Time 100: The Most Important People of The Century - The Only People To Shape Both The 20th Century and The Early 21st

The Only People To Shape Both The 20th Century and The Early 21st

Of Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century, only the following four had the distinction of being honored again when in 2004, Time began publishing an annual list of the 100 people who continue to change the world:

• Bill Gates

• Pope John Paul II

• Nelson Mandela

• Oprah Winfrey

Gates was considered influential in the 20th century for his role in the computer revolution, and then later recognized in the 21st century for his philanthropic influence. Pope John Paul II was recognized in part for his role in ending communism in Eastern Europe, then leading the Roman Catholic Church into the modern age in the Twenty-First century. Nelson Mandela was recognized for his role in ending South African apartheid in the 20th century, and as a symbol of forgiveness in the 21st. Winfrey was considered influential in the 20th for creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, unleashing confession culture, and popularizing and revolutionizing the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claimed broke 20th century taboos and allowed gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people to enter the mainstream. In the 21st century she was considered influential as an inspirational role model, for the impact of her book club in making literature accessible to the masses, and for helping to elect the first African-American president of the United States.