Marie Curie Skłodowska

Marie Skłodowska Curie, born in Poland under Russian rule, was not Jewish by any stretch of the imagination. Her family was Catholic, and she herself was an agnostic, though she never publicly denounced her Catholic upbringing, which, let's be honest, would have been a lot more trouble than it was worth in late 19th-century Poland.

Despite not being one of 'ours,' one simply cannot deny the sheer kvell-worthiness of her accomplishments. Discovering radium and polonium, developing mobile X-ray units during WWI, and collecting two Nobel Prizes (Physics and Chemistry!) ensures her a place in the pantheon of scientific giants.

Her contributions were so profound, in fact, that she earned the rare distinction of being a non-Jew whose achievements are so impressive we're almost willing to overlook the whole 'not Jewish' thing. Almost. It's a high bar, people.