Born on June 26

A Parisian salon hostess of the 18th century, she presided over one of the most influential salons of the Enlightenment, welcoming d'Alembert, Diderot, Fontenelle, and Montesquieu. A generous patron of the arts and a remarkable letter-writer, she played a central role in spreading Enlightenment ideas across Europe.

British physicist and mathematician of the 19th century, he made fundamental contributions to thermodynamics and electromagnetism. He is the originator of the absolute temperature scale that bears his name. He also oversaw the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.

Salvador Allende (1908-1973) was a Chilean statesman and trained physician. As the first democratically elected Marxist president in Latin America in 1970, he pursued a socialist agenda before being overthrown and dying during the military coup led by General Pinochet on 11 September 1973.

Martinican writer, poet and politician (1913-2008), founder of the Négritude movement. He served as mayor of Fort-de-France and deputy of Martinique, combining literary commitment with political action to defend the rights of colonized peoples.

Gilberto Gil is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and composer, a major figure of the Tropicália movement of the 1960s. Having become Brazil's Minister of Culture under President Lula (2003-2008), he embodies the link between artistic engagement and public service.

Ariana Grande is an American singer, songwriter, and actress born in 1993 in Florida. She rose to fame through the TV series Victorious before becoming one of the most influential pop artists of her generation. Her response to the 2017 Manchester bombing earned her international recognition.