The person who best represents the last 40 years

[bookiebasher]

Eddie ' the eagle ' Edwards.....   enough said !!

[sledge13]

Bob Carolgees...for his services to dog kind.

[Longy]

For me it's a toss up between Beavis and Butthead (biggest cultural influence on the Western World of the 80's and early 90's)  and Homer Simpson.

To actually nominate the most important person of the last 40 years you would have to divide them into sub-categories. You can't say Mohamed Ali had the biggest impact on anything other than sports. Mandela on politics etc.
The most influential person of the last 40 years will not be someone famous; the guys who invented the internet had a bigger impact on the world than Mohamed Ali or Princes Diana (FFS that she even made the list)..

A typical lazy telly executives idea this list but I'm sure they'll drag it out over 8 or 9 weeks..bless the BBC for spending my license fee on stuff like this.

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well. 

I agree with Kinboshi the thing about Muhammad Ali is that he was much more than just a great boxer. He point blank refused to be called up for the Vietnam War in the late 60's based on his beliefs and became an icon to a good proportion of the usa (anti war and the african american minority), to the point where he almost replaced Martin Luther King as the figurehead of the civil rights movement in the states.

Many agree that he lost the best years of his boxing life because of this and he still went on to be regarded as the best boxer who ever lived ( I think there is arguement for Joe Louis as well).

[Jon MW]

For me it's a toss up between Beavis and Butthead (biggest cultural influence on the Western World of the 80's and early 90's)  and Homer Simpson.

To actually nominate the most important person of the last 40 years you would have to divide them into sub-categories. You can't say Mohamed Ali had the biggest impact on anything other than sports. Mandela on politics etc.
The most influential person of the last 40 years will not be someone famous; the guys who invented the internet had a bigger impact on the world than Mohamed Ali or Princes Diana (FFS that she even made the list)..

A typical lazy telly executives idea this list but I'm sure they'll drag it out over 8 or 9 weeks..bless the BBC for spending my license fee on stuff like this.

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well. 

I agree with Kinboshi the thing about Muhammad Ali is that he was much more than just a great boxer. He point blank refused to be called up for the Vietnam War in the late 60's based on his beliefs and became an icon to a good proportion of the usa (anti war and the african american minority), to the point where he almost replaced Martin Luther King as the figurehead of the civil rights movement in the states.

Many agree that he lost the best years of his boxing life because of this and he still went on to be regarded as the best boxer who ever lived ( I think there is arguement for Joe Louis as well).

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well - in the USA - then

[kinboshi]

For me it's a toss up between Beavis and Butthead (biggest cultural influence on the Western World of the 80's and early 90's)  and Homer Simpson.

To actually nominate the most important person of the last 40 years you would have to divide them into sub-categories. You can't say Mohamed Ali had the biggest impact on anything other than sports. Mandela on politics etc.
The most influential person of the last 40 years will not be someone famous; the guys who invented the internet had a bigger impact on the world than Mohamed Ali or Princes Diana (FFS that she even made the list)..

A typical lazy telly executives idea this list but I'm sure they'll drag it out over 8 or 9 weeks..bless the BBC for spending my license fee on stuff like this.

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well. 

I agree with Kinboshi the thing about Muhammad Ali is that he was much more than just a great boxer. He point blank refused to be called up for the Vietnam War in the late 60's based on his beliefs and became an icon to a good proportion of the usa (anti war and the african american minority), to the point where he almost replaced Martin Luther King as the figurehead of the civil rights movement in the states.

Many agree that he lost the best years of his boxing life because of this and he still went on to be regarded as the best boxer who ever lived ( I think there is arguement for Joe Louis as well).

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well - in the USA - then

He was the most recognisable 'face' in the world at one point. 

[madasahatstand]

Bill Gates, but that would only cover the last 30 years if we are talking about making a lasting impression. This guy sybolises both the growth in technology and modern society as well as capitalism. A ying and yang kind of guy:)

I love Mohamed Ali though. He captures peoples hearts because of his passion for life, not just sport:)

[boldie]

For me it's a toss up between Beavis and Butthead (biggest cultural influence on the Western World of the 80's and early 90's)  and Homer Simpson.

To actually nominate the most important person of the last 40 years you would have to divide them into sub-categories. You can't say Mohamed Ali had the biggest impact on anything other than sports. Mandela on politics etc.
The most influential person of the last 40 years will not be someone famous; the guys who invented the internet had a bigger impact on the world than Mohamed Ali or Princes Diana (FFS that she even made the list)..

A typical lazy telly executives idea this list but I'm sure they'll drag it out over 8 or 9 weeks..bless the BBC for spending my license fee on stuff like this.

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well. 

I agree with Kinboshi the thing about Muhammad Ali is that he was much more than just a great boxer. He point blank refused to be called up for the Vietnam War in the late 60's based on his beliefs and became an icon to a good proportion of the usa (anti war and the african american minority), to the point where he almost replaced Martin Luther King as the figurehead of the civil rights movement in the states.

Many agree that he lost the best years of his boxing life because of this and he still went on to be regarded as the best boxer who ever lived ( I think there is arguement for Joe Louis as well).

I think he made a little impact outside the world of sport as well - in the USA - then

He was the most recognisable 'face' in the world at one point. 

Yes he was very recognisable but he was by no means close to being very influential, and that's my point. He was a tremendous Athlete and a tremendous man however to have him in a list of most influential people in the world for the last 40 years is nuts. Martin Luther King isn't on the list, Malcolm X isn't..and those guys had an impact beyond the States and Lord knows they arguably had a bigger impact in the States for the civil rights movement. ..Rosa Parks had a bigger influence than them (arguably) in the States.

Ronald Reagan and Michael Gorbachev not on the list? Come on!..What about Thatcher? she is the sole reason why Russia and the US still have nuclear missiles everywhere (although the russians don't always know where theirs are)

The whole list is a joke.

[The_duke]

The list was a bit of a joke -- however the winner is even more of a joke

Wait for it ----- Terry bleeding Wogan FFS --

[Jon MW]

The list was a bit of a joke -- however the winner is even more of a joke

Wait for it ----- Terry bleeding Wogan FFS --

[tikay]

The list was a bit of a joke -- however the winner is even more of a joke

Wait for it ----- Terry bleeding Wogan FFS --

Which, to be fair, says more about society, than Mr Wogan.

[jizzemm]

The list was a bit of a joke -- however the winner is even more of a joke

Wait for it ----- Terry bleeding Wogan FFS --

Honestly ??

[boldie]

well...I think I can safely rest my case`

[The_duke]

The list was a bit of a joke -- however the winner is even more of a joke

Wait for it ----- Terry bleeding Wogan FFS --

Which, to be fair, says more about society, than Mr Wogan.

You are dead right of course my particular feeling for the man who sold his nationality to become a real 'Sir' is immaterial as the public voted for him.....