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From Benedict Arnold to John Thune: How History Gets Written

Thune is at a crossroads: He can be remembered as one of American history’s greatest men or as the second Benedict Arnold.

Vince Coyner | March 16, 2026

From 1776 to today, the total number of Americans is estimated to have been around 600 million. That’s about twice what the population is today. One wonders how many historical figures most Americans can name. There are, of course, the obvious ones like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and MLK, who are probably at the top of the list for most Americans. They were all known for having done great things.

Most of the rest no one remembers. According to Grok

The average American can likely freely name 10–30 historical figures without much prompting—mostly U.S. presidents, Founding Fathers, major civil rights icons, and a few global names like Einstein, Hitler, or Napoleon—depending on education, age, and interest in history.Advertisement if(page_width_onload

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