September 25

Born in 1527, he studied theology at the University of Wittenberg under Philipp Melanchthon. He emerged as a leading Gnesio-Lutheran, advocating strict adherence to Luther's teachings. He served as pastor and theology professor in several Saxon cities, engaging in fierce doctrinal disputes. He authored influential treatises on justification, church discipline, and liturgy. His polemical style and academic career had a lasting impact on Lutheran orthodoxy. His students carried forward his theological perspectives well into the 17th century.

Born in 1525, he studied medicine and mathematics at the University of Wittenberg. A protégé of Philipp Melanchthon, he became a professor of medicine and astronomy. He contributed to astronomical tables, calendar reform, and medical practice in Protestant Europe. He also played a role in university and civic reforms, serving in academic leadership positions. His blending of scientific inquiry with Protestant humanism influenced early modern scholarship. Despite political and religious controversies, his writings remained influential after his death in 1602.

Born in 1728 in Mulhouse, Lambert overcame early financial hardship to pursue scientific studies. He made groundbreaking contributions to mathematics, proving the irrationality of π and developing hyperbolic functions. His 1758 work Photometria laid the foundations of photometry and influenced optical science. Lambert also proposed one of the earliest systems for map projections and contributed to celestial mechanics. Elected to the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, he corresponded with leading Enlightenment thinkers. He spent his later years in Berlin, where he continued research despite failing health. He died on September 25, 1777, remembered as a leading figure of the Swiss Enlightenment.

Hans Eppinger was born in 1879 in Prague and pursued medical studies at the University of Vienna. He became a professor of medicine at the University of Graz, specializing in liver physiology and disease. Eppinger authored influential textbooks and published extensive research on hepatic function. He described what became known as the Eppinger-Weiss syndrome, advancing clinical diagnosis. During World War II, his involvement in human experiments has cast a shadow over his scientific achievements. Eppinger died by suicide in 1946, leaving behind a complex legacy. His work still informs modern hepatology despite the ethical controversies.

John B. Watson was born in 1878 in South Carolina and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. As a professor at Johns Hopkins University, he published his groundbreaking work Behaviorism in 1913, arguing that psychology should focus on observable behavior rather than introspection. Watson conducted the famous Little Albert experiment to demonstrate conditioned emotional responses. He later applied his theories to advertising, helping to establish modern marketing techniques. His emphasis on environmental influences over heredity shaped mid-20th-century psychology. Watson’s career spanned academic research and commercial consulting, reflecting his belief in applied science. He died in 1958, remembered as a pivotal figure in psychology’s history.

Born in 1891, Hans Friedrich Karl Günther was a professor and leading proponent of eugenics and racial hygiene in Germany. Through works such as 'Race Lore of German People,' he popularized ideas of Aryan superiority and anti-Semitic ideology. His theories were embraced by the Nazi regime and helped shape its racial policies and propaganda. Günther taught at several universities and served in the Waffen-SS during World War II. After the war, he faced denazification but continued to write on racial theory until his death in 1968. His work remains a notorious example of pseudoscience used for political ends.

Born in 1896, Nikolay Semenov was a pioneering Soviet chemist who made groundbreaking contributions to the study of chemical kinetics and reaction mechanisms. His research on the mechanism of oxidation reactions and chain reactions earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1956, which he shared with Sir Cyril Hinshelwood. Semyonov’s work laid the foundation for modern theories of reaction chains and explosive processes. He held professorships at leading Soviet institutions and mentored generations of scientists. In addition to his Nobel-recognized studies, he published extensively on physical chemistry and contributed to military research during World War II. Semyonov’s legacy endures in the continued relevance of his kinetic theory models in both industrial and academic contexts.

Hans Vogt was a Norwegian linguist born in 1909 who specialized in the study of Uralic and Altaic language families. He served as a professor at the University of Oslo, where he conducted extensive fieldwork and comparative research on Finnish, Estonian, and Mongolic dialects. Vogt published numerous papers on phonology, grammar, and historical linguistics, advancing the understanding of language development in Northern Eurasia. He played a key role in establishing linguistic archives and promoting collaboration among Scandinavian scholars. His scholarly contributions influenced subsequent generations of linguists and helped preserve endangered languages through meticulous documentation. Vogt’s work is still cited in contemporary studies of Uralic linguistics.

Arthur Võõbus was an Estonian-American orientalist born in 1909 renowned for his research on Syriac and other Semitic manuscripts. After fleeing Europe during World War II, he settled in the United States and taught theology and Near Eastern studies. Võõbus led expeditions to the Middle East to uncover ancient Christian manuscripts, significantly expanding the corpus of known Syriac texts. He published extensively on Gnostic writings and early church history, contributing to the fields of patristics and manuscript studies. Võõbus held professorships at St. Andrews University and Harvard Divinity School, influencing a generation of scholars. His meticulous scholarship and fieldwork helped preserve invaluable documents of early Christianity until his death in 1988.

Franco Modigliani was born in 1918 in Rome, Italy. He fled fascist Italy to continue his studies in the United States and eventually became a professor at MIT. In 1954, he developed the life-cycle hypothesis, transforming how economists understand personal saving behavior over a lifetime. Modigliani was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1985 for his analyses of household consumption and financial markets. His work laid the groundwork for modern macroeconomic and financial theory, influencing both academic research and public policy. He remained active in research and teaching until his passing in 2003.

Urie Bronfenbrenner was born in 1917 in Moscow, Russia, and emigrated to the United States as a child. He became a professor at Cornell University, where he studied how environmental systems influence child development. In 1979, he introduced the ecological systems theory, outlining microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, and macrosystems. His work revolutionized developmental psychology by emphasizing the interconnectedness of family, community, and culture. Bronfenbrenner founded the Head Start Impact Study, shaping early childhood education policy in the United States. He continued research and advocacy until his death in 2005, leaving a transformative legacy in psychology.

Ghulam Mustafa Khan was born in 1912 in British India (now Pakistan). He served as a professor of Urdu language and literature at major universities, mentoring generations of scholars. Khan authored numerous books and articles on linguistics, poetics, and literary criticism in Urdu. He was honored with national awards for his research, including the Presidential Pride of Performance. Khan's work preserved classical texts and advanced the study of South Asian languages and literature. He remained an influential voice in academic circles until his passing in 2005.