Historic figures with amazing IQs
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 10:25 AM

IQ scores indicate intelligence as it relates to the rest of the population. Each level of intelligence is marked in a range - someone of average intelligence may have earned a score of 90 to 109. A person with superior intelligence may have earned 110 to about 119. While you may know very smart people, you might not have ever encountered a textbook genius. To earn the title, one must achieve an IQ score of 140 or greater. 

Children and adults alike can achieve this score, though kids take a test designed for people their age. Whether or not your child is a genius, you both may be interested in discovering which historic figures had amazing IQs. Note that these scores are compared to people living at the same time as the person. Intelligence is thought to increase in the population over time, a phenomenon known as the Flynn Effect.

Leonardo da Vinci
Born in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci is described as the quintessential Renaissance man. He could do it all - use mathematical formulas, engineer his inventions, study anatomy, geology and botany, design buildings, paint, sculpt, play music and write. That amount of challenging mental activity requires a brain that has an amazing capacity for complex thought. While IQ tests weren't around in da Vinci's day, experts estimate that his score would have been anywhere from 180 to 190 - far above the genius requirement. Adjusted for the Flynn Effect, da Vinci's score would be around 158 today.

Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler was born in 1571 in Germany. Though he was ill as a child, his parents recognized his intelligence when he was young. He attended the University of Tübingen where he was introduced to the planetary theories of Copernicus. He is best known for his Theories of Planetary Motion, or Kepler's Laws, and for his ideas on epicycles. His research led him to believe that the planets didn't move in perfect circles, rather that they rotated around the sun in ovals. His discoveries and important contributions to the human understanding of space led NASA to name its planet-finding telescope after him. Experts estimate Kepler had an IQ of about 175, which would equate to 153 today.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had more than a great name, he had an amazing mind. The Austrian composer was born in 1756 and was writing his own music by the age of 5. Though Mozart only lived to the age of 35, his accomplishments were vast. He composed 626 musical pieces in his lifetime, which included operas, symphonies and masses. Historians estimate his IQ was around 165, or 143 today.