Born on This Day: May 14

Polish-German physicist whose thermometers and temperature scale advanced reliable scientific measurement.

English painter whose portraits and landscapes became defining achievements of eighteenth-century British art.

Welsh industrialist and social reformer whose experiments influenced labor reform, education, and cooperative movements.

American filmmaker whose storytelling, visual-effects companies, and sound technologies transformed modern cinema.

Scottish-American musician and artist whose work with Talking Heads and across media influenced modern popular culture.

American director whose integration of storytelling and visual effects influenced contemporary filmmaking.

Australian actor whose stage and screen performances have influenced contemporary dramatic acting.

American technology entrepreneur whose social-media platforms transformed communication, advertising, and public life.