Dive into the extraordinary lives of individuals who have left an indelible mark on history. From groundbreaking scientists and visionary entrepreneurs to legendary athletes and influential leaders, we explore the stories of those who were considered the greatest in their respective fields.
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00:00In fact, for us believing physicists, the distinction between the past, present, and future
00:08is but a stubborn illusion.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're profiling 20 individuals who were popularly considered,
00:15at one point or another, the best at the work they specialized in.
00:18Let me talk about a category of things the most advanced phones are called smartphones.
00:24So they say.
00:25Michael Jordan, athlete.
00:26MJ.
00:28Oh, he did it!
00:29Michael shakes the finger!
00:31Admittedly, we're starting off with somewhat of a hot take.
00:33Some of you in the comments might protest by suggesting LeBron James or Kobe Bryant
00:37as the kings of modern-day basketball.
00:39However, as Jay-Z once so eloquently put it, men lie, women lie, numbers don't.
00:44Whose game is it?
00:45It's Michael Jordan's, get it?
00:46By the stats alone, it's a little hard to argue with MJ's record.
00:49Or, should we say, records.
00:51Playing almost his entire career with the Chicago Bulls,
00:54the North Carolina native holds the NBA records for most NBA Finals MVP with 6,
00:59and most scoring titles with 10.
01:01Oh, and that's not even mentioning his records for regular season and playoff scoring average.
01:05There's a reason they call him the GOAT.
01:07Now watch as Michael Jordan comes at the bottom of your screen here,
01:11how he leaves the defensive man.
01:13Dumars was thinking that he had rotation help.
01:16Wow!
01:19Watch the quickness that he pivots here.
01:21There it is, right there.
01:22Wayne Gretzky, athlete.
01:24Goes to Curry, Curry gets it ahead to Gretzky.
01:26Gretzky going in, sooner trying to get back.
01:28Gretzky with a shot, he scores!
01:30We think it's pretty fair to say that if your nickname is simply The Great One,
01:33then you lay a significant claim to being the best.
01:36Such is the case with Canadian-born hockey giant Gretzky,
01:38who overcame his small stature with sheer skill and determination.
01:42Popularly deemed the greatest hockey player of all time with relatively little opposition,
01:46Gretzky holds the NHL records for career goals and points, as well as for producing assists.
01:51And back out comes Wayne Gretzky.
01:53Gretzky moving ahead, picks up holes and fights his way free, scores!
02:03First goal of the game goes to Wayne Gretzky, shorthanded.
02:07The winner of four Stanley Cups with his beloved Edmonton Oilers,
02:10Gretzky also holds the unique distinction of being the only player in NHL history
02:14to score 200 points in a season.
02:16Oh, and he managed that four times over.
02:18That's just showing off.
02:20Quick breakaway pass to Gretzky.
02:23Gretzky scores!
02:26Michael Jackson, musician
02:36Much like Gretzky and Jordan, the other MJ took the work of those who had come
02:41before him and elevated it to dizzying new heights that no one had ever dreamed possible.
02:45First rising to prominence as a member of the Jackson 5 family outfit,
02:49his 1979 album Off the Wall established him as a solo superstar.
02:54His follow-up, the hotly anticipated 1982 record Thriller, smashed several records,
03:05not only for a black performer, although he definitely did that, but for any musician,
03:09period.
03:10Thriller would go on to become the best-selling album of all time, and Jackson continued to
03:14revolutionize the role of visuals and performance in his art up until his untimely death in 2009,
03:19aged 50.
03:23Ludwig van Beethoven, musician
03:43Beethoven, who died in 1827, is still deeply revered by music lovers worldwide.
03:48That would be for his many contributions to the form, which are regarded as massively
03:52influential masterpieces that changed how audiences and musicians alike conceived of
03:56and thought about the art form.
03:57Beethoven is perhaps best known for his 1824's Symphony No. 9,
04:01but maybe you know it for its famous fourth movement, the Ode to Joy.
04:17That was the first example of vocal parts accompanying such a symphony.
04:20Beethoven also enjoyed a level of artistic freedom rarely afforded to composers,
04:25in that from 1809 onwards he did not require the patronage of wealthy aristocrats.
04:29Though he had almost totally lost his hearing by 1815,
04:32those last 12 years proved to be some of his most fruitful.
04:50Abraham Lincoln, politician
04:59There's no shortage of American presidents who are looked back upon with reverence.
05:21However, you'd be hard-pressed to think of one more beloved than the nation's 16th.
05:25Sure, Lincoln wasn't perfect, he initially promised southern states that he wouldn't
05:29get involved in their affairs, but his accomplishments as commander-in-chief are second to none.
05:49That largely derives from Lincoln's issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation,
05:53which gave escaped slaves their freedom. That's more than 3.5 million people at the time on New
05:58Year's Day in 1863. An exceptional orator who delivered the famous Gettysburg Address,
06:03the president's negotiating skills helped usher in the end of the Civil War.
06:07Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth made him a martyr and an American legend.
06:23Julius Caesar, politician
06:34The world hasn't seen the likes of Caesar since his brutal assassination at the hands
06:53of his senators, and it's unlikely that it ever will again. The architect of the Roman Empire,
06:58building it up from the ashes of the unstable Roman Republic, Caesar openly defied the will
07:02of the Roman Senate and refused to step down from his military command. His decision to cross the
07:15Rubicon led to his Civil War that he won, consolidating unprecedented levels of power
07:20and lending the English language a pretty memorable expression. One of the greatest
07:24military commanders to have ever lived, Caesar's end was just as striking and dramatic as his life
07:29had been. Confucius, philosopher
07:53The fact that we're highlighting influential figures from throughout history would likely
07:57have pleased Confucius. The Spring and Autumn era Chinese philosopher's approach to a virtuous life
08:02mandated the study of the Four Books and Five Classics. These are a series of ancient Chinese
08:07texts, largely compiled by Confucius, that eventually influenced the Sinosphere and its
08:12way of thinking. Confucius' ideas were defined by their emphasis on kindness, sincerity, morality,
08:17and the importance of the family unit. The easiest way to understand Confucian philosophy?
08:21His Silver Rule, which essentially entailed not treating others in the way you wouldn't
08:25want to be treated. Aristotle, philosopher
08:28There are seemingly few individuals that everyone can at least sort of agree on.
08:32Aristotle is one of those individuals. An ancient Greek thinker and student of countless disciplines,
08:37Aristotle was known by various reverential nicknames like the First Teacher, the Master
08:41of Those Who Know, and simply the Philosopher. Plato's successor has even been referred to as
08:45the First Scientist, writing groundbreaking treatises and texts on subjects as diverse
08:50as physics, astronomy, biology, and psychology. Although only a third of his life's work has
08:54survived into the modern day, Aristotle's output has influenced philosophy and various schools of
08:59thought for thousands of years beyond his death in 322 BC. Thomas Edison, inventor
09:14Enjoying the use of your computer? Or movies? Or simply even the lights in your home? You have
09:18American inventor and businessman Edison to thank for those. One of the most crucial minds of the
09:2219th and 20th centuries, Edison's teamwork-focused approach to research and development revolutionized
09:28science and led to the evolution of the industrialized world. Edison's 1876 Menlo Park
09:52Research Laboratory was the first of its kind and over the years became the birthplace of many of
09:57our modern conveniences, like electricity, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph.
10:01Edison's commitment to technological progress and advancement was such that he registered nearly
10:061,100 patents in the United States during his lifetime becoming America's most prolific inventor.
10:22Nikola Tesla, inventor
10:52While Edison stands as a towering figure in American history, it's hard if not impossible
11:00to discuss his contributions without bringing up the Croatian-born Tesla. A futurist and
11:05early advocate for wireless technology and communications, Tesla's alternating current
11:10induction motor led to his victory over Edison in, well, let's call it the electricity race.
11:23This invention made possible the high-voltage transmission of electricity
11:30over long distances and effectively helped to reshape how people lived their lives.
11:34Although he was able to devise a remotely controlled boat, his passion project,
11:38the Wardenclyffe Tower, was never completed. However, it's been recognized as a pioneering
11:42and prescient idea in wireless power transfer. Steve Jobs, entrepreneur
12:12In 2001, we introduced the first iPod. The Apple co-founder and CEO changed not
12:25only the tech industry but the world as we knew it, and all without a college or university degree.
12:30Jobs birthed Apple with his friend Steve Wozniak in 1976 as a way to invest in the latter's Apple
12:36One personal computer. The development of the Apple II put them on the proverbial map,
12:40and the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984 permanently revolutionized personal computers.
12:45These are not three separate devices. This is one device,
12:55and we are calling it iPhone. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.
13:07Over a long and often combative career at the company, Jobs introduced the now-ubiquitous
13:12Apple ecosystem and masterminded its widely acclaimed marketing campaign.
13:16Upon his 2011 death from respiratory failure caused by a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor,
13:21he was remembered not only as a genius but a visionary.
13:42Elon Musk, entrepreneur
14:04Born in 1971 to a wealthy family in South Africa, Musk emigrated to Canada and later
14:08the United States to study at the University of Pennsylvania. In the late 90s, Musk was involved
14:13in several business ventures that allowed him to amass vast amounts of wealth. The businessman
14:34used his riches to found SpaceX, a privately held space technology company that aims to be
14:39the first on Mars, and among others, Tesla, Inc., which completely changed the world's idea of what
14:44an electric car could be. Musk has increasingly sought to be in the public eye, buying the social
14:48media platform Twitter and renaming it X, as well as working closely with the second administration
14:53of President Donald Trump. Musk, entrepreneur
15:04Solomon, king
15:17The fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah stands as one of history's most revered
15:21rulers, even if the actual facts of his existence are elusive. Although historians generally agree
15:26on Solomon's existence, as alluded to in the Hebrew Bible, they're less sure of his opulent
15:30wealth. Regardless of the details of Solomon's life, it's inarguable that the biblical king
15:35is seen as a unifying figure, serving as a major prophet in both Christianity and Islam,
15:39as well as Judaism. A brilliant and cunning strategist who is said to have derived his
15:44intellect straight from divine inspiration, Solomon's wisdom is largely what led to his
15:48enduring legacy. Cyrus the Great, King
15:51Founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire, Cyrus is heralded around the world to this day with a
15:57fervent following in Iran. In fact, Cyrus is even known as the father there. His military campaign
16:02focused on the ascension of his Achaemenid royal house and eventually came to dominate what would
16:07be the greatest empire of the era. Like Solomon, everyone seemingly agrees on Cyrus. In Judaism,
16:12the ruler is lauded for his role in freeing Jewish slaves in the Kingdom of Judah. An
16:16accomplished statesman and soldier, the conqueror was looked up to even by Alexander the Great,
16:20who took influence from Cyrus in his own career. Genghis Khan, Commander
16:26of the Mongol Empire
16:45The man born Temüjin came from humble beginnings, but would eventually become known as perhaps the
16:49most fearsome conqueror the ancient world has ever known. Genghis is single-handedly credited
16:54with uniting the disparate Mongol tribes into a centralized empire, in turn becoming the first
16:59Khan or leader of the Mongol Empire. Genghis' empire would eventually stretch as far as China
17:19and Central Asia, and its birth would leave him a complex legacy, rife with bloodshed and vast
17:24losses. At the same time, we might not have our world as it currently exists without his empire's
17:28establishment of important trade routes, which are even responsible for major cultural developments.
17:50Alexander the Great, Commander
18:11By the time of his death in 323 BC, aged only 32 at the time, Alexander II of Macedon had become
18:18a king twice over, a pharaoh once, and founded at least twenty cities. On top of doing that,
18:22the empire he founded grew to become one of history's largest and most significant,
18:26and in doing so had gone completely undefeated in battle.
18:29Alexander's actions have ripple effects reaching all the way to the modern day,
18:49with his military campaign ushering in the Hellenistic era and forming the basis for
18:53Western society. So yeah, we'd say he qualifies as one of the greatest to ever do it.
18:59Isaac Newton, Scientist
19:30Many of the individuals listed in our video today share a commonality.
19:41They helped, in one form or another, to shape the world we live in. However, in some ways,
19:45Newton was not only such a pioneer, but he played a large part in helping society to
19:49understand the world it lived in. Maybe you've heard the old folktale that an
20:10apple falling on Newton's head from a tree allowed him to understand the functions of gravity.
20:14While evidence suggests that it could very well have happened, it's beside the point.
20:17Newton's mathematical principles of natural philosophy was the first science of the new
20:22world. Fittingly enough for a new world, Newton also determined the shape of the Earth
20:26and built the first reflecting telescope.
20:47Albert Einstein, Scientist
21:11If Isaac Newton opened the gateway to modern science, Albert Einstein took the discipline
21:14to other worlds. The theoretical physicist posited the theory of relativity that would
21:19make him a household name. As defined by Space.com, general relativity dictates that the space-time
21:25is a four-dimensional object that has to obey an equation, called the Einstein equation,
21:29which explains how the matter curves the space-time. Einstein's discovery changed the
21:44face of physics as well as how scientists understood the universe. The godfather of what
21:48some have called the most beautiful mathematical theory of all, Einstein's work endures for not
21:53only how it continues to influence science, but for its sheer imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.
22:15Muhammad, Prophet
22:21Although his earthly life lasted only 62 years at most, his legacy lives on for eternity in
22:26the religion he founded, Islam. Muhammad is touted as receiving the word of God aged 40,
22:30preaching the word that he was the Lord's messenger. His oral revelations eventually
22:34form the basis of the Quran, believed by Muslims to be God's direct communication
22:38with humanity via Muhammad. Designated in the Quran as the Seal of the Prophets,
22:42Muhammad's teachings continue to be practiced and disseminated as Sunnah,
22:46an essential body of Muslim practices. In every possible way, he is the founder of the Islamic
22:51world. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
22:55Marlon Brando, Actor
22:57Meyer Amschel Rothschild, Banker
23:27Robert De Niro, Actor
23:50Satya Nadella, CEO
23:57William Shakespeare, Writer
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24:32Jesus, Prophet
24:34We feel that there's a chance that you've heard of this guy. The founder of the world's largest
24:38religion, Jesus was a humble Jewish preacher who went on to become possibly the most important
24:43historical figure who ever existed. Crucified by the Roman government of Pontius Pilate,
24:47Jesus' followers continued to espouse his word, building it into one of the most important
24:52drivers of culture in human history. Whether or not you personally believe that Jesus will return
24:57and bring about Judgment Day sooner or later, we can all take a page from his teachings.
25:01Did we miss any of history's greatest figures? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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