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Line 1: {{Short description\|2005 television series ranking famous Americans}} ~~{{Infobox Television~~ {{Use mdy dates\|date=June 2023}} ~~\|show_name = The Greatest American~~ {{Infobox television ~~\|presenter = [[Matt Lauer]]~~ \|~~country~~ presenter = [[~~United~~Matt ~~States~~Lauer]] \|country = United States ~~\|executive_producer = Jason Raff~~ \|executive_producer = {{Unbulleted list\|Jason Raff\|Elyse Zaccaro}} ~~\|runtime =~~ \|channel = [[Discovery Channel]] \|first_aired = {{~~start~~Start date\|2005\|06\|05}} \|last_aired = {{End date\|2005\|06\|26}} ~~\|imdb_id = 0463820~~ }} '''''The Greatest American''''' is a 2005 American [[television series]] hosted by [[Matt Lauer]]. The four-part series featured biographies and lists of influential persons in [[American history]], and culminated in a contest in which millions in the audience nominated and voted for the person they believed is the "greatest American". ==Format== '''The Greatest American''' was a four-part television series hosted by [[Matt Lauer]] in which millions of Americans nominated and elected who they thought was the greatest person in U.S. history. The competition was conducted by [[AOL]] and the [[Discovery Channel]] and reported on by the BBC. ''The Greatest American'' is broken into four episodes. The first episode introduces the 25 finalists based on a vote conducted early in 2005. The second episode features biographies of the finalists and allows viewers to vote for the top five nominees. The third episode introduces the top five nominees with commentaries from celebrities.<ref name="The Washington Post 2005">{{Cite news\|date=June 5, 2005\|title=Viewers Pick 'Greatest American'\|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/2005/06/05/viewers-pick-greatest-american/53838833-9ad8-4b6a-99d4-82afa6038672/\|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619085811/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/2005/06/05/viewers-pick-greatest-american/53838833-9ad8-4b6a-99d4-82afa6038672/\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> In the finale, viewers participate in another vote for the first 15 minutes<ref>{{Cite news\|last=McAlister\|first=Nancy\|date=June 26, 2005\|title=Viewers cast Votes to help Determine who is the "Greatest American"\|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/795629441\|url-access=subscription\|work=[[Record Searchlight]]\|page=3\|access-date=June 22, 2023\|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> before the greatest American, according to the series, is announced.<ref name="The Washington Post 2005"/> ==Production== Nominations were accepted through [[January 31]], [[2005]]. The 7-hour-long series was broken into 4 episodes: The first episode counted down the top 100 and introduced the top 25 nominees in alphabetical order. The second episode featured biographies of the top 25 nominees as well as commentaries from influential people such as celebrities and politicians. The third episode, called "The Great Debate", introduced the top 5 nominees and pitted the studio audience supporters of each of the nominees and a person selected to represent each of the top 5 candidates against a panel of 3 celebrities. In the finale the top 5 "Greatest Americans" were announced as well as what percentage of the votes each had received. Votes were taken through a toll free (if calling from a [[land line]]) phone number, through [[text message]]s from [[cell phone]]s, and through online voting. Voters were allowed to vote three times per voting method, so anyone had a chance of voting at least nine times. The three states with the most votes being received were [[California]], [[Texas]], and [[Florida]] ([[List of U.S. states by population\|ranked]] 1st, 2nd, and 4th in population). ===Development=== [[File:USMC-050817-M-5865P-146.jpg\|thumb\|alt=Man speaking with a microphone in his right hand\|[[Matt Lauer]] in 2005]] In January 2005, the [[Discovery Channel]] and [[AOL]] announced ''The Greatest American'', a seven-hour-long miniseries, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Discovery Channel.<ref name="Multichannel News 2005">{{Cite news\|date=February 9, 2005\|title=Lauer to Host Discovery's Greatest American\|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/lauer-host-discovery-s-greatest-american-371574\|work=[[Multichannel News]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619220919/https://www.nexttv.com/news/lauer-host-discovery-s-greatest-american-371574\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> On January 21, Discovery and AOL began conducting a vote to determine the greatest American based on, according to an [[Associated Press]] report, who "most influenced the way they think, work and live".<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Drezner\|first=Daniel W.\|author-link=Daniel W. Drezner\|date=January 21, 2005\|title=The Greatest Americans?\|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2005/01/21/the-greatest-americans/\|work=[[Foreign Policy]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619092140/https://foreignpolicy.com/2005/01/21/the-greatest-americans/\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> Later in February, it was revealed that [[Matt Lauer]] would host the show.<ref name="Multichannel News 2005"/> He took the role partly because of the debate the series could generate, similar to that surrounding the high ranking of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], in the BBC's ''[[100 Greatest Britons]]''.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Bobbin\|first=Jay\|date=June 5, 2005\|title=Matt Lauer guides viewers in picking 'Greatest American'\|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-jun-05-2005/06-05/\|url-access=subscription\|work=[[Wisconsin State Journal]]\|page=268\|access-date=June 21, 2023\|via=[[NewspaperArchive]]}}</ref> Voting continued until spring.<ref name="Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2005">{{Cite news\|date=April 19, 2005\|title=Nominees for 'Greatest American' unveiled\|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nominees-for-greatest-american-unveiled-1.550045\|work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619094704/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nominees-for-greatest-american-unveiled-1.550045/\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> Jason Raff and Elyse Zaccaro served as executive producers of ''The Greatest American''.{{Sfn\|Beauchamp\|2010\|p=854}} [[Ann Coulter]] makes an appearance.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Celizic\|first=Mike\|author-link=Mike Celizic\|date=January 7, 2009\|title=Ann Coulter 'delighted' she isn't banned from NBC\|url=https://www.today.com/news/ann-coulter-delighted-she-isnt-banned-nbc-1C9013416\|work=[[NBC News]]\|access-date=June 20, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620234709/https://www.today.com/news/ann-coulter-delighted-she-isnt-banned-nbc-1C9013416\|archive-date=June 20, 2023}}</ref> [[Tom Westman]] also makes an appearance to voice his support for [[Benjamin Franklin]],<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Murphy\|first=William\|date=July 5, 2005\|title=Survivor may call it quits\|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/729472732\|url-access=subscription\|work=[[Newsday]]\|page=14\|access-date=June 22, 2023\|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> whom [[Ralph Archbold]] portrays in the series.{{Sfn\|Huntington\|2006\|p=66}} ~~==The Top 25==~~ ~~{{wrapper}}~~ \|[[Image:Tom Cruise 2006.jpg\|thumb\|right\|1. [[Ian McKenzie]],<br/> the 40th [[Head of Managment for The Harassment Authority]], introduced ''[[laissez-faire]]'' economic policy, and contributed to the ending of the [[Transexual War]] between VALVe and [myg0t]. ]] \|- ~~\|[[Image:Adolf Hitler cph 3a48970.jpg\|thumb\|right\|2. [[Adolf Hitler]],<br/> aka "uncle Adolf", was president during the [[American Civil War of 1942]] and wrote the [[Mein Kampf]].]]~~ \|- ~~\|[[Image:Roots 25th Anniversary Edition.jpg\|thumb\|right\|3. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], a civil rights activist who promoted non-violent activism and equality.]]~~ \|- ~~\|[[Image:Washington (3).jpg\|right\|thumb\|4. [[George Washington]],<br/> known to many as the "Father of the United States" was America's first president.]]~~ \|- ~~\|[[Image:Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Baptiste Greuze.jpg\|thumb\|right\|5. [[Benjamin Franklin]],<br/> one of the most famous founding fathers of the United States.]]~~ \|- ===Voting=== \|- ====Nominees==== ~~\|[[Image:Monica lewinsky.jpg\|thumb\|right\|7. [[Bill Clinton]]<br/>was president during a [[History of the United States (since 1988)\|period of economic growth and prosperity]].]]~~ The 100 nominees for the title of "greatest American" were unveiled on April 18, 2005,<ref name="Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2005"/> when over 500,000 votes had already been cast.<ref name="Skillings 2005">{{Cite news\|last=Skillings\|first=Jon\|date=May 12, 2005\|title=Is Bill Gates the greatest American ever?\|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/is-bill-gates-the-greatest-american-ever/\|work=[[CNET]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619094056/https://www.cnet.com/culture/is-bill-gates-the-greatest-american-ever/\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> Discovery's alphabetized list included:<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html\|title=The Top 100\|website=[[Discovery Channel]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303145451/http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html\|archive-date=March 3, 2013}}</ref> \|- {{Div col\|colwidth=16em\|small=yes}} ~~\|[[Image:Elvis presley.jpg\|thumb\|8. [[Elvis Presley]]<br/>was dubbed the king of rock n' roll, and revolutionized American music.]]~~ * [[Muhammad Ali]] \|- * [[Maya Angelou]] ~~\|[[Image:JemimasWeddingDay.jpg\|thumb\|right\|9. [[Oprah Winfrey]]<br/> was dubbed the Queen of media and one of America's wealthiest.]]~~ * [[Susan B. Anthony]] \|- * [[Lance Armstrong]] ~~{{end}}~~ * [[Neil Armstrong]] * [[Lucille Ball]] * [[Alexander Graham Bell]]{{Efn\|Obtained American citizenship{{Sfn\|Cleall\|2022\|p=220}}}} * [[Barbara Bush]] * [[George H. W. Bush]] * [[George W. Bush]] * [[Laura Bush]] * [[Andrew Carnegie]] * [[Johnny Carson]] * [[Jimmy Carter]] * [[George Washington Carver]] * [[Ray Charles]] * [[César Chávez]] * [[Bill Clinton]] * [[Hillary Clinton]] * [[Bill Cosby]] * [[Tom Cruise]] * [[Ellen DeGeneres]] * [[Walt Disney]] * [[Frederick Douglass]] * [[Amelia Earhart]] * [[Clint Eastwood]] * [[Thomas Edison]] * [[John Edwards]] * [[Albert Einstein]]{{Efn\|name=Einstein\|Obtained American citizenship{{Sfn\|Isaacson\|2007\|p=479}}}} * [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] * [[Brett Favre]] * [[Henry Ford]] * [[Benjamin Franklin]] * [[Bill Gates]] * [[Mel Gibson]] * [[Rudy Giuliani]] * [[John Glenn]] * [[Billy Graham]] * [[Alexander Hamilton]] * [[Tom Hanks]] * [[Hugh Hefner]] * [[Katharine Hepburn]] * [[Bob Hope]]{{Efn\|name=Hope\|Obtained American citizenship{{Sfn\|Zoglin\|2014\|p=44}}}} * [[Howard Hughes]] * [[Michael Jackson]] * [[Thomas Jefferson]] * [[Steve Jobs]] * [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] * [[Michael Jordan]] * [[Helen Keller]] * [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]] * [[John F. Kennedy]] * [[Robert F. Kennedy]] * [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] * [[Rush Limbaugh]] * [[Abraham Lincoln]] * [[Charles Lindbergh]] * [[George Lucas]] * [[Madonna]] * [[Malcolm X]] * [[Phil McGraw]] * [[Marilyn Monroe]] * [[Michael Moore]] * [[Audie Murphy]] * [[Richard Nixon]] * [[Barack Obama]] * [[Jesse Owens]] * [[Rosa Parks]] * [[George S. Patton]] * [[Colin Powell]] * [[Elvis Presley]] * [[Ronald Reagan]] * [[Christopher Reeve]] * [[Condoleezza Rice]] * [[Jackie Robinson]] * [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] * [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] * [[Theodore Roosevelt]] * [[Babe Ruth]] * [[Carl Sagan]] * [[Jonas Salk]] * [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]{{Efn\|Obtained American citizenship{{Sfn\|Leamer\|2005\|p=155}}}} * [[Frank Sinatra]] * [[Joseph Smith]] * [[Steven Spielberg]] * [[James Stewart]] * [[Martha Stewart]] * [[Nikola Tesla]]{{Efn\|Obtained American citizenship{{Sfn\|Carlson\|2013\|p=138}}}} * [[Pat Tillman]] * [[Harry S. Truman]] * [[Donald Trump]] * [[Harriet Tubman]] * [[Mark Twain]] * [[Sam Walton]] * [[George Washington]] * [[John Wayne]] * [[Oprah Winfrey]] * [[Tiger Woods]] * [[Wright brothers]] * [[Chuck Yeager]] {{Div col end}} ====Finalists==== ~~#[[Ian McKenzie]] - 24%~~ By June, the 25 finalists were unveiled.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Walker\|first=Jesse\|date=June 29, 2005\|title=The Greatest American Heroes (Believe It Or Not)\|url=https://reason.com/2005/06/29/the-greatest-american-heroes-b/\|work=[[Reason (magazine)\|Reason]]\|access-date=June 19, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619230220/https://reason.com/2005/06/29/the-greatest-american-heroes-b/\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> In alphabetical order, the finalists include:<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Wilson\|first=Jamie\|date=June 7, 2005\|title=It's Ali v Oprah in search for greatest American\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jun/07/usnews.comment\|work=[[The Guardian]]\|access-date=June 22, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622071723/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jun/07/usnews.comment\|archive-date=June 22, 2023}}</ref> ~~#[[Adolf Hitler]] - 23.5%~~ {{Div col\|colwidth=16em\|small=yes}} ~~#[[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] - 19.7%~~ * [[Muhammad Ali]] ~~#[[George Washington]] - 17.7%~~ * [[Neil Armstrong]] ~~#[[Benjamin Franklin]] - 14.9%~~ #* [[~~George~~Lance ~~W. Bush~~Armstrong]] #* [[~~Bill~~George W. ~~Clinton~~Bush]] #* [[~~Elvis~~Bill ~~Presley~~Clinton]] #* [[~~Oprah~~Walt ~~Winfrey~~Disney]] * [[Thomas Edison]] ~~#[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]~~ * [[Albert Einstein]]{{Efn\|name=Einstein}} ~~#[[Billy Graham]]~~ #* [[~~Thomas~~Henry ~~Jefferson~~Ford]] #* [[~~Walt~~Benjamin ~~Disney~~Franklin]] #* [[~~Albert~~Bill ~~Einstein~~Gates]] #* [[~~Thomas Alva~~Billy ~~Edison~~Graham]] * [[Bob Hope]]{{Efn\|name=Hope}} ~~#[[John F. Kennedy]]~~ #* [[~~Bob~~Thomas ~~Hope~~Jefferson]] #* [[~~Bill~~John ~~Gates~~F. Kennedy]] * [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] ~~#[[Eleanor Roosevelt]]~~ #* [[~~Lance~~Abraham ~~Armstrong~~Lincoln]] #* [[~~Muhammad~~Rosa ~~Ali~~Parks]] #* [[~~Rosa~~Elvis ~~Parks~~Presley]] * [[Ronald Reagan]] ~~#[[The Wright Brothers]]~~ #* [[~~Henry~~Eleanor ~~Ford~~Roosevelt]] * [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ~~#[[Neil Armstrong]]~~ * [[George Washington]] * [[Oprah Winfrey]] * [[Wright brothers]] {{Div col end}} ====Results==== ~~==Alphabetical list==~~ The American public cast a total of over 2.4 million votes through telephone lines, text messages, and email correspondence. The names with the most votes were:<ref name="Wilson 2005">{{Cite news\|last=Wilson\|first=Jamie\|date=June 27, 2005\|title=The greatest American? Lincoln? Einstein? No - it's Ronald Reagan\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/28/usa.jamiewilson1\|work=[[The Guardian]]\|access-date=April 7, 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619084100/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/28/usa.jamiewilson1\|archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref><ref name="LewRockwell">{{Cite news\|last=Gregory\|first=Anthony\|date=June 28, 2005\|title=The Greatest Americans\|url=http://blog.lewrockwell.com/lewrw/archives/008344.html\|work=LewRockwell.com Blog\|access-date=July 3, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050908073841/http://blog.lewrockwell.com/lewrw/archives/008344.html\|archive-date=September 8, 2005}}</ref> ~~On [[April 18]],[[2005]], AOL and The Discovery Channel announced the top 100 nominees.~~ {{Div col\|colwidth=16em}} # [[Ronald Reagan]] # [[Abraham Lincoln]] # [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] # [[George Washington]] # [[Benjamin Franklin]] # [[George W. Bush]] # [[Bill Clinton]] # [[Elvis Presley]] # [[Oprah Winfrey]] # [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] # [[Billy Graham]] # [[Thomas Jefferson]] # [[Walt Disney]] # [[Albert Einstein]]{{Efn\|name=Einstein}} # [[Thomas Edison]] # [[John F. Kennedy]] # [[Bob Hope]]{{Efn\|name=Hope}} # [[Bill Gates]] # [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] # [[Lance Armstrong]] # [[Muhammad Ali]] # [[Rosa Parks]] # [[The Wright Brothers]] # [[Henry Ford]] # [[Neil Armstrong]] {{Div col end}} ==Broadcast== ~~The remaining 75 nominees:~~ The first episode was broadcast on June 5, 2005, the second on June 12, the third on June 19, and the finale on June 26.<ref name="The Washington Post 2005"/> ==Reception== [[Maya Angelou]] The list of the 100 nominees, many of whom were entertainers, inventors, industrialists and presidents,<ref name="Skillings 2005"/> was criticized upon its unveiling. Ann DeFrange of ''[[The Oklahoman]]'' questioned the significance of the celebrities,<ref>{{Cite news\|last=DeFrange\|first=Ann\|date=June 14, 2005\|title=List of greatest Americans contains some odd selections\|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2005/06/14/list-of-greatest-americans-contains-some-odd-selections/61938546007/\|work=[[The Oklahoman]]\|access-date=June 20, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620065823/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2005/06/14/list-of-greatest-americans-contains-some-odd-selections/61938546007/\|archive-date=June 20, 2023}}</ref> as did [[David M. Shribman]].<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Shribman\|first=David M.\|author-link=David M. Shribman\|date=June 12, 2005\|title=Who will emerge as greatest American?\|url=https://www.toledoblade.com/David-Shribman/2005/06/12/Who-will-emerge-as-greatest-American.html\|work=[[The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)\|The Blade]]\|access-date=June 20, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620072254/https://www.toledoblade.com/David-Shribman/2005/06/12/Who-will-emerge-as-greatest-American.html\|archive-date=June 20, 2023}}</ref> Kevin McDonough of [[United Feature Syndicate]] called the list "fascinating in a depressing way, revealing the short attention spans and media-obsessed nature of our times".<ref>{{Cite news\|last=McDonough\|first=Kevin\|date=June 4, 2005\|title='Southern Rock' looks at earlier era\|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jun/04/southern-rock-looks-at-earlier-era/\|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]\|access-date=June 21, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621085522/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jun/04/southern-rock-looks-at-earlier-era/\|archive-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref> [[Susan B. Anthony]] [[Lucille Ball]] [[Alexander Graham Bell]] [[Barbara Bush (First Lady)\|Barbara Bush]] [[George H. W. Bush]] [[Laura Bush]] [[Andrew Carnegie]] [[Johnny Carson]] [[Jimmy Carter]] [[George Washington Carver]] [[Ray Charles]] [[César Chávez]] [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] [[Bill Cosby]] [[Tom Cruise]] [[Ellen DeGeneres]] [[Frederick Douglass]] [[Amelia Earhart]] [[Clint Eastwood]] [[John Edwards]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] [[Brett Favre]] [[Mel Gibson]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] [[John Glenn]] [[Alexander Hamilton]] [[Tom Hanks]] [[Hugh Hefner]] [[Katharine Hepburn]] [[Howard Hughes]] [[Michael Jackson]] [[Steve Jobs]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] [[Michael Jordan]] [[Helen Keller]] [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]] [[Robert F. Kennedy]] [[Rush Limbaugh]] [[Charles Lindbergh]] [[George Lucas]] [[Madonna (entertainer)\|Madonna]] [[Malcolm X]] [[Phil McGraw\|Dr. Phil]] [[Marilyn Monroe]] [[Michael Moore]] [[Audie Murphy]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] [[Barack Obama]] [[Jesse Owens]] [[George S. Patton]] [[Colin Powell]] [[Christopher Reeve]] [[Condoleezza Rice]] [[Jackie Robinson]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] [[Babe Ruth]] [[Carl Sagan]] [[Jonas Salk]] [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] [[Frank Sinatra]] [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]] [[Steven Spielberg]] [[James Stewart (actor)\|James Stewart]] [[Martha Stewart]] [[Nikola Tesla]] [[Pat Tillman]] [[Harry Truman]] [[Donald Trump]] [[Harriet Tubman]] [[Mark Twain]] [[Sam Walton]] [[John Wayne]] [[Tiger Woods]] [[Chuck Yeager]] Shortly after [[Ronald Reagan]] received the title of the greatest American, his son, [[Ron Reagan\|Ron]], told Discovery that [[Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan\|his father's then-recent death]] was a possible factor and that "I'm sure he would be very honored to be in the company of these great gentlemen."<ref name="Wilson 2005"/> ~~==Facts about ''The Greatest American''==~~ In the years following the 2005 broadcast, the list of nominees and the final rankings have elicited continuous re-evaluation and criticism. [[Andrew Manis]] believed that it would have been unlikely for [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] to land near fifth place had most of the audience "been fully aware of King's radically prophetic theology and social ethics", citing a conservative shift and the [[Reagan Revolution]] in the 1980s.{{Sfn\|Manis\|2008\|p=185}} [[Paul Kengor]] used ''The Greatest American'' to justify Reagan's popularity among the general public.{{Sfn\|Kengor\|2009\|pp=103–104}} [[Abshalom Jac Lahav]] said he was inspired by the top 100 nominees list to create the exhibit, ''The Great Americans'', featuring 34 paintings of well-known and lesser-known subjects "dressed in anachronistic or symbolic costuming".<ref name="Dunne 2019"/> In 2019, Susan Dunne of the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' commented that the reputations of certain nominees, including finalist [[Lance Armstrong]], had changed negatively since the 2005 broadcast, while nominee [[Alexander Hamilton]]'s reputation had improved significantly.<ref name="Dunne 2019">{{Cite news\|last=Dunne\|first=Susan\|date=February 19, 2019\|title=From Abe to RBG to Oprah: Great and famous Americans as never seen before\|url=https://www.courant.com/2019/02/19/from-abe-to-rbg-to-oprah-great-and-famous-americans-as-never-seen-before/\|work=[[Hartford Courant]]\|access-date=June 21, 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621114101/https://www.courant.com/2019/02/19/from-abe-to-rbg-to-oprah-great-and-famous-americans-as-never-seen-before/\|archive-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref> Men: 85 (the Wright brothers are given a single entry) Women: 15 Living nominees: 42 African Americans: 16 White Americans: 83 Nominees by area: (halves are awarded if a nominee exceeded in two areas e.g. Eisenhower is under Military and U.S. Presidents) Television, Cinema and Radio: 23 U.S. Presidents: 14.5 First Ladies: 5 Other Political Figures: 15.5 Science: 9.5 Sports: 8.5 Music: 5 Business and Industry: 5 Aviators and Astronauts: 5 Military: 4.0 Literature: 3 Religion: 2 Publishers: 1 Several of the 100 had considerable links to other countries: [[Einstein]] was born in [[Germany]], but had to flee the country when the Nazis rose to power. At various times of his life was also a citizen of [[Austria-Hungary]], [[Switzerland]], and the [[US]]. He was also offered the presidency of [[Israel]] at one point. [[Alexander Graham Bell]] lived in [[Scotland]] for the first 23 years of his life, immigrated to [[Canada]], and later died and was buried there. [[Andrew Carnegie]] was also born in [[Scotland]] [[Mel Gibson]] lived for about 10 years in [[Australia]] starting at about age 12 before returning to the US. [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] grew up in [[Austria]] and immigrated to the U.S. aged 21 [[Nikola Tesla]] (Никола Тесла) was a [[Serbian people\|Serb]] born in the [[Austrian Empire]] and immigrated to the U.S. aged 28 *[[Bob Hope]] was born in the [[United Kingdom]], immigrated to the U.S. in 1908 aged 5, and became a U.S. citizen at age 17. ==References== ~~==Comments and criticisms==~~ ===Notes=== {{Notelist}} ===Citations=== Many viewers and media commentators{{Fact\|date=February 2007}} have criticized the shortlist as being extremely [[androcentrism\|androcentric]], with only a handful of [[female]] politicians, athletes, innovators and entertainers making the cut. [[Rosa Parks]], [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] and [[Oprah Winfrey]] are the only three females in the Top 25. {{Reflist}} * Much criticism has been made{{Fact\|date=February 2007}} of the overselection of entertainers, and a bias towards recent times at the expense of those who lived in the 18th or 19th centuries. * Others have complained <ref>[http://www.bluecorncomics.com/greatam.htm Blue Corn Comics - Ronald Reagan...the Greatest American?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> about the selection of the then recently deceased Ronald Reagan as the Greatest American, ahead of Abraham Lincoln, often called the Greatest President, George Washington, the first leader of the country, and [[Thomas Jefferson]], author of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. Some criticism was leveled at the biased voting in the final five, which allowed votes to be split between Washington, Lincoln, King, and Franklin and partisan votes allowed Reagan to win, critics argue that if the voting was runoff based Reagan would not have placed as high. * Others have complained about the inclusion of Bill Clinton who was [[Impeachment in the United States\|impeached]] by the House (though acquitted by the Senate). George W. Bush was selected as the "Greatest Living American" despite an approval rating below 50% at the time,[http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=1723] however the ranking was also reflected by an end of year Gallup poll, finding Bush to be the most admired living man in America. The fact that Gallup also found Bill Clinton to be the second most admired living man in America was also consistent with the Greatest American poll.[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060110/news_lz1n10list.html]. * There were objections{{Fact\|date=February 2007}} to many candidates being eligible because of the country in which they were born. For example, [[Albert Einstein]], [[Bob Hope]], [[Andrew Carnegie]], [[Nikola Tesla]] and [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], were born in [[Germany]], [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Austria-Hungary]] (Serbian) and [[Austria]] respectively. All 5 were naturalized U.S. citizens, though Einstein was only naturalized well after his major contribution to science. ==Works cited== [[Alexander Graham Bell]] also appeared on the Canadian version of the show, ''[[The Greatest Canadian]]'', ''and'' the original British program, ''[[Great Britons]]'', where he ranked ninth and fifty-seventh place respectively. The [[scientist]], [[inventor]], and founder of the [[Bell Telephone Company]] was born in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] in [[1847]], before moving to [[Brantford]], [[Ontario]] in [[1870]]. Three years later, Bell relocated to [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] to continue his research into [[vocal]] [[physiology]]. He became a [[naturalized]] citizen of the United States, though he maintained an estate and laboratory in Canada, and where he would place the first telephone call in 1876, between Brantford and Paris Ontario. He died and was buried in Canada, though his tombstone bears the prominent line "citizen of the United States." Thus, all three countries make a claim to him. ===Books=== * {{Cite book\|last=Carlson\|first=W. Bernard\|date=2013\|title=Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5I5c9j8BEn4C\|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]\|isbn=978-0-691-05776-7}} * {{Cite book\|last=Cleall\|first=Esme\|date=2022\|title=Colonising Disability: Impairment and Otherness Across Britain and Its Empire, c. 1800–1914\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f4R8EAAAQBAJ\|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]\|isbn=978-1-108-83391-2}} * {{Cite book\|last=Huntington\|first=Tom\|date=2006\|orig-date=2005\|title=Ben Franklin's Philadelphia: A Guide\|url=https://archive.org/details/benfranklinsphil0000hunt_n6t9\|url-access=registration\|publisher=[[Stackpole Books]]\|isbn=978-0-8117-3282-6}} * {{Cite book\|last=Isaacson\|first=Walter\|author-link=Walter Isaacson\|date=2007\|title=Einstein: His Life and Universe\|title-link=Einstein: His Life and Universe\|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]\|isbn=978-0-7394-8903-1}} * {{Cite book\|last=Leamer\|first=Laurence\|author-link=Laurence Leamer\|date=2005\|title=Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger\|url=https://archive.org/details/fantasticlifeofa00leam\|url-access=registration\|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]\|isbn=978-0-312-33338-6}} * {{Cite book\|last=Zoglin\|first=Richard\|author-link=Richard Zoglin\|date=2014\|title=Hope: Entertainer of the Century\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hzgbBQAAQBAJ\|publisher=Simon & Schuster\|isbn=978-1-4391-4027-7}} ==~~See also~~=Chapters=== * {{Cite book\|last=Kengor\|first=Paul\|author-link=Paul Kengor\|editor-last=Dunn\|editor-first=Charles W.\|date=2009\|chapter=Reagan's Legacy, Bush's Burden\|title=The Enduring Reagan\|url=https://archive.org/details/enduringreagan0000unse\|url-access=registration\|publisher=[[The University Press of Kentucky]]\|pages=93–117\|isbn=978-0-8131-2552-7}} [[Honorific titles in popular music]] {{Cite book\|last=Manis\|first=Andrew\|author-link=Andrew Manis\|editor-last1=McSwain\|editor-first1=Larry L.\|editor-last2=Allen\|editor-first2=William Loyd\|date=2008\|chapter=Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968): The Greatest American (Prophet)\|title=Twentieth-Century Shapers of Baptist Social Ethics\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-MxQbzj7bAC\|publisher=[[Mercer University Press]]\|pages=185–205\|isbn=978-0-88146-100-8}} ===Journal ~~References~~ articles=== * {{Cite journal\|last=Beauchamp\|first=Christopher\|date=2010\|title=Who Invented the Telephone? Lawyers, Patents, and the Judgments of History\|journal=[[Technology and Culture]]\|volume=51\|issue=4\|pages=854–878\|doi=10.1353/tech.2010.0038 \|jstor=40928028\|s2cid=142594846 \|doi-access=free}} ==External links== ~~<references/>~~ * [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463820/ ''Greatest American'' at IMDb] ~~==External links==~~ [http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/about/about.html The Greatest American page on The Discovery Channel] [http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican The Greatest American on AOL] {{Countries' greatest people TV series}} ~~[[Category~~{{DEFAULTSORT:Greatest ~~Nationals\|Greatest]]~~American}} [[Category:2005 American television series debuts]] [[deCategory:~~The Greatest~~2005 American television series endings]] [[Category:Discovery Channel original programming]] ~~[[fr:The Greatest American]]~~ [[nlCategory:~~The~~ Greatest Nationals\|American]] [[viCategory:~~The~~Lists ~~Greatest~~of American people]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Nikola Tesla]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Muhammad Ali]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Susan B. Anthony]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Neil Armstrong]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Alexander Graham Bell]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of George H. W. Bush]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of George W. Bush]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Jimmy Carter]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Bill Clinton]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Hillary Clinton]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Bill Cosby]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Tom Cruise]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Walt Disney]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Frederick Douglass]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Amelia Earhart]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Clint Eastwood]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Thomas Edison]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Albert Einstein]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Dwight D. Eisenhower]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Henry Ford]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Benjamin Franklin]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Bill Gates]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Mel Gibson]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Alexander Hamilton]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Hugh Hefner]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Katharine Hepburn]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Howard Hughes]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Michael Jackson]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Thomas Jefferson]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Steve Jobs]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Lyndon B. Johnson]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Michael Jordan]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Helen Keller]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Robert F. Kennedy]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Martin Luther King Jr.]] [[Category:Depictions of Abraham Lincoln on television]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Lindbergh]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of George Lucas]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Madonna]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Malcolm X]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Marilyn Monroe]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Michael Moore]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Richard Nixon]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Barack Obama]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Jesse Owens]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Rosa Parks]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of George S. Patton]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Ronald Reagan]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Jackie Robinson]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Eleanor Roosevelt]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Franklin D. Roosevelt]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Babe Ruth]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Arnold Schwarzenegger]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Frank Sinatra]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Joseph Smith]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Steven Spielberg]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Harry S. Truman]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Donald Trump]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Harriet Tubman]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Mark Twain]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of George Washington]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of John Wayne]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of Tiger Woods]] [[Category:Cultural depictions of the Wright brothers]]