When talking about inspiring people, history books have their own fair share of impressive people to list down. These are individuals who have made a mark on science, religion, politics, and a lot more aspect.

And since we’ve already talked about inspirational women, let’s delve into the inspirational men in history and what legacy did they leave for the future generation. 

Sir Isaac Newton

Present in every science book, Sir Isaac Newton surely left an extraordinary mark on history. He is well-known for his valuable contributions in the field of mathematics, theology, physics, and astronomy. His brilliant mind has culminated in ground-breaking discoveries that affected generations of science revelations. 

Sir Isaac Newton is famous for discovering gravity, for being the first person to calculate the speed of sound, and for outstanding studies of light. 

Martin Luther King Jr. 

One of the most important figures of the 20th century has to be Martin Luther King Jr. He built a solid foundation for a mass movement of equal rights and made a whole generation ponder on racial equality. 

King was born in Atlanta in 1929 and grew up under strict US segregation laws. Due to this, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent activism and paved the way for Civil Rights Movement. His movement ended institutional segregation and ended up winning the Nobel Peace Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Charles Darwin

Another person whose brilliant mind led to amazing revelations. He went on a five-year voyage across the world, intrigued by thoughts of nature. His theory of Natural Selection explains how genetic traits of species change and this led to the formation of new species over time.

At the time of Darwin’s newly-found theory, religion had a solid grip on society. His discovery was deemed controversial, heretical, and blasphemous. It was more than just theories, but it also took Charles Darwin an unmeasurable amount of bravery and courage to lay his evidence to society. His theory of Natural Selection formed the basis of modern biology. 

William Shakespeare 

It’s safe to consider William Shakespeare the king of literature. His writing has opened our eyes to the nature of humankind and made people rethink the way they think about themselves and contemporary society. 

And if you are wondering about Shakespeare’s legacy, the author has coined hundreds of words and phrases that we use in our daily conversations. The bard has left phrases like “catch a cold” or “break the ice” for the incoming generations to use. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The list of inspirational classical composers is long and as much as we want to list all of them, one, in particular, has always stood out. Considered by most as the greatest, Mozart is a man of incredible talent. He started composing at the tender age of 5 and upon his death at the age of 35, has left the world with more than 600 works. Many of his compositions still rank as the most popular classical compositions are of today. 

His work went on to form the foundation of world-famous successors, including Beethoven and Chopin. 

Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)

Some of you might think it’s a bit controversial to see a religious leader on the list but we think the fourteenth Dalai Lama is indeed a true inspiration to all of us. 

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, advocated for peaceful protest movements. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for non-violent resistance to Chinese rule in Tibet, an ongoing issue that forced Gyatso to live in exile in India. 

In addition, he is famous for passionate speeches, tackling a broad range of social issues such as women’s rights, economic, the environment, and religion. 

Nelson Mandela

Another amazing person who advocated for equal rights, we believe Nelson Mandela deserves a spot for being one of the most inspirational men in history. His strong pursuit to rid the apartheid regime in South Africa has some revolutionary change in history. 

He was sentenced to life in prison when he incited workers’ strikes and on charges of attempting to sabotage the government. He spent 27 years locked up but hear this. Mandela spent those 27 years earning a degree, held work and hunger strikes, met with political leaders, wrote an autobiography, and did whatever he can to fight apartheid. 

He was released in 1990 and was elected President of South Africa, the country’s first black leader.