Stranger than Paradise

Illegitimate son of a Russian nobleman, Alexander Borodin was a doctor and chemist, specialising in organic chemistry. One of the first to discover nucleophilic substitution, he co-discovered the aldol reaction, whatever they are! He founded The School of Medicine for Women in Saint Petersburg, where he taught.

OK, OK... but does he really merit a drabble? Well, in his spare time he wrote fabulous classical music, many melodies becoming very popular indeed, like:

’Stranger in Paradise’
‘And This is My Beloved’
‘Baubles, Bangles and Beads’

...earning a Tony Award for the musical Kismet!

Not bad for a part-timer!