Who are our future historical figures?

Quick, name one famous actor or actress from a time before movies.

Anyone. Just one will do.

No one?

OK, let’s try a president or military hero from the 1800s. That’s easier. Lincoln, Grant, Jackson, Roosevelt, Lee, Sherman … the list is much easier to cull from the recesses of your memory.

Why do you suppose that is? It’s probably because most of us were taught about presidents and the Civil War in school. We see their faces on our money and we hear about them repeatedly over the course of our lives. The same goes for famous people who are not politicians or military heroes. Mark Twain, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Hellen Keller and Henry Ford are just some of the examples.

We know these people because they are the difference makers in history. They are the ones who took the risks and made something of themselves.

When you look back at U.S. history, it seems to stop at World War II. If you don’t believe me, ask any high school student what they were taught about national or world events after WWII. Ask any history teacher where their U.S. history lessons end.

On rare occasion you might get some studies about Vietnam, the Cold War or the space race that led to man walking on the moon. Aside from that, nothing. A fifth of our nation’s history has not yet appeared in the classrooms.

Now, name an actor or actress from the 20^th century. BOOM! The names come pouring out faster than water from a hydrant. The same goes for sports figures and other pop culture icons.

Now try naming the real newsmakers and difference makers after World War II. Who are the captains of industry, war heroes, explorers and political leaders who made a difference and shaped history after Japan surrendered in 1945?

Those of us with a few years under our belts who lived through much of that time can probably spout off names fairly easily. What about those born in the last 20 years? I have two children in their 20s and I bet neither of them could quickly name a historical figure from 1945 to 2000 aside from Ronald Reagan – and he was an actor!

Actually, I shouldn’t be too hard on my kids or their generation. It’s not their fault they weren’t taught modern history in school. It is their fault if they don’t keep up with current events – our future history.

The young people today are more likely to know more about video games, movie stars and pop singers than they are their elected officials or the people waging the war on terror. They could probably tell you who Steve Jobs was or who Bill Gates or even Mark Zuckerberg are, but most would struggle to tell you who Joe Biden is or even the name of their state’s governor. (By the way, Biden is the vice president of the United States and the Texas governor is Greg Abbott.)

I guess what this boils down to is figuring out who are tomorrow’s historical figures. Who are the leaders today who will stand beside Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Edison and Einstein when our great-great-granchildren’s grandchildren look back across the pages of history and learn about us today? Is anyone worthy of that mantle? I sure hope our current generations are known for more than reality TV stars, sports figures and Miley Cyrus.

After all, as we’ve seen through the lens of time, entertainers don’t make history. Entrepreneurs and risk takers are the ones we remember centuries later. I just hope that within that perspective that our time is not forgotten because we were too obsessed with the latest electronic gadgets, popular boy bands or Kardashian escapades.

So, as you think about who your heroes are and who you wish to emulate, think about your impact on this world and do something that will truly make a lasting difference. Who knows, maybe it’s your name that gets added to the list.