Born on January 22

Hadrian was Roman emperor from 117 to 138 AD, successor to Trajan. A reformer and builder, he consolidated the Empire's borders and traveled to nearly all its provinces. A passionate admirer of Greek culture, he oversaw the construction of the Pantheon in Rome and Hadrian's Wall in Britannia.

Lord Byron (1788-1824) was the most celebrated British poet of the Romantic era. A scandalous and politically engaged figure, he embodied the "Byronic hero": brooding, rebellious, and passionate. He died in Greece while fighting for Greek independence.

Paul Vidal de La Blache (1845-1918) was a French geographer regarded as the founder of the French school of geography. He developed the concept of the “genre de vie” (way of life) and the notion of possibilism, establishing a human geography attentive to the relationships between societies and their environment.

Swedish writer, playwright and painter (1849-1912), a major figure of Scandinavian literature. A pioneer of naturalism and later a forerunner of expressionism and modern theatre, he profoundly renewed European dramatic art.

American dancer (1862–1928), pioneer of modern dance and stage lighting design. Her serpentine dance with silk veils lit by colored electric lights made her famous at the Folies Bergère in Paris from 1892 onward, turning her into an icon of the Belle Époque and Art Nouveau.

D. W. Griffith (1875-1948) was an American director regarded as one of the fathers of narrative film language. He popularized editing, the close-up, and cross-cutting, but remains a controversial figure because of the racism of his film “The Birth of a Nation” (1915).

George Balanchine (1904-1983) was a Georgian-born dancer and choreographer, trained in Saint Petersburg before emigrating to the United States. A co-founder of the New York City Ballet, he is considered the father of American neoclassical ballet.

Austrian social-democratic statesman, Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1970 to 1983. A major figure of European social democracy, he profoundly modernized Austrian society and played an active role on the international stage, particularly in the Middle East.

Sam Cooke (1931-1964) was an American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, considered one of the founding fathers of soul music. Coming from gospel, he managed to unite spirituality and popular music and became a figure in the fight for civil rights.