an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1678.

the first Russian writer awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was noted for the strict artistry with which he carried on the classical Russian traditions in the writing of prose and poetry.

a German mathematician and one of the most influential mathematicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries

a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs.

a German poet and botanist, author of Peter Schlemihl, a famous story about a man who sold his shadow

an Italian politician, journalist, and activist for the unification of Italy and spearhead of the Italian revolutionary movement