Author of Leviathan (1651), Hobbes argued that without a strong sovereign authority, human life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." His social contract theory profoundly influenced Locke, Rousseau, and the foundations of modern political thought.

Born into slavery, Washington became the most prominent Black educator and spokesman in post-Reconstruction America, founding the Tuskegee Institute and arguing for economic self-improvement as the path to civil equality. His philosophy was vigorously challenged by W.E.B. Du Bois.

Davis transformed Hollywood acting with ferocious intensity and a willingness to portray deeply unsympathetic characters. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice — for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938) — and was the first woman elected president of the Academy.

Karajan led the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years and became the most commercially recorded conductor in history. His interpretations of Beethoven and Bruckner defined how the world heard orchestral music in the second half of the 20th century.

Lister introduced carbolic acid as a surgical antiseptic in the 1860s, dramatically reducing post-operative infections. His work saved countless lives and transformed surgery from a near-certain death sentence into a viable medical intervention.

Peck's towering performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and became a defining portrait of moral courage in American cinema. The American Film Institute later voted Atticus Finch the greatest movie hero of all time.