Born on August 5

Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1499, nicknamed "il Moro" (the Moor), he was one of the most powerful princes in Renaissance Italy. A celebrated patron of the arts, he brought Leonardo da Vinci to his court and played a key role in the Italian Wars before being overthrown by Louis XII.

A Danish navigator and explorer in the service of Imperial Russia, Vitus Bering led two major expeditions to the Russian Far East. He explored the coasts of Siberia and Alaska, and gave his name to the strait separating Asia from America.

French writer and journalist (1850-1893), Maupassant is one of the masters of the realist short story of the 19th century. A student of Flaubert, he wrote hundreds of tales and short stories characterized by their spare style and critical view of society.

American astronaut (1930-2012), Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, he marked a major turning point in space exploration and the Cold War.