The Most Outstanding Scientists in History

Scientists play a vital role in humanity. Thanks to their inventions and research, the world has developed to what it is today. Not all research yields immediate results; it often requires a long process of sacrifice and time to acknowledge their contributions.

Comparing scientists and their works can be challenging. However, this article presents a list of the greatest scientists based on the rankings from World Top. While it may be difficult to determine who surpasses whom, all of them are renowned scientists in their respective eras and fields.

1. Albert Einstein

The first on the list is physicist Albert Einstein, who was born into a Jewish family. He was a German theoretical physicist, regarded as the father of modern physics and the developer of theory of relativity, considered his greatest achievement. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Throughout his life, he published over 300 scientific papers and 150 non-scientific works. Interestingly, Einstein didn’t speak until he was three years old, and even at eight, he struggled with reading. However, he began experimenting with science at a very young age, creating models and mechanical devices by the age of ten.

2. Isaac Newton

Surely, no one is unfamiliar with the story of the apple falling on Newton’s head, which led to his formulation of the theory of universal gravitation. Isaac Newton was born into a farming family in England and was later sent to the city to pursue a legal career. Initially studying philosophy, he was also captivated by mathematics, optics, and astronomy.

He was extraordinarily talented and laid the foundational principles of physics for all time. Not only was he a brilliant physicist, but also an astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, and alchemist. His contributions are considered extremely important; his classical mechanics dominated scientific thought for the following three centuries. In mathematics, he and Leibniz developed calculus together, and he also introduced the generalized binomial theorem. Many believe that it is Newton, not Einstein, who has had the most significant influence in the history of science.

3. Galileo Galilei

About 200 years before Newton, the most famous scientist was Galileo Galilei. He was an Italian astronomer, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the scientific revolution. In astronomy, he improved the telescope and supported Copernicanism.

The motion of uniformly accelerating objects, taught in most high school and college physics courses, was studied by Galileo in the topic of kinematics. His observational contributions in astronomy included confirming the phases of Venus through the telescope, discovering the four largest moons of Jupiter, named the Galilean moons in his honor, and observing and analyzing the sunspots. Galileo also worked in applied science and technology, improving compass design.

Galileo’s defense of Copernicanism caused controversy during his life. The geocentric view had dominated since Aristotle’s time, and the dispute arose after Galileo presented heliocentrism as a demonstrative proof, leading the Catholic Church to prohibit its promotion as a proven fact, as it was not empirically verified at that time and contradicted biblical interpretations. Ultimately, Galileo was forced to abandon his heliocentric theory and spent his final days under house arrest as ordered by the Roman Inquisition.

4. Charles Robert Darwin

Darwin was a renowned English researcher in the field of natural history. He is best known for his theory of natural selection – the primary explanation for the evolution of humans. This theory is considered the unifying theory for biological sciences, providing a rational explanation for species diversity. He dedicated his life to science, spending five years traveling around the world to develop and validate the reasoning behind his work. Initially, this work sparked controversy with the Church, but ultimately it was accepted by the scientific community worldwide.

5. Aristotle

Continuing the list is the ancient Greek scientist Aristotle. His research spanned a wide range of fields, including physics, metaphysics, logic, linguistics, and even topics such as poetry, drama, and music. In his time, along with Plato and Socrates, he was a pillar of ancient Greek civilization. Aristotle’s theories on zoology remained unchanged and were taught in schools for centuries until the British scientist Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution in the 19th century. He left a vast number of writings across various genres, though very few remain today.

6. Thomas Edison

No scientist in history has achieved as many patents as Edison, with over 1000 inventions. He was not only a great inventor but also a talented entrepreneur. Many of the initial ideas behind his inventions were not originally his, but after his modifications and innovations, they became successful (notably the light bulb). Additionally, many of the creative works were the products of those who worked for him. During his school years, he was known for his curiosity and… frail health.

7. Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta

Next on the list is an Italian count. From a young age, he was fascinated by natural sciences, and as he grew up, he became a lecturer in physics and philosophy in his homeland. After the year 1765, he began to focus on the phenomenon of static electricity, researching it, and by 1769, his book on static electricity was published: “On the Attraction of Electricity“, explaining several static electricity phenomena. In 1776, he was the first to discover Methane gas. Some time later, he invented the battery. The unit of electric potential, the Volt, is named after him.

8. Stephen Hawking

After Albert Einstein, there were little hopes of another extraordinary scientific genius emerging in the 20th century. However, Stephen Hawking appeared and became a beacon of brilliance. He was a theoretical physicist and cosmologist, authoring many significant works, including the theory of gravitational singularities and predicting the radiation emitted by black holes. Hawking was also famous for writing popular science books where he discussed his theories as well as cosmology in general, notably in his book A Brief History of Time. He suffered from a severe illness and could only communicate through a speech-generating device.

9. Louis Pasteur

Next on the list is the famous French scientist – Louis Pasteur. His field was microbiology. Interestingly, he never formally studied medicine; his studies were in the fields of Arts and Mathematics. Later, he also studied chemistry, physics, and crystallography. This scientist achieved numerous scientific successes across various fields such as crystallography, discovering yeast as the agent of fermentation, research on beer and wine, and some animal diseases (infections, rabies prevention treatment). He was also a member of many academies in France and abroad. Many villages and streets around the world are named after him. It can be said that his talent and contributions transcended geographical and political boundaries.

10. Jagadish Chandra Bose

This is an Indian scientist known for his contributions as a physicist, biologist, botanist, and archaeologist. He made significant achievements in radio and microwave technology. He was one of the founders of the Indian National Science Academy, president of the 14th Indian Science Congress, a member of the Royal Society of London, a member of the Vienna Academy of Sciences (Austria), and a member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences, among others. He was knighted by the British monarchy in 1917.

11. Marie Curie

Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a Polish-French physicist and chemist, renowned for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person to be awarded two Nobel Prizes in two different fields, physics and chemistry. Marie Curie was the first female university lecturer at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), and in 1995, her remains were interred at the Panthéon in Paris in recognition of her immense contributions to humanity.

12. Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was an inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer of Serbian descent who became an American citizen around the age of 30. He was known for many revolutionary contributions in the fields of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tesla’s inventions and theoretical work laid the foundation for the alternating current electric power system, including the polyphase power distribution system and alternating current motors, sparking the Second Industrial Revolution.

13. Otto Hahn

Otto Hahn was a German chemist and Nobel laureate who pioneered the field of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is regarded as the “father of nuclear chemistry” and “the founder of the atomic age.” Hahn opposed the Nazi regime’s persecution of Jews and, after World War II, became an advocate against the use of nuclear energy as a weapon. He served as the last president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society in 1946 and was the founding president of the Max Planck Society from 1948 to 1960.

14. Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday FRS was a British chemist and physicist (or natural philosopher, as termed at the time) who made significant contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. He discovered electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis.

15. Alexander Fleming

Alexander Fleming was a Scottish physician, biologist, and pharmacologist. He is known for ushering in the era of antibiotic use in medicine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 along with Ernst Boris Chain and Howard Walter Florey for the discovery and isolation of penicillin, considered the first antibiotic in treating infections.

16. Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev

Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and inventor, credited with creating the first version of the periodic table of chemical elements, a significant milestone in the history of chemical research. Using this periodic table, he predicted the properties of undiscovered elements. He also discovered the critical boiling point.

17. Archimedes

Regarded as the greatest mathematician of antiquity, Archimedes developed extensive knowledge in mathematics, physics, and engineering, leading to monumental inventions widely used in machinery production and construction as well as irrigation works. Born in 287 BC, Archimedes was one of the few scientists excelling in both theoretical and practical realms.

He laid the foundations for computational science and achieved numerous accomplishments in geometry, statics, and physics, most notably the Archimedean principle of liquid equilibrium and the theory of levers with his famous quote, “Give me a place to stand, and I can move the Earth.”

Although most of his works were burned in the Library of Alexandria, their influence on modern science is immense.

18. Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is renowned as an exceptional painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, geographer, botanist, and one of the most famous writers of the Renaissance period. He is best known for his genius in painting, with two of his works, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, becoming some of the most classic masterpieces of all time.