Born on September 10

Henry Purcell was an English composer and organist of the Baroque era. Considered one of the greatest British composers, he left his mark on the music of the Stuart court and composed the opera Dido and Aeneas.

Marie Laveau (c. 1801–1881) was the famous 'Voodoo Queen' of New Orleans. A free woman of color, she practiced Louisiana Voodoo, blending African and Caribbean traditions with Creole Catholicism. Her spiritual and social influence in Louisiana's Afro-Creole community remains legendary.

Marthe Gautier (1925-2022) was a French pediatrician and researcher. Her cell culture work was decisive in the 1958-1959 discovery of the chromosomal anomaly that causes Down syndrome. Long downplayed, her contribution reignited the debate over the recognition of women in science.