Born on This Day: February 11

American inventor and industrial researcher whose work on electric light, sound recording, and organized invention transformed modern life.

American scholar and educator whose writing became foundational to Black feminist thought and educational advocacy.

American nurse and reformer who founded public-health nursing and the Henry Street Settlement.

Hungarian-American physicist whose ideas contributed to nuclear chain reactions and whose advocacy shaped debates on atomic responsibility.

American screenwriter and director whose literate films influenced narrative cinema and character-driven drama.

American heavyweight champion whose career became part of the cultural history of boxing and mass entertainment.

American writer whose work across television, theater, film, and popular novels reached a vast international audience.

British fashion designer whose modern, youthful designs helped transform women’s clothing and 1960s culture.