Born on This Day: February 15

Italian astronomer and physicist whose observations and experiments helped establish modern science and transformed understanding of the cosmos.

English philosopher and reformer whose utilitarianism influenced law, ethics, government, and social policy.

American inventor and industrialist whose mechanical reaper transformed agriculture and farm productivity.

American reformer whose decades of organizing were central to the movement for women’s voting rights.

American statesman and jurist whose reforms and diplomacy strengthened public administration and international law.

British mathematician and philosopher whose work influenced logic, education, metaphysics, and process philosophy.

Anglo-Irish explorer whose Antarctic expeditions became enduring studies in exploration, leadership, and survival.

American composer whose songs, including music for The Wizard of Oz, became standards of popular and theatrical music.