Mary Somerville

Born in Jedburgh, Scotland, Mary Somerville was a true intellectual powerhouse, teaching herself Latin, Greek, mathematics, and astronomy in an era when women were mostly encouraged to master needlepoint.

Her groundbreaking work in mathematics and science earned her the moniker "Queen of Nineteenth-Century Science" and she was the first woman to be honored as a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. She helped popularize complex scientific theories, making Newton's Principia accessible to a wider audience, which is a kvell-worthy feat if there ever was one.

Despite her undeniable genius, Somerville's heritage was, shall we say, decidedly gentile. Her family tree shows no detours through the shtetl or any detours at all, really, just solid Scottish Presbyterianism for generations.

So, while she certainly illuminated the scientific world, she didn't exactly light up the menorah.