Born on February 20

Wu Zetian (624–705) is the only woman ever to have ruled as reigning empress of China. A concubine of Emperor Taizong and later wife of Emperor Gaozong, she gradually seized power before founding her own Zhou dynasty in 690. An ambitious reformer, she modernized the imperial administration and championed merit-based examinations.

An 18th-century French writer and philosopher, Voltaire is a major figure of the Enlightenment. Through his works, most notably Candide, he championed tolerance, freedom of expression, and criticism of religious intolerance.

Austrian physicist (1844–1906), founder of statistical mechanics. He demonstrated that the laws of thermodynamics arise from the statistical behavior of atoms, laying the foundations of modern physics.

Marie Marvingt (1875-1963) was a French athlete, aviator, and journalist nicknamed “the fiancée of danger.” A pioneer of aviation and mountaineering, she conceived the idea of the air ambulance and was one of the most decorated women in the history of France.

Henri de Lubac (1896-1991) was a French Jesuit and Catholic theologian, a major figure in the 20th-century theological renewal. A leading voice of the “new theology,” he profoundly influenced the Second Vatican Council and was made a cardinal in 1983 by John Paul II.

Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) was an American musician, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the band Nirvana. A major figure of the grunge movement, he became one of the icons of the 1990s alternative rock scene before his untimely death at the age of 27.

Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman born in 1988. She rose to international fame in the 2000s and became one of the best-selling music artists in history. She is also the founder of the Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty brands.