Great Thinkers

Meet the great minds whose ideas have shaped the world — philosophers, scientists, artists, leaders, and revolutionaries whose thinking still matters today.

5 thinkers
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Arts
Imhotep
c. 2650 BCE - c. 2600 BCE · Ancient Egypt (probably Memphis area)
Imhotep was an ancient Egyptian architect, doctor, and high official. He lived around 2,650 BCE, more than 4,500 years ago. This makes him one of…
Scientific thinking Creative expression Problem solving Cultural heritage and identity +1
"Imhotep, son of Ptah, the great chief of artists."
Arts
Leonardo da Vinci
1452 - 1519 · Florence and Milan, Italy
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist, scientist, and inventor. He was born in 1452 in the small town of Vinci, near Florence, in what…
Creative expression Scientific thinking Problem solving Research skills +1
"Learning never exhausts the mind."
Arts
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 - 1827 · Germany / Austria
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was born in 1770 in Bonn, in what is now Germany. He is one of…
Creative expression Emotional intelligence Problem solving Cultural heritage and identity +1
"Music can change the world."
Arts
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756-1791 · Salzburg (now Austria)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He is one of the most celebrated composers in European classical music. He was born in 1756 in…
Creative expression Emotional intelligence Cultural heritage and identity Critical thinking +1
"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."
Arts
Zaha Hadid
1950 - 2016 · Iraq (later United Kingdom)
Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi-British architect. She was one of the most important architects of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She was the…
Creative expression Problem solving Scientific thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"I don't believe in a 'female sensibility' in architecture. I think there are women who design well, just like there…"