Louis Braille

popular name: Diana, Princess of Wales

date_of_death: August 31, 1997

age: 36

cause_of_death: Fatal chest injures from car crash

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales and was the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. She was international icon and earned her enduring popularity as well as unprecedented public scrutiny, exacerbated by her tumultuous private life. Her marriage to Prince Charles was unhappy and broken as he continued on an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. She used her popularity to promote charity work centered on children, but she later became known for her involvement with AIDS patients and campaign for the removal of landmines. She also raised awareness and advocated ways to help people affected with cancer and mental illness. Diana died from injures sustained in a car crash in Paris in 1997, while trying to escape paparazzi. This led to extensive public mourning and media attention worldwide.

popular name: Marquis de Vauban

date_of_death: March 30, 1707

age: 73

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Marquis de Vauban was a French military engineer who revolutionized the art of siege craft and defensive fortifications. He fought in all of France's wars of Louis XIV's reign (1643–1715). He is generally considered the greatest engineer of his time, and one of the most important in Western military history. His principles for fortifications were widely used for nearly 100 years, while aspects of his offensive tactics remained in use until the mid-twentieth century. He viewed civilian infrastructure as closely connected to military effectiveness and worked on many of France's major ports, as well as projects like the Canal de la Bruche, which remain in use today. He founded the Corps royal des ingénieurs militaires, whose curriculum was based on his publications on engineering design, strategy and training. His economic tract, La Dîme royale, used statistics in support of his arguments, making it a precursor of modern economics. Later destroyed by Royal decree, it contained radical proposals for a more even distribution of the tax burden. His application of rational and scientific methods to problem-solving, whether engineering or social, anticipated an approach common in the Age of Enlightenment. Perhaps the most enduring aspect of Vauban's legacy was his view of France as a geographical entity.

popular name: Harriet Tubman

date_of_death: March 10, 1913

age: 90

cause_of_death: Pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Historical Figure

best_know_for: Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist, humanitarian, and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. Born into slavery around 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, she endured a harsh and brutal life before escaping to freedom in the North around 1849. After gaining her freedom, Tubman became one of the most prominent conductors on the Underground Railroad, risking her life to lead hundreds of enslaved people to freedom. Known for her courage, strategic thinking, and deep commitment to justice, she made numerous trips back to the South despite the constant danger of capture. During the Civil War, Tubman also worked as a nurse, cook, and eventually a scout and spy for the Union Army, contributing significantly to military intelligence efforts. After the war, she remained active in the fight for civil rights and women's suffrage. The grave of Harriet Tubman at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York enjoys visitors even after a century since her passing.