Hmm, I may end up ignoring parts of Asia because I don't know much of their history.
1) Julius Caesar - While he didn't create the empire like people below him he did make it larger and less fractured by destroying the republic and conquering Gaul. What he did basically set Western Europe up to become the West.
2) Jesus/Muhammed/Buddha - Putting them all in at once, though Jesus was perhaps more influential than the other two.
3) Einstein/Newton - Basically created modern physics. Newton's work on calculus was also good.
4) Alexander/Genghis/Napoleon - All created short lived empires which drops them a bit.
5) Hitler - Did terrible stuff but undoubtably one of the most significant people in recent history.
6) Da Vinci - Most influential artist of all time and also a great inventor
7) Gallieleo/Darwin - Both did scientific works which challenged the prevailing view, rank among the great scientists.
8) Gauss - The prince of mathematicians.
Ehh, not accurate as a list - but they are all great people.
