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Einzelganger -> RE: Most historically influential person of the 20th century (6/7/2007 11:36:20 PM)
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Different individuals contributed to the ongoing changes in the world in different ways; some on a human level, some on a technology level, and some on a more mental or spiritual level.
On a human level, I was thinking of exaclty the same individual as the OP. Gavrilo Princip not only sparked the powder keg that was Europe at the time to start WWI, but the bullshit the Allies put Germany through (which the ailing Roosevelt tried to prevent, but was not exactly in any physical shape to argue too much; he was literally on his deathbed) allowed the events to take place that would lead to the second world war as well. Between those two wars, no greater loss of human life has ever been brought on by human hands...and it could be said that Gavrilo Princip lit the fire that consumed all those young lives.
As a brief side note, Japan waited to strike the United States until our attention was directed elsewhere, but they drew their plans against us long before the attack on Pearl Harbor. They even went so far as to send rats infected with the bubonic plague, in weather balloons, across the Pacific Ocean. The few that made it across, thankfully, had nothing but long-asphyxiated rats on board, and were no longer any risk. They'd have attacked us eventually, and they also had nuclear weapons under development. It was one of those 'it's either us or them' times, and if Japan hadn't captured our attention, they may have delivered nuclear weapons with their first attack. So, had WWI not started when it did, leading to WWII, and America's involvement not come sooner, things in the Pacific, and North America, might be drastically different as well...just some food for thought...
On a technological level, I would agree that Bill Gates has had the greatest impact. Because of his efforts, in 20 years the entire face of America has changed. Think of what things were like in 1980. The first cell phones were just out, and they were the size of walkie talkies. Look at them now; without someone to stimulate the computer industry as he did, the prices of said components would not have come down, and the level of development that's occurring could not have taken place. Furthermore, it's somewhat rare these days to encounter someone who doesn't own at least one computer, maybe more. We wouldn't be having this discussion without them. E commerce wouldn't be there. So, this would greatly change the way we live our lives.
I'm not even getting into the spiritual/mental issue; it would, in all likelihood, derail the thread.
As always, just my $0.02...
-Einzelgänger
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