Considering that just about none of us were alive at the turn of the 20th century, it's hard to write this article without at least a trace of bias. After all, we weren't there to see most of the athletes of the 1900s so it's hard to completely realize what they meant to society at the time. With that said, I'm going to do my best to list five of the athletes who I believe had profound impacts on the world and within their sport. Here goes.

5. Ty Cobb. A pioneer in the baseball world, his time came before Babe Ruth's and he was one of the first true superstars of the sport.

4. Muhammad Ali. This man brought boxing to its height and electrified a world of fans. He's still talked about every single day.

3. Pele. He did for soccer what Michael Jordan did for basketball and Babe Ruth did for baseball. Probably the greatest soccer player to ever don a uniform, this Brazilian legend will live on forever.

2. Babe Ruth. The Babe officially put baseball on the map and made it America's pastime for nearly a century. He was a legend of his time and still remains the king of the home run in the minds of many.

1. Michael Jordan. He completely transformed the game of basketball, and inspired a generation of younger kids to want to be like him. He also has the biggest impact on the sports marketing world in the history of sports.