Antibiotics, television and radio, gadgets. Now it is difficult to imagine that once no one heard about these things that have become familiar to us.
We present to you ten people of the 20th century who had a serious impact on the quality of life in the 21st century. The list was compiled on the basis of the choice of experts from the Lenta.ru publication and the Infiniti brand.
10. Thomas Edison
At 84, Thomas Edison has acquired a record number of patents (1,093 singly or jointly) and has been the driving force behind innovations such as the phonograph, incandescent lamp, and one of the earliest movie cameras. He also set up the world's first industrial research laboratory.
9. Heinrich Hertz
The great German physicist made possible the development of radio, television and radar by proving that electricity can be transmitted through electromagnetic waves.
8. Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright
They are the inventors of the first heavier-than-air controlled aircraft. The aircraft, which was created in Dayton, Ohio, and took off in North Carolina on December 17, 1903, marked the beginning of the "era of pioneers" of aviation, manufacturing the safest mode of transport.
7. Frank Lloyd Wright
He became the creator of "organic architecture", proclaiming that the forms found in the environment should not only be integrated into architecture, but also form its basis.
6. Alexander Fleming
In 1928, a Scottish bacteriologist discovered penicillin, an antibiotic drug that helps kill harmful bacteria. Some doctors thought that penicillin might have some value as a topical antiseptic, while others were skeptical. Fleming was convinced that penicillin could work inside the body. He conducted several experiments to demonstrate that penicillin is effective against bacteria, even when diluted 800 times.
Fleming's work on immunology, bacteriology and chemotherapy was pioneering for its time and had a great influence on the development of medicine.
5. Richard Branson
On the fifth line of the top 10 people who changed the world for the better, is the founder of the British company Virgin Records, which is now engaged in various activities - from the production of alcohol to air transportation. Those looking to go on an excursion into space should contact Branson. He is the founding father of Virgin Galactic, the world's first space tourism company.
4. Shiro Nakamura
Senior Vice President, Design, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. since 2001 and Chief Creative Officer since April 2006. He oversees brand and product design strategies for Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun. Many car manufacturers from Europe and the USA have been guided by Japanese automotive design and the Japanese automotive industry in general.
3. Steve Jobs
Ipod Music Player, Iphone Smartphone, iPad Tablet, iTunes Media Player - Steve's best inventions, the founder of Apple. And Steve Jobs and engineer Steve Wozniak are credited with developing the world's first personal computer.
2. Pierpaolo Petruziello
This Italian, who lost his left arm and forearm in a motorcycle accident, was the first in the world to learn how to control a biomechanical prosthesis with his thoughts. According to Petruziello, it took a lot of effort, he had to train for almost a month, from 9 am to 6 pm. The experiment, in which Petruziello participated, gives hope to many people who have lost limbs that they will be able to return to normal life.
1. George Lucas
The first place in the list of people who changed our view of the quality of life is occupied by the father of one of the most famous Hollywood franchises - Star Wars. Thanks to him, chromakey technology has become widespread in film production. Its principle is as follows: shooting in the pavilion takes place against a monochrome background, which is then removed and the image is combined with the desired landscape or interior (including using computer graphics). Lucas is the founder of the Pixar computer animation studio, which regularly supplies Hollywood, and through it the whole world, with virtual reality.