a
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Samuel Adams
Political Leader / 1722 - 1803
American Revolutionary Samuel Adams organized the Boston Tea Party and signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
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(1722-1803)
Political Leader
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Peter Agre
Doctor / 1949 -
Peter Agre won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2003 for his discovery of the protein aquaporin which led to later important scientific breakthroughs.
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(1949-)
Doctor
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Ralph Alpher
Astronomer / 1921 - 2007
American cosmologist Ralph Asher Alpher is best known for laying the foundations for the big-bang model of evolution.
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(1921-2007)
Astronomer
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Aristotle
Philosopher / 384 - 322
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, together with Socrates and Plato, laid much of the groundwork for western philosophy.
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(384-322)
Philosopher
b
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Robert Ballard
Archaeologist / 1942 -
Deep-sea archaeologist and oceanographer Robert Ballard is best known for discovering the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985.
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(1942-)
Archaeologist
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Henri Becquerel
Philosopher, Physicist / 1852 - 1908
Henri Becquerel was a French physicist who discovered radioactivity, an achievement for which he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
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(1852-1908)
Philosopher, Physicist
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Sydney Brenner
Biologist / 1927 -
Sydney Brenner is a Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist and a science writer.
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(1927-)
Biologist
c
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Alexander Calder
Illustrator, Sculptor / 1898 - 1976
Alexander Calder was an influential American artist and sculptor who invented the mobile.
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(1898-1976)
Illustrator, Sculptor
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Willis Carrier
Entrepreneur, Inventor / 1876 - 1950
Willis Carrier designed the first system to control temperature and humidity in 1902.
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(1876-1950)
Entrepreneur, Inventor
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Auguste Comte
Philosopher, Academic Author, Sociologist / 1798 - 1857
French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857) greatly advanced the field of social science, giving it the name "sociology" and influenced many 19th-century social intellectuals.
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(1798-1857)
Philosopher, Academic Author, Sociologist
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Pierre Curie
Academic, Chemist, Physicist / 1859 - 1906
French physicist Pierre Curie was of founding fathers of modern physics and is best known for being a pioneer in radioactive studies.
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(1859-1906)
Academic, Chemist, Physicist
d
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Leonardo da Vinci
Mathematician, Artist, Inventor, Musician, Writer / 1452 - 1519
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter and a genius in many realms of science. He is best known for two paintings: the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper."
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(1452-1519)
Mathematician, Artist, Inventor, Musician, Writer
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Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre
Painter, Inventor, Physicist / 1787 - 1851
Louis Daguerre was a French artist and physicist who gained international acclaim when he invented the process of photography.
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(1787-1851)
Painter, Inventor, Physicist
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Humphry Davy
Inventor, Chemist / 1778 - 1829
Humphry Davy was a British chemist best known for his contributions to the discoveries of chlorine and iodine. He is noted for suggesting the anesthetic use of nitrous oxide in human surgery.
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(1778-1829)
Inventor, Chemist
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Pedro de Alvarado
Explorer, Governor / 1485 - 1541
Spanish conquistador Pedro De Alvarado was known for his skill as a soldier and for his cruelty to the native populations of Mexico.
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(1485-1541)
Explorer, Governor
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W. Edwards Deming
Educator, Mathematician, Business Leader / 1900 - 1993
W. Edwards Deming was a statistician and business consultant whose methods help hasten Japan's recovery after WWII and beyond.
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(1900-1993)
Educator, Mathematician, Business Leader
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Renato Dulbecco
Educator, Scientist / 1914 - 2012
Renato Dulbecco was an Italian virologist best known winning the Nobel Prize for pioneering the growing of viruses in culture in the 1950s.
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(1914-2012)
Educator, Scientist
e
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Robert F. Engle
Educator, Economist, Academic Author, Editor / 1942 -
Robert F. Engle is a co-recipient of the 2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, honored for developing methods to analyze unpredictable movements in the financial market.
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(1942-)
Educator, Economist, Academic Author, Editor
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Brian Epstein
Business Leader / 1934 - 1967
Brian Epstein discovered and then managed the Beatles until his death in 1967.
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(1934-1967)
Business Leader
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Arthur Evans
Archaeologist / 1851 - 1941
Arthur Evans was a noted archaeologist and curator known for unearthing the remains of ancient Minoan civilization.
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(1851-1941)
Archaeologist
f
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Richard Feynman
Academic, Inventor, Physicist / 1918 - 1988
American physicist Richard Feynman is an American physicist best known for his work in quantum mechanics. He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb.
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(1918-1988)
Academic, Inventor, Physicist
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Paul J. Flory
Educator, Activist, Chemist, Journalist / 1910 - 1985
American chemist Paul J. Flory won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1974 for his work with polymers, the building blocks of plastic and rubber.
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(1910-1985)
Educator, Activist, Chemist, Journalist
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Jean Foucault
Physicist / 1819 - 1868
Jean Foucault was a French physicist and inventor best known for inventing the Foucault pendulum.
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(1819-1868)
Physicist
g
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Pierre Gaultier
Explorer, Military Leader / 1685 - 1749
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye is best known for his explorations of the northern U.S. and Canadian provinces.
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(1685-1749)
Explorer, Military Leader
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Robert Goddard
Educator, Engineer, Inventor, Physicist / 1882 - 1945
American physicist Robert H. Goddard built the world's first liquid-fueld rocket in 1926 and is best known as the founding father of modern rocketry.
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(1882-1945)
Educator, Engineer, Inventor, Physicist
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Peter Goldmark
Engineer, Inventor
Hungarian-born engineer Peter Goldmark is best known for developing the long-playing (LP) microgroove disc which revolutionized the recording industry.
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Engineer, Inventor
h
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G. Stanley Hall
Educator, Psychologist / 1844 - 1924
American psychologist G. Stanley Hall was a trailblazer in his field. He established the concept of child psychology and founded Clark University.
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(1844-1924)
Educator, Psychologist
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Robert Hooke
Philosopher, Scholar, Mathematician, Architect, Illustrator, Astronomer, Physicist, Academic Author / 1635 - 1703
Robert Hooke was an English philosopher, mathematician and architect who discovered the law of elasticity, now known as Hooke's law.
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(1635-1703)
Philosopher, Scholar, Mathematician, Architect, Illustrator, Astronomer, Physicist, Academic Author
i
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Jan Ingenhousz
Biologist, Chemist, Physicist / 1730 - 1799
Jan Ingenhousz was a Dutch physiologist, biologist and chemist who discovered the plant process photosynthesis.
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(1730-1799)
Biologist, Chemist, Physicist
j
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Percy Julian
Academic, Civil Rights Activist, Medical Professional, Chemist / 1899 - 1975
African-American chemist Percy Julian was a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills.
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(1899-1975)
Academic, Civil Rights Activist, Medical Professional, Chemist
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Robert Koch
Medical Professional, Biologist / 1843 - 1910
Prussian physician Robert Koch is best known for isolating the bacterium which causes tuberculosis, the cause of numerous deaths in the mid-19th century.
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(1843-1910)
Medical Professional, Biologist
l
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Lewis Howard Latimer
Engineer, Inventor / 1848 - 1928
Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone.
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(1848-1928)
Engineer, Inventor
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Percival Lowell
Academic, Astronomer / 1855 - 1916
Astronomer Percival Lowell is best known for his speculations of life on Mars and for influencing the naming of Pluto, chosen in part based on his initials.
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(1855-1916)
Academic, Astronomer
m
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James Madison
U.S. President / 1751 - 1836
The fourth U.S. president, James Madison believed in a robust yet balanced federal government and is known as the "Father of the Constitution."
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(1751-1836)
U.S. President
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James C. Maxwell
Academic, Physicist / 1831 - 1879
Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell originated the idea of electromagnetic radiation. His ideas formed the basis for quantum mechanics.
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(1831-1879)
Academic, Physicist
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Robert A. Millikan
Educator, Physicist / 1868 - 1953
American physicist Robert A. Milikan is best known for measuring the charge on the electron, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923.
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(1868-1953)
Educator, Physicist
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Garrett Morgan
Entrepreneur, Inventor, Publisher / 1877 - 1963
Garrett Morgan blazed a trail for African-American inventors with his many patents, including those for a hair-straightening product, a breathing device, and an improved sewing machine and traffic signal.
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(1877-1963)
Entrepreneur, Inventor, Publisher
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August Ferdinand Möbius
Mathematician / 1790 - 1868
German mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius was the brains behind the Möbius strip and other innovations in Euclidean geometry.
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(1790-1868)
Mathematician
n
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Emmy Noether
Mathematician / 1882 - 1935
German mathematician Emmy Noether (1882–1935) revolutionized the areas of abstract algebra and theoretical physics. Even Einstein called her a genius.
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(1882-1935)
Mathematician
s
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Richard E Smalley
Chemist / 1943 - 2005
Richard E. Smalley was an American chemist best known for discovering a new form of carbon, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
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(1943-2005)
Chemist
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Socrates
Philosopher / 470 - 399
Socrates was a Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. Little is known of his life except what was recorded by his students, including Plato.
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(470-399)
Philosopher
t
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Henry Taube
Academic, Chemist / 1915 - 2005
Henry Taube was the first Canadian-born scientist to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry for work in electron transfer reactions.
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(1915-2005)
Academic, Chemist
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Frederick W. Taylor
Inventor / 1856 - 1915
U.S. inventor Frederick Winslow Taylor analyzed shop production. His time-and-motion system led to modern mass production techniques.
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(1856-1915)
Inventor
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Alan Turing
Educator, Mathematician / 1912 - 1954
Famed mathematician Alan Turing proved in his 1936 paper, "On Computable Numbers," that a universal algorithmic method of determining truth in math cannot exist.
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(1912-1954)
Educator, Mathematician
v
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Rudolf Virchow
Academic, Doctor, Political Leader, Biologist / 1821 - 1902
Rudolf Virchow was a German pathologist and statesman, widely credited for his advancements in public health, particularly with his cell theory.
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(1821-1902)
Academic, Doctor, Political Leader, Biologist
w
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J. Robin Warren
Medical Professional, Scientist / 1937 -
J. Robin Warren is a Nobel Prize-winning pathologist who, with Barry J. Marshall, identified the bacteria that causes ulcers.
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(1937-)
Medical Professional, Scientist
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Robert Woodrow Wilson
Astronomer, Physicist / 1936 -
Robert Woodrow Wilson is an American radio astronomer and physicist best known for the discovery that supported the big bang model of creation.
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(1936-)
Astronomer, Physicist