Plenty of famous names hail from our county, whether that's sports stars, musicians or actors, but few can actually claim to have had a global impact.
Hertfordshire can lay claim to some names and inventions that have undoubtedly changed the world throughout history, and that still continues on today.
Some are credited with scientific breakthroughs that helped form the theory of evolution or how he we see the sun, while others were groundbreaking when it came to the performing arts or charity work.
They may not all be household names either, but we think it's time that they were remembered and given the credit they deserve.
Here's 10 people from Hertfordshire who changed the world:
Sir Henry Bessmer
Sir Henry was from hamlet Charlton, near Hitchin, and invented the Bessemer converter - the first industrial process for mass-producing steel more cheaply.
Invented in 1856, the 20 foot high steel pot has air blowing in from the bottom, which creates oxides of silicon and manganese, and becomes part of the steel-slag, from which an ingot of steel can be produced.
This was instrumental in producing guns, canons, warships and the railroads in America.
Dame Esther Rantzen
The journalist and TV presenter comes from Berkhamsted, and there's no doubt that she will have helped thousands of children over the past three decades.
Rantzen launched Childline in 1986 for anyone up to their 19th birthday to speak to someone if they’re in need.
It remains one of the most important charities in the UK and Ranzten also more recently launched The Silver Line in 2012, which is a confidential helpline for older people.
Dame Cicely Saunders
Credited with founding the hospice movement, Dame Cicely worked as a nurse before training as a physician.
She was influential in the treatment of patients with terminal illness, and founded St Christopher’s Hospice in 1976 which worked to offer symptom control and compassionate care for those in their last days.
Saunders held more than 25 honorary degrees, and was awarded a Damehood in 1979 before an Order of Merit in 1989. She died in 2005 aged 87.
Sir Thomas Spencer Wells
The surgeon to Queen Victoria made important steps in the medical field, as well as looking after the monarch.
Wells was regarded as an important thinker when it came to abdominal surgery and perfected the oophorectomy (the removal of an ovary or ovaries).
He was also one of the first surgeons to make use of anaesthetic during operations - something that many of us remain grateful for today.
Alfred Russel Wallace
The biologist grew up in Hertford before conceiving the theory of evolution through natural selection, around the same time as Charles Darwin.
While Darwin is regarded as the mind behind the theory, Wallace had an important role with their work jointly published even though both had independently conceived the theory.
He also discovered that there was a very clear pattern between the distribution of animals in Asia and in Oceania that met across one imaginary dividing line, which would later become known as Wallace’s Line.
Edward Gordon Craig
Also known just as Gordon Craig, the theatre director was born in Stevenage in 1872 and now has the town's theatre named in his honour.
He is regarded as one of the people behind the modernisation of theatre, and his work is now heralded as ground-breaking which included the concept of a fully moveable and transforming stage.
Join the #IAmOpen community and give your business a boost
Access to lots of FREE tools to help stabilise your business and start making up for lost time is just one newsletter sign up away. As part of our #IAmOpen community to help and support small businesses owners like you, you will get a regular newsletter from our journalists plus we'll let you know how you can:
- get exclusive access to business webinars
- have a single-page website landing page made
- montage video created
- book an online marketing health check report and
- bag discounted advertising rates just made for our mates
What’s more, it’s all FREE. So sign up here right now. It’s very least we can do to back you, support you and just say THANK YOU.
Dame Barbara Mills QC
Dame Barbara was born in Chorleywood in 1940 and is regarded as smashing the glass ceiling when it came to women in the legal field.
Most notably, she was the first woman to be the Director of Public Prosecutions after a successful career in the courts as a barrister.
The Stevenage-born Formula One driver is edging closer to Michael Schumacher’s once-untouchable record for most Drivers’ Championships.
He’s won six titles so far and only needs one more to go level in the record books.
Hamilton is one of the most dominant sportspeople in history, so even if he hasn’t quite changed the world he’s definitely the one that sent Hertfordshire around it in recent times.
Literally sending a bit of Hertfordshire around the world is Airbus, who has their Defence and Space base in Stevenage.
We know it might not be a single person, but they are definitely changing the world.
A couple of their recent projects have included building the Solar Orbiter spacecraft which last week took the closest ever photos of the Sun, while they have also built Europe’s first ever Mars rover which will touch down on the planet in the next couple of years.
It might not be a name that rings a bell, but every time you put your music on during your commute you can be grateful for him for inventing the first digital music player.
His invention, the IXI, could only play three and a half minutes of music and despite big plans the patent lapsed, with other tech businesses finishing what he started - including Apple who later used his designs and patents when they created the iPod.