RANK

INDIVIDUAL

PROFESSION

LIFESPAN

DESCRIPTION

1

Ronald Reagan

Politician/Actor

1911–2004

40th President of the United States; former actor.

2

Abraham Lincoln

Politician

1809–1865

16th President of the United States; led during Civil War.

3

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Leader

1929–1968

Leader in the American civil rights movement.

4

George Washington

Military Leader

1732–1799

1st President of the United States; Founding Father.

5

Benjamin Franklin

Inventor/Statesman

1706–1790

Founding Father; known for his inventions and diplomacy.

6

George W. Bush

Politician

1946–present

43rd President of the United States; former Texas Governor.

7

Bill Clinton

Politician

1946–present

42nd President of the United States; known for economic policies.

8

Elvis Presley

Musician/Actor

1935–1977

Iconic rock and roll singer; known as the "King of Rock."

9

Oprah Winfrey

Media Mogul

1954–present

Talk show host, actress, and philanthropist.

10

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Politician

1882–1945

32nd President of the United States; led during Great Depression and WWII.

11

Billy Graham

Evangelist

1918–2018

Prominent Christian minister and evangelist.

12

Thomas Jefferson

Politician/Inventor

1743–1826

3rd President of the United States; principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

13

Walt Disney

Entrepreneur/Animator

1901–1966

Co-founder of The Walt Disney Company; pioneer in animation.

14

Albert Einstein

Physicist

1879–1955

Theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity.

15

Thomas Edison

Inventor

1847–1931

Prolific inventor; known for the electric light bulb and phonograph.

16

John F. Kennedy

Politician

1917–1963

35th President of the United States; known for his charisma and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

17

Bob Hope

Comedian/Actor

1903–2003

Entertainer known for his comedic performances and USO shows.

18

Bill Gates

Entrepreneur/Philanthropist

1955–present

Co-founder of Microsoft; known for his philanthropic efforts.

19

Eleanor Roosevelt

Politician/Activist

1884–1962

First Lady of the United States; advocate for civil rights and human rights.

20

Lance Armstrong

Cyclist

1971–present

Professional cyclist; known for winning Tour de France multiple times.

21

Muhammad Ali

Boxer

1942–2016

Professional boxer; civil rights activist known for his skills and charisma.

22

Rosa Parks

Civil Rights Activist

1913–2005

Known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

23

The Wright Brothers

Inventors

1867–1912 (Orville) and 1871–1948 (Wilbur)

Pioneers of aviation; known for inventing and building the first successful airplane.

24

Henry Ford

Industrialist

1863–1947

Founder of Ford Motor Company; revolutionized manufacturing with assembly line production.

25

Neil Armstrong

Astronaut

1930–2020

First person to walk on the moon during Apollo 11 mission.