August 18

Born in Virginia, Lewis joined the militia during the Northwest Indian War and later served under George Rogers Clark. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected him to lead the Corps of Discovery expedition with William Clark. The journey mapped thousands of miles of uncharted territory, documented new species, and established relations with Native tribes. Lewis's meticulous journals provided valuable scientific, geographic, and ethnographic insights into the American West. After the expedition, he became governor of the Louisiana Territory, though his later years ended in tragedy.

Lavr Georgievich Kornilov was born in 1870 and rose through the ranks of the Imperial Russian Army. He distinguished himself in the Russo-Japanese War and commanded corps on the Eastern Front during World War I. In 1917, he led the controversial 'Kornilov Affair' aimed at restoring order in Petrograd. After the coup failed, he joined the White movement in the Russian Civil War. Kornilov traveled extensively in Central Asia and is remembered for his bold leadership and military prowess until his death in 1918.

Umberto Guidoni was born on August 18, 1954 in Rome, Italy. He earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics and was selected by the European Space Agency in 1992 to join the astronaut corps. Guidoni flew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-75 in 1996 and again on STS-100 in 2001, contributing to microgravity research and the International Space Station's Canadarm2 deployment. He logged over 450 hours in space and became a symbol of European participation in human spaceflight. In 2004, he transitioned to politics and was elected to the European Parliament for the Italian Democratic Party. During his tenure, he focused on science policy, sustainable development, and space exploration advocacy.