The outstanding firearms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov was born in the Altai Province. His love for technical sciences manifested early in his childhood, and his talent as an inventor emerged during his service in the Red Army. At 19, the tank operator adapted a TT pistol for firing through the slots in a tank turret and designed an engine-hour meter that could accurately account for various types of tank engine load. This invention was highly praised by division commander Georgy Zhukov. During the Great Patriotic War, Kalashnikov invented a submachine gun and a self-loading carbine. Although neither went into serial production, they were important steps toward the creation of the legendary AK-47. In 1945, he took part in a competition to develop an automatic rifle. His reliable and powerful AK-47 was adopted by the Soviet Army and later gained immense popularity worldwide. Later, under his leadership, dozens of small arms models were developed. Kalashnikov received 42 medals and orders from the USSR, Russia, and foreign countries. During the Soviet era, he was twice awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and in 2009, he was named a Hero of the Russian Federation. Mikhail Timofeevich passed away in 2013.