Hadrian (January 24, 75 – July 10, 138) was a Roman emperor from 117 to 138. His father was a senator of praetorian rank, as were many of his forefathers. His parents died when he was ten and he became a ward of Trajan, his father’s cousin and also an emperor of Rome (99 – 117). The succession was messy due to irregularities in the paperwork, but eventually Hadrian took the seat of power and soon after four of the senators who most vociferously opposed it, were found dead. This would cast a cloud over his rule for its entirety.

Édouard Manet (January 23, 1832 – April 30, 1883) was a French painter. He was one of the first 19^th century artists to portray modern life and was a key player in the transition from Realism to Impressionism styles of painting. He was born into an upper class family and instead of following the expected path for his life, gave the world his gifts of seeing the world through his brilliant artwork. The associated painting is entitled The Croquet Game.

Graham Kerr (January 22, 1934) is a British cook best known for his televised cooking show, The Galloping Gourmet. His Scottish parents were established London hoteliers and Kerr was raised around many great European chefs. He became a trainee manager of the Roebuck Hotel in East Sussex when he was just 15, he served in the British Army as a catering advisor, and then became a general manager of the Royal Astor Hotel. He has stated that all his jobs have centered around food.

John Batman (January 21, 1801 – May 6, 1839) was an Australian rancher, entrepreneur, and explorer. He settled in Van Diemen’s Land Colony in the 1820s and then led an expedition into the Port Phillip Bay area where he noted, it would be a great place to found a village. He did. Today, it is known as Melbourne, Australia. He had seven daughters and one son before his wife left him. He was then in the end stages of syphilis, dying of the disease at the age of 38.

André-Marie Ampère (January 20, 1775 – June 10, 1836) was a French physicist and mathematician. He was one of the founders of classical electromagnetism – something he called “electrodynamics”. He was more a theoretician, but actually invented the solenoid and the electrical telegraph. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and a professor at the École Polytechnique and the Collège de France. The SI unit of measurement of electric current is named for him.

James Watt (January 19, 1736 – August 25, 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist. He improved Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine to such a degree that Watt is considered to be fundamental to the Industrial Revolution. His first engines were used in pumping water and even though they were successful, he spent the remainder of his life making improvements and helped to power the world.

Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American administrator and politician. He served as mayor of Brooklyn, President of Columbia University, and the 92^nd mayor of New York City from January 1, 1902 to December 31, 1903. His administrative skill led to his becoming President of Columbia College in 1890, a position he held until 1901. Under his care, the institution transformed. He used those same skills as mayor of New York City and made many changes in the police department and educational system all while lowering taxes.

Maurice Richard “Maury” Povich (January 17, 1939) is an American television personality. He is best known for his eponymous tabloid talk show. His talk show career began in radio in 1967 when he hosted Panorama in Washington, D. C. He left DC to move first to Chicago and then to Los Angeles where he co-hosted a news program with Connie Chung who would later become his second wife in 1984. His big television break came when he was offered the hosting position for A Current Affair at the then new Fox Television Stations.

Anthony Joseph Foyt (January 16, 1935) is a retired American race car driver. He raced several different types of cars including sprint cars and midget cars. He also drove in NASCAR and USAC races and won several major sports car racing events. He holds 159 career wins, a record in the USAC. He won the Indianapolis 500 four times as well as taking wins in the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the International Race of Champions.

Photo by NaBUru38 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59562238

 

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (January 15, 1622 – February 17, 1673) was a French playwright, actor, and poet and is better known by his stage name, Moliére. He is often regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language. His plays have been translated into every major living language. He suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis and had an attack on stage while playing a hypochondriac. He recovered enough to finish the play but died several hours later due to the hemorrhaging caused by his coughing fit on stage.