Carl Sagan. He first got me interested in science. It was a stepping stone to my freethinking which is who I am today. I greatly admire the man and his legacy.

George Carlin

Among the living: Tracie Harris, of "The Atheist Experience." I admire her clarity of thought, her honesty, the completeness of her presentations, the gentle & respectful way she addresses the show's callers, and her good-natured & sometimes bawdy sense of humor. She's taken atheism to the Ambassador level, and yet she's still very approachable in person.

Hitch.

I don't always agree with him, but he can tell you to go fuck yourself so eloquently.

Bill Maher

George Carlin as someone else also stated.

Bertrand Russell
His books literally changed my life

ME ...

The man i admired the most was without question the late great Christopher Hitchens followed closely by prof. Richerd Dawkins and Sam Harris

Carl Sagan. That man was a legend. A true luminary. And one of the smartest and nicest people to ever live, or so I've been told. A rare breed indeed.

My kids, and, me....they are so strong. And, any who have fought for the right to think. No matter the race...

Hitchens, Dawkins, James Randi, Stephen Hawking, and PZ Myers pop to mind first. Long list though, and I just finished Penn Jillett’s “God, No,” so he is close also.

Sam Harris. Also props to comedian Jim Jefferies and former NFL running backs Arian Foster and Robert Smith.

Check out Jim Jefferies:

So many to choose from, but Jonathan Miller is pretty awesome.

Matt Dillahunty

My brother Dale (author of such great humanist books as “Atheism For Dummies,” “Raising Freethinkers,” “Parenting Beyond Belief” and “In Faith and In Doubt) is one of the most rational and compassionate people I know. Dale’s kids are living proof that religion is not a fundamental requirement for raising a moral and loving family.

The living....Tyson, Gervais, Jefferies.
The no longer with us.... Hawking and Carlin.

Assuming we're talking about famous people/celebrities (e.g., not "myself" ), probably Penn Jillette. Also Katherine Hepburn, Frank Zappa, and Charlie Chaplin.

Me

The rudest yet serious is jim jeffries, if you have not googled him then do so but beware his atheist outlook on jokes are best heard with ear plugs lol

Mark Twain

Honorable mention goes to (in random order)
Sinclair Lewis
Lewis Sinclair
George Carlin
Bill Maher
Albert Eisnstein
Stephen Hawkings

and others I can't think of off hand

Was David Silverman until he did some awful shit that got him fired from American Atheists. Richard Dawkins is unashamedly Atheist and is an excellent representative of non-believers.

Dawkins...a beautifully scientific man....but I must say that Ricky Gervais has made me laugh most recently

ME! oh and Nikola Tesla

The late Steven Hawking