Without any doubt whatsoever, the most influential person of the 20th century was Adolf Hitler.

He was a Christian for all his life. Baptised as a Roman Catholic, and practiced his religion even well into the war years (obviously with limitations during that specific time). Germany then was overwhelmingly a Christian nation, and Hitler received massive support from German Christianity. He also received massive support in many different ways, from the Vatican.

He was certainly the most evil Christian to have ever lived, and possibly the most evil person to have ever lived.

Nobody in the 20th century influenced the world more than Adolf Hitler.

I'd like to nominate one other person as the
person of the twentieth century.
Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani schoolgirl
who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign
for the rights to education.

What she did earns her the right of at least a mention
on this forum. She survived being shot in the head by
the Taliban and has become an advocate for women's
rights, especially the right to education.

More like her are desperately needed to lead the way
and give hope to the many people that so desperately
need it in those troubled areas. It took great courage
to do what she's done.

Foxy, "It took great courage to do what she's done." Could not agree more. There were many individuals in the 20th C that achieved great things, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King jr, In science and medicine Marie Curie, Dr Jonas Salk, Albert Schweitzer and many more.

>>Who do you nominate for person of the twentieth century?<<

Douglas Adams (PBUH). Clearly, hands down, Adams is the winner.

But as for the runners up:

1st runner up: Albert Einstein

2nd runner up: Karl Popper

And in no particular order, all the people considered for an honourable mention:

Imre Lakatos
Erwin Schrodinger
Niels Bohr
Werner Heisenberg
Satyendra Nath-Bose
Richard Feynman
John Bell
David Bohm
Hugh Everett

Isaac Asimov
Philip Kindred Dick
Ray Bradbury
Eric Blair

J.R.R Tolkien
C.S. Lewis
J.K. Rowling
Diana Wynne Jones

Terry Pratchett
Robert Rankin
Neil Gaiman
Robert Lynne Asprin

Cheers,

Tony

Tony is that a list of your friends and neighbors?
Douglas Adams, Yogi Bear's sidekick Boo Boo would have more chance of winning such an award than Dougie Adams, as for the rest of your list, you left off Huckleberry Hound. A nice gee up there Tony. LOL.

>>Douglas Adams, Yogi Bear's sidekick Boo Boo would have more chance of winning such an award than Dougie Adams<<

The 6th level of Hell is the level for heretics, and that's where I'm headed.

The 7th is for the violent: all those young thugs doing coward punches end up there.

I believe the 8th is for frauds: the sub-prime mortgage collapse will have sent a lot of merchant b(w)ankers to an unfortunate circle.

And the 9th, of course, is for the treasonous: Judas, Cain, Brutus and other charming figures from literary history end up there.

But there is a 10th circle of hell. Dante didn't publish that bit because he couldn't get it past the censors. You don't want to know what happens to people who are banished to the 10th circle. The 10th circle is the eventual resting place of those who don't appreciate the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. I'd like to imagine that it includes a functional Total Perspective Vortex.

Cheers,

Tony