TIME Magazine famously chose Albert Einstein as its person of the twentieth century. Some argued that it should have been Hitler based on the TIME's criterion that the person chosen "should have the greatest impact on this century, for better or worse."

I think TIME was right to choose Einstein over Hitler. Hitler was simply another European warlord. Einstein, like Newton before him, gave us a whole new way of understanding the universe. His impact will far outlive the twentieth century.

And yet I wonder whether Einstein was the right choice. Perhaps in retrospect the man who had the greatest impact on the twentieth century, even though it may not have been apparent at the time, was Deng Xiaoping. If it were not for Deng would we be debating whether China was going to be the next super-power? Would the Dell laptop I'm using today bear the label "Made in in China"?

It was the twice-purged Deng who returned to political life after Mao's death, garnered enough support to oust Mao's chosen successor, Hua Guofeng and reform China. It was Deng who opened China to foreign trade and investment, who toured the country after Tiananmen Square and urged a continuation of his reforms.

Deng died aged 92. His long life truly is stranger than fiction.

I do not know whether China will become the world's pre-eminent power but it is now certainly a great power. I doubt that would have happened without Deng.

If anyone can be said to have altered the course of history, for good or ill, it is Deng Xiaoping. He has my nomination for person of the twentieth century.

Here is a link to Deng's Wikipedia entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deng_Xiaoping

My nomination for person of the last millennium is Charles Darwin but that's another story.

Dear Steven,

My vote goes to Mikhail Gorbachev.

He helped bring an end to both the Soviet Union and
the Cold War. Who can forget the collapse of the
Berlin Wall.

There were many wonderful famous men one could nominate for person of the 20th century.
The first one I thought of was John F Kennedy, a truly inspiring orator and President.

Then I thought of how few women I could find on the list I found on Ask.com.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/tp/famouspeople.htm

Surely any woman on that list at that time would have fought harder than most for their cause or career?

So I nominate Margaret Thatcher for my person of the 20th Century.

She was tough and had to make the hard choices in England during her time as PM.
She played a big part in stopping the Cold War, and securing better relations between the US and Russia, thus averting a possible World war 3.

It must have been extremely hard for her in such a man's world!

Steven I'd nominate Deng as well, Hitler left no real legacy since the Germans had no interest in National Socialism after the war and the only Hitler most Western people know is the cartoon version invented by American filmmakers and novelists. Only a relatively small number of people can understand theoretical physics, Einstein is remembered for his "mad scientist" persona and those cheesy photos of him poking his tongue out at the cameraman.
Deng was a real leader, that's the first qualification I'd look for.

I nominate two as equals.
Gandhi and Mandela
Both gave the world the gift of hope and that the thought the impossible can be done.

My nomination goes to the persons responsible for the internet, because it has given everyone with access so much more reach and impact

Just consider the breadth of that impact: online banking,travel & entertainment bookings, gaming, bookshops, medical services/monitoring/testing,news/information sources, education,conferencing --truly the first phase of the singularity.

Only the other-day a teenager asked me: "What would the world have been like without the internet?"-- and I had to Google it before I could give him an answer.