Which historical figure in history do you like / fascinate you the most?

[DamianSolo]

Jean Lafitte.

 

 

He's somewhat of a local legend.

[Planet Mars]

William Dorsey Swann,

 

The very first self-identified Drag Queen who hosted Drag balls in his home in DC back in the late 1880's and early 1890's. His "drags" were raided and made the papers constantly, but he kept doing them. Eventually he was thrown in jail and wrote a letter to then president Grover Cleveland . 2 of his brothers hosted parties with him and one of them designed the gowns. 

 

Marie Thérèse Metoyer

 

An incredibly wealthy black woman of the 18th century who was born enslaved and became a concubine to a very wealthy Frenchman. Politics eventually ended their relationship but he inherited her and their children a **** load of wealth and land. She has an incredibly fascinating story up to and including successfully petitioning for land from the Spanish crown. She owned estates and 3 slaves. She willed several of her daughters into placage as well so they could find wealthy Frenchmen to live off of. It's wild. I'd love to talk with her and hear her stories.

 

Lastly, if we're talking celebrities. 

 

Josephine Baker by far, the most fascinating celebrity figure of the 20th century. Born poor in Baltimore to become the toast of Paris, an international sensation of stage and the screen. She was even a medaled participant in the French resistance during WW2 and introduced the Charleston to Europe. She is the OG Diva to me and although the statement is thrown around she feels truly before her time. Her looks are timeless and aspects of her style would work TODAY.

 

Plenty of others, but if I could sit and just chat with 3 historical figures, it'd be the three of them.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Planet Mars

[bliaz]

Jesus. 

[Virgos Groove]

5 hours ago, Domination said:

Jesus could probably be put in this category as well.

Nah, most historians agree that Jesus existed.

[Tropez]

5 hours ago, Domination said:

King David, Ali, and King Arthur have little factual evidence of their existence. Jesus could probably be put in this category as well. Then you have several people on this list whose lives are notably misconstrued or ahistorical, like Joan of Arc.

Historical figure doesn’t mean they have to be a real person. While they can be legendary, or evidence may not hold on their existence. Did that figure have historical influence? If yes, then they would make the list. 
 

Also, Jesus does have sources that show he did exist. His miracles did not happen as they were included years after his death. 

[Domination]

38 minutes ago, Tropez said:

Historical figure doesn’t mean they have to be a real person. While they can be legendary, or evidence may not hold on their existence. Did that figure have historical influence? If yes, then they would make the list. 
 

Also, Jesus does have sources that show he did exist. His miracles did not happen as they were included years after his death. 

Okay, let’s include Cleopatra and Santa Claus then. I’m not saying these people shouldn’t be here but there were more impactful real people that are absent than some real and unreal people on this list.

Edited June 24, 2023 by Domination

[Domination]

39 minutes ago, Virgos Groove said:

Nah, most historians agree that Jesus existed.

Not outright denying he existed.

[Tropez]

14 minutes ago, Domination said:

Okay, let’s include Cleopatra and Santa Claus then. I’m not saying these people shouldn’t be here but there were more impactful real people that are absent than some real and unreal people on this list.

You’re right they can. And Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas. 

[The7thStranger]

Julius Caesar

Cleopatra

Cicero

Catullus

[Bacardo Royale]

Julius Caesar

Mansa Musa

Rasputin

[Feanor]

Alexander the Great.

[spiritboy]

These days i read about serial killers and they fascinate me. Jack The Ripper is the Madonna of the serial killers, he has the longevity. Other than that, The Bender Family, William Burke & Hare and Bible John are very interesting cases.

[katara]

All the scientists and musicians fascinate me. All these war lords, politicans and religious leaders can rot. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by katara

[kandicha]

Not like, as much as fascinate.

But Jesus, because he had so much impact people are still following him two millennia later.

[John Slayne]

Aristotle being higher than Plato seems wrong

 

Jesus is overrated, obviously he had a huge impact on history but his ideas were hardly that revolutionary. Abrahamic religions already existed, he just introduced a new one, which like I said, has been massively influential but the top spot should be reserved for someone who truly revolutionised the way humanity thinks. 

 

As for figures that fascinate me the most, it would have to be someone from the very distant past. We have a relatively good insight into most famous people from 15th century onwards and in some cases there's a lot of manuscripts talking about ancient kings and queens, but I'd be interested in talking to the very first leaders of civilization. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by John Slayne

[kataraqueen]

On 6/23/2023 at 1:28 PM, vale9001 said:

well clearly Jesus is the most influential figure in history, if you just make an historian and not a religious analysis. I don't even know where to start to explain what a revolutionary figure it was, literally changed humanity prospective. 

 

From the list i would say Alexander the great and Julius Caesar were most influential than Napoleon. 

 

Also they puth Muhammad, Ghandi and Gengis Khan and they thought this is shows the most infuential persons in the world, not only from a western prospective. Lol.

 

From all the rest of the list, with people really changing science, politics, philosophy, so with an effect for centuries in societies Elvis Presley there seems a joke. 

 

 

He propelled us into the dark ages lol but I have to agree.

 

There's some figures on here that were so influential during their lifetime, they ended up helping humanity get out of it though, and I wish they had been placed higher for it. Michelangelo's art was studied again and served as inspiration for Europe moving away from paintings being solely used for religious depictions

 

Elvis definitely deserves his dues. Pop music as an industry is in big part thanks to him

[kataraqueen]

On 6/25/2023 at 2:47 PM, John Slayne said:

Aristotle being higher than Plato seems wrong

 

Jesus is overrated, obviously he had a huge impact on history but his ideas were hardly that revolutionary. Abrahamic religions already existed, he just introduced a new one, which like I said, has been massively influential but the top spot should be reserved for someone who truly revolutionised the way humanity thinks. 

 

As for figures that fascinate me the most, it would have to be someone from the very distant past. We have a relatively good insight into most famous people from 15th century onwards and in some cases there's a lot of manuscripts talking about ancient kings and queens, but I'd be interested in talking to the very first leaders of civilization. 

Plato's influence ties in largely with philosophical dilemmas and ideas, Socrates was on top of that used in things like reasoning and logic

 

Socrates was like considered the ultimate pool of knowledge until like the medieval ages as far as I'm aware but correct me if I'm wrong

[John Slayne]

3 hours ago, kataraqueen said:

Plato's influence ties in largely with philosophical dilemmas and ideas, Socrates was on top of that used in things like reasoning and logic

 

Socrates was like considered the ultimate pool of knowledge until like the medieval ages as far as I'm aware but correct me if I'm wrong

yes but I said Aristotle 

[kataraqueen]

2 minutes ago, John Slayne said:

yes but I said Aristotle 

I meant Aristotle, the things I said don't apply to Socrates nn

 

anyway check his wiki to see just much contribution this man has had to humanity's current knowledge:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle