Born on August 18

Sixth Fatimid caliph of Egypt (996–1021), Al-Hakim is a controversial figure known for his unpredictable decrees and uncompromising religious policies. He is venerated as a divine manifestation by the Druze religion, which emerged during his reign.

American army officer and explorer, Meriwether Lewis co-led with William Clark the 1804–1806 expedition commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore the American West all the way to the Pacific. This expedition, known as the Corps of Discovery, crossed the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and paved the way for the westward settlement of the continent.

Marcel Carné was a French filmmaker and a major figure of the "poetic realism" movement of the 1930s and 1940s. With the poet-screenwriter Jacques Prévert, he made films that became classics of French cinema, including Children of Paradise.

A major Italian novelist of the 20th century, Elsa Morante is known for her powerful works blending realism with a mythic dimension. Her novel *La Storia* (1974) paints a moving portrait of the Second World War through the eyes of ordinary people.

Roman Polanski is a Franco-Polish director, producer, and screenwriter born in 1933. A survivor of the Kraków Ghetto during the Holocaust, he became one of the leading figures of international cinema, moving between psychological thrillers and historical dramas.

Robert Redford was an American actor, director, and producer, a major figure in 1960s–1970s Hollywood cinema. In 1981 he founded the Sundance Film Festival, which became the world's leading showcase for independent film.