Born on This Day: August 2

Irish physicist whose research on heat, gases, and atmospheric absorption advanced climate science and experimental physics.

French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty, an enduring international symbol of freedom and migration.

American inventor whose work in telegraphy and telephony advanced electrical communication.

American actor whose sophisticated comic performances influenced classical Hollywood cinema.

American actor whose television work reshaped the situation comedy and public discussion of social conflict.

American writer whose essays and fiction transformed discussions of race, sexuality, identity, and democracy.

Irish-British actor whose stage and screen performances became landmarks of modern acting.

Chilean-American novelist whose historical and magical-realist fiction has influenced contemporary world literature.