They all share a common trait: lacking the conditions for a complete education, but through their passion and eagerness to learn, they achieved success and fame.
The Struggles of Great Geniuses
1. Michael Faraday (1791–1867) – A Self-Taught Genius
The name Michael Faraday is renowned worldwide and is considered one of the most influential scientists of all time. However, few know that he did not receive formal education; most of his knowledge was acquired through self-exploration and discovery.
Growing up in a poor family in London, Faraday did not have the opportunity to attend school. Instead, at the age of 14, he had to work as an apprentice bookbinder in a bookshop for over seven years. During this time, he began reading the books he was binding and discovered a passion for science. He applied to be an assistant to one of the most famous scientists in London at the time, Humphrey Davy, but was rejected due to his lack of formal qualifications or practical experience.
Nevertheless, through determination and effort, he eventually secured this position and demonstrated his exceptional abilities with numerous inventions, such as the electric motor, generator, Bunsen burner, and other significant discoveries, revolutionizing science and marking him as one of the greatest scientists in history.
2. William Herschel (1738-1822) – The Musician with a Passion for Astronomy
William Herschel was a German musician living in England in the 18th century. Besides music, he developed a passion for astronomy after accidentally reading an astronomy book in 1773. To satisfy this passion, he painstakingly crafted his own telescope, spending 16 hours a day grinding mirrors and lenses. With his homemade yet superior telescope, he discovered numerous nebulae, constellations, new moons, and made many other contributions to the field of astronomy.
However, his most significant discovery came when he accidentally found a strange object. After sending his observations to a Russian expert, he learned that he had discovered a new planet. Initially, he named this new planet “Georgian Star” in honor of King George III, but later the name Uranus was adopted. This is one of the seven largest planets in the solar system, and this discovery marked a significant advancement in astronomy.
3. Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) – The Legendary Mathematician
Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan is regarded as one of the rare mathematical geniuses of the past century, with nearly 3,900 research results, mostly in the field of equations and identities. Despite lacking formal training in mathematics, his contributions and discoveries in the field are incredibly significant and valuable.
Born into a poor Indian family, Srinivasa Ramanujan did not have the opportunity for a complete education and largely self-taught. At the age of 10, he was introduced to mathematics when his parents gifted him an advanced trigonometry book. By age 13, he had mastered the book and began to invent mathematical theorems on his own.
Later, he received a scholarship to a public university but failed in his first year because he could not focus on other subjects, dedicating most of his time to studying mathematics. He sent some of his works to famous mathematicians in India and England, but they were largely ignored, unrecognized, or returned. Only Professor G.H. Hardy from Cambridge University recognized his talent and invited Ramanujan to England. However, he declined, not wanting to move to a foreign land, despite it being a rare opportunity to gain fame and recognition.
4. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) – The Father of Modern Genetics
Gregor Mendel was born in 1822 in the Czech Republic. Due to difficult family circumstances, after finishing high school, he studied at a monastery in Brunn in 1843. There, he both studied and conducted experiments on pea plants, discovering the laws of inheritance that laid the foundation for modern genetics and the basis for all knowledge about DNA and heredity today.
However, at that time, no one believed his findings, and they remained forgotten for decades until the 20th century, when they were finally recognized. By then, he was honored as a brilliant scientist, a title that he deserved during his lifetime.
