Born on October 3

French general of the Corps of Engineers (1796–1855), director of the École polytechnique. He distinguished himself during the capture of Constantine (1837) and died at the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War.

Nicknamed “La Duse,” this Italian tragedienne (1858–1924) revolutionized dramatic art through a style of unprecedented inner truth, free of makeup and theatrical effects. Legendary rival of Sarah Bernhardt, she embodied the heroines of Ibsen and D’Annunzio on the greatest stages of Europe and America.

French poet and novelist (1897-1982), Louis Aragon is a major figure of committed poetry in the 20th century. A founding member of Surrealism alongside André Breton, he became one of the greatest poets of the French Resistance during the Second World War, blending lyricism with political engagement.

Steve Reich is an American composer born in 1936, a major figure of minimalist music. With his techniques of phasing and repetition, he profoundly renewed Western art music in the second half of the 20th century.