Archimedes (287 BC – 212 BC) was born in Syracuse, Sicily which was then a Greek colony. He was a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, engineer and philosopher. He is considered to be the most important scientist of the ancient world. His discoveries include buoyancy and the measuring of density described in "Archimedes' Principle" and he invented many devices, such as the Archimedes screw, and engineered defences for his home city.

Nicholas Copernicus (1473 – 1543) was born in a province that was within the Kingdom of Poland. His activities ranged from astronomy, mathematics and medicine to being an economist and diplomat. His work developing the theory that the sun was at the center of the solar system, played an important role in the development of the science of astronomy.

Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) was born in Shrewsbury, in England. He was a naturalist who from his observations, developed the theory of different species evolving through a process of natural selection from a shared ancestor. These theories, described in his book On the Origin of Species, laid the foundation for scientific exploration in disciplines such as biology and anthropology.

Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650), was born in France. He was a scientist, mathematician and philosopher. His work has had a major influence on the development of modern philosophy and mathematics and it continues to be used in areas such as algebra and geometry.

Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) was born in Wurttemberg, Germany. He is regarded as being one of the most brilliant physicists to have lived and is famed for the theory of relativity and the formula E=mc². His extensive studies into theoretical physics explored areas such as gravity and quantum theory.

Galilei Galileo (1564 – 1642) was born in the town of Pisa, Tuscany in Italy. He was an astronomer and physicist who played an important role in the scientific revolution. The conclusions that he drew from his studies, led to him developing important scientific principles.

Gregor Mendel (1822 – 1884) was born in an area now within the the Czech Republic. His studies of inheritance in pea plants led to him discovering the laws which were named after him. This work led to the development of the science of genetics.

Isaac Newton (1643 – 1727) was born in Lincolnshire, England. He was a physicist, astronomer and mathematician and is considered to be one of the most important people in the history of science. The foundation of mechanics was laid by his seminal work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. His laws such as those relating to gravity and motion, were essential to the scientific revolution and the concept of using rational study to understand the world.