August 15

Born around 1575 on the island of Pag, Bartol Kašić joined the Jesuit order and devoted his life to education and language study. He wrote the earliest known grammar of Croatian, laying the foundation for the language's standardization. He also compiled dictionaries and translated religious texts to make them accessible to Slavic speakers. Kašić traveled extensively across Europe to support his scholarly work. He died in 1650, remembered as a pioneer of Slavic linguistics.

Born in Paris in 1613, Gilles Ménage trained in law and became an advocate at the Parlement of Paris. He developed a passion for classical languages and emerged as a leading philologist, publishing critical commentaries on Latin and Greek texts that influenced generations of scholars. Ménage hosted literary salons in Paris that brought together the era's most prominent thinkers, fostering intellectual debate. His meticulous research laid foundations for modern comparative linguistics and textual criticism. Throughout his life, he balanced legal practice with scholarly pursuits. He died in 1692, remembered as one of France's pioneering humanists.

John Metcalf, known as ‘Blind Jack,’ was born near Knaresborough, Yorkshire in 1717 and lost his sight as a child. Despite his blindness, he became a skilled guide and musician before embarking on a career in road construction. Metcalf engineered over 180 miles of turnpike roads across northern England, implementing innovative techniques for drainage and surfacing. His methodical surveys and use of local materials set new standards in civil engineering. He was respected by patrons and laborers alike for his determination and practical expertise. Metcalf continued to work well into his later years and died in 1810, celebrated as one of Britain's first great road builders.

Born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1863, Krylov graduated from the Naval Engineering Academy and swiftly gained recognition for his theoretical contributions. He developed the Krylov subspace methods still used in computational mathematics and authored the multi-volume "Ship Theory," a standard in naval architecture. His research on hydrodynamics and stability enhanced ship safety and efficiency, influencing warship design during World War I. As director of the Russian Naval Technical Committee, he guided advancements in marine instrumentation. Krylov’s inventions, including improvements to the gyrocompass, cemented his reputation. He died in 1945, leaving a lasting scientific legacy.

Born in 1873 in Madaripur, Chanda studied history at the University of Calcutta before embarking on extensive fieldwork. He conducted seminal excavations at Bangarh and Paharpur, uncovering artifacts that illuminated early Indian urban life. In 1912, he co-founded the Indian Historical Records Commission and published journals that promoted indigenous scholarship. His analytical approach blended archaeology, art history, and epigraphy, challenging colonial narratives. Chanda’s books, including "Glimpses of the Golden Renaissance in India," reshaped understanding of regional cultural heritage. He remained active in academic circles until his death in 1942.

Gisela M. A. Richter was born in 1882 in London and studied at Girton College, Cambridge. She joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as a curator of Greek and Roman art in 1925. Over her career, she authored pivotal works such as 'Handbook of the Classical Collection' and 'The Sculpture and Sculptors of Ancient Greece'. Richter lectured at New York University and influenced generations of students and scholars. Her meticulous scholarship and publications remain foundational in the study of classical art history.

Born in 1892, Louis de Broglie developed the groundbreaking theory of matter waves, laying a foundation for modern quantum mechanics. His doctoral thesis introduced the idea that particles can exhibit wave-like properties and launched a new era in physics. In 1929, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for this seminal work. He served as a professor at the University of Paris and contributed extensively to atomic theory and spectroscopy. De Broglie’s insights influenced generations of scientists and remain central to our understanding of quantum phenomena.

Leslie John Comrie was born in 1893 and became a leading figure in early computational astronomy. He introduced mechanical calculating machines to streamline the production of ephemerides and star catalogs. In 1934, he founded the Scientific Computing Service Ltd in London, the first private computing firm offering data-processing services. Comrie's innovations transformed how observatories and navigation services prepared their tables. He later held positions at the U.S. Naval Observatory and the Royal Greenwich Observatory. His work laid the groundwork for modern scientific computing before his death in 1950.

Gerty Cori was born in Prague in 1896 and went on to become the third woman and first American woman to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences. Collaborating with her husband Carl Cori, she elucidated the enzymatic cycle of glycogen metabolism, now known as the Cori cycle. Their groundbreaking research earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947. Cori held faculty positions at Washington University in St. Louis, where she mentored future generations of biochemists. She was also the first woman officer of the American Society of Biological Chemists. Her legacy endures as a pioneer for women in scientific research until her death in 1957.

Pyotr Sergeevich Novikov was a Soviet mathematician and theorist born in 1901. He studied at Moscow State University and later worked at the Steklov Institute of Mathematics. In 1955 he provided the first rigorous proof that the word problem for groups is undecidable, a landmark result in algebra and theoretical computer science. His research spanned topology, recursion theory, and differential equations, influencing generations of mathematicians. He received numerous honors and mentored students who continued groundbreaking work in mathematical logic.

George Klein was a Hungarian-born Canadian engineer and inventor born in 1904 who spent his career at the National Research Council of Canada. He led research groups that developed medical and rehabilitation devices, most notably his 1950 electric wheelchair that transformed mobility for people with disabilities. Klein's innovations also included medical diathermy machines, ventilators, and prosthetic devices. He served as president of the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers and received the Order of Canada for his contributions. His work has had a lasting impact on medical technology and patient care.

Born in Berlin in 1928, Carl Joachim Classen specialized in Greek philology and classical studies. He held professorships at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Illinois, producing seminal research on Homeric epics, Greek tragedy, and Hellenistic literature. Classen's publications, including critical editions and interpretive essays, shaped modern understanding of classical texts. He championed interdisciplinary approaches, bridging philology, literary theory, and cultural history. His teaching inspired generations of students in Europe and the United States. Recognized with numerous academic honors, he contributed extensively to international scholarly journals. Classen passed away in 2013, leaving behind a rich legacy in classical scholarship.