Born on This Day: November 22

English novelist whose psychological realism transformed the modern novel.

French writer whose fiction and journals explored morality, freedom, and identity.

French general and president whose leadership shaped resistance, postwar recovery, and the modern French state.

American songwriter whose compositions became enduring standards of popular music.

English composer whose operas and vocal works transformed twentieth-century music.

American comedian whose persona and timing influenced modern stand-up comedy.

American-British filmmaker and animator whose visual imagination influenced comedy and fantasy cinema.

American tennis champion whose advocacy transformed women’s sport and equal pay.