How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident
At 12 he got a job at the spool mill one town over. At 14 Spencer got hired to install electricity at the nearby paper mill. A few years later he was so inspired by the heroic actions of the Titanic's radio operators that he joined the Navy and learned the new technology. Spencer would later explain, "I just got hold of a lot of textbooks and taught myself while I was standing watch at night." More here.
Amazing.