Mary Anning
English fossil collector and self-taught paleontologist whose discoveries shaped early scientific understanding of prehistoric life.
Leonhard Euler
Swiss mathematician who worked in almost every field of science and introduced much of the mathematical notation still used today.
Rosalind Franklin
British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose critical images of DNA led to the discovery of its double helix structure.
Thales de Milet
Ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer, widely considered the founder of Western philosophy and early geometry.
Pythagoras
Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician best known for the Pythagorean theorem and for founding the Pythagorean community.
Emmy Noether
German mathematician regarded as the founder of modern abstract algebra, best known for Noether’s Theorem linking symmetry and conservation laws in physics.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Polish-French physicist and chemist, pioneer of radioactivity research and the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences.
Florence Nightingale
British social reformer, statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence during the Crimean War, where she organized care for wounded soldiers.
Adolphe Quetelet
Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician, and sociologist. He founded and directed the Royal Observatory of Belgium and is known for introducing statistical methods to the social sciences.
Sophie Germain
Self-taught French mathematician who made important contributions to number theory and elasticity theory, despite being denied formal education because of her gender.