Born on February 27

Austrian philosopher and esotericist (1861–1925), founder of Anthroposophy. He developed a spiritual vision of the world based on inner knowledge, and created Waldorf education as well as biodynamic agriculture.

An African-American contralto (1897–1993), Marian Anderson was one of the greatest operatic voices of her era. In 1939, barred from Constitution Hall because of her race, she sang before 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. In 1955, she became the first African-American woman to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

French aviator born in 1898, Maryse Bastié set numerous world records in the 1930s, including a solo crossing of the South Atlantic in 1936. A pioneer of feminism through action, she also served Free France during the Second World War.

American novelist born in 1902 in California, a major figure of 20th-century social literature. He depicted the outcasts of the Great Depression and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962.

American Orthodox rabbi and philosopher of Lithuanian origin, a major figure of modern Jewish Orthodoxy in the 20th century. A theorist of the encounter between traditional Talmudic study and Western philosophical thought, he trained generations of rabbis in the United States.

Paul Ricœur (1913-2005) was a major French philosopher of the 20th century. A leading figure of phenomenology and hermeneutics, he developed a vast body of thought on narrative, memory, identity and justice.

Dexter Gordon (1923-1990) was an African American jazz tenor saxophonist and a major figure of bebop. A pioneer of his instrument in this style, he enjoyed a long career between the United States and Europe, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987.

Israeli general and statesman, a major military figure in the Arab-Israeli wars. Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006, he ordered the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 before being struck by a stroke that left him in a coma.

Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011) was a British-American actress widely regarded as one of Hollywood's greatest stars. A child prodigy who rose to fame early, she excelled in major roles of classic cinema and became a global symbol of glamour and the Hollywood star system. She was also a pioneering activist in the fight against AIDS from the 1980s onward.

Ralph Nader is an American lawyer and activist born in 1934, a pioneer of consumer advocacy. His fight for automobile safety transformed industrial regulation in the United States. He also ran for president several times.

Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess player born in 1994, considered the best female player of her generation. Having become an international grandmaster at 14, she won the Women's World Championship title several times, becoming the youngest world chess champion in history.