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1. Winston Churchill Though a failure for much of his life, he was a man of extraordinary ability and the most inspiring political leader of the 20th century. 2. Franklin D. Roosevelt His mixture of idealism and cynicism established the post-war structure of the world. 3. George Washington He created, simply out of his own principles, a whole new world. 4. Elizabeth I This was one monarch who walked the tightrope with superb skills. 5. Konrad Adenauer His influence was probably the strongest in creating a stable and united Europe. 6. William Pitt the Younger For his extraordinary manipulative skills and achievements during his short life. 7. Pope Innocent III He was the greatest diplomat of the Middle Ages. 8. Charles V Created and maintained the greatest empire of the early modern world and then resigned all his powers at the end of his life. 9. Benjamin Disraeli A most entertaining and far-sighted if not, cynical politician. 10. Furst Otto von Bismarck A deeply unattractive character who effectively shaped the modern world. Back to Your Millennium Vote >> More on Jon Snow's choices >>

John Simpson
John Simpson is one of the leading names in the world of journalism, reporting for the BBC from trouble spots around the globe for nearly 30 years.
Mr Simpson was the corporation's first correspondent in Dublin, at the age of 26. He was then appointed Southern Africa Correspondent and in 1980, he became Diplomatic Editor.
During his career, Mr Simpson has interviewed many world figures including Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev, and has reported on some of this century's most momentous events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the USSR.
He was awarded a CBE in the Gulf War Honours List and received the Man Of The Year award in 1991.
Mr Simpson has also written several books on his various first-hand experiences around the world, including The Darkness Crumbles, on the death of Communism, In the Forests of the Night, which describes drug-running and terrorism in Peru, and Lifting the Veil, about life in revolutionary Iran.

Mr Simpson has been the BBC's World Affairs Editor since 1988, specialising in East-West Relations, Iran and Afghanistan, and heads the World Affairs Unit. He is currently reporting from Belgrade on the Nato action against Serbia.