All of us can recall a special teacher who inspired us, challenged us, opened our eyes to new possibilities.

“You remember them because they lit a flame within you,” says astrophysicist and science popularizer Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“They got you excited about a subject you previously didn’t care about, because they were excited about it themselves. Put that in every classroom, and it will change the world.”

In celebration of UNESCO World Teachers Day, we present reflections from some of the world’s greatest physicists, past and present, on the teachers who inspired them.

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