Mahatma Gandhi has been voted the greatest man of the past 1,000 years in a poll by BBC News Online.

India's independence leader was the front-runner throughout the poll - pushing Leonardo da Vinci and Jesus Christ to second and third place.

The vote was the twelfth in BBC News Online's monthly Your Millennium series. Other runners-up included Sir Isaac Newton and Nelson Mandela.

This is the second time Mahatma Gandhi has won the Your Millennium poll. In May BBC News Online readers voted him the greatest world leader of the last 1,000 years.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, India. He led India's movement for independence from British rule and is one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the 20th century.

He developed a method of direct social action based upon the principles of courage, non-violence and truth. He believed passive resistance and civil disobedience were the most appropriate methods for obtaining political and social goals.

In 1948 he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic who opposed his tolerance for all creeds and religions.

Gandhi is honoured by his people as the father of the Indian nation and is called Mahatma, which means Great Soul.

Votes came in from across the world and Mahatma Gandhi had overwhelming support for his non-violence and leadership skills.

Mukesh Agarwal from Russia said: "Mahatma Gandhi is the one man (and now it is already becoming difficult to believe that he was a man in flesh and blood) that led an illiterate and backward-looking people by personal example. He used reason and love where others would have used force.

And Kamal Taparia said: "Gandhi's views are applicable in any part of the world, at any point of time, in any type of situation."