I think freightdawg is on the right track. I think the times bring forth the man, as they say.

Certainly true in science. Calculus was invented simultaneously by Newton and - whatsisname - Descartes? Senior moment here. Anyway, there are always a number of people researching the same subjects. As Charles Fort put it, we steam-engine when it's steam-engine time.

Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Roosevelt, Mao, Franco and Churchill all showed up at the same time, a time that appears to have been right for powerful leaders.

The founders of the great religions also showed up relatively close together too, though not so neatly as the political leaders.

I feel like there must be some real road forks in history, but it wouldn't have helped much in the long run to have smothered Hitler in infancy.

clint