60 replies to this topic

[General Kirkov]

I think Francesco Petrach was the most important person of the 14th Century and also the last millenia, he brought on the advent of humanism and also led Italy then Europe into the Renaissance. He also coined the terms Medieval times and the dark ages.

Who do you think was the most important character of the second millenia?

Edited by General Kirkov, 03 November 2007 - 15:15.

[Mig Eater]

Gavrilo Princip’s random act of shooting a guy lead to two world wars, how’s that for influence! (all be it coincidental tho)

[General]

Charles Darwin , even though I do not share exact theory with him , his theory changed a lot of things.

[Sgt. Nuker]

Apparently, according to A&E, the most influential person was Johannes Gutenberg. Because of him, we have the printed word, which has lead to revolution after revolution (be it civil unrest or industrial).


Regards,

Nuker

[Whitey]

Me. Because without me, I would have no opinion on the subject.

[Alias]

Leonardo da Vinci without a doubt.

[CoLT]

In recent times (1900s)

I'd have to say Adolf Hitler. Now, hear me out on this one. I understand that his actions led to the, often brutal, killings of more than 6 million (I think).
The fact that he was able to have total control of an entire nation was boggling. Of course it's easy to be a dictator and just shoot those who opposed but Hitler actual had people who followed him and believed in him.
His effect on people was just unbelievable. Scaring people into submission is one thing, winning their hearts and minds is something else. He managed that.

His actions also led to the Geneva Convention which outlined the ethical treatment of POWs.

[Strategia]

Whoever decided to see what happened when you plant a seed into the ground.

[Dauth]

Hitler was one of the best orators of the last 1000 years, without a shadow of a doubt.

Martin Luther (not King), he was a powerful force in fracturing the tight hold on people that the Catholic Church had, without him a lot of our freedoms would be missing.

[Cryptkeeper]

bob the farmer who feed millions of people each day with his farms he owns in ohio and continues to feed

[narboza22]

Major Nuker, on 12 Nov 2007, 15:59, said:

Apparently, according to A&E, the most influential person was Johannes Gutenberg. Because of him, we have the printed word, which has lead to revolution after revolution (be it civil unrest or industrial).


Regards,

Nuker

Gutenberg by far. Modern society could not exist without the printed word.

[Chyros]

Quote

Whoever decided to see what happened when you plant a seed into the ground.

Agriculture was invented before "the last milennia", IIRC . And if I had to name anyone ever, I'd even disagree; I'd say whoever invented fire (that is of course multiple people). Without it, our species gets cold, cannot cook (disinfect) or preserve food, fertilize ground with ashes for agricultural use or keep predators at bay while we sleep.

narboza22, on 13 Nov 2007, 21:13, said:

Gutenberg by far. Modern society could not exist without the printed word.

The printed word was invented multiple times. I don't know if such an invention merits calling that single person that important. The chinese invented it before europeans did, for example. If Gutenberg hadn't existed, the written word would have reached the rest of the world eventually. Another inventor of critical importance would be Oppenheimer (inventor of the A-bomb; governments [have to] behave much more responsibly knowing just what they can cause, and just consider what else his invention put into motion).

I'd say it should be a person who had, did or thought of something that no-one else had, did or thought of. For that, I'd have to agree on Hitler. Naturally, the suffering he caused was unimaginable, but in the end his actions changed the entire world's stance on war, cruelty and the equality of humans, among other things. Because of stark terrors like WWII, we can see the importance of peace all the more (well not exactly everybody it seems, but I'll refrain from getting into politics).

Edited by Chyros, 13 November 2007 - 21:51.

[CoLT]

Also, without him going to war in 1939, many of today's innovations would not have come about.

E.g. Jet Engines and rockets, Assault rifles, etc.

[Hobbesy]

narboza22, on 13 Nov 2007, 14:13, said:

Major Nuker, on 12 Nov 2007, 15:59, said:

Apparently, according to A&E, the most influential person was Johannes Gutenberg. Because of him, we have the printed word, which has lead to revolution after revolution (be it civil unrest or industrial).


Regards,

Nuker

Gutenberg by far. Modern society could not exist without the printed word.

Ditto.

[Mighty BOB!]

Høbbes 1098, on 14 Nov 2007, 13:32, said:

narboza22, on 13 Nov 2007, 14:13, said:

Major Nuker, on 12 Nov 2007, 15:59, said:

Apparently, according to A&E, the most influential person was Johannes Gutenberg. Because of him, we have the printed word, which has lead to revolution after revolution (be it civil unrest or industrial).


Regards,

Nuker

Gutenberg by far. Modern society could not exist without the printed word.

Ditto.

I have no significant new input for this topic.

[Strategia]

Chyros, on 13 Nov 2007, 22:49, said:

Quote

Whoever decided to see what happened when you plant a seed into the ground.

Agriculture was invented before "the last milennia", IIRC . And if I had to name anyone ever, I'd even disagree; I'd say whoever invented fire (that is of course multiple people). Without it, our species gets cold, cannot cook (disinfect) or preserve food, fertilize ground with ashes for agricultural use or keep predators at bay while we sleep.

Millennia is the plural form of millennium, and hence "last millennia" could mean anything.

And yes, I do agree about fire though, but even if someone didn't get the idea of bashing two rocks together over a pile of dried plant matter fire would probably be used anyway, since fires happen naturally, and natural fires can be used to light torches which burn for a long time, allowing them to light other torches etc. It wouldn't be very efficient, but in the end you'd have so many sources of fire that you wouldn't even need to know how to create fire. Agriculture, on the other hand, is less obvious and self-evident. Therefore, I stand by my choice.

[Chyros]

Quote

I have no significant new input for this topic.

lol

Strategia, on 14 Nov 2007, 23:08, said:

Millennia is the plural form of millennium, and hence "last millennia" could mean anything.

Yes, naturally, but agriculture was invented about ten thousand years ago. Of course, it's just how you look at it, but it's a really long time ago, man .

Strategia, on 14 Nov 2007, 23:08, said:

And yes, I do agree about fire though, but even if someone didn't get the idea of bashing two rocks together over a pile of dried plant matter fire would probably be used anyway, since fires happen naturally, and natural fires can be used to light torches which burn for a long time, allowing them to light other torches etc. It wouldn't be very efficient, but in the end you'd have so many sources of fire that you wouldn't even need to know how to create fire. Agriculture, on the other hand, is less obvious and self-evident. Therefore, I stand by my choice.

Good point, but fire isn't that common in the wild, and edible plants were in those days. Agriculture is definately in my top three, but fire would top it if oldies were allowed.

[Areze]

Chyros, on 14 Nov 2007, 17:50, said:

Quote

I have no significant new input for this topic.

lol

Strategia, on 14 Nov 2007, 23:08, said:

Millennia is the plural form of millennium, and hence "last millennia" could mean anything.

Yes, naturally, but agriculture was invented about ten thousand years ago. Of course, it's just how you look at it, but it's a really long time ago, man .

Try a little closer to 20,000/30,000 years ago. IIRC that's when we started taking advantage of fertile land and not relying on the herds.


Also the most influential person could be a number of people.

-Genghis Khan: The first great dictator/military leader/whack job that reinforced his dreams to an extreme.
-Newton: Inventing calculus and gravity 'n shit.
-Hitler: Being the thing you should NOT be as a leader. Also applies with Stalin/Pol pot.
-Martin Luther: Shattering the death grip on us and pretty much put the Renaissance on the fast track. As the Catholic Church kinda opposed the Renaissance, the fact some people stopped listening to the pope meant they improved the life and here-and-now.
-Gutenberg: Lol, printed word. Further sped up the reformation and (IIRC) Renaissance.
-Oppenheimer: Do I even need to say why?
-Rome & Greece: Spreading Western culture around Europe.


There is no "Most important". only most important on the subject in question.

[Waris]

20,000-30,000 year range for agriculture is too far off. There was Ice Age at that time. And I'm sure gravity exists well before Newton lol.

[Chyros]

Areze, on 16 Nov 2007, 5:49, said:

Try a little closer to 20,000/30,000 years ago. IIRC that's when we started taking advantage of fertile land and not relying on the herds.

I had to look it up on wiki, it said about 8000 BC. I was a bit amazed by that myself.

Areze, on 16 Nov 2007, 5:49, said:

-Newton: Inventing calculus and gravity 'n shit.

He was completely brilliant, and laid the basis for a host of scientific endeavours, but I don't know if he was that important. He is usually over-lauded (and, as a tiny anecdote, he was an unbelievably unstable and famously distracted person).

[General Kirkov]

I stand by my choice, Petrarch led to the revival of the sciences and classics, without him, no printing press, Leonardo Da-Vinci's art would have been condemned by "medieval" thinkers, the bible would not have been revised by scholars from the original greek, hebrew and (Islamic texts sorry I'm not sure what it is called). The classic arts I.E Roman and Greek statues, busts and buildings. And so much more, you have to look back at the inventions and see who led to the spur of the desire for knowledge. Universities started cropping up, not only for Monks and priests but also laymen. Who inturn discovered so many things that turned into derrivatives of things we use every day.

-edit- also guys I'm talking about 999-to 1999, don't go back to the invention of fire and the cultivation of crops please.

-edit edit- Once again the revision of the bible let Matin Luther to be able to interpret it in his on special way (he was a Catholic Monk BTW)

Edited by General Kirkov, 16 November 2007 - 15:28.

[Dr HaxX]

Kane

[Sgt. Nuker]

Areze: Gutenburg helped every revolution, albeit indirectly for most of them. The Renaissance was indeed fueled by his printing press .

Match: C'mon mate . Put some thought into it if you're going to be silly .

[Areze]

My point is that there is no one "most important". It depends on the question. It might be Lenin, for founding the Soviet Union and bringing the arms race, which in turn sped up technological advancement tenfold.

[smooder]

Anyone Italian.
They always make the best things.
Well cept Mussolini.