Famous Thinkers
PHL/458
14 April 2014
Instructor: Wendy Rusnock

Twentieth Century Thinkers
Beginning in the early 1900’s at the turn of the century, was a time of change, brilliance, dedication, and new-found technology. From quill pens to ink pens, horse and carriages to the earliest motor vehicles, the segregation of Blacks and Whites to the Civil Rights movement, handwriting important information on tablets to storing important information in a computers; the Twentieth Century saw a tremendous amount of positive contributions to society.
Some contributions made in the last century are often over-looked and taken for granted. North Americans in particular have become a bit spoiled with all that is “just there.” What we have forgotten, and often needs reiterated is that without the integrity and dedication found in the creative minds of the Twentieth Century, the United States would be living as if it were still 1901 rather than 2011. This for many today would be considered the dark ages. There are various individuals that are responsible for the growth during this time period. Two of the most influential, though each had separate goals, were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bill Gates. Both individuals contributed a great amount and may have gone down in history as having changed the way the world thinks and worked personally, socially, and politically.
Martin Luther King Jr. was arguably one of the most influential civil rights activists and speakers of the century. According one Newsday article, King’s mission was to lead the world into a more accepting place not only for African American’s but other minority groups as well. The article also referred to King as, “Honored most for his heroic civil rights activism in the United States” as well as “a prophet of peace and justice in a world torn by war in Vietnam” (1992). Dr. King had many accomplishments,