Born on This Day: February 2

French diplomat whose adaptability and negotiation helped shape European settlements from the Revolution through the Congress of Vienna.

British physician and writer whose studies helped establish the modern scientific discussion of human sexuality.

Irish novelist whose experimental language and narrative techniques transformed modern literature.

American football player, coach, and owner whose leadership helped establish and professionalize the National Football League.

Russian-American novelist and philosopher whose fiction and theory of Objectivism had a lasting influence on political and economic debate.

American actor and singer whose distinctive performances influenced Broadway, cabaret, television, and later generations of performers.

French president whose domestic reforms and support for European integration influenced modern France and the European project.

American saxophonist whose lyrical playing and bossa nova recordings expanded jazz’s international audience.