Influential Leaders

I have to a project for my AP US History class. It's an essay on who I believe is the most influential American, someone who may have affected the world.

It can be anything; music, art, science. It just cannot be political leaders (so no Woodrow Wilson or Abraham Lincoln).

Which led me to wonder, who do other people think were really influential?

Personally, I would do Walt Disney, or Margaret Mead.

This could also help me out, because it's first come first serve. So if my people get taken, then I have to have a backup plan XD

EDIT- It does not have to be a good influence, just as long as they affected/changed the world in some way.

oprah

Kind of sad, I was trying to think of people to list, but none of the people I thought of were Americans.

George Bush?

He's... influential...
(Not a good way, imo, but he made quite an impact on the whole world all the same)

I totally agree, not very many Americans XD Which is sad.

Forgot to mention, it doesn't have to be a good influence

As far as Americans go, I think I'd have to say Mark Twain. He was amazingly influential and brilliant and spoke volumes about age and class and race, and a just plain clever writer. His writing really made people think-- but entertained them, too. That's something pretty powerful, there. Anybody who can provoke that much thought with a hilarious novel about kids going on adventures is pretty brilliant in my eyes.

Also, Erin Gruwell. Gosh, this lady. This lady is kind of my hero. She's an absolutely revolutionary teacher. (P.s.- If you haven't seen the movie "Freedom Writers", you need to see it. You know if I'm recommending a movie it's worth watching, because I'm picky about movies, but oh MAN. Talk about inspiring.)


...a lot of the really influential people that I can think of aren't American, though. Like St. Francis (who was so much more than just a cute little friar who loved animals-- though he was that, too) or Siddhartha (who founded Buddhism-- and is, by the way, not a little fat guy with mystical powers).

Music wise, I think Elvis Presley, obviously :U

The Beatles were influential in America too, but they weren't actually American...

additionally, Madonna is pretty influential in music :U

bush is political, read first post.


I would suggest Martin luther King Jr or Susan B. Anthony :3
or Martin Luther (as in the guy who came up with Lutherism)

....Santa Claus, hohoho 8}|

But Santa is from the North Pole D= I don't think he'd qualify

But Santa is from the North Pole D= I don't think he'd qualify

LIES.

Everyone knows Santa is Finnish.

Harriet Beecher Stowe?
She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, which had a big influence on starting the Civil War

Well if it doesn't have to be a good impactor, you could do Al Capone. XD He was a good influence... kind of... in the way that he raised awareness of gangsters, I guess? Lol.

Oh, Al Capone -fondness- =3 I would totally have done him XD