My answer would be Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

Before becoming a Civil War hero and great man (and later President of Bowdoin college in Maine), Chamberlain became a hero on Little Roundtop at the battle of Gettysburg by understanding the very basics of SQL Server - Rows and Columns.

Chamberlain's forces were almost gone, indeed presumed wiped-out by his commanders when Chamberlain conjured up a simple move by taking the 20th of Maine into a few rows and columns and turning them down on the Tennessee volunteers who greatly outnumbered him. Under attack from their flank and unaware of the true numbers against them, the Tennessee volunteers dropped their weapons and surrendered, and Little Round Top remained in Union hands. Had it not, many historians agree that the South may well have won that battle.

As best I can measure, this was the first time in American history that understanding the basics of rows and columns had one man administer a crucial victory. What more could be asked from any DBA?