Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
George Washington is not historically better-known than Caesar.
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Who is the most famous person in human history?
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George Washington is not historically better-known than Caesar.
I taught a student at a top 30 university who thought that the US declared independence from Spain. Get enough people are you'll see some really bizarre gaps in knowledge.
Skellig Gra
Member
Sure but they still know who he is. There are multiple museums/monuments for him.
supernormal
Member
The same anecdotal stats everyone else is using to make their choices. I live in a third world country where education is not up to snuff, but I've never met anyone of any age here or anywhere else that didn't know who Colombus or Jesus was. I can't say the same for Caesar, Da Vinci, Hitler or whoever else.
Tangled Up in Blue
Banned
It's still the third most populous nation on Earth. That's a fairly huge blow to "Most Famous Person Ever" claim.
I came into this thread thinking it would be a coin toss between Hitler and Jesus, but you really could make a serious argument for Michael Jackson. When news of his death first hit, some ISPs crashed because they couldn't handle the sudden traffic strain.
Septimus Prime
Member
He's that flying Cie'th from FFXIII that has 20 million HP and needs to be poisoned. See? We know.
Thewonandonly
Junior Member
To add to the topic I don't know who Mohamed is unless your talking about Ali at the end but I think u guys are talking about a religious figure so it has to be Jesus or Buddha. I think we can also throw in ghandi somewhere up near the top.
User Name Here
Member
That's because he was the reincarnation of Jesus.
Roberto Larcos
Member
Queen Elizabeth II must be right up there too, to be honest. If we're speaking in terms of figures who are in the consciousness of those alive today.
Not everyone is just stating anecdotal evidence though, the thread is mostly rational not empirical. Which makes sense, as there is no metric we can really use for this.
You'd be surprised at how unimportant monuments and museums are for popular knowledge.
This is probably the best list in this thread.
Religious figure is a toss up between Jesus and Muhammad. Everything else is on point.
Islam is the second largest world religion and has been prominent in recent world affairs. It's also the fastest growing religion.
Please use this to educate yourself.
Bill Squabber
Member
Quick google search:
"It is estimated that the world population reached one billion for the first time in 1804. It was another 123 years before it reached two billion in 1927, but it took only 33 years to reach three billion in 1960."
Depends on who's more famous in Asia between Hitler and Jesus.
Religious figure clearly goes to Jesus. There are more Christians, secular people are probably more likely to know Jesus if they only know one due to the culture of places with large numbers of secular people, and Jesus is a major figure in Islam.
Yeah the trick is population growth and distribution. Jesus was a big deal for a long time but most of the geographical world didn't know about him until like 1500 and European colonialism gets cooking in earnest. Hitler was relevant to most of the world from the word "go".
But however you cut it, its real hard to imagine any answer other than Jesus.
shawnbuddy
Member
Kim Kardashian.
Zvonimir Boban
Banned
Kublai Khan, MLK and George Washington are not more well known than Caesar. Come on.
bitbydeath
Member
Santa if we're taking kids into the equation.
Many young kids wouldn't have heard of Jesus or Mohammed unless their parents are of X religion.
Many young kids wouldn't have heard of Jesus or Mohammed unless their parents are of X religion.
You guys greatly over estimate how well Caesar is know in east and South Asia. (Again too Eurocentric) You know by far the most populated area in the world?
GW is on the most famous currency in the world and he's the father of the only remaining world power. Ask 100 Chinese people who gw is and over half will know. Ask those same 100 Caesar and 10 if you're lucky.
Kublai is actually a huge figure in Asian history. While his grandfather is the more well known khan in western culture, kublai was the first emperor of the yuan dynasty.
MLK could go either way. I put him up there cause he's more relavent in modern times.
I have my doubts on people being able to name all the people on their own national currency bills, let alone people who live thousands of miles away.
Obama, Bush and Trump are all probably more famous than Washington.
tearsintherain
Member
this ginger right here
No one can ever give him up or let him down.
just that picture alone has you humming the words.
No one can ever give him up or let him down.
just that picture alone has you humming the words.
Honestly they might be but that does change the fact that few in China knows who Julius Caesar is.
Caesars fame comes from western media. Aka his relationship with cleopatra in media and Shakespeare. Both are relatively unknown in east and South Asia.
Roberto Larcos
Member
Lisa Gherardini, perhaps?
Sure, she's known as 'Mona Lisa' to the vast, vast majority. But Jesus wouldn't have been known as 'Jesus' 2000 years ago, so that seems insufficient grounds to rule her out.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Lisa Gherardini, perhaps?
Sure, she's known as 'Mona Lisa' to the vast, vast majority. But Jesus wouldn't have been known as 'Jesus' 2000 years ago, so that seems insufficient grounds to rule her out.
I'm not sure if you're serious with this or not, but I agree she's got to be up there. Wouldn't have thought about it, but now that you mention it most people have likely seen an image of the Mona Lisa at some point in their life.
Also I'm a huge history nerd, from a Western nation, and there's no way Caesar cracks the top five here or worldwide.
Caddywompus
Member
I agree it's a good list but it doesn't answer the OP's question. Who's the most famous out of those 5
I really find it hard to believe that a western or western related historical figure is the most famous person in history. Almost half of the world's population lives in east and southeast asia, if we consider India then we probably have more than half, so it would probably be some historical figure from Asia. I think Mao Zedong and the Khans would probably be more famous than Caesar at least. Are we even sure that most asian schools teach anything about the romans?
So does Augustus if we go by month criteria. Also month's name are enterely dependant on language, chinese and japanese use numbers for months so july is just the month 7, so Caesar doesn't get much of an advantage just from that.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
This IS the actual answer. Everyone else can fight it out for spot #2.
LyleLanley
Banned
I'm too lazy to look through this thread but has anyone said Jordan yet?
Yeah but "Asia" is a pretty heterogeneous place. Sure Mao's a big deal in China. But is he in India? "Western" figures have the advantage of appearing or getting referenced in Western media, which gets exported further than, say, Malaysian media does.
TwelveJaguars
Neo Member
It's Jesus. An argument for anyone else is like discussing which star is brightest while the sun is up (No pun intended). He's penetrated every culture, there are governments and moral structures that rest on his ideas. We count years by him. People who don't even think he existed use his name 20 times a day as an exclamation and give each other presents on his birthday. No contest.
Flakster99
Member
Jesus Christ.
Hitler.
Hitler.
Herr Schwarz
Banned
Jesus and Muhammed were actually real people? I thought they were characters in the bible, not actually real people.
If this was most famous literary works Bible etc.
It's like someone giving Batman as an answer.
If this was most famous literary works Bible etc.
It's like someone giving Batman as an answer.
I was trying to have the most ignorant post in this thread but I see that I have my work cut out for me.
Herr Schwarz
Banned
What, you trying to tell me Jesus was real?!
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
But... I didn't say that? Holy shit, read the words next time.
thoseAREmySHOES
Member
Good call, I spaced on that one. But I'm still not sure that I'm approaching the definition of "fame" the right way.
CitizenCope
Member
Hitler I'm afraid.
He was real and could hit the shit out of a curveball.
Jesus was real, he was in Roman official document as some cult leader, some people are drunk when they said he is fake. Mohammed existence was not even a doubt, dude.
Edit: giving real answer to joke questions
Herr Schwarz
Banned
Jesus and Muhammed and fucking Moses were not real mang.
Next you'll be telling me Vishnu and fucking Ra are real too
CarpeDeezNutz
Member
I thought it would be Che for some reason but I'm putting my gold on Jesus.
LyleLanley
Banned
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