Born on December 11

German composer and choral conductor (1758–1832), director of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin and teacher of Felix Mendelssohn. A close friend of Goethe, he contributed to the revival of Bach's music in Germany.

French composer and music critic

French writer and playwright (1810-1857), a major figure of Romanticism. Author of comedies and lyrical dramas, he is best known for his play "No Trifling with Love" and for his turbulent relationship with George Sand.

German physician and microbiologist (1843–1910), pioneer of modern bacteriology. He identified the agents responsible for tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax, revolutionizing the understanding of infectious diseases.

A pioneering American astronomer, Annie Jump Cannon revolutionized astronomy by classifying the spectra of more than 350,000 stars. Her spectral classification system (OBAFGKM) is still in use today.

Toshiko Yuasa (1909-1980) was the first female Japanese physicist. A specialist in radioactivity and nuclear physics, she spent the bulk of her career in France, at the CNRS, following in the footsteps of the Joliot-Curies' work.

Egyptian writer, the first Arabic-language author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1988. A master of the realist novel, he portrayed the everyday life of Cairo through a vast body of work.

American jazz pianist, one of the most influential of the post-war era. A member of John Coltrane's historic quartet, he developed a recognizable piano style built on quartal chords and a powerful left-hand technique.