Some people become famous for a generation, while a tiny number become so deeply embedded in world culture that their names remain recognizable centuries or even thousands of years later.
The face of genius
Albert Einstein became something rarer even than a famous scientist: he became the universal icon for intelligence itself. His development of special and general relativity revolutionized modern physics, and his mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc2 became famous even to those who cannot recall its meaning.
Coupled with his distinctive wild hair and pensive look, Einstein became an ingrained popular icon, reproduced on posters, cartoons, advertisements, and more.
Over seventy years after his passing in 1955, when we say someone is “an Einstein”, we understand that the person is exceedingly intelligent. Few scientists have become that well-known.
The conqueror who never disappeared
Alexander the Great died over 2,300 years ago, but few rulers since have attained his reputation for incredible conquest. He ascended to the Macedonian throne at age 20, and over his short life he conquered an empire that included Greece, Egypt, Persia, and part of India. He died at age 32.
His conquests spread Greek language and culture across the known world and ushered in the period of history referred to as the Hellenistic Age. Centuries of generals have obsessively analyzed his battles while myths about his exploits entered European, Middle Eastern, and Asian folklore.
Rome’s unforgettable name
Julius Caesar became so well known that eventually his name became a title for other leaders to use. “Kaiser” and “Tsar” can both trace their origins back to Caesar. He conquered Gaul, crossed the Rubicon, defeated his political rivals, and became dictator of Rome.
He was assassinated in 44 BC, and his m***er on the Ides of March became one of the most famous assassinations in history, immortalized by Shakespeare. Caesar was never officially a Roman emperor, but he is more famous than most who came after him.
The queen everyone remembers
Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII died over two thousand years ago, but she may still be the most renowned female ruler of all time. The final ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, Cleopatra aligned herself with two of Rome’s mightiest leaders: Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Following a defeat by Octavian, she died in 30 BC, and Egypt became annexed by the Romans.
Writers, artists, dramatists and directors would immortalize Cleopatra as a legendary figure of beauty, seduction and power, often eclipsing the calculating politician.
The artist behind the smile
Leonardo da Vinci epitomized the idea of “Renaissance man.” Artist, engineer, scientist, inventor, and avid student of the natural world around him, Leonardo da Vinci sketched inventions ahead of his time.
His two most famous paintings, The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, would make him famous millennia after his death. Today, even those who know little about Italian history recognize the name Leonardo da Vinci.
The playwright who outlived his century
William Shakespeare passed away in 1616, but his characters and phrases are still ingrained in culture around the world. Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello are still performed, studied, modernized, and made into movies hundreds of years later.
He’s been translated into hundreds of languages and transformed how stories are told outside of England. Even those who have never read a full Shakespeare play know Romeo and Juliet as the epitome of star-crossed lovers.
The emperor with the famous pose
Napoleon Bonaparte began his career as a military officer from minor Corsican nobility and went on to become Emperor of the French and conqueror of most of continental Europe. He forever changed warfare and instituted the Napoleonic Code, which influenced legal systems around the globe. His invasion of Russia ended in disaster, and his last defeat at Waterloo made him a legend.
Few historical figures are as readily identifiable as Napoleon with his characteristic bicorne, military greatcoat, and pose of standing with his hand resting inside his waistcoat.
The president who became a symbol
Abraham Lincoln is probably the world’s most famous political leader. Lincoln became president of the United States in 1860. During his presidency, the Civil War erupted, and Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation once slavery became integral to the Union cause.
He was assassinated in 1865 just days after the South had essentially surrendered. Today, he is remembered worldwide. His tall hat and beard and his distinctive countenance are familiar to people around the globe. Perhaps no other American’s words are better known than Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The scientist beneath the apple tree
Isaac Newton revolutionized how people viewed the physical world. From his laws of motion to the law of universal gravitation, Newton had something to explain any physical phenomenon. His contributions to math and optics were also groundbreaking.
The story of Newton observing an apple drop was greatly exaggerated but gave science one of its greatest myths. Hundreds of years after his death, his name still remains behind laws, mathematical concepts, and even a unit of force.
The little tramp everyone recognized
Charlie Chaplin was among the first worldwide movie stars. Chaplin’s Tramp character (complete with bowler hat, cane, moustache and iconic walk) could convey comedy without words, giving his films a universal quality that needed little translation. Films like The Kid, City Lights and Modern Times cemented Chaplin as one of the most iconic faces of early film. Even today, his silhouette is instantly recognizable over a hundred years after his rise to fame.
Fame that never faded
Actress Marilyn Monroe spent a brief time at the top of Hollywood fame, but her iconic image lives on. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot helped create a global phenomenon in the 1950s. Her platinum locks, beauty mark, and white dress are among cinema’s most famous images. Her death at age 36 in 1962 further shrouded her in myth. Even today, Monroe’s face pops up everywhere from art and fashion to billboards.
The king of pop
Michael Jackson achieved unprecedented levels of international fame during his career. He rose to popularity as a young member of the Jackson 5 before taking the music world by storm as a solo artist. Fans around the world embraced his records, music videos, and stage presence. His album Thriller went on to be the best-selling album of all time. His signature moonwalk dance, glove, and outfits became iconic.
Jackson faced constant controversy throughout his life. No matter how people view Jackson’s complex legacy, there are few entertainers who have attained his level of worldwide fame.
The face of rock and roll
Elvis Presley changed popular music and became one of the most well-known celebrities of the 20th century. His singing, dynamic performances, and blend of country, blues, and rhythm and blues paved the way for rock and roll to become accepted into mainstream American culture.
Elvis’s hairstyle, jumpsuits and hip movements became iconic representations of the time period. Even today, decades after his death, Elvis remains a household name that needs no introduction.
The princess the world watched
Princess Diana was one of the most photographed and written about individuals of the late 20th century. Viewed by a record-breaking global television audience, she married Prince Charles in 1981. Public interest in Diana’s life persisted during her marriage, divorce, and charitable work. She was especially associated with HIV/ AIDS and landmine advocacy.
Diana changed the way many perceived modern royalty with her unprecedented access to and interaction with the media and public. Her death in Paris in 1997 elicited an unprecedented worldwide outpouring of grief, and her likeness is still recognised by people born decades after her death.
A name synonymous with evil
Adolf Hitler was one of the best-known and widely identified historical figures of the 20th century. Leader of Nazi Germany, he initiated World War II in Europe by invading Poland in 1939 and sought to establish a discredited racially-based empire through terror and war. Six million Jews and millions of others were persecuted and killed by the Nazis.
WWII ultimately caused the deaths of tens of millions of people. Hitler committed s***ide in Berlin in 1945 as Allied forces closed in. Today, Hitler’s name is synonymous with dictatorship, antisemitism, violent nationalism, and all the evils stemming from fascist regimes.
The power of refusing violence
Mahatma Gandhi was perhaps the most famous political and civil leader of the 20th century without leading an army or ever becoming head of state or government. Gandhi was trained as a lawyer and became the most influential Indian civil leader opposing British rule in India.
Gandhi is known around the world for his nonviolent civil disobedience campaigns like the 1930 Salt March, which showed the power of civilians when united behind nonviolent organizations to oppose political power. Gandhi was killed in 1948 in India just months after it gained independence. Gandhi’s simple loincloth, round glasses, and walking stick are now symbols associated with pacifism.
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