April 13

Born around 720, likely in Lucca of Lombard descent. He joined the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino and took the name Paulus Diaconus. From around 760, he served at the court of King Desiderius of the Lombards. He authored major works including the Historia Langobardorum, chronicling the history of his people. His writings also include hagiographies and hymns that influenced medieval scholarship. He died around 799, leaving a lasting legacy as a key source for early medieval history.

Pierre Gaspard Chaumette was born in 1763 and initially trained as a lawyer before embracing revolutionary ideals. He combined his scientific interest in botany with a passion for political change during the upheaval of 1789. Elected as a leader in the Paris Commune, he advocated radical reforms, including secularization and social equality. Chaumette’s tenure influenced the revolutionary government’s policies before his arrest and execution in 1794. His life exemplifies the intersection of science and radical politics in revolutionary France.

Leopold Gmelin was born in 1788 and became a professor of chemistry at the University of Heidelberg. He compiled and published Gmelin’s Handbook of Chemistry, an extensive reference that standardized chemical knowledge for scientists worldwide. Gmelin conducted research in inorganic chemistry and mentored students who advanced the field. His organizational skills and dedication to education helped professionalize chemistry as a discipline. He remained active in research and teaching until his death in 1853.

Henry De la Beche was born in 1796 and became a leading figure in early geological science. He conducted field surveys in Cornwall and Devon, producing detailed maps and reports on rock formations. De la Beche founded the Geological Survey of Great Britain, advancing the application of geology to mining and engineering. His publications, including the Geological Manual, educated generations of geologists. He advocated for using geology in practical industries and remained an active researcher until his death in 1855.

Robert Fortune was born in 1813 and employed by the Royal Horticultural Society to collect plants in Asia. He conducted secret missions in China and Japan, acquiring tea plants and knowledge that revolutionized tea cultivation in India. Fortune introduced numerous ornamental and agricultural species to Europe and documented his travels in published works. His efforts had a lasting impact on global horticulture and the tea industry. Fortune died in 1880, leaving a legacy of botanical exploration.

Bruno Bauer was a leading figure in the Young Hegelian movement in 19th-century Germany. He critically examined Christian doctrines and the historical basis of the New Testament. Bauer's work laid the groundwork for later secular and atheist philosophical thought. He authored several controversial treatises, including critiques of the Gospels. As a professor at the University of Bonn, he influenced students and intellectual debates. His bold challenges to religious orthodoxy sparked discussions on the intersection of theology and philosophy.

Whitley Stokes was a preeminent scholar of Celtic philology in the 19th century. He translated and edited ancient Irish legal tracts, preserving early Gaelic literature. As a lawyer, he combined legal acumen with linguistic research in comparative Celtic studies. His work on Irish manuscripts laid the foundation for modern Celtic scholarship. Stokes held academic positions and was a fellow of several learned societies. His meticulous editions remain invaluable to historians and linguists studying early Ireland.

Born in 1863 in Dover, Delaware, Annie Jump Cannon overcame illness to pursue her passion for astronomy. She joined the Harvard College Observatory, where she refined and simplified the classification of stellar spectra. Her system, arranging stars by temperature and spectral type, remains the foundation of modern astronomy. Cannon catalogued over 350,000 stars, earning international acclaim and numerous honors. As a pioneering female scientist, she served as president of the American Astronomical Society before her death in 1941.

Kristian Krefting was born in 1891 in Norway and became known as a talented footballer in his youth. He represented his club and earned recognition in local competitions before retiring from sport. Pursuing a passion for science, Krefting graduated with a degree in chemical engineering and worked in industrial research. His dual career reflected a rare blend of athletic prowess and technical expertise. Krefting’s life exemplifies the spirit of multidisciplinary achievement in the early 20th century.

Theodore Stephanides served as a medical officer in both World Wars and conducted research in tropical medicine. He developed a deep passion for the natural history of Corfu, documenting its flora and fauna in acclaimed works. A close friend of writers like Lawrence Durrell, he contributed essays and memoirs that blended science with poetic insight. Stephanides translated Greek poetry into English and published volumes of his own poetry, showcasing his linguistic talents. His interdisciplinary career bridged medicine, literature, and nature study, leaving an enduring mark on Mediterranean scholarship.

Feza Gürsey’s research on internal symmetries helped lay the foundation for the quark model in the 1960s. He introduced SU(6) symmetry in classifying baryons, influencing the development of modern particle theory. Gürsey held professorships at various institutions, including Yale University, where he taught quantum field theory. He authored numerous papers exploring group theory, gauge fields, and nonlinear sigma models. Honored with multiple awards, his interdisciplinary work bridged mathematics and theoretical physics.

John Archibald Wheeler was a leading American theoretical physicist whose insights shaped modern physics.\nHe worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II, contributing to nuclear fission research.\nIn the 1960s, he popularized the term "black hole" and developed foundational ideas in general relativity and quantum gravity.\nWheeler mentored a generation of prominent physicists, including Richard Feynman.\nHe served as a professor at Princeton and later at the University of Texas, producing influential textbooks and papers.\nHis work spanned from nuclear structure to the nature of spacetime and laid groundwork for many contemporary theories.