February 10

Born in Bristol in 1824, Samuel Plimsoll embarked on a seafaring career before entering Parliament as a member of the Liberal Party. Disturbed by the high number of shipwrecks and loss of life at sea, he campaigned tirelessly for legislation to regulate ship loading. His efforts led to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876, which introduced the famous 'Plimsoll Line' marking the safe loading limit on vessels. Plimsoll served as a Member of Parliament for Derby and later for Bradford, using his platform to advocate for workers’ rights and social reform. He also wrote memoirs recounting his experiences at sea and in politics. Plimsoll’s work significantly improved safety standards for sailors and passengers, making maritime transport more humane. He died in 1898, remembered as a pioneering social reformer whose legacy extends across the shipping industry.

Walter A. Brown (1905–1964) was a pioneering sports executive born in Melrose, Massachusetts. He acquired the Boston Garden and founded the Boston Celtics basketball team in 1946. Brown played a crucial role in merging rival leagues to form the NBA and served as its first president. Under his leadership, the Celtics won six championships before his death. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to professional basketball. Brown's vision and business acumen helped transform basketball into a major American sport.

Robert A. Iger began his career at ABC in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become president of ABC Entertainment. He joined Disney in 1996 and was named CEO in 2005, steering the company toward global expansion and innovation. Under his leadership, Disney acquired Pixar (2006), Marvel Entertainment (2009), Lucasfilm (2012), and 21st Century Fox assets (2019). Iger oversaw the launch of the streaming service Disney+ in 2019, reshaping the company's digital strategy. He retired as CEO in 2020 and returned to the role in 2022, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential figures in entertainment.

Martha Lane Fox studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, before co-founding the travel and leisure website lastminute.com in 1998. The venture became a symbol of the dotcom boom, making her one of the UK’s most notable entrepreneurs. Created a life peer as Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho in 2013, she has served in the House of Lords, advising on digital and creative industries. Lane Fox was appointed the UK’s Digital Champion, promoting internet access and digital skills across the population. She has also held board positions at Twitter, the Royal Academy of Arts, and NGOs focused on education and technology.

Birgit Skarstein is a Norwegian Paralympic rower and cross-country skier born in Levanger. After a diving accident at age 18 left her paralyzed, she embraced adaptive sports and excelled at the international level. Skarstein won gold in the PR1 women’s single sculls at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and medaled at World Championships. She also competes in para cross-country skiing, earning multiple podium finishes in World Cup events. Beyond athletics, she founded a social enterprise to promote inclusion and adaptive training programs. As an advocate for disability rights, she serves on sports governance boards and inspires through public speaking.