[usrusr]

Many people will find it easier to follow maths lessons if there are a few bits of history sprinkled in here and there. It adds a human element and honoring the great ones hundreds of years (or even millennia) after they are dead serves as an implicit demonstration of how important their discoveries are to us. Not a terribly powerful demonstration, but less futile than repeatedly yelling "hey, this is important!"

Also, mathematical concepts don't come with natural names attached. But we need consistent labels for successful communication. It's much easier to not confuse those labels if you know a bit about the history that led to the naming.