July 29

George Bradshaw was born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1801 and initially worked as a printer and engraver. In 1839, he launched Bradshaw’s Railway Guide, the first comprehensive timetable and travel manual for Britain’s burgeoning railway network. His guide quickly became the standard reference for Victorian travelers and set the template for future travel publications. Bradshaw also produced detailed maps and handbooks, contributing to 19th-century cartography. He died in 1853, but his name remains synonymous with railway travel information.

Gerhard Armauer Hansen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1841 and studied medicine at the University of Oslo. In 1873, he identified Mycobacterium leprae as the causative agent of leprosy, marking the first time a bacterium was linked to a human disease. Hansen worked as a city physician in Bergen and established a leprosarium on the island of Hodøy to care for patients. His research laid important groundwork for modern microbiology and the study of infectious diseases. He died in 1912, and his name remains associated with leprosy research.

Johannes Schmidt was born in Burg near Magdeburg in 1843 and became a leading philologist and professor. He challenged existing theories of language change by proposing the ‘Wave Theory,’ which described how linguistic features spread gradually across regions. Schmidt’s research on the genetic relationships of Indo-European languages advanced comparative linguistics and influenced subsequent scholarship. He held academic positions at the universities of Tübingen and Kiel, where he mentored future linguists. Schmidt died in 1901, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of historical linguistics.

Bernhard Zondek (1891–1966) was a German-Israeli gynecologist and medical academic known for his groundbreaking work in reproductive endocrinology. Alongside colleagues, he developed one of the first reliable immunological pregnancy tests using animal receptors in mice bioassays. Zondek earned his medical degree in Germany before emigrating to Palestine amid the rise of Nazism, eventually becoming a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research extended to endocrine functions in both normal and pathological states, influencing clinical practices in gynecology worldwide. As an academic leader, he established key medical laboratories and trained generations of physicians in Israel. Zondek’s legacy endures in the diagnostic techniques and academic institutions he helped build.

Isidor Isaac Rabi was an American physicist renowned for his groundbreaking work in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). He discovered the magnetic resonance method in molecular beams in 1938, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1944. Rabi's techniques paved the way for the development of MRI in medicine. He served as a professor at Columbia University and mentored many future leaders in physics. During World War II, he contributed to radar and uranium isotope separation research. After the war, he was a key figure in post-war science policy and served on various advisory committees. Rabi remained active in research and education until his death in 1988.

Cortright joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in the late 1940s and transitioned to NASA upon its founding in 1958. Rising through the ranks, he became director of NASA's Langley Research Center, overseeing groundbreaking work in supersonic flight and aeronautical research. In 1970, he chaired the Apollo 13 accident review board, providing vital findings that influenced future mission safety measures. Later, he served as NASA's associate administrator for the Office of Space Science, guiding robotic planetary missions. Over a four-decade career, Cortright advanced both aeronautics and space exploration. He retired in the mid-1980s and remained an influential voice in engineering until his death in 2014.

Born in 1925, Kuhn earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University, where he later joined the faculty. He collaborated with William Karush to formulate the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions, establishing a fundamental result in nonlinear programming. Kuhn also contributed to game theory, co-authoring influential works on bargaining and matching problems. He served as a professor at Princeton and Stanford, mentoring numerous students and shaping the fields of operations research and economics. In recognition of his groundbreaking research, he received the John von Neumann Theory Prize in 1980. Kuhn remained active in mathematical research and teaching until his death in 2014, leaving a profound legacy in applied mathematics.

Born in 1926, Robert Kilpatrick established a distinguished career in medicine and medical education in Scotland. He held academic positions at leading universities, specializing in internal medicine and publishing research that advanced clinical practices. In 1979, he was ennobled as Baron Kilpatrick of Kincraig, taking a seat in the House of Lords where he contributed to health policy debates. Lord Kilpatrick advised on national standards for medical training and patient care, championing improvements that shaped modern healthcare. He also served on professional medical bodies, influencing the direction of medical research and education. His commitment to both clinical excellence and public service left a lasting impact on the British medical community.

Daniel McFadden’s groundbreaking research laid the foundation for modern discrete choice modeling, transforming how economists understand individual decision-making. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, he earned his doctorate from the University of Minnesota and later taught at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2000, McFadden shared the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to econometrics. His work has influenced transportation planning, market research, and public policy analysis worldwide.

Betty Harris made seminal contributions to analytical chemistry through her research on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Her studies revealed how molecular interactions at metal surfaces amplify Raman signals, opening new possibilities in chemical sensing and diagnostics. Harris earned her doctorate in physical chemistry and held academic positions at several universities, mentoring young scientists and advocating for women in STEM. Her work continues to impact spectroscopy applications in fields from materials science to healthcare.

Clarita ‘Winnie’ Monsod earned her doctorate from Harvard University before joining the University of the Philippines as a professor of economics. She served as the Philippines’ Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the 1980s and has been a vocal advocate for transparency and social welfare. Monsod’s TV show ‘Off the Record’ made her a household name, where she dissected economic policies and championed good governance. Her blend of academic rigor and candid commentary has shaped public discourse in the Philippines.

Susan Blackmore (born July 29, 1951) is an English psychologist, writer, and lecturer known for her work on consciousness, paranormal phenomena, and memetics. After conducting research on extrasensory perception for her PhD, she became a prominent critic of parapsychology. Blackmore popularized the concept of memes in her influential book The Meme Machine, exploring how ideas evolve and spread. She has authored numerous publications on consciousness studies, meditation, and the science of self. As a researcher and speaker, Blackmore has challenged conventional views on mind and reality.