The 100: A Ranking

of the Most
Influential Persons
in History

The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History is a 1978 book by the American
author Michael H. Hart. Published by his father's publishing house, it was his first book and was
reprinted in 1992 with revisions. It is a ranking of the 100 people who, according to Hart, most
influenced human history.[3][4][5][6] Unlike various other rankings at the time, Hart was not
attempting to rank on "greatness" as a criterion, but rather whose actions most changed the
course of human history.
Summary The 100: A

The book consists of 100 entries as well as an

Ranking of the
appendix of Honorable Mentions. Each entry
is a short biography of the person, followed by Most Influential
Hart's thoughts on how this person was
influential and changed the course of human
history. He gave additional credit for
Persons in
importance for people whose actions Hart felt
were unusual, unlikely, or ahead of their time History
compared to a hypothesized course of history
had this person not lived.

Founders and shapers of successful religions

were among the most influential in Hart's
view, as these shaped many people's lives
quite strongly over a long period of time. The
first person on Hart's list is the Islamic
prophet Muhammad.[7][8] Hart asserted that
Muhammad was "supremely successful" in
both the religious and secular realms, being
responsible for both the foundations of Islam
as well as the Early Muslim conquests uniting
the Arabian Peninsula and eventually a wider
caliphate after his death. Hart also believed
that Muhammad played an unusually singular Cover of the 1992
and personal role in the development of
Islam.[9][10] The development of Christianity, by edition
contrast, has its influence split between
Jesus's initial teachings and foundational
Author Michael
work, and Paul the Apostle, who played a
pivotal role in the early spread of Christianity
as well as distinguishing its doctrines and
H. Hart
practices from Judaism and the other Greek
and Roman religions of the time period.[11] Country United
Gautama Buddha, Confucius, and Moses are
all placed highly as well due to their role in States
establishing religions.

One of the most notable omissions was Language English

Abraham Lincoln, which Hart relegated to the
"Honorary Mentions" in the appendix. Changes
in the 1992 revision include the rankings of
Series 1st
figures associated with Communism being
lowered after the Revolutions of 1989, such as
Edition
Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the
introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev. Hart took
(1978)
sides in the Shakespearean authorship issue
and replaced William Shakespeare with 2nd
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford in the
1992 version. Hart also substituted Niels Bohr Edition
and Henri Becquerel with Ernest Rutherford.
Henry Ford was promoted from the "Honorary (1992)
Mentions" list, replacing Pablo Picasso.
Finally, various rankings were re-ordered,
although no one listed in the top ten changed Subject Ranking ·
their position.[3]
Biography
The book was first published in 1978 as
imprint from "Hart Publishing Company".[1][2] · History
According to the Calgary Herald, at least
60,000 copies were sold.[12] The book has
since been translated into many languages.[13] Published 1978
(Hart

Publishing
company,
 New
Hart's Top 10
York)[1][2]
(from the 1992
edition) Media type Print

ISBN 978080651350

OCLC 644066940
(https://w
ww.worldc
at.org/ocl
c/6440669
40)
Rank Name Time frame Image Occupation

1 Muhammad c. 570–632 Spiritual & Political leader

2 Isaac Newton 1643–1727 Scientist

3 Jesus 4 BC–33 AD Spiritual leader

4 Gautama Buddha 563–483 BC Spiritual leader

5 Confucius 551–479 BC Philosopher

6 Paul the Apostle 5–67 AD Christian apostle

7 Cai Lun 50–121 AD Inventor of paper

c. 1400– Inventor of the printing

8 Johannes Gutenberg
1468 press

9 Christopher Columbus 1451–1506 Explorer

 10 Albert Einstein 1879–1955 Scientist

Reception
For placing Muhammad in first place of the list, the book received several controversial reviews
from western critics,[25] but the book was widely welcomed and outburst with positive reviews in
the Muslim world, and the book is often cited in the Muslim writers' book including Ayatollah
Sayed Muhammad al-Shirazi, Ahmed Deedat etc.[26][27][28][29][30] In 1988, the former
contemporary Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak honored Michael Hart for placing Muhammad
in first place.[31] Steven Skiena and Charles Ward writes in their book Who's Bigger?: Where
Historical Figures Really Rank that The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History "is
probably the best known ranking of historic figures by influence."[32]

Sequel
Hart wrote the 1999 follow-up A View from the Year 3000,[33] voiced in the perspective of a
person from that future year and ranking the most influential people in history. Roughly half the
entries are fictional people from 2000 to 3000, but the remainder are taken mostly from the 1992
ranking, with some sequence changes.[34][35]

See also

Time 100
 Who's Bigger: Where Historical Figures
Really Rank

References

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3. Editors of LIFE (2016). LIFE 100 People
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