Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century

20th century leaders oversaw great victories, unimaginable hardships, sweeping social change, and the worst conflicts in human history. This film charts some of the qualities that made the century's most iconic leaders stand out, and we quickly learn that the scale of their responsibilities at ti...

20th-century exploration began with flag planting in the name of empire, and over the decades, improvements in technology saw explorers take on greater and greater challenges, pursuing prizes from the poles, to the highest points on earth, and beyond.

Chris Packham weighs up the 20th century's greatest scientists, including Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Alan Turing and Tu You You. He explores some of their most famous discoveries, as well as the lesser known human stories behind them, so often overshadowed by the scale and impact of their work.

Kathleen Turner weighs up the 20th century's greatest entertainers, including Charlie Chaplin, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie. She uncovers their greatest achievements and explores their legacies.

Sanjeev Bhaskar weighs up the 20th century's greatest activists, including Emmeline Pankhurst, Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller and Martin Luther King Jr. He assesses the qualities that made them great, and the groundbreaking ways in which each of them fought for their causes.

Clare Balding weighs up the 20th century's greatest sports stars. Clare makes an assessment of the legacies of Pelé, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and Tanni Grey Thompson. Each of them transcended their sport, and had an impact on the century far beyond their professional record.

Lily Cole weighs up the 20th century's greatest artists and writers. She explores the lives of Pablo Picasso, Virginia Woolf, Alfred Hitchcock, and Andy Warhol, finding out what inspired their most celebrated works, and why they still resonate today.

The live final of a series exploring the achievements of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. The public can vote for who they believe should be called the greatest.