Greatest Living Icon

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Past due date, Charles.

Ah, living icon. I seeeee.
Joni Mitchell, then.

 

[agnslz]

American Living Icons:

Brooke Astor [b. 1902] - Last of the society grand dragons from the Gilded Age. Born just one year following the death of Queen Victoria, she saw the United States go from, "the olden days," to the Information Age and knew everyone who was anyone in the world during that time. A player behind the scenes, she had a front row seat on the 20th century.

Neil Armstrong [b.1930] - When history sweeps away America like Ozymandius, Armstrong will still be remembered.

Norman Mailer [b.1923] - Founder of New Journalism, re-made the American novel.

Bill Gates [b. 1955] - Made PCs user-friendly enough to make them usable for everybody and productive enough for the average business to must have at least one.

Olivia de Havilland [b.1916] - One of the last of the Golden Age Hollywood actresses. Two time Oscar winner, co-starred in Gone With the Wind, considered one of the greatest movies in history.

James Dewey Watson [b.1928] - One of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA and its relation to RNA

Leonard Suskind and Yoichiro Nambu - Co-discoverers and developers of string theory and quantum field theory. Basically picks-up where Einstein left off.

Lou Reed [b.1942] - Profoundly influential founder of The Velevet Underground, laying the foundations of the punk and alternative rock genres.

Gloria Steinem [b. 1934] - Brought feminism into the modern age, releasing it from its suffragette image; publisher of first women's magazine to not focus on traditional women's issues.

Jim Dine [b. 1935] and Cy Twombly [b. 1928] - Pioneers in Pop Art.

Andrew Wyeth [b. 1917] - Considered the greatest living American Realist painter.

Walter Cronkite [b. 1916] - At one point the most trusted man in America. First and last of the American telejournlists of the Murrow school of journalism. Brought Americans news of many of the greatest events of the 20th century.

Shirley Temple [b. 1928] - So famous and so important that the American government considered her one of the main morale boosters of the Depression. First child star to reach the top of the Hollywood.

Dick & Burt Rutan - American aviation pioneers from the first non-stop circumnavigation of the globe to SpaceShip One. Embody the spirit of American invention, aviation, and exploration.

Richard Wayne Penniman [b. 1932] - aka Little Richard - Credited by James Brown as the father of funk and, ultimately, rap and hip hop. Urban music owes an enormous debt to this dynamic music pioneer lightyears ahead of his time.

Henry Kissinger [b. 1923] - From China, to detente, to Watergate, Kissinger has held the world stage as its senior political strategist for nearly half a century.

George Lucas [b. 1944] - Creator and visionary director of Star Wars, the iconic myth of American popular culture.

I can think of nearly countless others across the broadest spectrum of society but these are the ones I've thought of today.

Honorable Mention - The Constitution of the United States of America - Recently tarnished by the actions of President George W. Bush and the Do Nothing Congress of the same time period, the constitution still stands a living document which acts as a beacon for the majority of the world which live in despotic regimes, banana republics, and the benevolent strong-man dictatorships. The Constitution has suffered such ignomy before and likely will again, but there is still no other government which has such a broadly-liberal written document acting as supreme law in the protection of rights and national governance. If anything says, "America," it is this one thing.

I'll ditto this list. I saw this topic this morning and I also came up with Neil Armstrong and Shirley Temple during the day, but the rest are great choices that I'll agree with! I also wanted to include an actor or actress of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, but couldn't remember any that were still alive. I'll even agree with the choice of Henry Kissinger, even though I detest him! Jason, I tip my hat to you, you are quite good at this!:biggrin:

 

[2322]

Thank you agnslz. Most kind.

 

[mephistopheles]

David Bowie Not just for England,but for the world...........

agreed

 

[D_N Flay Table]

George W. Bush...

 

[D_N Flay Table]

George W. Bush...

oh wait.. im sorry, i thought the thread was.
"Greatest Living Asshole"

ok.. think of someone new.. that has influenced millions of people..

hmmmmmmmmmm..........

I think history will show that Barack Obama will be one of the greats.
Join BarackObama.com

but...

whom do i think right now does great work?

I think that there are many people on the planet that do a lot.

bill gates for his aids funding.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

jeez.. im stumped.. lemme think.

 

[D_Sheffield Thongbynder]

Ah, living icon. I seeeee.
Joni Mitchell, then.

Not k d lang, Rubi?


For US...Lena Horne, Joe Dimaggio, Estes Kefauver

 

[DaveyR]

When I was back in the UK and on my first computer course through work I used to get very confused. Whenever they told me to click on the icon I could never find my picture on the screen.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Not k d lang, Rubi?

k d meets the bar, too, John.
Yup. Good pickins.

 

[Lordpendragon]

Club Skill Forums > Windows XP - Version 1.Geordie

You'll see examples of icons at the bottom, Dave.

 

[titan1968]

'Οχι! (Ohi!/ No) I can't believe that. Greece buzzes with excitement, and has a wealth of talented writers, singers and actors-- not to forget an incredibly rich history/ culture that spans more than 5000 years (e.g. Greek cookery is 2500 years old!).

Here's one Greek invention that revolutionised our planet and our way of thinking (ok, it's not a person, it's a thing): δημοκρατία (democracy).

for my country? Greece?

theres noone worthwhile. they're all a bunch of loosers, bad actors, bad singers, politics that are thieves. ... crap

Here's a list of Canadian icons:

Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Frère André, The Group of Seven (painters), Emily Carr, Paul Anka, Margaret Atwood, Wayne and Shuster, Lorne Greene, Sir John A. Macdonald (first Canadian P.M.), Frederick Banting, Terry Fox and Tommy Douglas (father of our health care programme and actor Kiefer Sutherland's grandfather).

Other icons include:

John Paul II, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Shakespeare, Goethe, Molière, Bruce Lee, Charlie Chaplin, James Dean and Marlene Dietrich.

P.S.: My list isn't complete, and I've probably forgotten hundreds of names.

 

[hunGreek]

'Οχι! (Ohi!/ No) I can't believe that. Greece buzzes with excitement, and has a wealth of talented writers, singers and actors-- not to forget an incredibly rich history/ culture that spans more than 5000 years (e.g. Greek cookery is 2500 years old!).

aaaaaaannnd i remind you that the thread is about greatest Living Icon
so.. unless you think demis roussos or nana mouskouri are icons.. i dare you to come up with a living person in greece that deserves that title..

 

[SuffolkU]

The Dalai Lama