Born on This Day: March 18

American president whose two nonconsecutive terms made him a significant figure in late nineteenth-century political reform and federal administration.

German engineer whose compression-ignition engine transformed transportation, industry, and power generation.

British prime minister whose policy of appeasement and leadership before World War II remain central to diplomatic history.

French-American composer whose experiments with sound, rhythm, and electronic media influenced modern music.

English poet whose unflinching accounts of World War I transformed modern war poetry.

English actor whose naturalistic performances became landmarks of British stage and screen acting.

American novelist and critic whose work chronicled middle-class life, faith, desire, and social change.

French filmmaker whose visual style and production work influenced action cinema and the international film industry.