Osman I

About Osman I

Osman I, reigning from 1254 to 1327, was the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, a political entity that would eventually grow into a vast, centuries-spanning empire. His foundational role is recognized by the Pantheon project, which places him at an Historical Popularity Index (HPI) rank of #234 out of approximately 15,000 figures. This places him among the most historically crucial individuals globally, primarily for establishing the nascent state that fundamentally reshaped the political and cultural landscape of Anatolia and beyond for the next six centuries.

Despite this profound historical weight, Osman I's modern digital footprint is relatively modest. He garnered 1.1 million annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. To contextualize this, he receives only about one-fifth of the attention given to George Washington (#325 importance), who recorded 4.8 million views, despite Washington ranking significantly lower on the HPI scale. This indicates a clear +2x overattention bias in favor of the more recent American politician when compared to the foundational figure of the Ottoman Empire.

There is a slight cooling of current digital interest, as indicated by the 2025 Momentum score, which shows a -23% drop between Q1 and Q3, even as his overall yearly views increased by a notable +13.5% year-over-year.