Painleve was a French mathematician born on 5th December 1863. His mathematical work on differential equations led him to apply them to the theory of flight and he was the first passenger on Wilbur Wright’s aeroplane in 1908. Painleve was also a contemporary of Albert Einstein and in 1921 he proposed mathematical developments that represented the event horizon of a black hole, work that was not fully appreciated until the 1960’s.
Somehow, despite his work on mathematics, Painleve also managed to pursue a career in politics, twice serving briefly as Prime Minister of France, in 1917 and 1925.