Born on This Day: February 26

English playwright and poet whose blank verse, tragic heroes, and dramatic ambition transformed Elizabethan theater.

French physicist and statesman whose work advanced optics, magnetism, astronomy, and scientific institutions.

French artist and caricaturist whose social and political imagery helped define modern visual satire.

German-American businessman whose durable denim clothing became a worldwide form of workwear and popular dress.

American scout and showman whose performances powerfully shaped public mythology of the American West.

American physician and health reformer whose institutional work and food innovations influenced nutrition and public health culture.

American folk artist whose late-life career broadened recognition of self-taught artists and rural American subjects.

American postal worker and publisher whose Green Book helped Black travelers navigate segregation and discrimination.