August 14

Johann Jakob Reiske (1716–1774) was a pioneering German physician and scholar whose work laid the groundwork for modern Oriental studies. He specialized in philology, producing critical editions and translations of Arabic, Greek, and Coptic manuscripts. Educated at the University of Leipzig, he applied medical training to his linguistic research, enriching both fields. Reiske faced financial struggles and limited academic support but persevered, corresponding with leading scholars across Europe. His rigorous editorial standards and deep knowledge of Eastern languages influenced subsequent generations. Today, he is remembered for establishing comparative approaches that shaped the study of ancient and medieval texts.

André Marie Constant Duméril (1774–1860) was a leading French zoologist and entomologist who served as professor of herpetology and ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. He authored the monumental 'Zoologie Analytique' and collaborated with Gabriel Bibron on a multi-volume review of reptiles. His meticulous classification of amphibians, reptiles, and insects laid important taxonomic foundations that are still referenced today. A student of Georges Cuvier, Duméril advanced comparative anatomy and contributed to the development of museum collections. He mentored a generation of naturalists and helped formalize zoological nomenclature in the 19th century. His enduring legacy includes numerous species named in his honor.

William Stanley (1829–1909) was a British engineer, inventor, and author who revolutionized technical drawing through his creation of precision instruments. He founded the St. Albans-based Stanley Rule and Level Company, producing high-quality dividers, compasses, and squares adopted by engineers and architects worldwide. His designs combined accuracy with durability, setting industry standards that persist today. Stanley also authored manuals on practical engineering and drafting techniques, disseminating knowledge to students and professionals. He promoted technical education and served as a civic leader in Hertfordshire, supporting local industry. His entrepreneurial spirit and engineering expertise left an enduring legacy in both manufacturing and education.

Born in Carcassonne in 1854, Paul Sabatier became a professor of chemistry at the University of Toulouse and later at the Sorbonne. He pioneered catalytic research, discovering that metals like nickel could accelerate the hydrogenation of organic compounds—the eponymous Sabatier process. His work laid foundations for modern industrial chemistry and sustainable processes. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1912, Sabatier’s discoveries remain central to chemical engineering. He mentored a generation of chemists before his death on August 14, 1941.

Born in 1900 to a scientific family, he married fellow scientist Irène Curie. Together, they discovered artificial radioactivity in 1934, a breakthrough in nuclear chemistry. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 for this discovery. He held a professorship at the Collège de France and directed the Radium Institute. After World War II, he helped establish France’s atomic energy program. An advocate for peace, he was active in political and social causes until his death in 1958.

Michael Aung-Thwin was born in 1946 and developed an early interest in Southeast Asian cultures. He earned his Ph.D. in history and joined the faculty at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he taught Burmese and Southeast Asian history. Aung-Thwin's seminal work, Pagan: The Origins of Modern Burma, challenged established narratives and became a cornerstone in the field. He published extensively on topics such as the spread of Buddhism, regional trade networks, and colonial encounters in Myanmar. His scholarship combined meticulous archival research with interdisciplinary methods, earning him international recognition. A gifted mentor, he trained a generation of scholars and significantly advanced the study of Burmese history.