# Who is the most universally agreed upon incredible person on the Planet Earth? Past or present. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601 "2012-12-20T04:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/1 "2012-12-20T04:03:16Z")
Inspired by the thread of the opposite theme, who do you think has made the greatest impact in making planet Earth a better place? Could be someone living or passed on. All categories are open, arts, music, philosophy, literature, etc. Let the nominations begin. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/2 "2012-12-20T04:15:42Z")
_I_ don’t agree with this answer, but I’d guess either Jesus or Buddha. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/3 "2012-12-20T04:21:37Z")
Mohandas Gandhi has to be up there. ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/4 "2012-12-20T04:35:28Z")
Einstein…unharnessed the power of the atom, clean electricity…and saved many lives (on our side, and possibly the other) by ending the war in less than a week. Althou, it seems inevitable that North Korea, Pakistan, or Iran will use e=mc squared, to anniliate millions…either in offensive & retaliatory attacks, or via a pre-emptive strike on their backyards. Add Russia and the USA into the mix, and its billions. There is a clock on the web, started in the 1950’s, which shows we are now at 10 minutes until our midnight hour…it averages statistics and current events. Maybe someone can can cite a link ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/5 "2012-12-20T04:51:27Z")
Most people say Da Vinci but I think it’s Michelangelo. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/6 "2012-12-20T09:09:58Z")
Nikola Tesla seems quite popular at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/7 "2012-12-20T09:12:16Z")
Mandela Newton Erasmus ---
**Author:** ![Cats\_pajamas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Cats\_pajamas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cats_pajamas)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/8 "2012-12-20T09:17:14Z")
Woody Allen, of course. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/9 "2012-12-20T09:17:41Z")
Me Someone had to say it.😃 ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/10 "2012-12-20T09:27:38Z")
I’m going with Ghandi and Mandela, the greatest advocates for peaceful change and tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/11 "2012-12-20T09:31:26Z")
Louis Pasteur Alexander Fleming Jonas Salk ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/12 "2012-12-20T09:53:05Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > There is a clock on the web, started in the 1950’s, which shows we are now at 10 minutes until our midnight hour…it averages statistics and current events. Maybe someone can can cite a link We`re currently at 5 minutes to midnight. See the [Doomsday Clock](http://www.thebulletin.org/content/doomsday-clock/overview) at the _Bulletin of Atomic Scientists_. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/13 "2012-12-20T10:29:26Z")
What is the question exactly? The most universally agreed upon or the one I think has made the best impact? If we go by “most universally agreed upon” then it would likely be that British boy band, the Beatles. The ones I think: Thales Of Miletos started the ball rolling on getting us away from superstition and to a physicalist understanding of reality. Norman Borlaug is said to have saved 1 000 000 000 people from starvation ([Green Revolution - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution)) And obviously, Al Gore, without whom we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/14 "2012-12-20T11:08:35Z")
Who invented the paper clip? That guy. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/15 "2012-12-20T11:10:31Z")
Hmm. I’d go with Jesus myself, but it’s not “universally” agreed upon. So count my vote for Norman Borlaug as well. Saving a _billion_ people from starvation? Are you _serious,_ bro?! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/16 "2012-12-20T14:21:00Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Thales Of Miletos started the ball rolling on getting us away from superstition and to a physicalist understanding of reality. > > Norman Borlaug is said to have saved 1 000 000 000 people from starvation ([Green Revolution - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution)) Good nominations, came in to suggest Norman Borlaug who I’d never heard of until he was mentioned on an episode of _QI_. He should have statues and monuments across the world, high schools named after him. Speaking of high schools, what about MLK or Abe Lincoln? I’ve never heard a word against them by anyone who isn’t a nutjob. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/17 "2012-12-20T15:46:31Z")
**Skald the Rhymer** obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/18 "2012-12-20T16:10:56Z")
Definitely Mr. Rogers. There’s not a soul in the world who hates that man. Well, except for Westboro Baptist Church, but none of them actually have a soul so they don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/19 "2012-12-20T16:14:57Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I’m going with Ghandi and Mandela, the greatest advocates for peaceful change and tolerance. One way of honouring him may be to spell his name correctly. Gandhi. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601/20 "2012-12-20T16:36:15Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > One way of honouring him may be to spell his name correctly. Gandhi. So shoot me for a typo [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-universally-agreed-upon-incredible-person-on-the-planet-earth-past-or-present/644601.md?page=2)