September 18

Born in 1651, he became a leading member of the French intellectual community. He produced critical editions of Horace, Athenaeus, and other Greek and Latin authors. He was elected to the Académie française in 1683 for his contributions to classical scholarship. He served as a royal censor and translated key historical works for the French court. He died in 1722, leaving a lasting influence on the study of classical literature.

Born in Basel in 1707, he studied under the Bernoulli family and excelled in mathematics. He joined the St. Petersburg Academy and later the Berlin Academy, producing prolific research. He introduced modern mathematical notation, including the concept of function and the Euler formula. His contributions spanned calculus, graph theory, mechanics, and optics, with over 800 papers. Despite becoming blind later in life, he continued to work and published influential treatises until his death in 1783.

Born in 1718, Kennicott served as a librarian at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, where he spent decades gathering and comparing Hebrew biblical manuscripts from across Europe. His landmark publication, "Vetus Testamentum Hebraicum cum variis lectionibus" (1776), provided scholars with the first comprehensive critical edition of the Old Testament text. Kennicott's meticulous approach to textual criticism set new standards in biblical studies and influenced generations of scholars. He also studied Samaritan Hebrew and published essays on Samaritan texts. His work laid the groundwork for modern biblical scholarship and remains a reference point in the field.

Born in 1805, Locke apprenticed under Marc Brunel before establishing his own engineering practice. He designed and oversaw the construction of landmark railway projects such as the Grand Junction Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, known for their efficient gradients and cost-effective structures. Locke's pragmatic approach to engineering combined scientific precision with practical experience, setting new standards in railway construction. He later served as a Member of Parliament, advocating for infrastructure development and technical education. Locke's work laid the foundation for the rapid expansion of rail transport during the Industrial Revolution.

Born in 1819, Fizeau conducted groundbreaking experiments on the speed of light, including the famous rotating toothed wheel apparatus in 1849. His work provided one of the first terrestrial measurements of light's velocity. Alongside Leon Foucault, he co-discovered the Doppler-Fizeau effect in optics and contributed to the development of interferometry. Fizeau also studied the thermal properties of light and electromagnetic phenomena, publishing extensively in scientific journals. As a professor and member of the French Academy of Sciences, he influenced a generation of physicists. His innovations laid important foundations for modern optical physics.

Born in Ghindăoani, Romania in 1850, Grigore Tocilescu became a leading figure in the study of Dacian culture. He conducted excavations and published seminal works on ancient fortresses and inscriptions. As a professor at the University of Bucharest, he taught archaeology and ancient history. Tocilescu co-founded the Romanian School of Archaeology and served in the Romanian Academy. His detailed maps and catalogs of sites laid the groundwork for modern Romanian archaeological methodology. He passed away in 1909, leaving an enduring impact on the understanding of Romania's ancient past.

Born in 1897 in Todmorden, England, Cockcroft studied physics at the University of Manchester under Ernest Rutherford. In 1932 he and physicist Ernest Walton achieved the first artificial splitting of the atomic nucleus, earning them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1951. This breakthrough was made using the Cockcroft-Walton accelerator, which Cockcroft helped design. During World War II he contributed to British radar and atomic research. After the war he served as director general of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and later as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was knighted in recognition of his contributions to nuclear physics and education.

Paul Bernays was born in 1888 in London and later established his career in Switzerland, where he became a key figure in the development of modern logic. He collaborated closely with David Hilbert on the landmark two-volume work 'Grundlagen der Mathematik,' which set rigorous axiomatic foundations for mathematics. Bernays contributed to the formal theory of sets, introducing important concepts in ordinal arithmetic and transfinite induction. His work bridged technical mathematics and philosophical inquiry, reflecting his dual interests in logic and the philosophy of mathematics. Bernays taught at the University of Zurich and influenced generations of mathematicians and philosophers. He remained active in research and writing until his death in 1977, leaving a profound legacy in mathematical logic.

Robert 'Bob' Mitchell (October 10, 1927 – September 18, 2003) began his career as a schoolteacher before entering politics with the Labour Party. Elected MP for Southampton Test in a 1971 by-election, he represented the constituency until boundary changes in 1974. Mitchell then served as MP for Southampton Itchen until 1979, focusing on education and local industry. Known for his commitment to public service and community engagement, he returned to educational work after leaving Parliament. His contributions bridged the fields of teaching and governance during a dynamic period in British politics.

Norman F. Cantor (January 16, 1929 – September 18, 2004) was a prominent medievalist whose engaging writing brought the Middle Ages to general readers. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania, he held academic positions at several institutions, including the City University of New York. Cantor authored best-selling works such as 'The Civilization of the Middle Ages' and 'Inventing the Middle Ages.' He also appeared on radio and television, promoting historical literacy. His scholarship combined rigorous research with clear prose, influencing both academia and public understanding of medieval history.

Born in 1928, Uzawa studied at the University of Tokyo before earning his doctorate under Paul Samuelson at MIT. He made seminal contributions to economic growth theory, social welfare economics, and the mathematics of general equilibrium. Uzawa held professorships at leading institutions including the University of Chicago and Stanford University. He served as president of the Econometric Society and published influential texts that remain core reading in graduate economics. His research legacy continues to influence economists and policymakers worldwide.

James R. Houck was a leading American astrophysicist who specialized in infrared astronomy and instrumentation. As a professor at Cornell University, he played a crucial role in designing and building the Multiband Imaging Photometer for the Spitzer Space Telescope. His groundbreaking instruments enabled astronomers to explore dusty regions of star formation and the early universe at infrared wavelengths. Houck authored over 200 scientific papers and received numerous accolades, including NASA's Exceptional Service Medal. He was also a dedicated mentor, guiding a generation of young researchers in the field. His work laid the foundation for many discoveries about the formation of stars, galaxies, and planetary systems.