Who are the most influential people of the past thousand years? Whose impact is felt in our lives today? Who changed the world for the better, or for the worse, on such a scale that our lives would be different today if they had not lived? Biography of the Millennium seeks to answer these questions. Drawn from scholars, experts, politicians, and our viewers, A & E has compiled a list of the one hundred most influential people of the millennium. Ranging from pacifists to murderers, artists to scientists, the humble to the most powerful, this list includes people from all walks of life who became forces of power, thought, and ideology of the last thousand years.

Biography of the Millennium would be useful for classes on World History, World Culture, Theology, Philosophy, Science and Technology, Gender History, Military History, Geography, Literature, Political Science and Sociology. It is appropriate for middle school, high school and college.

This study guide meets the following National Standards for History: World History Standards for Grades 5-12, Eras 5 through 9; including Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making and Historical Analysis and Interpretation.

• Antithesis
• Canonized\tManifesto
• Catalyst
• Dogma
• Embodiment
• Emissary
• Enigma
• Flamboyant
• Heinous
• Heresy
• Illustrious
• Imperative
• Impresario
• Inoculate
• Legacy
• Metaphor
• Obliterate
• Ornery
• Pathos
• Physiology
• Poignant
• Prodigious
• Regime
• Resilient
• Sultan
• Tempestuous
• Unprecedented
• Veritable

1. Under the leadership of Suleiman I (1494-1566), the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith. What were the accomplishments of Suleiman I and what is his legacy?

2. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) is considered the founding father of jazz. What is jazz? How is jazz a uniquely American art form?

3. Jonas Salk (1914-1995) invented the first vaccine against poliomyelitis. Why was Salk's vaccine considered a "miracle in a test tube?"

4. AIDS is one of the scourges of our century, indeed our millennium. Research of the killer virus revolves around "patient zero." Who is patient zero? What is his symbolic value?

5. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was one of the most famous and influential women of the twentieth century. As "First Lady of the world" she became a figure of hope and humanity. How did Eleanor Roosevelt defy women's traditional roles? How did she transgress the gender boundaries of her time?

6. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) epitomized the caring and compassion that we associate with nursing today. She has become a metaphor for compassionate nurturing. What do we mean by a metaphor? What other names in history are metaphoric?

7. Louis Daguerre (1789-1851) invented the earliest widely practiced form of photography, the daguerreotype. How did Daguerre's process change the way we see the world?

8. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) fought all her life for women's right to vote. What is the legacy of this great woman? How have women's rights and roles in society changed since her fight?

9. Rachel Carson's (1907-1964) path breaking book, Silent Spring, alerted the world to the dangers of pollution and ecological damage from chemicals such as DDT. What is the legacy of Carson's book?

10. Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) invented the first practical radio-signaling system. How did Marconi's invention change the world?

11. Nelson Mandela ( 1918-present), the first black president of South Africa, spent 28 years in prison because of his resistance to apartheid. What is apartheid? How did Mandela help to topple this political system?

12. Joseph Stalin (1879-1953) was one of the most influential political leaders of the twentieth century. During his reign, Stalin committed some of the greatest crimes of world history. Discuss Stalin's crimes and their repercussions on world history.

13. Gregory Pincus (1903-1967) developed the birth control pill. How did this drug change society and gender roles?

14. Harriet Tubman (1820?-1913) lead an estimated 300 slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Discuss how Tubman represented resistance and rebellion.

15. Discuss why Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is considered the "quintessential American. "

16. Walt Disney (1901-1966) changed the face of American entertainment with his animations, movies, television series and theme parks. What is your favorite Disney character? How has Disney influenced your life?

17. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) guided America through the Great Depression and World War II. Roosevelt tried to alleviate the effects of the Great Depression with his New Deal. What was the New Deal and what were some of its programs? Was the New Deal successful?

18. Although Elvis Presley (1935-1977) died over twenty years ago, he is as popular today as when he was alive. Why did Presley become almost a cult after his death? <P>19. Marie Curie's (1867-1934) discoveries about radium and polonium helped to usher in the nuclear age of the twentieth century, but she paid dearly for her science. How did Curie sacrifice her life for her contributions to science and the world?

19. Marie Curie's (1867-1934) discoveries about radium and polonium helped to usher in the nuclear age of the twentieth century, but she paid dearly for her science. How did Curie sacrifice her life for her contributions to science and the world?

20. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which asserts that intellectual companionship is the ideal of marriage and pleads for equality of education and opportunity between the sexes. How did her work challenge the accepted gender roles for women in the 18th century?

21. Bill Gates (1955-present) is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft Corporation, the leading computer software company in the United States. Where does Gates stand in U.S. history? In world history?

22. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) led the Civil Rights movement in America in the 1950s and the 1960s. How did King change American society?

23. Why is James Watt (1736-1819) called the "godfather of the Industrial Revolution?"

24. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is one of Catholicism's leading theologians. How did Aquinas provide a bridge between Christian faith and scientific rationalism?

25. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) presiding over the United States during the Civil War. How did he help to preserve the great experiment of democracy?

26. Economist Adam Smith (1723-1790) provided the blueprint for capitalism. Discuss Smith's concept of laissez faire and its influence on American and global economics.

27. Discuss how political philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) influenced the founding fathers of American political thought.

28. Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948) showed that you could change the world by peaceful means. How have Ghandi's principles lived beyond his life?

29. Discuss the irony of a list such as this that includes people as different as Mahatma Ghandi and Adolf Hitler (1889-1945).

30. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) served as the third president of the United States. But Jefferson's talents extended beyond the political realm. Discuss some of the many talents of this extraordinary man.

31. Why is Thomas Edison (1847-1931) called "the wizard of Menlo Park?" How did Edison's many inventions change the world?

32. What is pasteurization? Why does this process bear the name of French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)?

33. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) pioneered the new science of psychology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. How did Freud change the ways in which we think about ourselves?

34. What does the term "renaissance man" mean? Why is Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) a true "renaissance man?"

35. Why do you think that religious leaders felt so threatened by the scientific ideas theorized by Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) and then publicly proclaimed by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)? What do you think that church leaders expected to accomplish by charging Galileo with heresy and by forcing him to repudiate his claims? Why did it take the Vatican so long (1992) to admit that they had wrongly accused Galileo?

36. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is often credited as the "Father of the Nuclear Age." What scientific breakthroughs did he make to earn this title? How do you think that Einstein would react to this label? Why?

37. Karl Marx (1818-1883) is most often remembered by his powerful call, "Workers of the world unite!" What were the basic economic changes that Marx was hoping to make through his work? Name the world leaders and countries that were most affected by his ideas.

38. In many ways, Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is the most controversial figure in the "top 10" of this millennial list. Why is his legacy so contested? Why are people's opinions of his accomplishments so heavily dependent upon one's cultural perspective?

39. The work of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has had a tremendous impact on writers and filmmakers in the twentieth century. Can you think of any contemporary books or movies that appear to be at least partially based on a Shakespearean plot? Are there any contemporary writers or filmmakers whose work you believe will have the same kind of lasting impact that Shakespeare's has?

40. Charles Darwin's (1809-1882) scientific breakthroughs are all the more remarkable because they rely solely upon the power of observation, rather than on technological innovation. What was the basic premise of Darwin's theory of evolution? What did he mean by "survival of the fittest?" Can you think of any historical examples where this evolutionary idea has been used to perpetrate inhumane social policies?

41. By proclaiming that man could reach salvation by faith alone, Martin Luther (1483-1546) shook the very foundations of the religious establishment. How have his ideas reshaped the church? What were the political implications of his ideas outside of the church?

42. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) is often cited as the "Father of Modern Science." In what ways have his mathematical and scientific discoveries shaped modern civilization?

43. Johann Gutenberg (c.1400-1468) differs from others listed in the "top 10" of this millennial list because he did not develop a scientific theory, nor did he produce a large body of scholarly work. Instead, Gutenberg was responsible for a single invention-the printing press. How did this invention "unleash the power of ideas," as one commentator suggests? How has this "unleashing" been so central to the development and spread of democracy? In what ways is this "communication revolution" still happening? What do we mean when we say that this is helping to create a more "global society?"

1. On a global map, highlight the area of the Ottoman Empire at its height in the 15th century.

2. Create a timeline of the millenium that illustrates the most important events.

3. Not everyone will agree with the choices and order of people on this list. Create your own "top ten" list of people of the millennium. Why did you choose these people?

4. Create an illustration of what you consider to be the most important invention of the millennium.

5. Research the interconnections and divergences between Communism and Marxism. Why are the two often confused?

6. Pick a major city and research the development of the daily press in that location. What impact did the growth of newspapers have on other political, economic, and social events? At which historical moments, for instance, did people rely most heavily on newspapers to get information? Why?