Famous Scientist in History

A discussion about who the famous people in history are would not be complete without information on the famous scientist in history. This list includes such famed people as Albert Einstein, Galileo, George Washington Carver, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, and Aristotle to name just a few. What makes these people so famous varies but generally has to do with great discoveries that increased our understanding of the world. There are many scientist who have made discoveries but only a few of these have captured the attention of the world and gained fame. Some of these scientist made great discoveries through diligent research an experimentation where others discoveries were made purely by accident. Perhaps the best example of this is the discovery in 1928 of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming while he was studying bacteria. These great peoples motives were various and included the pure pursuit of knowledge, the quest for financial gain, and the pursuit of fame and recognition.

Below we have a list of some of the famous scientist in history along with a few kid friendly facts about each. Read the other pages of this category for more detailed information about these scientist.

List of Famous Scientist

Albert Einstein

This German born scientist is considered by many the most influential physicist of the 20th century.
In 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for physics for his research on the photoelectric effect.
He gained world wide fame for his concept mass–energy equivalence (represented by the formula E=MC2).

Charles Darwin

This British naturalist came up with the theroy of evolution. He explained how animals and plants alive today are the results of millions of years of evolution and that they keep evolving.
In 1831 at the age of 22 he sailed around the world on a voyage of scientific discovery on a ship named the H.M.S Beagle.
In 1859 he published his famous book On the Origin of Species. It was the culmination of a lifetime of research. The book was a success and sold out immediately.

Galileo Galilei

This famous Italian scientist, born in 1564, has been called the Father of Modern Science, father of modern physics, and the father of modern observational astronomy.
The famous modern day physicist Stephen Hawking has said that more than any other individual Galileo was responsible for the birth of modern science.
Although he did not invent the telescope he built ones with higher magnifying power than were available at that time. He used the telescope to view stars and planets previously unseen.

Isaac Newton

Born in England in 1642 Isaac Newton is one of the most famous scientists the world has ever known. He is known for his work in physics, mathematics and optics.
He is best known for his theory of gravity.
He developed the binomial theorem.
His experiments led to our understanding of light and color. He split white light apart with a prism, to observe its component colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

Conclusion - Famous Scientist in History

The above list contains just a few examples of famous scientist. Explore the other pages of this site for information and facts about many of the other scientist who have gained fame.