Ask people to name the smartest minds in history, and familiar names such as Einstein, Newton, and da Vinci will likely appear. These extraordinary individuals demonstrated remarkable abilities across science, mathematics, invention, and art. But deciding who is truly the smartest is surprisingly complicated. Intelligence can involve logical reasoning, creativity, imagination, or groundbreaking achievement. Some estimates place an IQ above 140 within the near-genius range, representing a tiny portion of the population. However, many historical figures never completed standardized intelligence tests.