# Who is the first person in recorded history that practicaly everyone has heard of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381 "2018-12-01T05:43:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/41 "2018-12-03T01:17:02Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > My first thought was Hammurabi. Mine, too, with the proviso that I don’t know how many people know the name at all, much less associate it with a person. > [@](#): > > excluding those of questionable historicity: > > King Scorpion (Egypt), ca. 3150 BC (?) Wait, WHAT? off to Wikipedia ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/42 "2018-12-03T01:38:45Z")
There might still be a few people left in the world who have never heard of Jesus, but if there are, then those people have likewise never heard of anyone else from outside of their very small and insular region. So for any value of “known to practically everyone” that allows for any answer at all, we can put a hard ending limit of ~0 CE. I think it’s probably safe to say that Confucius is also known to “practically everyone”, because even in the West, it’s memetic that “Confucius say…” some nugget of wisdom (or “wisdom”). Pythagoras might be a contender. I’m sure that, in any place with formal education, schoolchildren learn his eponymous theorem, but I don’t know whether it’s referred to as the “Pythagorean Theorem” in various Asian countries. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/43 "2018-12-03T02:57:36Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Interesting point about Pele. Given the popularity of soccer around the world (excluding the US of course), I’d venture to say a world class soccer star is more likely known than any political or historical figure today. I suppose that depends upon how you interpret the OP. While technically historical, in that written records are present, I tend not to consider people who are still living as historical figures. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/44 "2018-12-05T01:18:22Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > My first thought was Hammurabi. First, I think we can disqualify the characters from Genesis and Exodus as not proven to be historical personages. To judge from recent Google ngram results from English-language books (a biased sample, I know), Hammurabi is slightly more written about than Khufu / Cheops combined or Sargon, significantly more than Tutankhamen / King Tut combined, and much more than Scorpion King / King Scorpion combined. > > Chronological list of people mentioned above, excluding those of questionable historicity: > > King Scorpion (Egypt), ca. 3150 BC (?) > Sargon of Akkad b. ca. 2360 BC (?) > Khufu / Cheops b. ca. 2598 BC > Hammurabi b. ca. 1810 BC (?) > Tutankhamen b. 1321 BC > Gautama Buddha b. 563 BC (?) > Confucius / Kǒngzǐ b. 551 BC > Socrates b. ca. 470 BC > Alexander the Great b. 356 BC > Julius Caesar b. 100 BC > Jesus b. ca. 4 BC > Muhammad b. ca. AD 570 “The Scorpion King (Hollywood)” is well known to people who watch Hollywood movies. But my understanding is that it’s a hypothetical name for the predecessor of the documented person Narmer. We know that there were predecessors: we have a hypothesis that one or more of them might have been indicated by a scorpion symbol. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/45 "2018-12-05T03:13:36Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > My grandies have never heard of those you cited. They are aged 6 and 9. Perhaps you might want to redefine your parameters?? > > 😉 I think we have to presuppose some knowledge of ancient and world history. Then I would be tempted to say Menes/Narmer, the first Pharaoh of united Egypt, though I’m not sure that historians agree he was a single person, or if so, which one he was. The first non-royal person I can think of is Imhotep, vizier and architect to Djoser, the early Pharaoh who built the first pyramid, living in the late 2700s BCE. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/46 "2018-12-05T04:35:07Z")
I was doing some research myself. Right now I guess I would vote for Cheops - 27th century BC. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/47 "2018-12-05T04:43:18Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > The first non-royal person I can think of is Imhotep, vizier and architect to Djoser, the early Pharaoh who built the first pyramid, living in the late 2700s BCE. Even knowing who Imhotep was historically, in my imagination he still looks like Arnold Vosloo. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/48 "2018-12-05T04:46:12Z")
I’d also guess Cheops. But if he’s not known enough, Buddha and Confucius are strong contenders. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/49 "2018-12-05T08:39:07Z")
_Raises hand_ Menes/Narmer? Sorry, don’t know the name. Imothotep, heard the name, but not sure what he’s famous for. Cheops, as in Great Pyramid of… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/50 "2018-12-05T09:57:53Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Minus out the a large number of Hindus and Muslims in rural India. What makes you think Muslims wouldn’t have[heard of Jesus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam)? He’s their number 2 prophet, and the most mentioned person in the Quran. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/51 "2018-12-05T11:18:56Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What makes you think Muslims wouldn’t have[heard of Jesus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam)? He’s their number 2 prophet, and the most mentioned person in the Quran. Ahhh…thank you for that! I completely forgot they acknowledge Jesus as a prophet, but the the Messiah! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/52 "2018-12-05T13:40:55Z")
Regarding a person who, in his own time, was known to practically everyone, it’s certainly a modern figure. From sports, I’d suggest Muhammed Ali or Pele. From politics, regrettably, I’d go with Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/53 "2018-12-06T13:58:45Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > My money would be on the Scorpion King, if only because the Rock was in that movie. So that would be, what? 3100 BC? Although I would guess 0% of that movie’s audience knew he was based on a real person. The character in the movie and the Egyptian king may have shared the word “Scorpion” in their appellation but the movie character wasn’t “based” on the real person, largely because nothing is known about the character of that person. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/54 "2018-12-06T14:09:55Z")
If not Confucius then probably Elvis. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/55 "2018-12-06T14:23:28Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Then I would be tempted to say Menes/Narmer, the first Pharaoh of united Egypt, though I’m not sure that historians agree he was a single person, or if so, which one he was. I hadn’t heard of them until this thread. I did know about the High Kingdom and the Low Kingdom, and the unification, but I hadn’t heard a specific ruler’s name linked to “that far back”. And while I know the name Keops, the knowledge that it refers to a person and not a place is pretty much buried in the depths of my mind. I’ve known people whose reaction to hearing that someone else had visited “the Great Pyramid of Keops” was a confused “oh, I thought you’d gone to Egypt?”; they knew the name “Great Pyramid” but had lost the tail. So while it’s a widely(sh) known name, the question to me would be how many people realize it’s a person’s name. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/56 "2018-12-06T14:45:18Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > My money would be on the Scorpion King, if only because the Rock was in that movie. So that would be, what? 3100 BC? Although I would guess 0% of that movie’s audience knew he was based on a real person. Who is The Rock based off of?😃 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/57 "2018-12-06T16:12:24Z")
I’ve never heard of the Scorpion King, and suspect that other people who have seen some movie I’ve never heard of, not a lot of other people have heard of him, either. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381/58 "2018-12-06T16:15:03Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > How much further back can we go? Adam? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-first-person-in-recorded-history-that-practicaly-everyone-has-heard-of/825381.md?page=2)