1. Antonio Meucci
As a third grader, I remember reading an anecdote from the life of Alexander Graham Bell about how he invented the telephone. It inspired me because the story said that Bell never stopped trying till he succeeded. As truth would have it, the tad more realistic version of the tale wasn't half as melodramatic. Graham Bell simply pick-pocketed the invention of the telephone from an Italian, Antonio Meucci. This act of mooching off was also recognized by the United States Congress in 2002 Meucci filed a caveat for his design in 1871 but due to financial difficulties could not renew it when the caveat expired. During his lifetime Meucci was severely burned in a steamship accident, was compelled to sell his invention to a second-hand shop for $6 and eventually died penniless with his legacy remaining virtually unknown. Yet the unsung legacy of this man will always be remembered for the contribution he made to the world.