Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Person of the Millenium: Jefferson?

Author:Vitor Conceicao
Posted:12/1/1998; 5:19:23 AM
Topic:Person of the Millenium?
Msg #:634 (In response to 610)
Prev/Next:633 / 635

I think Jefferson is too American. Most people around the world have no clue who Jefferson was. Here in Brazil for example if you ask people around most people will ask Jefferson who? And if you ask more educated people they'll know that Jefferson was an important American from the colony days and that will be all.

I don't think that we can call the Declaration of Indepence of the United States the most important fact of the millenium by choosing Jefferson as the person of the millenium.

Who would be Jefferson if Columbus had not discovered America? I think the person of the millenium should be someone like one of the great adventurers like Columbus and Marco Polo or some scientist like Newton .

In my view the biggest trend of the millenium was the globalization which started with Marco Polo's travells discovering the orient, went thru Columbus discovering America and then to the communications revolution with Graham Bell, Marconni (even though the radio was Tesla's invention) and up to today's global world. So the person should be someone who started all this. For the award to be trully global it must be given to someone whose name is recognized all around the globe.

I guess Marco Polo would have my vote, I think he was the one who started the globalization movement. The first time someone discovered new lands and came back with wonders instead of waging war.

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