Born on January 11

The last queen of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra VII ruled from 51 to 30 BC. A woman of power and learning, she allied herself with Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony in an effort to preserve her kingdom's independence against Rome.

French statesman, a figure of the radical left and of moral rigor in politics. President of the Council in 1954-1955, he ended the Indochina War and set Tunisia on the path to autonomy.

Eva Hesse (1936-1970) was a German-born American sculptor and a major figure of post-minimalism. She revolutionized sculpture by using soft industrial materials such as latex and fiberglass, creating organic and repetitive forms of great emotional power.