Who are some underrated people in history?
The Unsung Diamonds of History – The Punishment of Being Forgotten 💔
📑Table of Contents
1. Introduction with ARB Formula (Attention, Reason, Benefits)
2. The Scientist Whose Discovery Was Stolen – Rosalind Franklin
3. The Brave Queen Missing from Textbooks – Rani Abbakka Devi
4. The Genius Who Invented Radio, but Marconi Got Famous – Jagadish Chandra Bose
5. The Designer Who Gave India Its Tricolor, but No One Knows His Name – Pingali Venkayya
6. Conclusion – Why Remembering Them Matters
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1. ARB Formula – Introduction
Attention (A Shocking Truth)
Did you know that the discovery of DNA, which changed the world of biology forever, was credited to two men instead of the woman who actually did the core work? Or that the radio, which you know as Marconi’s invention, was first demonstrated publicly by an Indian scientist in front of a large crowd? The pages of history are often filled with the names of those who had power, money, or good publicity – whether they deserved the top spot or the hundredth.
Reason (Why should you read this article?)
You might be thinking, “I’ve never heard these names, so why does it matter?” Let me ask you this – should a mother’s sacrifice or a father’s dedication be forgotten simply because they stayed away from the media? Is it fair to ignore a scientist without whom the oximeter on your finger wouldn’t even exist? This article will introduce you to those very forgotten personalities. You will see that if they had received their due recognition, the world might have advanced much earlier and much further.
Benefits (What you gain by reading this)
✅ Your thinking will expand – you will understand the real maze of “success” in science, war, literature, and art.
✅ You will get unique, inspiring stories to tell your children – stories that are not in their school syllabus.
✅ You will start feeling like a responsible citizen – one who salutes real contributions, not just shiny names.
✅ At the end of every story, you will find a “Life Lesson” – useful for your business, career, or family life.
So let’s begin. Today, we remember those real heroes who never had a PR team or a loudspeaker…
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2. The Scientist Whose Discovery Was Stolen – Rosalind Franklin
London, 1952. Dense fog. In a tiny lab at King’s College, a woman was working day and night, taking X-ray images of DNA. Her hands were trembling – but not from fear. From cold and relentless work. Her name was Rosalind Franklin.
The image that emerged – Photo 51 – was the clearest picture of DNA ever taken. It proved that DNA has a double helix structure. She wrote her report, shared it with her colleagues… and then what happened? Her colleague Wilkins showed that report and photo to two American scientists, Watson and Crick – without her permission.
Rosalind knew nothing about it. In 1953, Watson and Crick built the DNA model – and in 1962, they won the Nobel Prize. Was Rosalind alive then? No. She had died of cancer in 1958, at just 37 years old. The Nobel committee always said, “We cannot give a prize to a dead person.” But they never said, “Her contribution cannot be stolen.”
Life Lesson: The world will only appreciate your work if you speak loudly or connect with the right people. Doing great work is one thing – marketing it is equally important.
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3. The Brave Queen Missing from Textbooks – Rani Abbakka Devi
Karnataka, 1560s. A small kingdom called Ullal (today’s Mangalore). Ruling there was Rani Abbakka Devi. When you take the name of Rani Laxmibai, your chest swells with pride. But Abbakka Devi? Most people will say – “Who?”
The Portuguese army sent new ships every month to capture her kingdom. No big king could stop them. But Abbakka was not afraid of death. She herself picked up the sword, inspired her soldiers. She was among the first Indian queens to fight the Portuguese. So why don’t history books mention her name? Because she didn’t have the support of royal historians like the Rajputs did. She was just a “small queen” from South India – but her courage was gigantic.
In 1568, she died fighting. The Portuguese tried to erase even the mention of her name. India has been independent for over 75 years, but schools still only talk about Rani of Jhansi and Chand Bibi. This is not a criticism of them – but it is the beginning of a terrible forgetfulness.
Life Lesson: Being great doesn’t mean owning a big kingdom. True honor remains alive even if no one takes your name – as long as you stood for the truth.
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4. The Genius Who Invented Radio, but Marconi Got Famous – Jagadish Chandra Bose
Kolkata, 1895. A crowd had gathered at Calcutta Town Hall. There, Jagadish Chandra Bose demonstrated in front of everyone that using millimeter waves, you could ring a bell from a distance or set off gunpowder. You would say – “Wow, that’s wireless telegraphy!” Yes, exactly. But when you hear this, which name jumps to your mind? Guglielmo Marconi. An Italian man. Marconi did his demonstration six years after Bose, but he patented it and won the Nobel Prize in 1909.
When someone asked Bose, “Why don’t you take a patent?” he replied, “Knowledge is for sharing, not for business.” He was a true seeker. He also proved that plants have life, sensation, and reaction – he built an instrument called the Crescograph. But that invention was ridiculed because the Western world thought “plants having feelings” was nonsense.
Today, even the WHO acknowledges that some methods of measuring stress are based on Bose’s work. Yet, children in India first name Western scientists.
Life Lesson: True confidence is refusing to sell your knowledge for money and fame. But yes – in today’s world, DO get that patent. Lock your hard work before someone else does.
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5. The Designer Who Gave India Its Tricolor, but No One Knows His Name – Pingali Venkayya
1. The Indian National Congress session in Bezawada (now Vijayawada). Mahatma Gandhi said – “We need a national flag that brings all communities together.” Sitting there was a quiet farmer’s son – Pingali Venkayya. He spent his entire life working on the flag’s design. He studied flags from around the world, researched the psychology of colors – and created our Tricolor. Red (Hindus) + Green (Muslims) + White (Peace) + Charkha (Freedom from poverty) – that was his original design. Later, saffron and the Ashoka Chakra were added by Gandhi and Nehru.
But when India got independence in 1947, everyone named the great freedom fighters – but no one took Venkayya’s name. He lived in poverty. When he passed away in 1963, only a small notice was published. In 2009 – yes, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time – the Indian government issued a postal stamp in his name. Schools talk more about the design than the designer.
Life Lesson: You designed something, someone else took it forward and got the credit – don’t be disheartened. The real designer’s identity eventually comes into light. Until then, be patient and keep working.
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6. Conclusion – Why Remembering Them Matters
History is a toy for those who write it. Even in colonized India, the British chose their own historians. Even today, the Western narrative dominates. But these four stories make one truth clear: There is a huge gap between merit and fame.
· For a business owner: If you don’t recognize those silent employees who keep your machines running, they will leave for someone who does.
· For a homemaker: You run your family every day, you pass on values to your children – that is the greatest leadership. You too are an unsung hero.
· For a student: Stop only chasing marks. Seek real knowledge. Jagadish Chandra Bose didn’t ruin his life over a patent. Keep doing your work – times change.
· For every Indian: If we forget our own heroes, scientists and queens, who else will remember them?
So, next time you hoist the Tricolor, remember Pingali Venkayya. Whenever someone says “Marconi”, reply – “First look at Jagadish Chandra Bose.” And when your daughter dreams of becoming a doctor, tell her about Rosalind Franklin – the scientist who kept working even as the world looked away.
Because remembering creates identity, and identity creates direction.
Someone truly said – “Stars are not small; we just forget to look at them.” Start looking now.
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🙏Thank You!