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Soul and R&B legend Bill Withers is best remembered for hits such as Ain't No Sunshine and Lean on Me. The three-time Grammy Award-winner also inspired the documentary Still Bill. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Bill moved on to other jobs after his 15-year music career.
James Cagney was an American dancer and actor who won the Academy Award for his performance in the 1942 musical, Yankee Doodle Dandy. In 1984, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the entertainment industry. In 1999, he was named in the American Film Institute's Greatest Male Stars of the Classical Hollywood Cinema list.
Austrian philosopher and architect and Rudolf Steiner gained fame as a literary critic and published works such as The Philosophy of Freedom. His interests included esotericism and clairvoyance. He termed his work spiritual science. He designed the Goetheanum and also laid down concepts such as Waldorf education and biodynamic agriculture.
German author Karl May is best remembered for his travel and adventure tales, which narrate stories set in the Middle East and other lands. His best-known works include The Treasure in the Silver Lake. He developed his love for literature after reading voraciously while in prison for fraud.
Born into a Jewish family in Paris, three-time French prime minister Léon Blum had initially studied law. He joined politics inspired by the Dreyfus affair. The first socialist and the first Jew to head France, he introduced reforms such as the 40-hour work week and paid vacations.
Italian Christian theologian Joachim of Fiore is best remembered as the man behind the San Giovanni monastic order. His brand of philosophy of history mentioned the ages of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Initially a notary, he began his spiritual quest after a visit to the Holy Land.
Pediatric neurosurgeon James T. Goodrich was an expert in cranial reconstructive surgeries and also conducted multiple successful operations on separating conjoined twins. The Columbia University alumnus also had also served the US Marines during the Vietnam War. He was also fond of travel and surfing. He succumbed to COVID-19 at age 73.
One of the most significant theologians of the 20th century, Karl Rahner was a disciple of Martin Heidegger at the University of Freiburg. His works such as Spirit in the World and Hearers of the Word showcase the Roman Catholic doctrine and its many interpretations.
Heinrich Brüning was a German academic and politician. From 1930 to 1932, he served as the chancellor of Germany. Brüning lost his popularity when his measures to tackle the economic crisis instigated by the Great Depression increased unemployment in the Weimar Republic. To this day, he remains a controversial figure in the history of Germany.
Nella Larsen was an American novelist who also worked as a librarian and nurse. Among her literary work were her novels, Quicksand and Passing; the latter was adapted into a film of the same name in 2021. Larsen's work has gained renewed interest since the 20th century. Today, she is recognized as the most important novelist of the Harlem Renaissance.
Conservative Party politician and the 24th president of Ecuador, José María Velasco Ibarra held the post of the president 5 times and was ousted by the military 4 times. He was a qualified lawyer, too. His tenure witnessed the construction of institutes, roads, bridges, and hospitals.
Arianne Caoili was a Filipino-Australian chess player who took part in seven Women's Chess Olympiads during her career. A multi-talented personality, Caoili was also a singer and financial consultant. She also served as an advisor to Armenian politician and Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Arianne Caoili died in a car crash at the age of 33.
Marie Pleyel was a Belgian concert pianist who amazed the audience with her young virtuosity at the age of eight when she first gave her formal recital. She went on to become one of the most famous and admired pianists of the 1830s.
Gisèle Freund was a German-born French photojournalist and photographer best remembered for her portraits of artists and writers and documentary photography. Throughout her career, Gisèle Freund was honored with several prestigious awards like the German Society's cultural photography prize and Grand prix national des Arts pour la Photographie. She also served as the president of the French Association of Photographers.
Bénédict Morel was a French psychiatrist born in Austria. He was abandoned by his parents and had a difficult childhood. He worked hard to earn a medical doctorate and worked alongside psychiatrist Jean-Pierre Falret. He soon became an influential psychiatrist himself and was a key figure in the field of degeneration theory in the mid-19th century.
