Born on This Day: July 9

American inventor whose sewing-machine innovations transformed clothing manufacture and domestic labor.

Italian composer whose colorful orchestration and works on Rome became enduring parts of the concert repertoire.

English author whose prolific romantic fiction influenced mass-market publishing and popular reading.

English writer and artist whose Gormenghast novels became influential works of fantasy literature.

British prime minister whose government led the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community.

British neurologist and writer whose humane case histories transformed public understanding of the brain and neurological difference.

English artist whose painting, photography, and digital work have had a major influence on contemporary visual culture.

American actor and filmmaker whose performances have become defining works of modern popular cinema.