8 Hidden Figures Who Quietly Shaped Nations (2 of 5)

7. Deng Xiaoping

After Mao Zedong’s death, Deng Xiaoping reshaped China’s future without ever officially being the head of state or party. Instead, his smarts as the minister of finance earned him the respect of those technically above him, allowing him to steer reforms that opened China’s economy and integrated it into the global market. He is largely credited for lifting millions of Chinese out of poverty. But at the same time, he was the architect of the one-child policy that continues to have disastrous consequences, and he’s the one who ordered the military crackdown on Tiananmen Square, for which his reputation in the West irreversibly suffered.

6. Mamie Eisenhower

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s wife, wasn’t involved in policy-making, but this doesn’t mean she didn’t have a significant influence on how he ran the country. Aside from managing his personal life, she played an important role in staffing decisions, offering subtle support or disapproval of candidates for various positions. Ultimately, her emotional and logistical support created the conditions that allowed Ike to make it through his two terms.