This text presents a list of 1000 of the most important, influential and intriguing figures of the past millennium. Among the figures profiled are philosophers and artists, statesmen and warlords, inventors and explorers. Each person is profiled with a brief autobiography.

George Washington is ranked 22. Jomo Kenyatta 214. Adolf Hitler ranks higher than Mother Teresa. Babe Ruth higher than Indira Gandhi. And the number-one figure of the past 1,000 years is... Well, let's just say that he or she scores high in all five categories of the exclusive BioGraph system. 1,000 Years, 1,000 People is the brainchild of four high-level -- and highly opinionated -- scholars and journalists who, after months of detailed research and powerful debate, have compiled a list of the 1,000 most important, influential, and intriguing figures of this past millennium. The coming year will see a lot of millennium books, but few will dare to actually rank the top players of the millennium, let alone 1,000 of them. Each person is profiled with a brief biography and a discussion of his or her importance in and throughout history. The 1,000 figures profiled include philosophers and artists, statesmen and warlords, inventors and explorers. They come from all areas of the world, all walks of life. They're men and women, young and old. The exclusive BioGraph system is made of up five key elements, including the person's lasting influence and impact, their influence and effect on the world in their time, their contribution to wisdom and beauty, their charisma, and the singularity of their contribution. Each figure is graded and ranked accordingly. The results will surprise, delight, confound, and confuse. They'll educate and most certainly lead to more debate. And perhaps they'll get us thinking about the next 1,000.