Born on October 25

Zhu Xi (1130–1200) was the greatest Confucian philosopher of medieval China and the founder of Neo-Confucianism. A scholar of the Song dynasty, he synthesized the thought of Confucius and Mencius with metaphysical elements. His work became the official reference for imperial examinations for seven centuries.

Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar (1542-1605) was the third and greatest Mughal emperor of India. He unified the Indian subcontinent under his rule and championed a policy of religious tolerance remarkable for his time.

French mathematician (1811–1832), a precocious genius who died in a duel at the age of 20. He founded group theory and proved the impossibility of solving by radicals equations of degree higher than 4.

French chemist (1827–1907), founder of thermochemistry and organic synthesis chemistry. He was also a republican politician, serving as Minister of Public Education and then Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A French composer of the 19th century (1838–1875), Georges Bizet is best known for his opera Carmen, a masterpiece of lyric music. Despite a relatively short career, he revolutionized French opera by incorporating bold dramatic elements and daring orchestration.

Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker (1881-1973), Pablo Picasso was the co-founder of Cubism and one of the most influential figures in modern art. His work revolutionized artistic representation in the 20th century through radical formal innovations and political engagement, particularly against war.

Karl Polanyi (1886-1964) was an Austro-Hungarian economist and economic anthropologist. A critic of economic liberalism, he analyzed the rise of the market economy and its grip on society in his major work, *The Great Transformation* (1944).

A pioneering French director of the silent film era, Abel Gance is celebrated for his epic film *Napoléon* (1927), which revolutionized cinema through his invention of Polyvision (triple screen). He helped elevate cinema to the status of a true art form.

Nigerian educator and activist (1900–1978), she led the Abeokuta women's movement against British colonial taxation. A pioneer of women's suffrage in Nigeria, she was the first woman to drive a car in her country and the mother of musician Fela Kuti.

Niece of General de Gaulle, French resistance fighter deported to Ravensbrück (1944–1945). After the war, she committed herself to ATD Fourth World and led the organization from 1964 to 1998, dedicating her life to the fight against extreme poverty.

Soni Razdan is an Indian actress born in 1958, known for her roles in Hindi cinema and Indian television series. She is also the mother of actress Alia Bhatt.

French-American economist born in 1972, a specialist in development economics. She reshaped the fight against poverty by relying on rigorous field experiments. In 2019, she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Katy Perry is an American singer-songwriter born in 1984 in Santa Barbara. She rose to prominence in the 2000s–2010s as one of the best-selling pop artists in the world, with global hits such as 'Roar' and 'Firework'.