The 100 most influential British?

[Jon Miller]

Just to give you an idea of what I take influential to mean:

in‧flu‧en‧tial  /ˌɪnfluˈɛnʃəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-floo-en-shuhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. having or exerting influence, esp. great influence: three influential educators.
–noun
2. a person who exerts or can exert strong influence: according to influentials of the fashion industry.
[Origin: 1560–70; < ML influenti(a) stellar emanation (see influence) + -al1]

—Related forms
in‧flu‧en‧tial‧ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. consequential, forceful, important.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/influential

in‧flu‧ence  /ˈɪnfluəns/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-floo-uhns] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, -enced, -enc‧ing.
–noun
1. the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others: He used family influence to get the contract.
2. the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others: Her mother's influence made her stay.
3. a person or thing that exerts influence: He is an influence for the good.
4. Astrology.
a. the radiation of an ethereal fluid from the stars, regarded as affecting human actions and destinies.
b. the exercise of occult power by the stars, or such power as exercised.
5. the exercise of similar power by human beings.
6. Obsolete. influx.
–verb (used with object)
7. to exercise influence on; affect; sway: to influence a person.
8. to move or impel (a person) to some action: Outside factors influenced her to resign.
—Idiom

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=influence

JM

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Arrian
Rowling is no Tolkien.

QFT : In fact she's a shabby plagiarist of the Old Tolk.

[Krill]

Douglas Adams ought to be on the list.

I'd put Pratchett on my personal list, but I ain't sure if he should be on a full list.

Plant/Page/Jones/Bonham should be on the list though.

Chamberlain as well, but for negative reasons.

Whoever brought Tea to GB as well.

[Jon Miller]

I like Tolkien much better. And think he is a much better author (two differen things). But the effects that are produced are what matters as far as being influential (a third, independent, thing). This is, of course, different than being popular (a fourth, also independent, thing).

If Rowling causes a whole generation to read more fiction, she would be much more influential than Douglas Adams.

I would already argue that among authors she is more influential than Douglas Adams, despite the fact that Douglas Adam's was more skillful than her (and I enjoy his books more).

JM

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
I would already argue that among authors she is more influential than Douglas Adams, despite the fact that Douglas Adam's was more skillful than her (and I enjoy his books more).

JM

You mean in the same way that VHS was more influential than Betamax, despite being inferior.

[Jon Miller]

Yeah.

More authors production are influenced by her (compared to Douglas Adams). She has inspired many, many, many people to read. Many more people have read her books than have read Douglas Adam's books.

I admit, she is recent. So the lasting significance of her work has yet to be seen. But at least she looks to be much more influential than Adams. But her being recent also means that she can have much more impact than Douglas Adams, considering that she already has more impact.

Jon Miller

[Adalbertus]

Britannia non cantat ...

not entirely. As I didn't find any "classical" composers in the list I would like to nominate

John Dunstable foremost - He lived from about 1390 until 1453, and therefore somewhat out of the reach of modern music education but in fact he was one of the most influential composers in the Europe of his time and paved the way from medieval to early renaissance music.

William Byrd as the greatest British Renaissance composer

Henry Purcell as the greatest British Baroque composer

Edward Elgar as the greatest British composer of the last 300 years (And I don't think that Pomp and Circumstances is the greatest of his works).

[Sandman]

Let's not forget Agatha Christie. Highest selling author in history. Pretty broad appeal as well.

[Arrian]

Isn't she already on the list in the OP?

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


You mean in the same way that VHS was more influential than Betamax, despite being inferior.

I was *just* having a conversation about that, not five minutes ago.

-Arrian

[Sandman]

Originally posted by Arrian
Isn't she already on the list in the OP?

-Arrian

Whoops, yeah.

[Adam Smith]

A few more that have not been mentioned yet AFAIK:

Bertrand Russell
George Bernard Shaw
Edward Gibbon
Edward Jenner (Smallpox vaccine - HAS to be near the top of the list)
Dr. John Snow (epidemiology)
Samuel Johnson (dictionary)
John Wesley (Methodism, abolition, liberal reforms)
Henry Hudson

edit: spelling

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
I think the guy who discovered blood circulates was a guy who was burned alive by Calvin in switzerland

Oops. Never mind, then.


How 'bout: J.R.R.R.R. Tolkien?
Edit: Whoops, Cout Haus already mentioned him, but he's not yet on the uberlist in the OP.

Earl of Sandwich...for the invention bearing his name.

[Arrian]

Mmm, sandwiches

Sandwich Islands

-Arrian

[Thedrin]

Newton. As has been said, his interpretation of a falling apple is a big deal.

I'm not convinced of Henry VIII's decision to move to prodestantism was all that influential. Seems to me that the same decision made by some of the germanic states at the time had a much bigger impact (but I'm open to correction).

Without Churchill we may have ended up German

Nonsense. England would have been no more German than Austria was French at the height of Napoleon's power.