July 14

Born in Paris in 1640, Claude Fleury became one of France's leading historians of religion and politics. He served as tutor to the children of Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet and later became a member of the Académie Française. His works include "Histoire ecclésiastique", a multi-volume history of the Church which remained a standard reference for centuries. Fleury's scholarship combined meticulous research with clear prose, making complex historical narratives accessible to educated readers. His writings influenced Enlightenment thinkers and contributed to the development of modern historiography. Fleury died in Paris on July 14, 1723, leaving a legacy as one of the great historians of his era.

Born in Oulton, Yorkshire in 1662, Richard Bentley excelled in Greek and Latin literature, eventually becoming Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. He is considered the founder of modern textual criticism, applying rigorous philological analysis to classical texts to restore their original forms. Bentley engaged in famous scholarly debates, including his critique of the integrity of the Greek New Testament and his editing of classical poets such as Horace and Pindar. His work extended to theology, where he argued for a historical approach to biblical interpretation in works like "A Confutation of Atheism". Bentley's intellectual rigor and bold hypotheses left a lasting mark on the fields of classical scholarship and biblical studies. He died on July 14, 1742, and is remembered as one of the greatest English scholars of his age.

Born in 1788, Augustin-Jean Fresnel was a French physicist and engineer whose work revolutionized the study of optics. He revived and developed the wave theory of light, providing key mathematical descriptions of diffraction and interference. His insights challenged the prevailing particle theory and paved the way for modern physics. In 1822, he patented the catadioptric lighthouse lens—later called the Fresnel lens—which dramatically improved maritime safety by focusing light into powerful beams. Despite his untimely death in 1827, Fresnel’s theories and inventions have had a lasting impact on science and engineering.

Born David Mendel in 1789, August Neander adopted his Greek pen name meaning 'new man' to reflect his spiritual rebirth. He studied theology at the universities of Halle and Göttingen and became professor of church history. His magnum opus, the 'General History of the Christian Church,' traced the development of Christian thought from its origins to his present day. Neander’s scholarly approach combined rigorous historical research with deep religious insight, influencing generations of theologians and historians. He passed away in 1850, having transformed the study of church history into a critical academic discipline.

Born in 1775, Edward Vernon Utterson pursued a career at the bar while nurturing a passion for rare books and manuscripts. He became one of the founding members of the Roxburghe Club, the world’s first society for book collectors. Utterson edited and published editions of Middle English and Elizabethan poetry, ensuring that lesser-known works reached a wider audience. His extensive personal library and scholarly activities helped save many works from obscurity. Utterson died in 1856, leaving a legacy as a champion of literary preservation.

Born in London in 1838, William Henry Perkin became famous at the age of 18 for accidentally synthesizing mauveine, the first aniline dye. His discovery in 1856 opened the field of synthetic organic chemistry and led to a booming dye industry. Perkin founded a factory to mass-produce his mauve dye and later served as a professor of chemistry. He continued research on coal tar derivatives and published influential studies. Perkin’s pioneering work transformed industrial chemistry and influenced generations of scientists before his death in 1907.

Dame Cicely Saunders was an English nurse, social worker, and physician born in 1918. She pioneered the modern hospice movement by integrating compassionate care, pain management, and emotional support for terminally ill patients. In 1967, she opened St. Christopher's Hospice in London, the world's first purpose-built hospice, which became a model for palliative care. Saunders introduced the concept of total pain, emphasizing the importance of addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Her work laid the foundation for palliative medicine as a recognized medical specialty, influencing care practices worldwide until her death in 2005.

Maryam Mirzakhani was born in Tehran in 1977 and showed early promise in mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University under the supervision of Curtis McMullen. Her work focused on Teichmüller theory, hyperbolic geometry, and dynamical systems. In 2014, she became the first woman and the first Iranian to win the Fields Medal for her outstanding contributions to geometry and dynamical systems. She served as a professor at Stanford University, inspiring a new generation of mathematicians. Mirzakhani passed away in 2017 at the age of 40 after a battle with breast cancer. Her groundbreaking research continues to influence the field and break barriers for women in mathematics.