March 24

Born in 1488 in Toledo, Spain, he fled the Inquisition and settled in Ottoman lands. He authored the Bet Yosef commentary, synthesizing diverse legal opinions. In 1565 he published the Shulchan Aruch, codifying Jewish law for communities worldwide. A leading figure in Safed's scholarly circle, he influenced generations of rabbis and jurists. His works continue to serve as central texts in rabbinical courts and study halls today.

Born in 1693 in Foulby, Yorkshire, Harrison developed a passion for precision mechanisms. He crafted a series of marine timekeepers (H1 through H4) to address navigational challenges. Despite skepticism, his H4 design won the Admiralty's Longitude Prize in 1765. Harrison's chronometers revolutionized maritime navigation and saved countless lives. He meticulously refined escapements and temperature compensation to improve accuracy. His legacy endures in modern timekeeping and global navigation systems.

He studied the composition and structure of rocks, advancing the field of lithology through detailed mapping. Delesse developed innovative methods for the microscopic analysis of minerals, enhancing identification techniques. He served as a professor of geology at the University of Paris and influenced a generation of geoscientists. His research included studies on volcanology and the geological structure of France and Algeria. Delesse was recognized by the Geological Society of London and contributed to numerous scientific publications.

Margaret Huggins applied photographic techniques to record and analyze the spectra of stars. Her collaborative work helped establish the field of astrophysics, linking spectral lines to chemical composition. She co-authored key publications and built one of the first stellar spectral classification systems. Huggins lectured extensively, promoting public interest in astronomy and supporting the work of the Royal Astronomical Society. Her dedication paved the way for future women scientists in a male-dominated field.

Olszewski, with Zygmunt Wróblewski, achieved the liquefaction of oxygen and nitrogen in 1883. This breakthrough laid the foundations for modern cryogenics and industrial gas production. He served as a professor of physics and chemistry at Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Olszewski's research extended to thermodynamics and the study of gaseous elements under extreme conditions. His achievements brought international recognition and influenced chemical engineering and physics.

Édouard Branly (1844-1940) was a French physicist and inventor whose experiments laid the groundwork for modern radio communication. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure, he became professor of physics in Paris. In 1890, he invented the Branly coherer, a device that could detect radio waves by changing its conductivity in the presence of electromagnetic signals. This invention was crucial to the development of wireless telegraphy by Guglielmo Marconi and other early radio pioneers. Branly also researched electrical conductivity in metals and the behavior of vacuum tubes. He published numerous papers on electromagnetic phenomena, earning recognition from the French Academy of Sciences. His innovations exerted a lasting influence on the rapid growth of radio technology in the early 20th century.

Lorna Hodgkinson was an Australian educator and educational psychologist born in 1887. She dedicated her career to researching how children learn and develop cognitive skills. Her work highlighted the importance of student-centered teaching and evidence-based approaches in the classroom. Through lectures, mentoring, and publications, she influenced both teachers and educational institutions across Australia. Her contributions helped lay the groundwork for modern educational psychology in the region. Hodgkinson's legacy endures in the principles of child development and teaching methods still used today.

Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker was a pioneering British mathematician and physicist born in 1873. He made foundational contributions to mathematical analysis, special functions, and theoretical physics. Whittaker authored influential textbooks that became standard references for generations of students. He served as Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford and later as Professor of Applied Mathematics at Edinburgh. His research covered diverse areas such as celestial mechanics, quantum theory, and wave propagation. Whittaker was elected to the Royal Society and received numerous honors for his impact on both pure and applied mathematics.

Auguste Piccard was a Swiss physicist and explorer born in 1884. He made history in 1931 by becoming the first person to reach the stratosphere in a high-altitude balloon. Piccard's investigations led to the discovery of the ionosphere and advanced atmospheric science. Later, he turned his attention to deep-sea exploration, inventing the bathyscaphe submersible. His design enabled unprecedented underwater dives and influenced modern submarine technology. Piccard's dual legacy in atmospheric and marine exploration established him as a pioneer of experimental physics.

Park Mok-wol was a leading figure in 20th-century Korean literature, known for his concise and evocative poems that drew on natural landscapes. He published influential collections that helped shape modern Korean poetic voice and inspired subsequent generations of writers. An academic by profession, he taught Korean literature at university level, nurturing young talents and promoting literary scholarship. His minimalist style and lyrical depth earned him national recognition and lasting influence in Korea's cultural history. Park's work remains widely studied in contemporary Korean literature courses.

Turhan Feyzioğlu was a law professor who transitioned into politics in the 1950s, advocating for democratic reforms. He served as the 27th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey under Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel from 1965 to 1966. Feyzioğlu co-founded political parties that promoted pluralism and contributed to shaping Turkey's post-war political landscape. An accomplished scholar, he authored numerous works on constitutional law and political theory, employed in universities. His dual legacy as an academic and statesman left a lasting impact on both Turkish governance and legal education.

Joseph Needham began his career as a Cambridge biochemist before turning to the history of science, focusing on China. He authored the multi-volume series "Science and Civilisation in China," documenting centuries of Chinese innovation and scholarship. Needham's research challenged Eurocentric narratives and established Chinese contributions as fundamental to global progress. He founded the Needham Research Institute to advance Sino-Western academic exchange and train new historians. His interdisciplinary approach and dedication to cross-cultural understanding made him a pioneer in the field.