Question: who are important figures in buddhism?
Answer: Avalokitesvara. -Known in Tibet as Chenrezig. -most popular bodhisattva (masculine) of Mahayana and unofficially in Theravada. ... 
Siddhartha Gautama. -Born 563 BC in Lumbini (Southern Nepal). ... 
Thich Nhat Hanh. -Creator of socially engaged Buddhism. ... 
Ashoka. -304-232 BC.