Monday, May 19, 2008

Ten Most Important Americans

I'm curious, after reading an article in Smithsonian, who would you say are the ten most famous Americans?  Could you use my comments section and let me do a survey of my own?  I'll do it the same way the Smithsonian guys did.

Starting with Columbus, first list your top five famous Americans (Please exclude presidents and first ladies), then skip a space and list your top five famous American women (excluding first ladies).  After I hear from whoever is going to participate, I'll tell you the results that were in Smithsonian and I'll tell you my personal.

(Charlotte posted an interesting question.  You should read the comments.)

11 comments:

Charlotte in Pa said...

Ahh... but is it most important or famous? Because those are two very different things.

Tonia said...

I know. But here's the weird thing: The survey guys asked for "famous" and got important. When they changed their survey to say "important," they got pretty much the same results. I'm skeptical, frankly.

Here's another weird thing: When I asked Russ to name most famous Americans, going back to Columbus, his first two answers were Micheal Jordan and Elvis Presley (Not even on the consensus list). When he couldn't come up with anymore, I moved him on to famous American women. All his answers, except Mia Hamm, were on the list that most adult Americans gave to the survey guys. What does that say?

Charlotte in Pa said...

MLK Jr., Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Jackie Robinson, Bill Gates

Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Sally Ride

Charlotte in Pa said...

Wait... the first one you just wanted "top five famous Americans," so I guess I could've included women in there, too. I'm so confused!

Christi said...

here's my challenge, i started reading Charlotte's answers so now mine are skewed. I can't think of very many famous people from way back who weren't presidents or first ladies. And I also think famous and important are very different. there are very important people who have done very important, world-changing things, but i don't know their names (I guess their marketing people weren't up to today's standards). and i'm sure this list isn't THE top 10. it's just 10 who i can think of, and most are just famous because i don't know all the important people.

Paul Revere, General Lee (I'd put grant in there, but he's exempt), Harriet Tubbman, John D. Rockefeller, MLK Jr, Elvis, Bob Dillan, Neil Armstrong, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates

Harriet Tubbman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Katherine Hepburn, Angeline Jolee, and Dakota Fanning (just cuz i like her)

Christi said...

oops, i thought i had to think of 10 in the first one. and apparently i have a bad memory for women in history. or at least this morning i do.

Julie said...

I thought of almost all the same ones as Christi and Charlotte. The only other one I could think of that wasn't already on the list was George W. Carver.

Sue said...

Thomas Paine, MLK jr., Jonas Salk, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs (I know that is cheating but I really can't decide), Benjamin Franklin

Women-
Abigail Adams, Susan B Anthony, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jane Roe (Rose vs. Wade but not her real name), Hillary Clinton- I know I know but she is the first woman to have a real shot at being a president- history will remember this.

Anonymous said...

Alright, I'll play along...

Men - Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, any veteran, Alexander Graham Bell & Mark Twain

Women - Sandra Day O'Connor, Gerladine Ferarro, Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, Sacahawea

Thanks for making me think Tonia!

Aimee said...

Charlotte's answers are good and I don't want to steal those but I am using two of her guys and one of the women I had already thought of on my own.

Neil Armstrong, Henry Ford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ben Franklin, and Thomas Edison

Oprah, Barbara Walters, Betsy Ross, Sandra Day O'Conner, and (I can't think of fifth, sad I know)

I'm a little skeptical about Betsy Ross, but she came to mind.

Aimee said...

Oh by the way, I didn't look at any other people's list besides Charlotte's until after I posted. So, I had thought of several of the people on their lists, like Angelina Jolee and Abigail Adams (but I thought she was a first lady).