Born on January 16

French memoirist and duke at the court of Louis XIV. His Memoirs, written in secret, offer a striking and incisive portrait of life at Versailles and the intrigues of the nobility under Louis XIV and the Regency.

Susan Sontag (1933-2004) was a major American intellectual of the 20th century — essayist, novelist, and activist. Known for her reflections on photography, illness, and war, she profoundly shaped contemporary critical thought.

American singer and actress (1979–2001), nicknamed the "Princess of R&B." A revelation at 15 with her debut album, she profoundly influenced pop and R&B music of the 1990s–2000s before dying tragically in a plane crash.