Wiki Commons by Daniel Hass; Wiki Commons by William Henry Mote; Wiki Commons by Giuseppe Nogari
Throughout recorded history, many creative, dedicated, and brilliant people have advanced our knowledge in the sciences, politics, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, the arts, and other fields. Some of their names have been lost to time, particularly the women, but others have been immortalized. How many of history’s greatest minds can you identify from a clue or two? Let’s find out!
1: Which famous physicist’s name is an anagram of “ten elite brains”?
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) developed the special and general theories of relativity, including the famous equation E = mc2 (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). Einstein married Mileva Maric, the only woman in his physics classes at the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, and she assisted him in his important work.
2: Can you name China’s most important philosopher, who inspired a religion?
Confucius (551–479 BCE) was a teacher, first and foremost. His thoughts are the foundation of Confucianism, one of the main religions in China. His concept of “ren” means “humanity” or “loving others.” His given name was Kong Qiū, but he was later called Kǒng Fūzǐ, which means “Master Kong.” Jesuit missionaries Latinized this name to Confucius.
3: The man who gave the world early conceptual designs for the helicopter and the parachute also painted which famous work of art?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is remembered as an inventor, painter, sculptor, and architect—the ultimate Renaissance man. His notebooks are filled with conceptual sketches and mirrored writing, which is readable when held up to a mirror. He created the iconic drawing of the Vitruvian Man—look it up if you aren’t sure what this is. The Mona Lisa is also known as La Gioconda.
4: What is the name of the Bard of Avon, who wrote at least 37 plays and 154 sonnets?
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, is considered by many to be the greatest playwright in history. He not only wrote Hamlet, but also played the ghost onstage. When an outbreak of the plague closed London’s theaters between 1592 and 1594, Shakespeare began writing his sonnets.
5: Ada Lovelace, who lived in the 1800s, is remembered for her work in what field?
Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) is remembered as “the first computer programmer” for her theories and writing related to Charles Babbage’s invention, the difference engine. Ada Lovelace happens to be the daughter of poet Lord Byron. Her work has been newly appreciated in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Defense named a 1980 computer language “Ada” in her honor.
6: Which Founding Father never ran for office but served as the first postmaster general and dabbled in many intellectual pursuits?
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) was not only a Founding Father of the U.S., but also a printer, author, publisher, inventor, scientist, and diplomat. He famously published Poor Richard’s Almanack and flew a kite in a thunderstorm to learn about lightning and electricity. You may not know that he wrote a popular advice column as a widow named Silence Dogood when he was a teenager, or that he enjoyed taking air baths by sitting naked near open windows.
7: Which physicist wrote A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes?
Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) developed a theory of exploding black holes and explored space-time singularities, but he was able to make his ideas accessible to the average person. He lived with a degenerative neuromuscular disease, and he famously used a text-to-speech synthesizer with a voice called “Perfect Paul.” For fun, Hawking made multiple cameo appearances on the television show The Big Bang Theory.
8: Can you name the naturalist who wrote The Origin of Species?
Charles Darwin (1809–1882) famously formulated the theory of evolution, suggesting that humans evolved from earlier primates. While developing his ideas, Darwin traveled the world on the HMS Beagle for five years, including time spent in the Galapagos. Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day, February 12, 1809, and both would change the world.
9: What is the name of the man who worked with deaf students before he invented the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) received his familiar middle name as a gift from his parents when he was 11—they had not given him a middle name at birth. His mother was deaf, and that inspired him to teach at a school for the deaf, where he met his wife. Bell studied the human voice and began working on methods of recording and transmitting sound. After he invented the telephone, he suggested that people should answer calls with the word “ahoy.” When Bell died, in 1922, telephone operators across North America stood at attention and did not connect any new calls during a minute of silence.
10: Do you know which famous composer began writing at the age of 6?
Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) wrote in a variety of genres, appealing to a broad range of musical tastes. His operas include Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and The Marriage of Figaro. Mozart’s constant companion for some years was a starling, which he purchased from a pet shop in Vienna after he heard it singing part of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major (K453).
11: Which philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician is credited with developing the scientific method?
Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) made many contributions to the fields of philosophy, astronomy, physics, and mathematics. He developed the scientific method, which involves asking a question, constructing a hypothesis, experimenting, drawing conclusions, and communicating the results. Galileo was sentenced to life in prison by the Roman Inquisition for supporting Copernicus’ theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, not the other way around. The Catholic Church did not overturn the conviction against Galileo until 1992, hundreds of years after his death.
12: Can you name the painter, sculptor, poet, and architect who painted frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564) is one of the most famous artists in history. His Sistine Chapel frescoes and his marble sculpture of David are so iconic that it’s hard to imagine an individual actually created them. The block of marble that Michelangelo chose for sculpting David had been rejected by many other artists. Sadly, in 1991, a vandal chiseled off part of a toe on David’s left foot.
13: Which actress, often called “the most beautiful woman in film,” helped develop technology used in cell phones?
Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000) gained fame as an actress in 30 films, but she had a surprising side hustle. Working with a friend, avant-garde piano composer George Antheil, she developed a way to prevent signals from being intercepted by the enemy during World War II. Their patent involved frequency hopping for radio signals, using 88 channels, matching the 88 keys on a piano. Today’s Bluetooth technology is based on their invention.
14: One Greek philosopher wrote an Apologia for another. Can you name them?
Plato (c. 428–c. 348 BCE) was one of many followers of the philosopher Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE). Socrates never wrote anything, as far as we know, but he spoke extensively to his followers. Plato wrote many dialogues, but generally in the voice of Socrates, not himself. After Socrates was tried, convicted, and executed on charges of impiety, Plato wrote his Apologia of Socrates, meaning a defense.
15: Can you name the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
Marie Curie (1867–1934) won a Nobel Prize not once, but twice, and in two different scientific fields. She and her husband Pierre discovered radium, and she later studied radioactivity. At the time, no one understood the medical risks that came with handling radioactive materials. Marie used a sample of radium at home as a nightlight by her bed.
16: Which advocate of peaceful demonstrations and religious tolerance brought independence to India and inspired Nelson Mandela?
Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) led the movement against British rule of India. He advocated the use of “satyagraha,” or nonviolent protest. While Gandhi inspired Nelson Mandela to fight against apartheid in South Africa, Gandhi himself was inspired by David Thoreau’s essay, Civil Disobedience. Surprisingly, Gandhi never won a Nobel Peace Prize for his activism.
17: Do you know which mathematician discovered a number that is as easy as pi?
Archimedes (287–c. 212 BCE) defined pi for the world—the irrational number 3.14… that is the ratio of a circle to its diameter. He also invented the Archimedes screw, a clever machine that raises water. Legend has it that when he had an epiphany about water displacement during his bath, he ran naked through the streets, shouting “Eureka!”
18: Which inventor was engaged in a “War of Currents” with Thomas Edison?
Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) invented an electrical system using alternating current (AC), while Thomas Edison (1847–1931) preferred direct current (DC). Ultimately, Tesla’s vision prevailed, and AC is the backbone of our powered world. Tesla had an eidetic memory and was a futurist; Edison was a practical thinker who hired assistants to tinker and build up his stockpile of patents. Over time, Tesla’s reputation has flourished; Edison’s has declined.
19: Can you name the female Greek poet who is known mostly by reputation, not for her actual words?
Sappho (c. 610–c. 570 BCE) developed an enormous reputation for writing beautiful lyric poetry which was meant to be sung along with music from a lyre. Most of her work has long been lost, with the exceptions of Ode to Aphrodite and the Tithonus poem, along with a few fragments that were quoted by other authors. Sappho was born on Lesbos, an island in Greece; the words “sapphic” and “lesbian” are derived from her name and the island where she lived.
20: Do you know which physicist and mathematician formulated three laws of motion?
Isaac Newton (1643–1727) formulated three laws of motion, conveniently known as Newton’s Laws. You’ve probably heard a simple version of law three: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Newton also made important advances in optics and calculus when he wasn’t busy reacting to things.
