Haile Selassie

About Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie I (1892–1975) was the Emperor of Ethiopia, ascending to the throne in 1930 and serving as a pivotal, though controversial, figure in 20th-century African and global politics. His historical importance stems from his efforts to modernize Ethiopia, his resistance to Italian occupation-famously appealing to the League of Nations-and his role as a founding member of the Organization of African Unity. MIT’s Pantheon project recognizes this influence, ranking him at #269 in overall historical importance.

Despite this high historical ranking, Haile Selassie's modern internet attention does not reflect his global cultural impact. In 2025, his Wikipedia pageviews totaled 1.3 million. This places him in a state of relative online obscurity, representing an Attention Gap of +3x, meaning his web attention is three times lower than expected relative to his historical rank. For context, Heinrich Himmler, ranked #435, garnered 2.3 million views in the same period.

Furthermore, the data suggests this historical neglect is increasing, with 2025 views declining by 16.9% year-over-year, and Q1 vs Q3 momentum dropping by 7%, indicating a gradual drift from contemporary online discourse.