Georg Ohm
1789–1854 · German · Romantic Era
Known for: Discovered Ohm's Law (V=IR) relating voltage, current, and resistance
Georg Ohm discovered the most fundamental equation in electrical engineering—V=IR—and was punished for it. The German scientific establishment rejected his law, and he was forced to resign his teaching position. He spent years in obscurity before the Royal Society recognized his work.
The unit of electrical resistance (ohm) is named after him, which is some consolation for decades of being told your life's work was wrong.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.