Born on August 24

Bartolina Sisa is a heroic figure of the Aymara people and wife of Túpac Katari. Around 1781–1782, she co-led the siege of La Paz against Spanish colonial forces. Captured, she was executed by the Spanish in 1782 and is today revered as a symbol of indigenous resistance in Bolivia.

Argentine writer

American mathematician born in 1942, pioneer of geometric analysis and gauge theory. First woman to receive the Abel Prize in 2019, the highest distinction in mathematics. Her work has profoundly influenced theoretical physics and modern geometry.

A transgender African American activist, Marsha P. Johnson was one of the iconic figures of the Stonewall uprising in 1969. Co-founder of STAR, she spent her entire life fighting for the rights of LGBT+ people and the homeless.

Yan Lianke is a contemporary Chinese novelist born in 1958 in Henan province. A leading figure of social satire, he is known for his critical works—often censored in China—that blend raw realism with grotesque absurdity.

American director, producer, and screenwriter, Ava DuVernay has established herself as a major voice in socially engaged cinema. With Selma (2014) and the documentary 13th (2016), she explores the struggle for civil rights and racial inequality in the United States.