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Marcus Aurelius played an important role in the Roman Empire. A Stoic philosopher, Marcus was part of the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana—a 200-year-long period of relative peace in the Roman Empire. Also a writer, his work Meditations is regarded by many as one of the greatest works of philosophy.
Lance Reddick is an American musician and actor. Over the years, Reddick has contributed immensely to the success of several TV series, such as Oz, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Wire, Fringe, and Bosch. He has also been entertaining children and adults alike by providing his likeness and voice for video games like Quantum Break and Destiny series.
Marie Curie and Pierre Curie’s daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, herself a brilliant scientist, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with her husband, Joliot-Curie, for discovering artificial radioactivity. She was also one of the first three female French government members. She tragically died of leukemia caused by exposure to radiation.
Lyle Waggoner was an American sculptor, actor, model, travel trailer salesman, and presenter. He is best remembered for his association with The Carol Burnett Show between 1967 and 1974. He is also credited with founding Star Waggons, a company that aimed at helping the entertainment industry by leasing customized location trailers.
Born to an artisan father, Ramon Magsaysay was initially a schoolteacher. He served as the president of the Philippines and successfully subdued the Huk movement of the local communist guerrillas. The Ramon Magsaysay Award, named after him, celebrates excellence of Asians in various fields such as journalism and government service.
Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss physicist and mathematician. Born into the popular Bernoulli family of mathematicians, Daniel Bernoulli is renowned for his applications of mathematical equations to mechanics. He is also remembered for his pioneering work in statistics and probability. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.
Derek Walcott was a Saint Lucian playwright and poet who was honored with the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was also the recipient of several literary awards like Obie Award, Royal Society of Literature Award, OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, and Queen's Medal for Poetry. In 2016, he was made Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia.
Louis Kahn was an American architect who is credited with creating a style that was monolithic and monumental. Regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential architects, Kahn served as a professor at Yale School of Architecture and at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design. His life and career inspired a documentary titled My Architect: A Son's Journey.
Born to a Russian diplomat, designer Oleg Cassini was known as much for his affairs with femme fatales such as Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe as for his designs. Initially married to actor Gene Tierney, he had also kept his 34-year marriage to Marianne Nestor a secret till his death.
Born to Duke Modrone, Luchino Visconti belonged to one of the most affluent families of Italy. He was also one of the pioneers of neo-realism and created masterpieces such as Senso and Rocco and His Brothers. A chain smoker, he was rumored to have had 120 cigarettes per day.
Mai Zetterling was a Swedish actress, film director, and novelist. She is best remembered for playing important roles in popular British films like Quartet, The Romantic Age, and Only Two Can Play. Mai Zetterling became known as a sex symbol and many of her films were noted for their sexual explicitness and nudity.
Saint Patrick was a Romano-British bishop and Christian missionary in Ireland. Widely regarded as the main patron saint of Ireland, Patrick is often referred to as the Apostle of Ireland. According to early medieval tradition, Patrick is credited with popularizing Christianity in Ireland. His life and work inspired the 2000 TV historical drama film, St. Patrick: The Irish Legend.
Christian Doppler was an Austrian physicist and mathematician best remembered for describing a phenomenon which came to be known as the Doppler effect. The color of binary stars was explained by Doppler with the help of the Doppler effect. Christian Doppler's discovery of the Doppler effect is considered an important contribution to physics.
The firebrand National Bolshevik Party leader Eduard Limonov gained fame with his first novel, It's Me, Eddie, which contained explicit sexual imagery and obscene language, and was written while he was in literary exile in New York. He was also part of The Other Russia, a group of Putin opposers.
Horticulturalist Rachel Lambert Mellon, or Bunny Mellon, is best remembered for designing the White House Rose Garden. She was the wife of banking heir and philanthropist Paul Mellon. Apart from several apartments, she also owned a huge collection of paintings and artifacts, which fetched $158.7 million at a Sotheby's auction.
Betty Williams was a peace activist from Northern Ireland. She was the president of the World Centre of Compassion for Children International and headed the Global Children's Foundation. She and Mairead Corrigan were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976. She traveled the world and lectured on topics of peace, education, anti-extremism, inter-cultural and inter-faith understanding, and children's rights.
Widely regarded as the founder of Intentionalism, or act psychology, German philosopher Franz Brentano was also a Roman Catholic priest. He also taught philosophy at the University of Würzburg and the University of Vienna and penned the iconic works Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint and Inquiry into Sense Psychology.
Freddie Francis was an English cinematographer and film director He is best remembered for his contribution as a cinematographer in popular films like Sons and Lovers, Room at the Top, and The Innocents. Over the course of his illustrious career Freddie Francis received several prestigious awards, including two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.
Friedrich Bessel was a German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist. He was the first astronomer to use the method of parallax in order to determine the distance of a star from the sun. Bessel was a much-respected figure during his time. He was honored with the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Jim Cronin was an American zookeeper best remembered for co-founding the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset, England, in 1987. The centre works as a sanctuary for neglected and abused primates. Jim Cronin was celebrated for his expertise in the rescue and rehabilitation process of abused primates.
Mike MacDonald was a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian best known for his appearances in several popular TV shows like Late Night with David Letterman, Just for Laughs, and The Arsenio Hall Show. MacDonald achieved immense popularity when he played important roles in three successful TV specials, including My House! My Rules!, which received two nominations at the Gemini Awards.
Hildegard Peplau was an American nurse best remembered for creating the middle-range nursing theory, which helped revolutionize the scholarly work in the field of nursing. She was the first nurse to publish her nursing theory since Florence Nightingale. Hildegard Peplau's work paved the way for humane treatment of people with personality and behavior disorders.
Lalo Guerrero was an American singer and guitarist best remembered for his influence on Latin music and artists. He is also remembered for his support towards Mexican-American women. Lalo Guerrero’s music encouraged Mexican-American women to demonstrate the duality of their heritage on public platforms.
An author who wrote for both children and adults, Sid Fleischman also penned several books on magic. Initially a journalist at the San Diego Daily Journal, he switched to writing fiction when the paper was discontinued. He and his son, Paul Fleischman, made up the only parent-child duo to win a Newbery Medal.
French classical author Francois de La Rochefoucauld is best known for his use of the maxime, a French epigram. He had initially been part of the army that fought against the Spanish. He later grew up to be the quintessential 17th-century nobleman. His Mémoires and Maximes are his most-talked-about works.
Swiss-born American psychiatrist Adolf Meyer is best remembered for introducing the concept of ergasiology, or psychobiology. Not only was he associated with the Johns Hopkins Hospital throughout his life, but he also led the American Psychiatric Association as its president. He was also a pioneering figure in occupational therapy.
Jack Davis was an Australian Aboriginal poet and playwright considered one of “Australia’s most influential Aboriginal authors.” Also an Aboriginal Australian activist, he wrote extensively on themes related to Aboriginality and the Aboriginal experience. His work is included in the curriculum of many Australian schools. Davis was honoured with the Order of Australia Award in 1985.
