Norman Borlaug was born in Iowa on March 25, 1914. As student in high school, Borlaug was a seasoned wrestler who lived on a farm with his parents-- not an academic scholar in any sense. Until his grandfather convinced him to go to college, Borlaug was just planning on working on the farm for the rest of his life. At college, he educated himself. He became both a reader and a thinker, which there is no gainsaying that these two traits helped him earn the virtuous legacy that he is known for today. 

For those who are uninitiated, Norman Borlaug is largely known as a humanitarian and a key figure in the Green Revolution, which put an emphasis on more efficient agricultural techniques and technological advancements in this field of study. Borlaug created a type of wheat called dwarf wheat, which had a shorter stalk, allowing it to be more resistant to breakage due to strong wind- a problem that normal wheat had. This particular type of wheat that was developed by him benefited  many developing nations, saving billions of lives-- all without making a penny, which is what makes Borlaug such an iconic figure among humanitarians.