Born on June 6

Florentine poet of the 13th–14th century, author of *The Divine Comedy*, a masterpiece of medieval literature. Exiled from Florence for political reasons, he laid the foundations of the Italian literary language.

Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) was the greatest Spanish painter of the Golden Age. As official painter to King Philip IV, he revolutionized painting through his mastery of light and realism. His masterpiece, Las Meninas, remains one of the most analyzed works in the history of art.

French playwright and poet (1606–1684), founder of French classical tragedy. Author of Le Cid, a landmark work of French theater that left a lasting mark on literary history. He dominated the Parisian stage in the 17th century with his tragedies and comedies.

African American abolitionist and suffragist activist of the nineteenth century. She traveled across Europe to raise public awareness of the anti-slavery cause, and settled in Italy where she became a physician.

A British Royal Navy officer, Robert Falcon Scott led two expeditions to Antarctica. During his second expedition (1910–1913), he reached the South Pole in January 1912, only to discover that Amundsen had beaten him by a month. Scott and his four companions perished on the return journey.

Thomas Mann (1875-1955) was a German novelist and essayist, a major figure of twentieth-century European literature. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929, he was forced into exile after the Nazis came to power and became a great voice of humanism in the face of totalitarianism.

Indonesian statesman and leader of the nationalist movement against Dutch colonization. He proclaimed Indonesia's independence in 1945 and became its first president. A major figure of the Third World and the Non-Aligned Movement.