When asked a Young Kid what they would like to become in the future he/she replies by saying they want to become an Albert Einstein or a Cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar. It is exciting to know how great personalities can not just influence adults but also children. Reading success stories of Great Personalities will leave a great impression on people and their lives. Right from their struggles to their Passion, there are endless things to learn from such great personalities. Keeping all this in mind we have outlined the Great Personalities List in India and the World who not just exceeded in their career and also inspired millions of people.
Famous Personalities of the World with Pictures and Names
Have a glance at the Inspiring personalities of the World provided with Pictures and Names. We have explained all about their achievements, struggles, their passion, etc. Regardless of what others say just try hard enough and work tirelessly. The Famous Personalities provided below just proved that with their fame and fortune.
Nelson Mandela
Mandela was born in a small village called Mvezo and was originally named Rolihlahla Mandela. He grew up listening to the stories of his ancestors who fought during the wars of resistance. In the early 1940’s he chose to pursue a law degree at Witswaterand University where he got to meet people from various races and backgrounds. At this time, he joined the African National Congress along with a group of Young Africans and brought a mass grassroots movement to voice out the rural peasant’s, working people concerns through ANC. ANC accepted their unique movements such as boycott, strike, non-cooperation, and civil disobedience.
Of all the great personalities in the world, Nelson Mandela was there in Jail for about 27 years, arrested and detained continuously for emerging as a potent symbol of black resistance. He came back from Jail in 1990 and was awarded Nobel Peace Price in the year 1993 for dismantling apartheid in South Africa. He became the first black president of South Africa in the Democratic Elections held in 1994.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln born on 12th February and brought up in Kentucky where he did his meagre education as he has to continuously juggle between jobs and work for the sake of his family. He was known for bringing emancipation of slaves in the United States. Being a self-taught lawyer and legislator Lincoln became one of the great personalities of the American Civil War. He was the 16th President of the US just before the outbreak of civil war. Lincoln used an unconventional approach to being a war leader and addressed the problems and circumstances rather than simply bringing out new policies and laying out designs.
He took an experimental approach and blended statecraft in the direction of armies and utilized his common sense and practical insight and brought triumph to the country as a savvy leader. It’s not just his military genius that sets him apart from all the presidents he is the one responsible for the abolishment of slavery in America.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam also known as A.P.J Abdul Kalam is an Aerospace Scientist who bought in astonishing technical reforms in the country. He is known as the People’s favorite leader and Missile Man of India. He did everything needed for the nation’s civilian space program and military missile development right from introducing launch vehicle facility and ballistic missile to supporting 2nd round of nuclear tests at Pokhran.
A.P.J Abdul Kalam spent almost 40 years of his career in ISRO and DRDO as a Scientist and Administrator. After retiring from his post as 11th President of India(2002-2007) he became a visiting professor at IITs, IIM’s, and Several Universities to motivate students to compete with the world. For his contributions to Prithvi in 1988 and Agni missile in 1989, he received countless awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, King Charles II Medal, Hoover Medal, etc. He is a Hero for Millions of People making him one of the Great Personalities of All time.
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel, is a French fashion designer and businesswoman who started the prolific fashion brand named Chanel. Coco Chanel has contributed the fashion and design making right from the black dress, bell-bottomed pants, tweed jackets, gold-chained handbags, menswear, and womenswear to a signature scent making her one of the famous personalities. Her belief fashion can’t be restricted to couture clothing has bought us all the accessories and fragrances as an essential part of fashion.
She worked as a stage performer to save money so that she can open her first store. In 1913, Coco started her first store in Paris and then in Deauville. It is her affection and passion for every item produced that made her a fashion icon in no time. Nobody knew that a young girl who learned sewing in an orphanage would not just design the fashion channel logo herself but also would inspire millions of people out there looking for opportunities in fashion design.
Anne Frank
Germ Born Diarist jotted down her experiences as her family went into hiding from Nazis during the Holocaust. She Spent 2 Years in the “Secret Annex” somewhere in Amsterdam before being identified and deported to concentration camps. She got her diary on her 13th Birthday in which she wrote about all her experiences during the 2 Years of hiding with her family. Later, she began a Novel and even wrote several Short Stories as it helped in passing time during those years. Later on, her Diary was discovered by two helpers and then her Writings are Published as “The Diary of Anne Frank”.
Diary of Anne Frank has been translated into 57 Languages and tells an incredible perspective of the holocaust through the 13-year-old girl’s point of view in hiding and her extraordinary storytelling amid the horrible circumstances.
Albert Einstein
You might be aware of the famous equation E=mc^2, the theory of relativity that helped to complete theories put forth by Newton and led to the development of Quantum Theory and Photo-Electric Effect. Albert Einstein is a German Born Scientist and is the man behind all these findings. He did his Diploma in Federal Polytechnic School and later awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Zurich. He began his career in a Patent Office initially and later moved to Research and Development completely.
Einstein contributed his knowledge to various educational institutes such as the Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Bern, Caltech, the University of Oxford, etc. Einstein received Nobel Prize in Physics in the year of 1921 and is considered the most influential Physicist of the 20th Century. Many leading scientists and physicists are trying to complete Einstein’s Ultimate Dream of the “Theory of Everything”.
Walt Disney
Legendary Pioneer of Disney Cartoons, Walt Disney is the one who created the Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney is the mastermind behind the Mesmerizing Animations as well as scintillating Theme Parks. He Grew up in a poor family and his talent was sparked by a doctor who asked him to draw a horse. Walt fell in love with drawing and painting and improved his art by drawing cartoons from his father’s newspaper.
He joined the Mckinsey High School when his family moved to Chicago and then dropped out from school at the age of 16 to join the Army. With his hard work and efforts, he then joined Red Cross and somehow traveled to France with Army. Amid the bloodshed and grim injuries he witnessed on a daily basis, he found comfort in imagining new characters to fulfill his dream as an artist. He joined a firm as Cartoonist and soon got fired from the job saying that he lacked imagination.
He wrote “Alice in the Wonderland” and then shifted to Hollywood to sell his story. Destiny had something else for him as he went to produce Alice in the Wonderland under the banner of Disney Bros. Studios and from then there was no looking back as the Studio reached new heights and became the top film studios in the country and the world.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar famed all the world carried the Nation’s Pride on his No. 10 Jersey. He is among the Prominent Personalities and is a true inspiration for all cricket lovers. He is also known as Master Blaster and is the finest right-handed batsman in Cricket History. He began his cricket journey at the age of 11 and made his first-class debut when he was 15 and his first debut against Pakistan at the age of 16. Sachin is India’sery Own God of Cricket.
After his retirement in 2013, he received his Bharat Ratna the youngest person to receive the award. In a career Span of 22 Years, 91 days he is the only player to score 30,000 runs in Indian Cricket, the only one to score 100 International Hundreds, and the first player to score double hundreds in a limited over cricket and the list goes on. Being an Active Member of the Rajya Sabha he donated all his Rajyasabha Money to the Country’s Welfare. Watching his memorable knocks millions of people started aspiring to make a career in sports and watched cricket just to see him bat on the ground.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson is a popular American singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is popularly known as the “King of Pop”. Michael Joseph Jackson is a Multi-Talented Musical Entertainer and enjoyed topping career both as a Solo Artist and with Jackson 5. Encouraged by his father Jackson started his musical journey at the age of 5 and got recognized as great entertainers of the 20th Century. His Popular Moonwalk dance move immortalized solitary, trophy jacket trend in the 80s he was in the limelight for about 4 Decades.
Jackson’s famous work was exhibited in Thriller and released best-selling albums such as Dangerous, Bad, Off the Wall, HIStory, and Invincible. Some of his greatest achievements include 31 Guinness World Records, 26 American Music Awards, Billboard 100 top ten single in five different decades, 13 Grammy Awards, etc. People all over the world consider him great personalities for the kind of excellence he has towards his work.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe is considered to be a Blonde Bombshell by millions of her admirers. She was a complete star with great modeling and singing skills and is known for her bold acting skills. Monroe was born in 1926 and has a rough childhood thus moving parts from foster homes to orphanages. She met her first love and decided to get married at the age of 16. 1946 was a golden year for her as she started her career as a Model and even signed her first movie.
Since she had no pre-knowledge or idea or background of acting her performance was judged by people to great extent. In no time she became one of the great personalities of all times. Her Best Work includes The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, The Prince, and the Showgirl, The Misfits, and Bus Stop. Due to her anxiety, struggle, depression, and family issues she died at an early age of 36.
Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Alva Edison has been the most creative inventors of all times. Thomas Alva Edison spent all his life bringing new inventions to life by feeding his ideas with a correct approach. Edison was born in the year 1847 in Milan, Ohio, and spent his early childhood in Michigan. To support his family he started to sell candies and vegetables in trains. Later he became a telephone operator and spent a handful of years in this profession.
At the age of 19, he moved to Kentucky to work at AssociatePress Beuro and requested a night shift as he could get plenty of time to read and experiment. Due to an incident that occurred at the press house, he was fired. Later he began to start his own research laboratory. His famous inventions include Photograph, Motion Picture Camera, light Bulb. He is the first one who promoted teamwork while processing the invention with employees and researchers.
Kalpana Chawla
Kalpana Chawla is a name that always stands on the list of great personalities of all times. She is a girl born to change the vision of the world with her starry imagination. She was born in Haryana in the year 1962. Universe fascinated her the most right from the beginning of her childhood. Her indomitable courage and towering dreams made her the first Indian woman and second Indian person to fly in space in 1997.
She and her brother used to hop on bicycles to just check where the airplanes were headed to. She chose her own name Kalpana which means imagination to draw airplanes. Her Explorative Journey gave a reason for many young minds to pursue their dreams.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is Known for not giving a seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery. She was a civil rights activist whose single act of defiance led to nationwide efforts to abolish rational discrimination in America. She spent her schooling in Segregated Schools, Parks witnessed racial discrimination all throughout her life. When she refused to give a seat on the bus she got arrested and around 500 supporters were there with her in the court. Later, a city-wide boycott happened and African American Commuters chose to walk to work rather than taking buses.
Parks is the one who took a stand against racial discrimination carried out in buses during that time and emerged among the great personalities who led to successful mass movements in American History. She was honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People with the Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy is known for the remarkable work in the realm of Literature. He is a Russian Novelist and Moral Philosopher and is one of the great personalities of Bibliophiles. Leo Tolstoy is one of the world’s leading writers who worked on philosophical essays, short stories, and numerous plays that turned to best sellers. Few of his renowned work includes The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Resurrection, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Hadji Murad, to name a few.
Tolstoy did his schooling at home taking the help of German and French Tutors and did a course in oriental languages. Writing was something that always fascinated him and later he joined the army as a junker for a short span of time and was a part of the Crimean War in 1855. He believed Novels are not just a source of Entertainment but tools for Psychological Education and Reform. His finest achievements continued to inspire young writers and those planning to pursue a degree in English.
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray is one of the most influential filmmakers and also the best storytellers of the 20th century. He left an indelible legacy in the film direction and continues to inspire the modern industry. Satyajit is one among those who did mastery in a number of fields. He is a Screenwriter, Graphic Artist, Music Composer, Lyricist, and Author, and has an unmatched reputation as a polymath in modern cinema.
Ray was described as the greatest film directors of all time. He got many prestigious awards for his work namely National Film Award, BAFTA, and Ramon Magsaysay Award, and quite a few. Satyajit produced a number of films such as Charulata, Music Room, Pathar Panchali, and The Big City. His dedication motivates many persons to pursue Film Studies, Film Editing, and Acting Courses.
20 Great Personalities of India
Below is the list of famous personalities who faced failures, fought against the country’s independence, and emerged as inspirational stories. Here is the list of great personalities of India.
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): The Father of India, Anti-colonial Nationalist, Led the Non-violence movements against British colonizers for India’s independence.
- Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964): The First Prime Minister of India, an Indian Independence activist
- Indira Gandhi (1917–1984): The First and Only Female Prime Minister of India to date
- Mother Teresa (1910–1997): Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956): Indian Social Reformer, Led campaigns against social discrimination towards untouchables, and Social Advocate of rights of women and labor.
- Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966): Indian Politician, Second Prime Minister of India
- A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931–2015): Indian Aerospace Scientist and 11th President of India
- Homi J. Bhabha (1909-1966): Indian Nuclear Physicist, Founding Director and Professor of Physics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
- Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950): Indian Philosopher, Poet, and Nationalist
- Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941): Indian Poet, Writer, Philosopher, Composer, and Painter
- Valabhbhai Patel (1875-1950): Indian Politician, First Deputy Prime Minister of India
- Ratan Tata: Indian Industrialist, Philanthropist and Former Chairman of Tata Group
- Mary Kom: Indian Boxer, the Only female boxer with a medal in each one of the first seven World Championships, Padma Vibhushan
- Kalpana Chawla (1961-2003): Indian-American Astronaut and Engineer, the First woman of Indian origin to go to space
- Azim Premji: Indian Businessman, Investor, and Engineer
- Aamir Khan: Indian Actor
- Kapil Dev: Indian Cricketer
- Sachin Tendulkar: Indian Cricketer
- Smriti Irani: Indian Politician, Former TV Actress
- Mukesh Ambani: Indian Businessman
20 Great Personalities of World
Have a glance at the 20 World Famous People and their endeavours. Let’s dive deep into the article to know more about them and their inspiring stories. They are as follows
- Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882): English Scientist and Naturalist; Known for his contributions to the Science of Evolution
- Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865): 16th President of the US; Leader of the American Civil War
- Walt Disney (1901-1966): American motion-picture and television producer and showman, Created characters like Mickey Mouse, Founder of Disneyland and Disneyworld
- Mother Teresa (1910 – 1997): Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary
- Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931): American inventor and businessman, Known as America’s greatest inventor
- Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013): South African Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary
- Marilyn Monroe (1926 – 1962): American Actress, Singer, and Model
- John F. Kennedy (1917 – 1963): 35th President of the US; Youngest person to be elected in the Office
- Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968): American Activist who led the Civil Rights Movement
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955): German Theoretical Physicist, Renowned for developing the Theory of Relativity
- Rosa Parks (1913-2005): American Activist, Best known for her role in Montgomery Bus Boycott
- Anne Frank (1929-1945): German-Dutch Diarist, Known for the Diary of Young Girl
- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910): Renowned Russian Writer, Known for his phenomenal works like Anna Karenina and War and Peace
- Coco Chanel (1883-1971): French Fashion Designer and Businesswoman, Founder of the world-famous brand Chanel
- Michael Jackson (1958-2009): American Singer, Songwriter, and Dancer, Renowned as the King of Pop
- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015): Indian Aerospace Scientist and 11th President of India
- Satyajit Ray (1921-1992): Oscar-award Winning Indian Filmmaker, writer, and illustrator; Known for films like Apu Trilogy and Jalsaghar
- Kalpana Chawla (1961-2003): Indian-American Astronaut and Engineer, the First woman of Indian origin to go to space
- Muhammad Ali (1942 – 2016): American Boxer, Activist, and Philanthropist
- Sachin Tendulkar: Indian Cricketer
Great Personalities Who are Inspiration for Children
There are several eminent persons out there in the world in the fields of Science, Politics, Literature, Technology, Business, and Arts that are truly inspiring for children to learn about the complexities of life. Below are the greatest personalities that are truly inspirational for children and to get motivated.
Great Personalities in Science
- Albert Einstein: German Theoretical Physicist, Renowned for developing the Theory of Relativity
- Thomas Alva Edison: American inventor and businessman, Known as America’s greatest inventor
- Isaac Newton: English Mathematician, Physicist, Astronomer, Created the theory of relativity
- APJ Abdul Kalam: Indian Aerospace Scientist and 11th President of India
- Nikola Tesla: Serbian-American Engineer and Physicist, Designed the alternating-current (AC) electric system
Great Political Leaders
- Martin J. Luther King: American Activist who led the Civil Rights Movement
- Rajendra Prasad: Indian Independence activist, lawyer, the First President of India
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: the First Prime Minister of India, an Indian Independence activist
- Subhash Chandra Bose: Indian National, Founder of Indian National Army
- Barack Obama: American Politician and Attorney, the first African-American President of India
Great Personalities in Social Welfare
- Mother Teresa: Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary
- Nelson Mandela: South African Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary
- Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the US; Leader of the American Civil War
- Kailash Satyarthi: Indian social reformer working towards the elimination of child labor in India; Nobel Peace Prize Winner 2014
- Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of India, Anti-colonial Nationalist, Led the Non-violence movements against British colonizers for India’s independence
Greatest Personalities in Arts & Literature
- William Shakespeare: English Playwright, Poet, and Actor, One of the greatest playwrights in English Literature
- Jane Austen: English Novelist, Best known for Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility
- Rabindranath Tagore: Indian writer, poet and composer, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Best Known his literary works in Bengali Literature including Gitanjali, The Home, and The World, and Gora
- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910): Renowned Russian Writer, Known for his phenomenal works like Anna Karenina and War and Peace
- Anne Frank: German-Dutch Diarist, Known for the Diary of Young Girl
Great Personalities in Innovation & Technology
- Steve Jobs: American inventor, the Co-founder of Apple Computers
- Jeff Bezos: American Entrepreneur, CEO, and Founder of Amazon
- Jack Ma: Chinese Entrepreneur, Co-founder of Alibaba Group
- Elon Musk: American businessman, Engineer, CEO, CTO & Chief Designer of SpaceX
- Mark Zuckerberg: American Entrepreneur, the Co-founder of Facebook
Great Personalities Quotes
Here are some of the inspirational and motivational quotes of famous personalities in the world. Have an insight into them provided and get motivated. They are along the lines
| “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney “However difficult life may seem, there is always something good you can succeed at.” – Stephen Hawking “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. “ – Nelson Mandela “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare “Don’t spend time beating on a wall hoping to transform it into a door.” – Coco Chanel “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius |
World Famous Personalities
| Great Personalities | Known For |
| Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton | Antarctic Exploration |
| Muhammad Ali | Professional boxing. He also won a Gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. |
| Virginia Woolf | Her novels like Mrs. Dalloway, To The Lighthouse, Monday or Tuesday. |
| George Orwell | His world-famous novels – Animal Farm and 1984. |
| Tim Berners-Lee | His immense contributions to the field of Science and Technology. World Wide Web was invented by him. |
| Tenzin Gyatso | Tibetian Buddhism. He’s the 14th Dalai Lama |
| Helen Keller | Her political activism, steps she took to educate physically disabled students. She was also the 1st deaf-blind student to receive a BA degree. |
| Alfred Hitchcock | Directing and producing movies. Best known for his movies “Vertigo”, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, “Psycho”, etc. |
Inspiring Personalities of India
| P.T Usha | Popularly known as the “Queen of Indian Track and Field”, PT Usha is a famous Indian track runner who has many accolades in her name. |
| B.R Ambedkar | Referred to as the “Father of Indian Constitution”, B.R Ambedkar was an eminent social activist and a lawyer. |
| Sardar Vallabhai Patel | A famous social reformer, 1st deputy PM of India, and the founder of All India Services, Sadra Vallabhai Patel also successfully integrated princely states into a Union. |
| J.R.D Tata | Founder of the first Domestic Airline in India, Tata Airlines, J.R.D Tata is a world-famous businessman. He expanded the Tata group across Steel, Communications, Energy, Research, and other such sectors. |
| Vikram Sarabhai | A Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Vikram Sarabhai has made immense contributions to the field of Physics. The “Father of the Indian Space Program”, he was also a world-renowned industrialist. |