None are on a pedestal, tho I read many. Or, watch videos of them. Dawkins, Hitchens, Dennett, Harris (the Four Horsemen), Dillahunty, Shermer, Krauss (unfortunate tho that situation is right now), Silverman, Mills, Baker, Aron Ra, many YouTube "spokesmen", Godless Cranium, Professor Stick, Thunderfoot,...the list goes on. Don't know if I agree with every little thing some state, or everything they may actually do in life, but all have contributed something in the formation of my ideas, understanding & organization of my stance.

George Carlin

Albert Einstein for those who dispute it [en.wikipedia.org]

Carl Sagan. Without a doubt

My first exposure to freethought was through the lecutres of Robert Green Ingersoll, and it was he who introduced me to my hero, Thomas Paine, the deist who eschewed all religions and who said, "My own mind is my own church," and who participated in two revolutions, thought slavery should have been eliminated in the Constitution, devised what we today call Social Security, designed an ingenious steel truss bridge, and who wrote Common Sense, The Crisis, The Rights of Man, Agrarian Justice and The Age of Reason. Thank you for asking this question.

john lennon paul mcartney jim morrison castro hugo chavez evo morales gorbachov chris hadfield my uncle simon

Still working on that, but definitely George Carlin will be on the list.

Bertrand Russell, Robert Ingersoll, Carl Sagan and Hitch.

Stephen fry and billy connoly

George Carlin and Bill Maher

Lemmy Kilmister. He was honest and open about his opinions despite the time period he was in. Another much older Agnostic, would be Epricus.

Ricky Gervais is one of my favorite atheists

Carl Sagan for me.

As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth. - Mikhail Bakunin
Skepticism, classical libertarianis, etc are exciting to me and are related to atheist to some degree.
I don't actually think of any one as a hero on atheist. The concept is too simple to be really excited about.
Shrug, just my 2 cents.

Bill Maher and Seth Andrews

Richard Dawkins Ricky gervais

Thomas Paine, who was profoundly wise and forward-thinking. People of his time didn’t deserve him.

Sir david attenborough and george carlin

Francis Bacon , Carl Sagan

I have but a few, but at the top of my short list, is...Thomas Pain. He faught in the war with George Washington and in the French Revolution and nearly perished in prison and stood against all manner of resistance in the Congress. And, unto his dying day, he professed his non-belief.

Bertrand Russell, philosopher; Carl Sagan, scientist, humanist; Richard Feynman, atheist, scientist; ; Dawkin's, atheist, scientist, activist; Sam Harris, likewise; Richard Carrier, atheist, historian; Dave Allen, atheist, humourist;

There are others, like Stephen Fry, and George Carlin. These all come to mind.

I have a couple of them. Stephen Hawkings, Neil Degrasse (sp?)

Eddie Izzard.

Christopher Hitchens of course.

Hitchens, Sagan, Carlin, Dawkins, Dillahunty, Harris. Many more also.
I have to always add Jerry DeWitt. He's the first graduate of the clergy progect and I found his videos on You Tube when I wasn't sure yet on the god issue. In just a short time I said "this man is me" and I knew I was atheist. It was only then that I knew what to call my lack of belief. Dan Barker gets more than an honable mention here. I like all these guys and more.