperor, United China 18. Augustus Caesar-Roman Princep, Founded Roman Empire 19. Nicolas Copernicus-Scientist, Theory of Heliocentricity 20. Antonine Laurent Lavoisier-French Scientist, Advanced Chemistry 21. Constantine the Great-Roman Emperor, Tolerated and Promoted Christianity in Rome 22. James Watt-British Scientist, Invented Steam Engine 23. Michael Faraday-British Scientist, Discovered Magneto-Electricity 24. James Clerk Marxwell-Scientist, Electromagnetic Spectrum 25. Martin Luther-Theologian, Started Protestantism and Reformation 26. George Washington-American Statesman and General, Fought For Independence of United States 27. Karl Marx-Economist, Founder of Communism 28. Orville and Wilbur Wright-Scientists, Inventor of Airplane 29. Genghis Khan-Mongol Ruler, Founded Mongol Empire 30. Adam Smith-Economist, Advocated Capitalism 31. William Shakespeare-English Playwright 32. John Dalton-Scientist, Atomic Theory 33. Alexander the Great, Macedonian Ruler, Formed Macedonian Empire 34. Napoleon Bonaparte-French Emperor, Waged Napoleonic Wars 35. Thomas Edison-American Scientist, 1,000+ inventions 36. Antony van Leeuwenhoek-Scientist, Inventor of Microscope 37. William TG Morton-Scientist, Invented Anaesthesia 38. Gugilemo Marconi-Scientist, Invented Radio 39. Adolf Hitler-German Dictator, Started World War II 40. Plato-Greek Philosopher, Developed Platonism 41. Oliver Cromwell-British Ruler 42. Alexander Graham Bell-Scientist, Invented Telephone 43. Alexander Fleming-Scientist, Invented Penicillin 44. John Locke-British Philosopher, Developed Democratic Ideas 45. Ludwig von Beethoven-Composer 46. Werner Heisenberg-Scientist, Developed Quantum Physics 47. Louis Dagurre-Scientist, Invented Photography 48. Simon Bolivar-Latin American General and Statesman, Waged Wars of Independence 49. Rene Descrates-French Philosopher 50. Michelangelo-Artist, Sculptor 51. Pope Urban II-Pope of Roman Catholic Church, Called For Crusades 52. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab-Muslim Caliph, Expanded the Caliphate 53. Asoka-Indian Emperor, Spread Buddhism 54. St. Augustine-Christian Theologian 55. William Harvey-Scientist, Developed Theories of Blood Circulation 56. Ernest Rutherford-Scientist, Developed Subatomic Physics 57. John Calvin-Christian Theologian, Developed Calvinism 58. Gregor Mendel-Priest and Scientist, Advanced Genetics 59. Max Planck-Scientist, Developed Therodynamics 60. Joseph Lister-Scientist, Developed Antiseptic Methods 61. Nikolaus August Otto-Scientist, Developed Internal Combustion Engine 62. Francisco Pizarro-Spanish Adventurer, Conquered Inca Empire 63. Hernando Cortes-Spanish Adventurer, Conquered Aztec Empire 64. Thomas Jefferson-American Statesman, Wrote Declaration of Independence, Louisiana Purchase 65. Queen Isabella I-Queen of Spain, Sponsored Columbus’ Expeditions 66. Josef Stalin-Dictator of USSR, Expanded Communism 67. Julius Caesar-Roman General, Ended Roman Civil Wars 68. William the Conquerer-Norman Duke and English King, Led In Norman Conquest of England 69. Sigmund Freud-Psychologist, Developed Freudian Psychology 70. Edward Jenner-Scientist, Developed Vaccination for Smallpox 71. William Conrad Roentgen-Scientist, Invented X-Ray 72. Johann Sebastian Bach-Composer 73. Lao Tzu-Chinese Philosopher, Founded Taoism 74. Voltaire-French Philosopher 75. Johannes Kepler-Scientist, Developed Theories of Planetary Motion 76. Enrico Fermi-Scientist, Developed Atomic Bomb 77. Leonhard Euler-Mathematician 78. Jean-Jacques Rosseau-French Philosopher and Writer 79. Nicoli Machiavelli-Political Theorist 80. Thomas Malthus-Economist, Developed Malthusian Theory 81. John F. Kennedy-American President, Originated Manned Mission to Moon 82. Gregory Pincus-Scientist, Invented Birth-Control Pill 83. Mani-Founder of Manichaeism 84. Lenin-Russian Leader, Founded Communism in Russia 85. Sui Wen Ti-Chinese Emperor, Reunited China 86. Vasco de Gama-Explorer, Discovered Cape of Good Hope 87. Cyrus the Great-Persian Emperor, Founded Persian Emperor 88. Peter the Great-Russian Emperor, Modernized Russia 89. Mao Zedong-Chinese Dictator, Established Communism in China 90. Francis Bacon-Philosopher, Developed Scientific Method 91. Henry Ford-American Industrialist, Developed Mass-Production Techniques 92. Mencius-Chinese Philosopher, Expanded Confucianism 93. Zoraster-Founder of Zorasterianism 94. Queen Elizabeth I-Queen of England, Made England a Naval Power 95. Mikhail Gorbachev-Soviet Leader, Liberalized and Helped Break Up USSR 96. Menes-Egyptian Pharaoh, United Egypt 97. Charlemagne-Frankish Monarch, Founder of Holy Roman Empire 98. Homer-Greek Poet, Writer of Epics 99. Justinian I-Byzantine Emperor, Recovered Much of Roman Empire 100. Mahavira-Founder of Jainism I vote Karl Marx. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/2 "2010-04-06T02:21:15Z")
Good Lord. **Christopher Columbus** for sure. He didn’t set out to do what he did, would have died if he didn’t stumble upon land, and died not knowing what he accidentally had done. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/3 "2010-04-06T02:35:07Z")
People will be eliminated every Thursdays and Sundays and I would like to give the position of interim judge for this Thursday (as I won’t be available than). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/4 "2010-04-06T02:35:24Z")
I understand the reasoning for Marx: He certainly had a strong influence on the 20th century, but his influence is already fading, little more than a century later. Surely, though, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao had even less influence than he did? Or if we’re making moral judgments rather than going by pure amount of influence, his intentions certainly seemed to be better than theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/5 "2010-04-06T02:37:56Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > People will be eliminated every Thursdays and Sundays and I would like to give the position of interim judge for this Thursday (as I won’t be available than). At that rate this will done in just under a year. I’d also suggest not listing them in order of importance if you want unbiased answers. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/6 "2010-04-06T02:40:20Z")
I’ll go with Gutenberg. The printing press is the greatest weapon against ignorance that there has ever been. There’s a reason that religious and political leaders forbid books. “The top vote-getter gets eliminated.” May I assume there’s a typo in there somewhere? If I’m actually supposed to vote for the least influential of those hundred, I guess I’ll choose Bolivar, but if that’s the case, your selection of Marx makes no sense at all. Can you explain the ground-rules, please? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/7 "2010-04-06T02:43:52Z")
You are supposed to pick the person who had the most negative or if that’s not the case the least positive amount of influence on History. Therefore I picked Marx as his ideas directly influenced two of the three of the mass murderers of the XXth Century (Mao and Stalin) and indirectly influenced the third (Hitler) as Hitler came to power partially due to fear of communism. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/8 "2010-04-06T02:47:18Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > You are supposed to pick the person who had the most negative or if that’s not the case the least positive amount of influence on History. That seems like a much less interesting exercise. Oh well. Vote Jesus ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/9 "2010-04-06T02:48:38Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > You are supposed to pick the person who had the most negative or if that’s not the case the least positive amount of influence on History. > > Therefore I picked Marx as his ideas directly influenced two of the three of the mass murderers of the XXth Century (Mao and Stalin) and indirectly influenced the third (Hitler) as Hitler came to power partially due to fear of communism. OK, I get it. Then, as your thread title mislead me, I’ll change my vote to Jesus of Nazareth. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/10 "2010-04-06T02:52:25Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > That seems like a much less interesting exercise. Oh well. That was the precedent with the last two elimination games (Buchanan and Malcolm X knocked off first respectively). > [@](#): > > Vote Jesus I’m guessing you’re being sarcastic? ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/11 "2010-04-06T02:57:12Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > That was the precedent with the last two elimination games (Buchanan and Malcolm X knocked off first respectively). > > I’m guessing you’re being sarcastic? Why would you think that? Certainly more people have been killed in the name of Jesus than anyone else. Though I suppose you could make the case that if wasn’t Jesus it would have been someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/12 "2010-04-06T03:04:05Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > Why would you think that? Certainly more people have been killed in the name of Jesus than anyone else. Christianity helped established a morality of universal love, and promoted human equality which are the foundations of Western civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/13 "2010-04-06T03:04:57Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > I’m guessing you’re being sarcastic? :dubious: He’s got some 1800 years of spawning mass murderers and destruction of knowledge over Marx. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/14 "2010-04-06T03:09:51Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Christianity helped established a morality of universal love, and promoted human equality which are the foundations of Western civilization. Nonsense, simple nonsense. Even if Christianity were as you describe it, the foundations of Western Civilization are Greek and Roman. At least as best as we could muddle through given the destruction by Christians of pagan knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/15 "2010-04-06T03:11:57Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Nonsense, simple nonsense. Even if Christianity were as you describe it, the foundations of Western Civilization are Greek and Roman. At least as best as we could muddle through given the destruction by Christians of pagan knowledge. While some Christians did participate in destruction of knowledge, other Christians in monasteries helped preserve classical literature during the fall of the Roman Empire. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/16 "2010-04-06T03:22:07Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > While some Christians did participate in destruction of knowledge, other Christians in monasteries helped preserve classical literature during the fall of the Roman Empire. Fuck, **Curtis** , don’t you know anything? I’m not talking about classical literature, I’m talking about classical science! Science, as in what Christians fight the teaching of in schools even today! Forget it, if you’re going to turn this thread into a debate on your particular hobbyhorse, I can’t be bothered. Go to Great Debates and talk with the people who enjoy arguing about religion and its effects. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/17 "2010-04-06T03:22:35Z")
Vote Jesus. I would have voted Mohammed- I think an equal number of people have been slaughtered in each of these prophets’ names, but the crusades tipped things in favor of the big J H. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/18 "2010-04-06T03:40:30Z")
Jesus Christ. That’s my vote, not me swearing. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/19 "2010-04-06T03:42:04Z")
I have a feeling Curtis isn’t going to keep up with his judging if Jesus is the first one knocked out. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103/20 "2010-04-06T03:44:59Z")
Vote Jesus. #3 Seeds never do well in these things. Amused though that Freud is #69 though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-one-hundred-most-influential-people-in-history-elimination-game/535103.md?page=2)