1-Augustus Caesar
Though one only knows of Augustus Caesar through history books, they fail to appreciate the immense contribution he has had to our present political system. He furthered the concept of a democratic republic government, which was perpetuated by his great uncle Julius Caesar. He focused on building and improving upon internal infrastructure such as roads and agriculture, thereby laying the foundation of government for us to follow through.
2- Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela’s fight for racial equality has changed the face of the world culture in entirety. His dream of being treated at par with the White population was rudely crushed and he was imprisoned for his impunity. Years later, he emerged to become the first Black President of South Africa and now stands as an example for all.
3-Galileo Galilei
Every modern scientist owes it to this great man for his immense contribution to science. At a time when religion was the answer to every curious question asked, Galileo perpetuated his theories in astronomy and metallurgical sciences, only to be called a heretic by the Church and placed under house-arrest. Even under great opposition, his ideas have managed to come through and have revolutionized the face of modern science.
4-Nikola Tesla
Modern science will forever be indebted to the immense contributions of Nikola Tesla. Although overshadowed by bigwigs like Edison and Bell, Nikola Tesla was among the first inventors to build and pioneer the AC current, Induction motor, the famous Tesla Coil, early forms of wireless technology, radio astronomy, radar technology and primitive robotics.
5-George Orwell
One of the most seminal writers during a very exciting period in English Literature, modern linguists owe their political perceptions to the totalitarian works of George Orwell. Though his books ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’ are treated as high-school syllabi, his modernist work presents a far-sighted look into the future of contemporary society.
6-Alfred Hitchcock
Modern films owe their psychological outreach to the devious genius of Alfred Hitchcock, the father of suspense. Every Hitchcockian movie is a subversion of the said rules and conventions of film making.
7-Michael Jackson
The King of Pop pioneered a lifestyle, if not just music. His very entry into the industry revolutionized dance, music and entertainment once and for all. His songs spoke of hope, empowerment and justice and no matter how modernized music becomes, his contributions will never grow old.
8-Sir Tim Berners-Lee
One of the unsung heroes of the Tech world, the world owes Tim Berners-Lee for siring the very concept of the Internet on which every modern technology depends on. As a scientist at CERN, he came up with the idea of sharing information across the world through hypertext documents. He came up with the first web page, browser and editor, all during his term at CERN.
9-Dennis Ritchie
Do you feel indebted to Steve Jobs or Bill Gates for your computing experience? If it were not for Dennis Ritchie, you wouldn’t have a computer in the first place. He is the unsung and unnoticed hero, responsible for creating the C Programming language and the UNIX operating system. He has laid the foundation for every system and application on which Windows and Apple now very proudly runs.
10-Pythagoras
The founding father of Mathematics, Pythagoras created the seminal Pythagorean Theorem and the Golden ratio. His contribution to modern astronomy is unparalleled. He put forth the theory that planets rotate in their own axis, revolving around the sun.
These personalities are the reason why the modern man gets to enjoy every amenity with ease. Had it not been for them, we’d still be among the primitive races.