Theory of Relativity‘E = mc2’ (a.k.a., mass–energy equivalence)
Albert Einstein
Owner of Chez Panisse, recognized as one of the World’s 50 Best RestaurantsAuthor of Chez Panisse Cooking + The Art of Simple FoodFounder of the Chez Panisse Foundation + Edible Schoolyard
Alice Waters
Founder of Carnegie Steel Company, which became U.S. SteelCreator of Carnegie Hall, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Institution of Washington + Carnegie Mellon UniversityFounder of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among other efforts in support of world peace
Andrew Carnegie
Global popularity + commercialization of golfFirst PGA Tour competitor to earn $1 millionFirst golf course in the People’s Republic of ChinaCo-founder of The Golf ChannelGolf-related businesses including course design + facilities
Arnold Palmer
Electricity/lightning rodPublic libraryFire departmentInsurance companyBifocals
Benjamin Franklin
Advancements in financial + tax prep software as former CEO + current Chariman of the Board of IntuitKnown as the "Coach of Silicon Valley" for his role as advisor to superstars like Apple (Board Member), Google + AmazonChairman of the Board of Trustees of Columbia UniversityTablet computer OS development
Bill Campbell
Co-founder + chairman of MicrosoftEstablished Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 with a charitable endowment of $33.5 billionRanked as the world’s wealthiest person overall from 1995 to 2009Author of The Road Ahead (1995) + Business @ the Speed of Thought (1999)
Bill Gates
First female commissioner in professional sports history (1984)Won "The Battle of the Sexes" tennis competition (1973)Named one of the "Ten Most Powerful Women in America" by Harper’s Bazaar (1997)Listed as one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" by Life Magazine (1990)
Billie Jean King
Rock bank U2Co-founder of DATA, EDUN, the ONE Campaign, Product RedLive 8 ConcertCo-founder of Integral Capital (technology-centric VC firm)
Bono
Co-founders of Google Inc.Early investors in Tesla MotorsNamed the 5th most powerful people in the world by Forbes in 2009
Brin + Page
Co-founder + chairman of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.Appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial LiteracyStarted the Charles & Helen Schwab Foundation for children with learning disabilities + AD/HD
Charles Schwab
Visionary CEO of Avenues: The World SchoolFounder of Edison SchoolsFounder of Whittle Communications, one of America’s top 100 media companies in the '80s
Chris Whittle
European discovery of American continentsMultiple trans-Atlantic voyagesSpanish colonization
Christopher Columbus
Travel faster than the speed of sound
Chuck Yeager
Revolutionized American commercial radio + television as president of RCA + NBCCredited with Sarnoff’s Law: the value of a broadcast network is proportional to the number of viewersInducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame (1975), National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (1977) + Radio Hall of Fame (1989)
David Sarnoff
Career highlights include 3 NBA MVP Awards, 9 NBA Finals appearances + 12 All-Star gamesPlayed as a member of the "Dream Team" + won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 with the U.S. men’s basketball teamEnshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002Honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Founder of Estée LauderReceived the French government’s Insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1978Winner of the Gold Medal award by the city of Paris in 1979Recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Women in Business (1970) + Outstanding Mother of the Year (1984)
Estée Lauder
Founder + former CEO of PorscheDeveloped the first hybrid vehicle in the 1920sCreated the Volkswagen Beetle + Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobilesInducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996
Ferdinand Porsche
Organic architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright
"Star Wars" + "Indiana Jones" saga/filmsFounder of LucasfilmFounder of THX Ltd, Skywalker Sound, Industrial Light & Magic + LucasArtsFounder of The George Lucas Educational Foundation
George Lucas
Author of "Moore's Law"Co-founded Intel Corporation with Bob Noyce in 1968Named member of Board of Directors for Gilead Sciences in 1996Received PhD in Chemistry and minor in Physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1954Donated $600 million to Caltech, the largest gift ever to an institution of higher education
Gordon Moore
Mass production/assembly lineFord Model T
Henry Ford
"Miracle on Ice" upset by American amateurs over Soviet team + subsequent Olympic Gold Medal championship in 1980Hybrid North American + European style of hockeyStrict player conditioning standards
Herb Brooks
Founder of Southwest AirlinesSecondary market/airports strategyCustomer-friendly policies + culture
Herb Kelleher
Co-founders of Hewlett-PackardTogether, they were named the 1995 Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award WinnersPackard served as deputy secretary of defense in President Nixon’s first administration
Hewlett + Packard
Starbucks’ European cafe-style setting, products + experienceInvestor in Jamba Juice
Howard Schultz
Creator of the Harry Potter characters + stories, the best-selling book series in historyRapid rise from humble means to substantial wealth, influence + charitable giving
J.K. Rowling
African Americans in Major League BaseballStealing home
Jackie Robinson
Founder + CEO of Amazon.comTime Magazine’s Person of the Year (1999)Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of Americas best leaders in 2008Recipient of The Economist Innovation Award for his work on the Amazon Kindle
Jeff Bezos
Chairman + CEO of Cisco Systems, Inc. since 1995Received awards for leadership including Time Magazine’s "100 Most Influential People"Vice Chairman of National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) under President George Bush
John Chambers
Helped lead Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers investments in Compaq, Netscape, Symantec, Sun Microsystems, Google + Amazon.com, effectively sparking the creation of Web 2.0Served on President Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery BoardInducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2010
John Doerr
Co-founder & CEO of Whole FoodsActive advocate of free market economics + the movement for organic foodErnst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2003)
John Mackey
Named basketball All-American three times + led his team to a national championship as a player at PurdueInducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1961) + coach (1973)College Basketball Player of the Year (1932)The Sporting News "Greatest Coach of All Time" (2009)
John Wooden
Fashion model turned business mogulFounder of kathy ireland Worldwide, or kiWW
Kathy Ireland
Co-founder + CEO of Oracle CorporationSponsor of sailing team USA 17, which placed first in the 33rd America’s CupFounder of the Ellison Medical Foundation
Larry Ellison
Paintings Mona Lisa and The Last SupperIconic drawing known as Vitruvian ManEarly conceptualizing of a helicopter, tank, calculator + solar energyGroundbreaking discoveries in anatomy, optics + engineering
Leonardo da Vinci
Commercial empire spanning manufacturing, retail, real estate, technology, banking, hospitality, shipping + other fieldsLi Ka-Shing FoundationSubstantial donations to medical facility advancements + disaster relief efforts
Li Ka-Shing
Leading multiple college football programs to bowl gamesMotivational speaking business
Lou Holtz
One of only six inductees in the World Wide Web Hall of FameMember of the board of directors of Facebook, eBay + HPAwarded the 1997 W. Wallace McDowell Award for his groundbreaking work surrounding Netscape
Marc Andreesen
First + only woman to serve as Britain’s Prime MinisterDeregulation + privatization policies
Margaret Thatcher
Co-founder of Sony Corporation in 1946Decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasures (1978), the First Class Order of the Rising Sun with Grand Cordon (1986) + Order of Culture (1992)Received IEEE Founders Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1972)
Masaru Ibuka
Athlete turned business mogulMega endorsements including Nike’s Air Jordan shoe brand"Fadeaway" jump shotUnparalleled NBA awards + records
Michael Jordan
Pioneer in the field of high yield bondsFounder of the Milken Family Foundation, a nonprofit that has worked with more than 1,000 organizations around the worldFounder of the Prostate Cancer FoundationFounder of the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan group that strives to create a more-informed public + improved economic environment
Michael Milken
Amassed the most Division 1 NCAA men’s basketball wins in college historyLed Duke to 13 ACC Championships, 11 Final Fours + 4 NCAA Tournament Championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010)Selected as head coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics + winning the gold medal
Mike Krzyzewski
Abolition of apartheidLeader of South African democracy + equalityCo-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe (part of the African National Congress)
Nelson Mandela
Global influence of woman + African AmericansOWN: Oprah Winfrey NetworkOprah's Angel Network + Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
Oprah Winfrey
Cubist movement in paintingConstructed sculpturePlastic arts emergence
Pablo Picasso
Commissioner of the NFL for 30 years, presiding over a period of significant growthInducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985Honored as the namesake of the Super Bowl MVP trophy
Pete Rozelle
Explosive growth of Fidelity’s Magellan Fund, from $18 million in assets under management in 1977 to over $14 billion when he retired in 1990Author of "One Up on Wall Street", "Beating the Street", and "Learn to Earn"Founder of the Lynch Foundation, a philanthropy driven nonprofit organization
Peter Lynch
Co-founder + chairman of NikeRan track for the University of Oregon and posted a personal best 4:10 mileInducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2000Inaugurated as a 2012 inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Phil Knight
Polo brand of clothing, fragrances, housewares + other itemsFounder of Ralph Lauren Corporation
Ralph Lauren
Founded the McDonald’s Corporation in 1955Built a global restaurant system famous for uniform methods + high qualityRecognized among the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century
Ray Kroc
Founder of Virgin Group Limited, a diverse venture capital organization consisting of more than 400 companies around the world, ranging from travel to entertainment to food/beverage to telecommunications and moreRenewable energy technologies development ($3 billion investment pledge)
Richard Branson
Owner + founder of Penske Racing + the Penske CorporationCorporate Director at General ElectricChairman of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan (2006)
Roger Penske
Movie star turned U.S. president"Reaganomics"End of the Cold War
Ronald Reagan
Founder of Walmart + Sam’s Club retailersSmall-town store strategySelf-owned trucking + distribution
Sam Walton
9th U.S. Triple Crown Champion (1973)Inducted into the U.S Racing Hall of Fame (1974)Memorialized on a U.S Postage Stamp (1999)
Secretariat
iPod (+ GUI)Mac interface/OS/mouse-controliTunes marketplaceiPhone + iPad
Steve Jobs
Founder + current CEO of Wynn Resorts, with hotels in both Las Vegas + Maccau2012 Manfred Steinfeld Humanitarian Award winnerConsidered one of the greatest real estate developers in American history for his work in the hospitality sector
Steve Wynn
"British Invasion" + "Merseybeat" popularityConcept albumsOrchestral + experimental accompaniments in rock/pop music
The Beatles
LightbulbPhonographMotion picturesStock ticker
Thomas Edison
Co-founder of Sun MicrosystemsFounder of Khosla Ventures, a leader in clean technology investing
Vinod Khosla
Mickey MouseDisney brand + theme parksMultiplane camera (for animation)Full-length animated cartoon
Walt Disney
NHL’s all-time leader in goals, assists + pointsFour-time Stanley Cup Champion + five-time winner of the league’s Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship + performanceImmediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon his retirement from the NHL in 1999Member of the Order of Canada
Wayne Gretzky
Two-time British Prime MinisterRegarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th centuryHeld a multitude of British political + cabinet positions over a 50-year career of serviceNobel Prize for Literature (1953)
Winston Churchill
Human flightFirst practical fixed-wing aircraftThree-axis control technique for aircrafts
Wright Brothers