What people from modern times will be talked about in 1000 years?

snowstorm445

This is inspired by a thread I saw on another forum, a really interesting thing to consider.

It's completely impossible to know what the world of 3020 AD will look like - even assuming that there will be human beings as we recognise them today around at that stage is presumptious. We may well have gone extinct by then, or we might have genetically engineered ourselves into a completely different form (see transhumanism, and all that comes with that). So let's assume for the purposes of this question, there are still homo sapiens around that basically resemble us. Whether they still live here on Earth or elsewhere is another question altogether as well.

What people from the last century or so (since the end of the First World War or thereabouts) will still be remembered? What figures will stand out from 1000 years ago?

I think a lot of this will have to do with what this future civilisation values in historical figures. Obviously when we look back at our own history, we recognise powerful political and military leaders, but depending on the point in time, we remember people for other reasons. Renaissance Europe is known mostly for outstanding cultural figures rather than military ones - people remember Michelangelo and Donatello much better than the individual Medici rulers who sponsored them. When we look back on Ancient Greece, philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates are probably even better known than Pericles or Leonidas or any of the political figures of that time (apart from maybe Alexander the Great). Religions and spiritual philosophies/movements are also sometimes better known than individual rulers, such as with Confucius or the Buddha.

You could imagine a future society might value scientific people above all others, in which case those involved in the development of computing - Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing etc would be celebrated the most. Or biologists, Darwin, Wallace, Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin etc. Political figures would still stand out too, but they may be different to the ones we might consider noteworthy. People who foresaw things that we aren't generally aware of yet perhaps? We might consider Barack Obama significant in being the first non-white leader of the United States, but a future society might have moved past race altogether to the extent that they don't value it as much as we do today (in the same way that we have completely forgotten about distinctions like aristocrat/commoner, or barbarian vs civilised people etc.)

I certainly think the following have the best bet at being at least standing out from this time:

- Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin, first on another world, whether mankind lives beyond Earth at that stage or not, it is still a remarkable and unprecedented achievement in human history.
- Same goes for Gagarin, maybe Amundsen, Hillary/Tenzing etc.
- People responsible for major political movements, in particular Lenin (for modern communism), Gandhi (non-violent resistance), perhaps even someone obscure today who advocated environmentalism, something they value much more highly.
- Notoriously bloody political leaders, Hitler, Stalin, Mao etc. We tend to remember the tyrants from history, more than the ones who ruled over relative calm (Caligula, vs say Tiberius or Claudius).
- Iconic cultural figures? Elvis? The Beatles? Queen? Hitchcock? Or phenomenon like Star Trek/Star Wars, pioneering science fiction? Maybe cultural appetites might have shifted completely?
- Ryan Tubridy? (just messing )

Anyone you think might stand out to our descendants in a thousand years time?

ILoveYourVibes

Covid vaccine inventors.

Cluedo Monopoly

That utter chancer Nostradamus.

Bogfairy

James Cordon. Cause he's the biggest cu*t that was ever created.

atilladehun

Based on the Renaissance I'd say there'd be less firsts than you think and more broad cultural impact. Bill Gates for example put a computer in every home and workplace, Jobs in every hand.

There were technological advances in art but the names you know from the Renaissance used them in superb ways.

Same with first in space, the person who makes it broadly attainable or useful will get more credit.

Pop music and movies will be 20th century icons, this century hasn't defined itself yet.

Whenseptends

Maradona

Leg End Reject

I think the queen has a good shot. I'm not sure the UK (or any other) monarchy will survive and she'll be remembered as the world's longest serving monarch.

Mr_Muffin

Russell Brand will be known as one of the great philosophers.

Ronin247

Donald Trump will be unfrozen from his cryogenic slumber and start talking about when he was defrauded out of the Bigliest election victory ever

Hamsterchops

From modern times . . . .

Albert Einstein.
Queen Elizabeth.
David Bowie.
Usain Bolt.
The Beatles.
Adolf Hitler.
Neil Armstrong.
Mahatma Ghandi.
Elvis Presley.
Sir Winston Churchill.
Joseph Stalin.
Sir Edmund Hillary.
Barack Obama

off the top of me head...

Mr_Muffin

Mr_Muffin wrote: »

Russell Brand will be known as one of the great philosophers.

That may be the most terrifying sentence I have ever heard since the movie "Idiocracy" was released.

And actually if all paper records burn away and only digital records survive - then 1000 years from now Joe Rogan will also seem like some kind of prophet or leader. Which is no less terrifying.

Hamsterchops

Hamsterchops wrote: »

From modern times . . . .

Albert Einstein.
Queen Elizabeth.
David Bowie.
Usain Bolt.
The Beatles.
Adolf Hitler.
Neil Armstrong.
Mahatma Ghandi.
Elvis Presley.
Sir Winston Churchill.
Joseph Stalin.
Sir Edmund Hillary.
Barack Obama

off the top of me head...

No. Unless the future is English.

Maybe Hitler. Probably nobody

COVID

'Woke'

looksee

Most of the people from a thousand years ago from now are almost never given any thought by modern day people, except maybe when they go on holiday and visit a museum or historic site. Academics and historians know who the characters of the time were, and how they fitted into the history of a civilisation, but for most people there is only a hazy notion of a few characters who may have had no resemblance to the versions we think of now.

A thousand years ahead, assuming that there has not been any complete change in the way humankind has moved on, probably much the same will have happened. If, say, the continent of Africa becomes the dominant, sophisticated super power then quite possibly the Europeans that you mention will all have pretty much disappeared as irrelevant.

I would imagine that over the next thousand years there will be sufficient trauma and drama of natural and man-made disasters and conflicts that the small, distant voices of the second millenium will be impenetrable and inconsequential to the people of the third millenium. If they are still dating from Christ.

retro:electro

Linda Martin

Jedward, for they are timeless.

Not sure about some of the above, Bolt?

To add, The Wright brothers.

Leg End Reject

looksee wrote: »

Most of the people from a thousand years ago from now are almost never given any thought by modern day people, except maybe when they go on holiday and visit a museum or historic site. Academics and historians know who the characters of the time were, and how they fitted into the history of a civilisation, but for most people there is only a hazy notion of a few characters who may have had no resemblance to the versions we think of now.

A thousand years ahead, assuming that there has not been any complete change in the way humankind has moved on, probably much the same will have happened. If, say, the continent of Africa becomes the dominant, sophisticated super power then quite possibly the Europeans that you mention will all have pretty much disappeared as irrelevant.

I would imagine that over the next thousand years there will be sufficient trauma and drama of natural and man-made disasters and conflicts that the small, distant voices of the second millenium will be impenetrable and inconsequential to the people of the third millenium. If they are still dating from Christ.

True, but some are still easily recognised - Tutankhamun, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar.

As mentioned before Hitler will likely be remembered, albeit for the wrong reason.

Leg End Reject

Leg End Reject wrote: »

True, but some are still easily recognised - Tutankhamun, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar.

As mentioned before Hitler will likely be remembered, albeit for the wrong reason.

They are not from 1000 years, but 2000. They will be remembered in 1000 more. A different level from any this century

thomil

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. I'd be willing to make an argument that the Trinity test was the biggest paradigm shift in human history up to that point, and likely for many centuries to come.

Leg End Reject

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They are not from 1000 years, but 2000. They will be remembered in 1000 more. A different level from any this century

I meant they've all had a lasting legacy, but very few achieve it. The queen and Hitler are the only 2 I think have a chance.

Baby shark.

Akrasia

Leg End Reject wrote: »

I meant they've all had a lasting legacy, but very few achieve it. The queen and Hitler are the only 2 I think have a chance.

The queen? Hitler demolishes the queen in terms of long term staying power

The queen isn’t even her real name.

Out of everyone from the current ‘modern’ era. Philosophers religious icons and scientists have the best staying power. People still remember Aristotle, Plato, Epicurus, Democritus, Confucius etc, from the ‘ancient’ era and they still remembers pioneers in science and art, DaVinci, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, as well as modern Philosophers like Kant, Marx, Descartes etc

These will still be in the history books in a thousand years time, but household names? Only time will tell. Anyone who has a branch of science or laws of nature named after them will probably be remembered. Newton, definitely, Einstein, most likely, plank, maybe.. prof Brian Cox... dReams weren’t that good

Church on Tuesday

Nelson Mandela.

The closest thing to a deity us humans ever encountered.

Akrasia

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Nelson Mandela.

The closest thing to a deity us humans ever encountered.

Really? He died a few years ago and my kids already don’t know who he is.

Political Revolutionary figures live fast, leave a big short term legacy but their long term legacy isn’t their own name, but the structures they helped to create

completedit

Maybe Einstein

Church on Tuesday

Akrasia wrote: »

Really? He died a few years ago and my kids already don’t know who he is.

Political Revolutionary figures live fast, leave a big short term legacy but their long term legacy isn’t their own name, but the structures they helped to create

Depends what age your kids are.

Certainly centuries from now people will talk and be thought about the man.

begbysback

Hamsterchops wrote: »

From modern times . . . .

Albert Einstein.
Queen Elizabeth.
David Bowie.
Usain Bolt.
The Beatles.
Adolf Hitler.
Neil Armstrong.
Mahatma Ghandi.
Elvis Presley.
Sir Winston Churchill.
Joseph Stalin.
Sir Edmund Hillary.
Barack Obama

off the top of me head...

There will be no mention of Elvis in 50 years, never mind 1000 years, completely overrated and already beginning to fade away.

Junkyard Tom

Samantha Fox.

Witchie

Polly Protestant

Your Face

Clem Fandango.

Saralace

With global warming
Man will not be around in 1000 years

Then you will get sea rise as ice melts then you have pollution and nuclear waste japan wants to pour nuclear water into the sea


Over 1.2 million tons of radioactive cooling water from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant will be released.

We talk about the richest men in history. All the way back to Mansa Musa. But I don't foresee anyone talking about Warren Buffet. Does anyone really know what he's done. It's not like Rockefeller or those guys.

KungPao

People then (if homosapiens still inhabit this rock) won’t give many fiddlers about anything from this time.

They might say fair play for creating primitive computers and stuff, some well dones on the WWW.

They’ll probably laugh at how bad Ireland used to be at football, since we’ve dominated the world for 800 years at that stage.

Richard Hillman

Tim Berners-Lee
XI Jinping has a shout for reviving the Chinese empire if he lives a long life.
Chernobyl will still be radioactive, although undoubtedly there will be other incidents

Quantum Erasure

Leg End Reject wrote: »

True, but some are still easily recognised - Tutankhamun, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar.

As mentioned before Hitler will likely be remembered, albeit for the wrong reason.

Tutankhamun though... I'd say if you asked any ancient Egyptian they would name 50 pharaohs, and probably 50 more, before getting to him, he's only remembered now because his tomb was found intact 100 years ago.

There were 170 pharaohs, all of them living gods
Makes you think...

Ish66

Eddie Hobbs, The Messiah of forward Fiscal thinking.

Optimalprimerib

Maybe some fictional characters will be remembered similar to the greek gods. Such as the marvel super heroes or harry potter. That could lead to stan lee and jk rowling.

The new book of game of thrones would be released then too so that would be fresh on their minds.

The only banker for me is hitler, mainly due to the nazi symbol.

Blondini

George Lee
Donald Trump
Chas and Dave
Jimmy Nail

Quantum Erasure

Shakespeare

Shakespeares Sister

Wibbs

Leg End Reject wrote: »

I meant they've all had a lasting legacy, but very few achieve it. The queen and Hitler are the only 2 I think have a chance.

As Quantum Erasure notes Tutankhamun's legacy is 100 years old. The main reason his tomb survived is because he was forgotten about so quickly that even the tomb robbers eventually forgot about him(after they tried robbing it very soon after he was buried), a flash flood covered the entrance with rubble and he sat there waiting for Howard Carter to stumble upon him. He was so minor a figure that a good proportion of the stuff in his tomb wasn't even his(including the famous mask). The tomb itself wasn't even his originally.

Saralace wrote: »

With global warming
Man will not be around in 1000 years

Then you will get sea rise as ice melts then you have pollution and nuclear waste japan wants to pour nuclear water into the sea


Over 1.2 million tons of radioactive cooling water from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant will be released.

We may do ourselves in, but global warming won't do it. We've survived big shifts in climate before including ice ages. We may reduce in population alright, but we'll still be here.

Tuco88

I think all of the wildlife we had, even in 500yrs they way its going its bleak for alot of animal's. What type of cures they potentially had.

o1s1n

I think a bit part of this is going to be heavily reliant on how well out current data survives.

Up until this century we were completely reliant on physical items, stone, paper, steels to preserve our legacies. As time passed these obviously break down and a lot is lost. Sure look at how we're still more or less at a loss as to what megalithic structures and art were all about.

If our data isn't all wiped out en mass by some kind of solar flare or other traumatic event over the next thousand years, there's going to be an amazing treasure trove of information about the current civilisation for people of the future to study.

Imagine for example, while digging through Saqqara, a trove of SD cards and harddrives was discovered, documenting the average persons day to day life with photos, emails etc. Would be absolutely fascinating.

KilOit

No one really. You would have to go searching for them. People we talk about now are only dead 50-100 years. If you are dead 1000 years you are pretty much irrelevant to modern humans. Even ww2 will be blip on their radar in 1000 years

Pauliedragon

There's a fella hanging around like a bad smell called covid that might make reeling in the years in the next millenium.

ancapailldorcha

Deleted User wrote: »

We talk about the richest men in history. All the way back to Mansa Musa. But I don't foresee anyone talking about Warren Buffet. Does anyone really know what he's done. It's not like Rockefeller or those guys.

Apparently, he still lives in the same $150,000 house he grew up in. Doesn't seem like the sort of chap who desires an ostentatious lifestyle.

Tig98

I think it wont look much different to the dark ages to them. Plenty of excessive wealth in contrast to >800 million people living in daily food insecurity and undernourishment worldwide. Plenty food waste in our supermarkets and bins. Giving human food to cats and dogs, etc. We're all too wrapped up in materialism to care.

Hindsight is 20/20 and all that, I think it'll be pretty scathing...

If Elon Musk did something bananas like carving his name into the moon so that it is visible from earth he would be remembered.

Stateofyou

Greta Thunberg. Future generations will look back on her message and conviction and condemn us for not doing enough at a time when we should have known better.

Thelonious Monk

Greta Thunberg, for saving us all from imminent doom

Hyperbollix

H from Steps

Akrasia

o1s1n wrote: »

I think a bit part of this is going to be heavily reliant on how well out current data survives.

Up until this century we were completely reliant on physical items, stone, paper, steels to preserve our legacies. As time passed these obviously break down and a lot is lost. Sure look at how we're still more or less at a loss as to what megalithic structures and art were all about.

If our data isn't all wiped out en mass by some kind of solar flare or other traumatic event over the next thousand years, there's going to be an amazing treasure trove of information about the current civilisation for people of the future to study.

Imagine for example, while digging through Saqqara, a trove of SD cards and harddrives was discovered, documenting the average persons day to day life with photos, emails etc. Would be absolutely fascinating.

I don’t think they’ll still have SD card readers in a thousand years time. An archeologist would have a hard time digging up a device to read a 5.25 inch floppy from 40 years ago