Born on November 19

An 18th-century Russian scholar — chemist, physicist, and astronomer. A pioneer of Russian science, he formulated a principle of conservation of matter and helped found Moscow University.

Queen of Jhansi (central India), she became one of the most iconic figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857–1858 against British rule. Refusing the annexation of her kingdom by the East India Company, she personally led the fighting and died on the battlefield at age 29.

American explorer and politician (1875–1956), he rediscovered the Inca site of Machu Picchu in 1911, perched in the Peruvian Andes. A professor at Yale, he helped bring this lost city to the attention of the entire world.

Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) was the first female Prime Minister of India, serving from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1984. The daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, she left a lasting mark on history through her nationalization policies, her leadership during the 1971 war, and her authoritarian rule during the state of emergency. She was assassinated by her own bodyguards in 1984.

An American astronaut and military pilot, Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and then command an American Space Shuttle. She completed four missions with NASA between 1995 and 2005.