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10 Historical Figures Who Would Have Absolutely Dominated TikTok

History, but make it go viral

By Sahil RawatPublished 3 months ago 4 min read
Image from Unsplash

If TikTok had existed centuries ago, some of the biggest names in history would’ve gone viral for the same exact reasons people blow up today: “Honesty”, Trend setting, raw talent, and much needed (and dramatic) chaos. Here’s who I think would definitely have broken the algorithm.

1. Cleopatra — The Original Glow-Up Queen

Cleopatra wasn’t just Egypt’s last pharaoh (there’s a fun fact); she was also a genius who knew how to use her image and drama to her advantage. This is the same person who sailed into meetings with Roman leaders on golden ships, perfumed sails trailing behind her (that’s a badass move). On TikTok, She’d most likely be the queen of transitions,her videos would go like — “Watch me go from ruling Egypt to breaking Caesar’s heart in 15 seconds.” Also, she would have serious makeup tutorials, skincare routines using honey and milk baths, and Cleopatra would’ve had million of followers.

2. Leonardo da Vinci — The Weird Life-Hack Guy

Leonardo was equal parts artist and inventor, sketching designs for submarines, helicopters, and robots hundreds of years before they were possible. He’d be that creator posting, “Inventions nobody asked for, but kinda genius.” Imagine a TikTok where he flips his notebook open: one page, the Mona Lisa; the next, a machine with flapping wings. People would watch him because he was unpredictable — one day painting, the next dissecting cadavers to understand anatomy. He’d basically be the Mark Rober of the Renaissance.

3. Marie Antoinette — The Versailles It-Girl

Marie Antoinette practically lived for looks. She made fashion trends out of hairstyles three feet tall, had a fake village built just so she could pretend to be a “simple farmer,” and became infamous for her sweet tooth. On TikTok, she’d be giving “Versailles house tours,” over-the-top outfit reveals, and cake mukbangs before anyone knew what mukbangs were. Of course, she’d also go viral for being controversial — she’d be known as a spoiled rich girl who would be getting spammed hate comments.

4. Nikola Tesla — The Chaos Scientist

Tesla once used his laboratory to make bolts of lightning shoot across the room, and he casually claimed to have built a “death ray.” If TikTok existed, he’d be that science guy whose experiments look terrifying but somehow work. Picture him saying, “Don’t try this at home, but here’s what one million volts looks like in slow motion.” He’d trend every week — half the comments calling him a genius, the other half wondering if he was okay.

5. Genghis Khan — The Villain Arc Nobody Asked For

TikTok always had somone they love to hate, and Genghis Khan gave them just that and more. This man conquered most of Asia, had an empire larger than the Roman Empire, and left behind DNA so widespread that about 1 in 200 men today are his descendants. What was his his TikTok energy? Savage motivational speeches, “duet this if you’re my enemy” callouts, and definitely those POV edits with dark music: “POV: You just realized the Mongols are outside your city walls.” He’d be hated, cancelled, then uncanceled, then viral again — over and over.

6. Amelia Earhart — The Adventure Vlogger

Amelia wasn’t just the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic — she turned herself into a media icon while doing it. She wrote books, gave talks, and inspired a whole generation. On TikTok, she’d be filming cockpit POVs, travel hacks, and “Day in the life: flying across the ocean alone.” And let’s be real — her mysterious disappearance would’ve been the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. Conspiracy TikTok would still be arguing about her final post. People won’t ever stop making edit’s of her disappearance.

7. Socrates — The Street Interview Philosopher

Socrates had one hobby: walking around Athens asking people questions until they got so confused they admitted they didn’t know what they thought they knew. Put him on TikTok and he’d be the guy holding a mic in the street asking, “But how do you know that’s true?” Half the comments would say “this man is a genius,” and the other half would be like, “what’s the point of this?.”

8. Frida Kahlo — The Unfiltered Art Icon

Frida’s life was raw, messy, painful, and beautiful — and she painted all of it. On TikTok, she’d share her self-portraits, give behind-the-scenes looks at her creative process, and post brutally honest storytimes about her health struggles and stormy relationship with Diego Rivera. She’d be the creator who makes you cry one minute, then inspires you the next. Bold fashion, unapologetic takes, and iconic art — Frida would be running the “art side” of TikTok.

9. Winston Churchill — The Roast Master General

Churchill had the kind of sharp tongue TikTok lives for. He was the king of witty one-liners, once shutting down a critic by saying, “I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.” His TikToks would be stitch replies where he absolutely obliterates people with 20-second clapbacks. Add in motivational speeches, cigar-smoking aesthetics, and the occasional bulldog cameo, and you’ve got a man who would’ve lived on the For You page.

10. Joan of Arc — The Teen Motivation Icon

Imagine a teenage girl, claiming visions from God, leading armies into battle and actually winning. Joan of Arc would’ve been the ultimate inspirational TikTok account. Her content? Battlefield pep talks, “you’re never too young to change the world” audios, and dramatic edits of her riding into battle. She’d probably post something motivational before heading into her final trial, and it would be one of the most replayed TikToks in history.

What’ something all these figures have in common? They weren’t just, artists, leaders, and warriors , they knew how to grab attention. If TikTok had been around back then, these people wouldn’t just be in history books, they’d be in your feed, picking up millions of views.

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