Born on This Day: January 11

Roman emperor whose policies strengthened imperial government and made Nicene Christianity central to the late Roman state.

Chinese religious teacher who founded the Quanzhen school of Taoism, one of the tradition’s most enduring organized movements.

Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker whose elegant distortions and experimental style influenced European art.

Danish anatomist and geologist whose principles of stratigraphy helped establish the scientific study of Earth’s history.

American entrepreneur and philanthropist who co-founded Cornell University and helped expand telegraph communication.

American philosopher and psychologist whose work shaped pragmatism, psychology, and modern studies of religious experience.

American suffragist whose organizing helped secure women’s voting rights and advance the Equal Rights Amendment.

Swiss chemist whose discoveries transformed research into psychoactive compounds and their medical and scientific possibilities.