This is a starting point for influential people in history who have passed away.

• The structure of this subject focuses on timing and action and how both contributed to historical people being influential.

Arranged in chronological order of most recent first to least recent.

This article uses CE & BCE notion: Before Common Era (BCE) & Common Era (CE) are listed in chronological order.

• Note: Before Christ (BC) & anno domini (AD) are equivalent to BCE & CE respectively.

Albert Einstein (March 1879 – April 1955): He was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 1869 – January 1948): He was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial activist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule.

Nikola Tesla (July 1856 – January 1943): He is known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 1844 – August 1900): He was a German philosopher.

Ludwig van Beethoven (December 1770 – March 1827): He was a German composer and pianist.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (August 1770 – November 1831): He was a German philosopher and a major figure in the tradition of German idealism.

Immanuel Kant (April 1724 – February 1804): He was a German philosopher.

Sir Isaac Newton (January 1643 – March 1727): He was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, author, and inventor.

William Shakespeare (April 1564 – April 1616): He was an English playwright, poet, and actor.

Leonardo da Vinci (April 1452 – May 1519): He was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

Muhammad (~ 570 CE – June 632 CE): He was an Arab religious, military and political leader and the founder of Islam.

Tip: Think negative numbers with timing now. It goes backwards, i.e., 600 BCE equals -600 on a timeline scale.

Jesus, aka Jesus Christ (~ 5 BCE – 33 CE): He was a 1st‑century Jewish preacher and religious leader in the Roman province of Judaea. He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion.

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (51 BCE – 30 BCE): She was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh.

Confucius, aka Kong Qiu (~ 551 BCE – 479 BCE): He was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages.

Siddhartha Gautama, aka “The Buddha” (~ 600 BCE – 500 BCE): He was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia and founded Buddhism.

Laozi, aka Lao Tzu (~ 600 BCE – 500 BCE): He was a legendary Chinese philosopher and author of the Tao Te Ching, one of the foundational texts of Taoism.