Well, early in rocketry history, the Chinese are known for their invention of the basic rocket concept with gunpowder. This simple but revolutionary idea laid the foundation for modern rocketry. In more recent times, the development of reusable rockets, like SpaceX's Falcon 9, is a major milestone. It has significantly reduced the cost of space access and changed the way we think about space exploration.
Definitely, Werner von Braun stands out. His knowledge and skills in rocket design were top - notch. He brought a lot of German rocket technology to the United States after the war. Also, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, was an important figure. His flight showed the U.S. could compete in the space race. And the work of teams like those at NASA, made up of many engineers and scientists, has been crucial in the real story of rocketry.
In many cases, rocketry is based on real concepts and historical developments. It builds on the knowledge and experiments of scientists and engineers over time.