TIME, the American news magazine, released a list of top 25 political icons of the world, on the 100th birth anniversary of the late 40th US President Ronald Reagan on February 6. From Gandhi, who tops the list, to Hitler, here’s a glimpse of top 10 leaders of the TIME’s top 25 “world leaders whose legacies have stood the test of time.”
Indian statesman and activist Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948), circa 1940. Dinodia Photos/Getty ImagesThe young leader who conquered the world, Alexander the ‘Great’ has greatness linked to his name. He takes the second slot in TIME’s list.Alexander the Great “defeated the mighty Persian Empire, ever the scourge of the Greeks, razed its once mighty capital of Persepolis to the ground and tried to stitch together an incredible cosmopolitan empire from the Indus to the Hellespont — all while he was in his 20s,” the magazine said.
REUTERS/Stoyan NenovRecognized by TIME as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, Mao Zedong is named third most influential political icon of all time.“Building on Marxism and Leninism, Mao put his own spin on Communist political theory in what is now known as Maoism. He is regarded as a revolutionary mastermind whose ideas provided the foundation for advancements that helped the nation grow from an agrarian society into a world power,” TIME said.But his legacy remains a complicated one, according to TIME. “Mao's Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution are blamed for the deaths of tens of millions, largely due to famine,” the magazine said.REUTERS/David Gray“It's difficult to imagine 20th century Britain without Sir Winston Churchill. Through two world wars and beyond, he played a pivotal role in the nation's foreign affairs, first as the lord of the admirality at the start of World War I and then as prime minister during World War II,” said TIME listing Winston Churchill in fourth slot.REUTERS/Alessia PierdomenicoThe 13th century Mongol emperor is described by TIME as a figure that “inspires the awe — and terror.”“His own campaigns focused mostly on parts of China and Central Asia, but his descendants would go on to create a vast empire that spanned from the fringes of Siberia into the river valleys of Eastern Europe,” TIME said.
REUTERS/Zeev RozenbergKnown for spurring anti-apartheid movement, TIME describes Nelson Mandela as a, “symbol of an entire people's struggle against injustice.” He spent 27 years in jail and upon his release since 1999, he continues to embody the struggle for peace, reconciliation and social justice worldwide, the magazine said.REUTERS/Michael KoorenA "house divided cannot stand," said Lincoln during his 1858 U.S. Senate campaign that laid out his vision for the United States, TIME said.“His 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the Union's successful prosecution of the war meant that Lincoln was practically an iconic figure even before his assassination just days after the conflict's end in 1865,” the magazine added.
REUTERS/Jason ReedA wax figure of Adolf Hitler is pictured through a glass screen in a mock bunker at the German 'Madame Tussauds' in Berlin.TIME describes Hitler as a “universal symbol for evil” while listing him in the top 25 political icons of the world.“Hitler's fervent nationalism — which eventually led to the most horrific displays of inhumanity ever witnessed — initially stirred a tired and hungry German people who fell in line with his National Socialism party following their devastating loss of territory and prestige in World War I,” TIME said.ReutersErnesto Guevara's hombre nuevo, new man, was endowed with the ability to permanently prioritize the "other" over the "self,” said TIME while listing the revolutionist.“As he joined Fidel Castro's march through Cuba in the 1950's, Guevara never wavered on the principle that you were either for the revolution or you weren't. It was Guevara who orchestrated extrajudicial killings on the mere suspicion of disloyalty,” it said.
REUTERS/Enrique de la OsaBarack Obama said that his role model for political leadership was Reagan, because he "changed the trajectory of America in a way... that Bill Clinton did not." TIME lists him on the 10th slot.REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
