Most of the pictures have links to external sources where you can learn more about these child prodigies. (I especially suggest you watching the videos!)

20. Mary Shelley - age 18

Shelley and her lover (and later husband) Percy Wollenscraft were challenged by Lord Byron to write their own scary story. Even though the men were both famous and magnificent writers, Shelley was the only one to complete her story. At just 18, she wrote Frankenstein, a classic, landmark piece of literature that has remained relevant for centuries and essentially invented the genre of science fiction.

19. Laurie Hernandez - age 16

A mere sophomore in high school, Laurie Hernandez was part of the famous Final Five in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. She is well-known for her big, bright smile and her sharp and sassy movements. She is the first American-born, Hispanic person to compete at the Olympics and helped win gold for the team event and silver for the balance beam. Additionally, Hernandez was selected to be on Dancing With The Stars and won with her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

18. Tara Lipinski - age 15

In 1998, Tara Lipinski was only 15 when she competed in the Nagano Winter Olympics in the Women's Free Skate. Known to be a technically strong skater, she delivered a beautiful performance with near perfect jumps. She placed first, winning gold and becoming the youngest gold medalist in Olympic history. (Click the picture above to watch her winning performance).

17. Louis Braille - age 15

Braille received a scholarship to the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris when he was 10. The library had books with raised letters, but they were very difficult to read. In 1821, a former soldier named Charles Barbier visited the school. Barbier shared his invention called "night writing," a code of 12 raised dots that let soldiers share top-secret information on the battlefield without even having to speak. Braille trimmed Barbier's 12 dots into 6, ironed out the system by the time he was 15, then published the first-ever braille book in 1829.

16. Pablo Picasso - age 15

Although Picasso is better known for his unique, abstract paintings, his first oil canvas was of of the Realism style. "The First Communion" was Picasso's entry into the official artistic world. He completed it when he was only 15 years old. Picasso presented it at the Third Exhibition of Fine Arts and Artistic Industries in 1896. The painting depicts Picasso's sister, Lola, at her first communion. The man at her side is either their father or Vilches, a doctor and a friend of the family. The young altar boy is Pere, Vilches' son.

15. Karl Witte - age 13

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte was an exceptionally bright child. When Witte was nine, he spoke German, French, Italian, Latin and Greek. On April 10, 1814 at the age of 13, he received his Ph.D from the University of Giessen in Germany. Witte was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "youngest doctorate" - a record that still stands.

14. Ludwig van Beethoven - age 12

The famous composer had talent for music from a young age and was trained by his father in hopes of creating a new Mozart. At the age of seven-and-a-half, Ludwig Van Beethoven gave his first public performance at Cologne. In 1782, before the age of twelve, Beethoven published his first work, 9 Variations in C Minor for piano. Later on, at the age of twelve, he became an Assistant Court Organist to provide income for his family.

13. Albert Einstein - age 12

Of course, we all know this happy-faced genius. But did you know that, at the age of 12, Albert Einstein taught himself Euclidean geometry?

12. Jean Piaget - age 11

Piaget is known best for his theories of childhood development, but when he was a child, he had no interest in psychology! He was, however, still involved in scientific study. By the time he was 11, Jean Piaget was attending high school and had published his first scholarly article.

11. Felix Mendelssohn - age 11

Felix Mendelssohn was not only a painter but a fantastic composer. In 1820 alone, he wrote a violin sonata, two piano sonatas, multiple songs, a cantata, a brief opera and a male quartet. In 1826, at age 11, Mendelssohn produced one of his best known works, Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream. (Click the picture to listen!)

10. William James Sidis - age 8

William James Sidis was born to genius parents who also wanted to produce a genius child. Boris and Sarah Sidis were persistent, and William was using words such as 'moon' and 'door' at 6 months and could read at 18 months. At 8 years old, Sidis studied seven different languages (French, German, Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Russian and one he made up himself – Vendergood). In the same year, he also developed a new mathematical formula: a logarithm table based on the number 12. At age 11, Sidis was accepted into Harvard University and gave a lecture on four-dimensional bodies.

9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - age 8

Of course, another well-known composer. At a mere 8 years old, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his first symphony. (Click on the image to listen!)

8. Akrit Pran Jaswal - age 7

When Jaswal was 7, he successfully performed a cesarean-section for a family who couldn’t afford healthcare for their daughter. The surgery branded Jaswal as a local medical genius in his hometown in India. At the age of 12, Jaswal became the youngest student to be admitted to medical school in India. Jaswal, now 20, is currently studying to get a master’s degree in applied chemistry. He is a practicing physician and has been working in the field for more than a decade. Jaswal aims to find a cure for cancer.

7. Shirley Temple - age 5

America's sweetheart, Shirley Temple won a Juvenile Oscar when she was 5 years old, the first child star to be honored with a miniature Academy Juvenile Award. To rub salt in the would, Temple was a millionaire by the time she was 10 years old!

6 & 7. Celine Tam & Jeffrey Li - ages 7 & 10

Asian reality talent shows are infamous for producing incredible musical child prodigies, and they have not failed us with this duo. Celine Tam, from Hong Kong, and Jeffrey Li, from Canada, performed a heart-melting, skin-chilling, tear-jerking rendition of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" that also landed them on Steve Harvey's "Little Big Shots." (Click the photo to watch the amazing video!)

4. Nate - age 5

Ellen is excellent at exposing the public to talent that deserves to be in the spotlight. She hosted this cute genius who can identify flags and countries at the drop of a hat. (Click on the photo to watch!)

3. Heavenly Joy Jenkins - age 5

Yep, you read that right, her name is Heavenly Joy. The only thing cuter than this girl's name is her smile. Heavenly lit up the faces of the America's Got Talent arena, especially Howard Stern. Watch her beautifully sing Frozen's "In Summer" and tap dance! (Click on the photo to watch!)

2. Brielle - age 3

Get ready for the cutest little genius you have ever seen! Brielle is still "sounding out her words," but knows the entire Periodic Table of Elements, the human skeleton, and quite a few countries! (Click the image to see her show where she teaches about various subjects... you might need to turn on subtitles!)

1. A Tiny Russian Girl - age 2

I don't know this little girl's name, but what I do know is that at 2 years old, she is a way better ice skater than I am! (Click the photo to watch the adorable video!)