Leaders And Revolutionaries
This century has seen two world wars, the rise and fall of communism and the spread of democracy.
It is a century that has been shaped by global heroes and revolutionaries who fought for power and control of the hearts and minds of people everywhere.
Dan Rather and Time magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson took a look at the men and women who throughout the 20th century have shared one common thread: defiance and determination and the belief in their own convictions.
The following is a list of the 20 most influential leaders and revolutionaries of the 20th Century:
| LEADERS AND REVOLUTIONARIES | ||
| 1. | Winston Churchill | |
| 2. | Mohandas Gandhi | |
| 3. | Mikhail Gorbachev | |
| 4. | David Ben-Gurion | |
| 5. | Adolf Hitler | |
| 6. | Ayatollah Ruholalah Khomeini | |
| 7. | Martin Luther King | |
| 8. | Vladimir Lenin | |
| 9. | Nelson Mandela | |
| 10. | Ho Chi Minh | |
| 11. | Pope John Paul II | |
| 12. | Ronald Reagan | |
| 13. | Eleanor Roosevelt | |
| 14. | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | |
| 15. | Theodore Roosevelt | |
| 16. | Margaret Sanger | |
| 17. | Margaret Thacher | |
| 18. | The Unknown Soldier (Tiananmen Square) | |
| 19. | Lech Walesa | |
| 20. | Mao Zedong | |
"If I had to put one more president on the list it might be Harry Truman," Isaacson told CBS Early Show Anchor Bryant Gumbel. "Basically he stood up to communism after World War II, integrated the army, helped the civil rights movement and was probably [the one who] had the best gut instincts of any president on the century."
As for the women chosen, Rather says it was very hard to look back on the 20th century and define women to nominate.
"This says more about who ruled the century and why and the lack of opportunity for women. So when you get down to the list it's pretty hard to pick people. I guess Margaret Thatcher is on there because she's a woman," he adds.
And while that may be true, Isaacson focused on Margaret Sanger's contribution for its lasting impact.
"A woman on the list that I found interesting is Margaret Sanger because the birth control movement affected this century more than you might think initially," he adds.