Science is such a versatile and evolving field that what seemed to be fact only a few years ago, may now very well be disproved by a new theory or scientific breakthrough. Throughout history there have been famous inventors and scientists who have brought new aspects of their fields to light. Scientific discoveries and inventions can be found from ancient civilizations to the present day. Some great inventors have made such significant contributions that we cannot imagine life without those breakthroughs. For instance, without Alexander Fleming there would be no penicillin and thus no antibiotics, without Louis Pasteur there would be no life saving vaccines, without Tim Berners-Lee there would be no internet, and without Sergey Brin and Larry Page there would be no Google.

Amongst different inventors, there have been some unmatched geniuses whose influence extended to so many fields that it is impossible to describe their contributions in a limited space. These include polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci, Ibn Al-Haytham, Archimedes, Al-Khwarizmi, Avicenna, and Al-Kindi. Some inventors have left behind a legacy that remains strong to this day, for instance George Eastman who gave us the Eastman Kodak company, Ole Kirk Christiansen who started the Lego company, Levi Strauss who invented jeans and started Levi Strauss & Co. and Walt Disney who made beloved children’s cartoons that gained worldwide fame.

There have been many famous inventors who rose from the most difficult circumstances and made their mark in the world through sheer hard work and effort. For instance, Madam C.J. Walker was born to a poor family, lost her parents at an early age and was mistreated at her sister’s home, was married at the age of 14, lost her husband at the age of 20 and earned a dollar a day. Yet, she managed to save money to send her daughter to school, and herself established a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women. Louis Braille was blinded at the age of 3, yet he gained an excellent education and invented the Braille system of writing for the blind. George Washington Carver was born into slavery, and not allowed to enter college because of his race, but he persisted in his efforts and his work in the field of botany and agriculture revolutionized the methods of farming.

Most top inventors have won prestigious awards, medals and other favors in recognition of their work. But it is interesting to see the contributions of those who suffered throughout their lives, and whose efforts were only recognized after their death. The foremost name that comes to mind in this category is Nikola Tesla. He was a genius inventor but suffered from depression, anxiety and OCD. He died alone at the age of 82, without ever having profited enough to save any money. Other examples in this category include Charles Goodyear, Gutenberg and Antonio Meucci. However, we can say without a doubt that their work is remarkable and the contributions they have made to every aspect of our lives is unparalleled.