Some of the greatest leaders the world has ever known started with humble beginnings. Benjamin Franklin, the son of a candlemaker, would start a wildly successful printing business in Philadelphia with just two years of formal education. He was also an author, inventor, thinker, scientist, and statesman. The daughter of a grocer, Margaret Thatcher would go on to become Prime Minister of England. She was the first woman to leader a major Western democracy and is credited for reviving the economy, reforming outdated institutions, and reinvigorating foreign policy.

Bill Clinton was the son of a salesman who grew up with his grandparents because his father passed away in a car crash a few months before Clinton was born. Of course, Clinton went on to become governor and the 42nd President of the United States. The granddaughter of slaves, Rosa Parks dropped out of school to care for her mother and grandmother. She worked as a seamstress who would help launch nationwide efforts to end segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white individual.

To learn more about each of these incredibly influential leaders with humble starts and big finishes, check out this infographic from Best-MPA-Programs.com.