10.
Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell is the creator of Atari and one of the founders of the video game industry. He’s a businessman who has started over 20 companies including Chuck E Cheese. He made the first ever video game called Pong. Bushnell made his designs so they would be easy to learn and hard to master.
He’s number 10 on my list because he has made a huge impact on society by creating two things that became a big part of culture today. He’s not as important as everyone else on my list, but he started what could be considered one of the biggest communities in the world.
9.
Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was a polish social worker who helped save 2,500 Jewish children having saved 400 personally. She made sure to save the orphaned children before she started saving other children as well.
She’s number 9 on my list because she decided to save kids from a terrible fate. Even after she was captured and tortured she still continued to save children. Sendler is a great example of never giving up no matter how hard things get.
8.
Mary Elizabeth Lease
Mary Elizabeth Lease was a writer and political activist who believed wall street owned the country and made more than 160 speeches in a campaign in 1890. She started as an advocate for African American suffrage.
She’s number 8 on my list because she not only fought against wall street, but she also fought for suffrage and civil rights. She was called “Our Queen Mary” during one campaign and “the peoples Joan of Arc.” She also fought for farmers’ rights by telling them they should “raise less corn and more hell.”
7.
Sally Ride
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space in 1983. She and her partner made a non-profit organization for women and girls interested in STEM. She also wrote children’s books about space exploration for children who liked space. She made sure to inspire people even after death.
She’s number 7 on my list because she was one of the many women who chose to use her experience to encourage young girls and women that enjoyed STEM related jobs and careers.
6.
Anne Frank
Anne Frank was a teenage girl forced into hiding in an attic that belonged to her fathers coworkers. She proceeded to write a diary about her life in hiding and other things she experienced.
She’s number 6 on my list because she took advantage of the horrible situation she was in to observe all of her surroundings and encapsulate them in a diary. She was a good example of what the families in hiding experienced before they were eventually found.
5.
Vine Deloria Jr
Vine Deloria Jr was an author and an activist for Native American rights. He wrote a book named Custer Died For Your Sins that helped attract attention to Native American issues.
He’s number 5 on my list because he was a big help in increasing memberships of tribes and writing a book to show the natives' struggles, humor and the government's “help” to progress their cause. Doing more hindering than helping.
4.
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta is the co-founder of the united farm workers association. She decided to become an activist after experiencing discrimination by one of her teachers and when her brother was brutally beaten by white men for wearing a zoot suit.
She’s number 4 on my list because She was a huge advocate for immigrant farm workers to make sure they got better environments and benefits. She’s even been awarded many honors for her contributions to their issues. She fought for hispanics to be able to vote and be equal to everyone else.
3.
Horace Mann
Horace Mann was known as The Father of American Education. He was an abolitionist and a Whig politician. He was known for his commitment to promoting public education because he believed it would help unruly children.
He’s number 3 on my list because he knew that children needed education and guiding instead of working from a very young age. He quit his other jobs to focus on making sure the places of education were performing well.
2.
Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater was known as The Father of the American Industrial Revolution. He memorized textile machinery in British factories and used it to create the first water powered textile mill.
He’s number 2 on my list because he really helped kick start the industrial revolution of America. He created factories based on family patterns and even though his first employees were children, they were still taught by the college students that also worked at the factories.
1.
Socrates
Socrates was credited as the founder of western philosophy. He created the socratic method which is learning how to analyze and answer questions in a better way. He was sentenced to death because people thought he was corrupting the youth.
He’s number 1 on my list because he went against what everyone thought. He was logical and wanted others to realize that asking and answering questions is more than saying yes or no. Socrates wanted people to think before asking and answering questions.