Born on July 7

King of England and Ireland from 1509 to 1547, Henry VIII is famous for breaking with the Catholic Church and founding the Church of England in order to annul his marriage. He married six wives and had two of them executed, leaving a lasting mark on England's political and religious history.

French inventor born in Lyon in 1752, Jacquard developed in 1801 an automated loom using punched cards to control patterns. His invention revolutionized the textile industry and foreshadowed the concept of computer programming.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was an Austrian composer and conductor, a major figure of post-Romanticism. His vast symphonies and song cycles bridge the Romantic tradition of the 19th century and the musical modernism of the 20th century.

Vittorio De Sica (1901-1974) was an Italian director, screenwriter, and actor, a major figure of neorealism. His film *Bicycle Thieves* (1948) is regarded as a masterpiece of world cinema.