MIT used Wikipedia to map the 100 most culturally significant historical figures. The study used even instance of Wikipedia from all over the world in every language. So it is not just who is considered important to an American audience, but worldwide.

Six of the top ten are Greeks. The list also includes numerous other Greeks.

There are no sub-Saharan Africans on the list, and few Asians. While there are four listed as being from Turkey, none of them are ethnic Turks. Three are Greeks and one is the Apostle Paul, who was a Jewish Roman citizen. Two people listed as being from Egypt were part of the Greek Aristocracy during the Roman Empire.

At least 18 of the 100 are Greek. There are also 19 listed as being from Italy. This list spans from the Roman Empire to the Renaissance.

Aristotle is listed as number one.

Aristotle (Philosopher) was born in Stageira, Greece in 384 B.C.. He is featured in 152 different language editions of Wikipedia and has received 56,355,172 combined Pageviews since 2008.

Top Ten:

1 Aristotle Greece -384 Male Philosopher 152 11.9 56.36 M 15.75 M 40.61 M 201.07 K 31.994 2 Plato Greece -427 Male Philosopher 142 13.0 46.81 M 13.50 M 33.32 M 141.93 K 31.989 3 Jesus Christ Palestine -4 Male Religious Figure 214 12.1 60.30 M 25.37 M 34.93 M 257.21 K 31.898 4 Socrates Greece -469 Male Philosopher 137 12.3 40.31 M 11.69 M 28.62 M 135.90 K 31.652 5 Alexander the Great Greece -356 Male Military Personnel 138 11.2 48.36 M 19.94 M 28.42 M 153.68 K 31.584 6 Leonardo da Vinci Italy 1452 Male Inventor 174 13.2 88.93 M 29.24 M 59.69 M 352.57 K 31.464 7 Confucius China -551 Male Philosopher 192 13.1 22.36 M 8.06 M 14.30 M 76.36 K 31.371 8 Julius Caesar Italy -100 Male Politician 128 10.8 43.09 M 18.32 M 24.77 M 157.21 K 31.116 9 Homer Greece -800 Male Writer 141 12.7 20.84 M 5.97 M 14.87 M 72.95 K 31.109 10 Pythagoras Greece -570 Male Philosopher 114 12.8 26.17 M 6.99 M 19.18 M 94.42 K 31.069