auroraprize.com: Thanks to the courage of those who lent Armenians a helping hand 100 years ago, many of those who survived (and their descendants) have gone on to leave their own mark on the world. The contributions Armenians have made to humanity range far and wide. Here are some examples (in no particular order) of but a few great Armenian men and women whose achievements were made possible by the fine gestures of those who decided to become saviors a century ago.
100. MESROP MASHTOTS, INVENTOR OF ARMENIAN AND OTHER ALPHABETS
The alphabet was the key that allowed Armenians to preserve their culture and identity, thus lending them exceptional longevity.
99. GAREGIN NZHDEH (TER-HARUTYUNYAN), ARMENIAN NATIONAL HERO, COMMANDER AND PHILOSOPHER
Shaped an ideology that continues to influence Armenian thinkers, politicians and leaders to this day.
98. MKRTICH KHRIMYAN (HAYRIG), LEADER OF THE ARMENIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT
As catholicos he gave authority and energy to the idea that Armenians should be free, playing no small part in their eventual liberation.
97. KOMITAS (SOGHOMON SOGHOMONIAN), PIONEER OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY AND CREATOR OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Instrumental in recording and saving vast swathes of Armenian culture that may have otherwise been lost.
96. RAFFI (HAKOB MELIK HAKOBYAN), WRITER IN THE ARMENIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT
Credited with initiating what would later come to be known as the “Zartonk,” or “Awakening,” during which Armenians reasoned toward the necessity of a free Armenian state.
95. MONTE “AVO” MELKONIAN, COMMANDER OF ARTSAKH WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
Came to emobody a unified Armenian Nation.
94. SOGHOMON TEHLIRIAN, ASSASSIN OF CHIEF ORGANIZER OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Killed Mehmet Talaat Pasha in Berlin as part of “Operation Nemesis.”
93. ZABEL YESSAYAN, LEADING FEMALE WRITER OF ARMENIAN AWAKENING PERIOD
The only woman on the Young Turk list of Armenians to be deported and killed on April 24, 1915.
92. KRIKOR ZOHRAB, LAWYER, WRITER, OTTOMAN PARLIAMENTARIAN
An imposing and defiant voice of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire.
91. VAHAN CARDASHIAN, FOUNDER OF FIRST ARMENIAN-AMERICAN LOBBY
Lobbied the United States for the creation of an independent Armenian state and established ACIA, a precursor to ANCA.
90. SERGEI PARAJANOV (SARKIS PARAJANIAN), MASTER FILM DIRECTOR
One of the most acclaimed directors of the Soviet Union.
89. PETER BALAKIAN, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POET
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for his book of poetry “Ozone Journal.”
88. DIKRAN TAHTA, MATHEMATICS TEACHER
The man who taught and inspired Stephen Hawking.
87. ANASTAS MIKOYAN, SOVIET DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
One of highest-ranking officials who served - and survived - four secretaries general.
86. ALAIN PROST, CHAMPION FORMULA 1 RACE-CAR DRIVER
Crowned champion four times.
85. JIRAYR ZORTHIAN, THE LAST BOHEMIAN
An artist and significant figure in the history of Los Angeles art scene, owner of the Zorthian Ranch.
84. JERRY TARKANIAN, COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH
Registered one of the highest winning percentages, 6th all-time, in the sport.
83. CARDINAL GRIGOR PETROS XV AGAGIANIAN, CANDIDATE FOR POPE
The second Armenian in the Church’s 2,000-year-long history to be made a cardinal.
82. LEVON ARONIAN, CHESS GRANDMASTER
Fourth highest-rated chess player in history.
81. MKHITAR SEBASTATSI, SCHOLAR AND INTELLECTUAL
Established the Mekhitarist Order, an exclusively Armenian subsidiary within the Catholic Church.
80. GIORGIO BAGLIVI, GROUNDBREAKING ANATOMIST
Insisted on using observation and reason as the means to establish knowledge and procedure.
79. HAIG PATIGIAN, SAN FRANCISCAN SCULPTOR
Created several famous works of art that adorn buildings, parks and museum halls.
78. PAUL IGNATIUS, U.S. SECRETARY OF NAVY
Highest-ranking Armenian-American military official in U.S. history.
77. ANDRANIK “ANDY” MADADIAN, INTERNATIONAL POP SUPERSTAR
Alternatively referred to as the “Prince of Persia,” the “Elvis of Persia” and Iran’s “King of Pop.”
76. FLORA ZABELLE (MANGASARIAN) HITCHCOCK, BROADWAY ACTRESS AND SILENT FILM STAR
One of the first stars of American silent film.
75. SAYAT NOVA (HARUTYUN SAYATYAN), BARD OF THE CAUCASUS
Renowned for the timeless music he created.
74. JOSEPH (HOVSEP) EMIN, FOUNDER OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Dedicated his life to petitioning for freedom of Armenia.
73. KHACHATUR ABOVYAN, AUTHOR AND INTELLECTUAL
Galvanized Eastern Armenian as a separate dialect.
72. HERACLIUS, BYZANTINE EMPEROR
Reorganized the empire and strengthened its military.
71. YEGHISHE (SOGHOMONIAN) CHARENTS, GREATEST EASTERN ARMENIAN POET
A leading voice of the Armenian Nation.
70. ISRAEL ORI, EARLY LEADER OF ARMENIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT
A dedicated proponent of the liberation of Armenians from Ottoman and Persian rule.
69. GEORGE (GEORGY) GARANIAN, PIONEER OF RUSSIAN JAZZ
Awarded the highest prize in the Soviet Union for art.
68. GARRY KASPAROV, CHESSMASTER
Considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time.
67. CHARLIE PAPAZIAN, PIONEER OF HOME-BREWING AND CRAFT BEER MOVEMENT
Authored “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing,” a work that sparked the craft beer revolution.
66. NARSES, BYZANTINE GENERAL, CONQUEROR AND RULER OF ITALY
Expelled the Goths and reestablished Emperor Justinian’s rule.
65. IVAN GALAMIAN, WORLD-RENOWNED VIOLIN INSTRUCTOR
Taught some of the best violinists in the world.
64. ARSHILE GORKY, GREAT AMERICAN ARTIST OF THE 20TH CENTURY
A major figure in surrealism and one of the founders of abstract expressionism.
63. MISSAK MANOUCHIAN, REVOLUTIONARY LEADER OF FRENCH RESISTANCE AGAINST NAZIS
A poet opposed to violence until arrested and imprisoned for being a communist.
62. ARNO BABAJANIAN, RENOWNED SOVIET COMPOSER
Awarded the honor of People’s Artist of the USSR.
61. BEN BAGDIKIAN, JOURNALIST, AUTHOR AND MEDIA CRITIC
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award.
60. ANNA DER-VARTANIAN, FIRST FEMALE MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER IN U.S. NAVY
Remembered for blazing a path for women in the United States military.
59. HOVANNES ADAMIAN, PIONEER OF COLOR TELEVISION
Developed the tricolor principle eventually used to create color television.
58. GEORGE AVAKIAN, JAZZ PRODUCER, MANAGER AND INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE
Created the first jazz album and the established the 12” LP format as industry standard.
57. ROUBEN MAMOULIAN, FILM AND THEATER DIRECTOR
Recipient of Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award and director of one of the first movies with sound.
56. LUTHER GEORGE SIMJIAN, INVENTOR OF THE AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM)
The prolific mastermind behind the ATM, exercise bikes and color x-rays.
55. RICHARD DONCHIAN, PIONEER OF TECHNICAL COMMODITY TRADING
Founded Futures, Inc., one of the first publicly-held commodity funds.
54. KEVORK NALBANDIAN, COMPOSER OF ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
Director of the orphan choir known as the “Arba Lijoch.”
53. ASHKHEN HOVAKIMIAN (AGNES JOAQUIM), CREATOR OF SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL FLOWER
A prominent horticulturist and the first woman to create the first hybrid orchid.
52. UDI HRANT KENKULIAN, OUD MUSICIAN
A blind oudist well-known to fans of folk music in Turkey.
51. VARAZTAD KAZANJIAN, FOUNDING FATHER OF MODERN PLASTIC SURGERY
The first professor of plastic surgery at Harvard Medical School.
50. HOWARD KAZANJIAN, FILM PRODUCER
Produced “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.”
49. GIACOMO LUIGI CIAMICIAN, SCIENTIST
Father of organic photochemistry and a prophet of solar energy.
48. ALENUSH TERIAN, IRAN’S FIRST FEMALE ASTRONOMER AND ASTROPHYSICIST
A founder of the solar observatory at the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Tehran.
47. ANDRE AGASSI, TENNIS STAR
The only male tennis player in history to achieve a Career Super Grand Slam.
46. VITTORIA AGANOOR, POET
One of the most respected female Italian writers.
45. HRANT DINK, JOURNALIST AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Founder and editor of the Agos newspaper in Turkey, gunned down for his work.
44. LARRY GAGOSIAN, WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL ART DEALER
The man behind the world-famous Gagosian Galleries.
43. ARMEN ALCHIAN, FOUNDER OF THE “UCLA TRADITION” OF ECONOMICS
One of the most prominent economists of the 20th century.
42. ANDRANIK OZANIAN, FAMED MILITARY COMMANDER
The “General of the Armenians” who fought during Genocide and the First Republic and raised funds for Armenian war refugees.
41. JACK KEVORKIAN, DOCTOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
A pioneer and advocate of the “right-to-die” movement known as “Dr. Death.”
40. SHAVARASH KARAPETYAN, WORLD CHAMPION AND LIFE-SAVING HERO
Seventeen-time world champion finswimmer and fearless savior of many lives.
39. DIANA APCAR, FIRST FEMALE DIPLOMAT
The honorary consul of the first Republic of Armenia to Japan.
38. TIGRAN THE GREAT, KING
Ruler of Greater Armenia, the strongest state east of the Roman Republic.
37. IVAN AIVAZOVSKY, PAINTER
The most renowned artist of seascapes in history.
36. HENRI VERNEUIL, FILM DIRECTOR
Nominated for a Palme d’Or and Academy Award, winner of a César.
35. ARA GULER, PHOTOJOURNALIST
Turkey’s most renowned photographer.
34. JACKIE SPEIER, UNITED STATES CONGRESSWOMAN
Representative for California's 14th congressional district.
33. ALEXANDER MANTASHEV (MANTASHYAN), BUSINESSMAN, PHILANTHROPIST
An oil baron and one of the wealthiest men of the early 20th century.
32. NUBAR PASHA, FIRST PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT
Instrumental in laying the foundation of the independent Egyptian state.
31. BORIS BABAYAN, SUPERCOMPUTER PIONEER
The Soviet counterpart of the American supercomputer developer Seymour Cray.
30. ALEX MANOOGIAN: BUSINESSMAN, INVENTOR, PHILANTHROPIST
The inventor of the Delta faucet.
29. ALBERT BOGHOSSIAN: HIGH-END JEWELER, BUSINESSMAN, PHILANTHROPIST
Benefactors of many philanthropic projects through their Boghossian Foundation.
28. ALAN HOVNANESS: COMPOSER
An original and prolific artist in 20th century America.
27. ATOM EGOYAN: FILMMAKER
Nominated for two Academy Awards, including for Best Director.
26. ARTURO SARUKHAN: DIPLOMAT
The ambassador of Mexico to the United States.
25. KENNETH KHACHIGIAN: SPEECHWRITER, POLITICAL ACTIVIST
A political strategist who has served as an adviser on nine presidential campaigns.
24. RAYMOND VAHAN DAMADYAN: SCIENTIST, INVENTOR
The visionary inventor of the first magnetic scanning machine, now known as MRI.
23. GERARD CAFESJIAN: BUSINESSMAN, PHILANTHROPIST
A successful publishing executive.
22. HOVNANIAN BROTHERS: BUSINESSMEN
The four Hovnanian brothers – Jirair, Kevork, Hirair and Vahak – are staples in the homebuilding world.
21. EDUARDO EURNEKIAN: BUSINESSMAN, INVESTOR
One of the wealthiest individuals in South America.
