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Vincenzo Salvatore Bellini was born on November 2, 1801 in Catania, Sicily, Italy. He was the first of seven children in a musical family. His grandfather gave him first piano lessons at the age of 3, and at the age of 5 young Bellini could play good piano to an audience. His first composition dates from around that age. He was granted a scholarship from the municipal government of Catania to study music at the Conservatory of Naples.

Bellini studied under composer Niccolo Zingarelli and a vocal teacher Girolamo Crescenti. His fellow student soprano Isabella Colbrani eventually became his wife. Bellini's graduation opera "Adelson e Salvini" generated a commission from the Royal court. Impresario Domenico Barbaja secured a commission for Bellini's opera for La Scala in Milan. "Il Pirata" started Bellini's fruitful partnership with the librettist Felice Romani, who complemented Bellini's flowing serpentine vocal lines with meticulously chosen words. Their tandem created 7 Bel canto operas in about six years.

In Paris Bellini received a commission from the Theatre Italien for "Il Puritani", which he composed on the libretto by Count Carlo Pepoli. It became a triumph over his competitor Gaetano Donizetti. Bellini was recognized by the leading cultural figures of his time; Franz Liszt, Mikhail Glinka, Frédéric Chopin, George Sand, Alfred de Musset, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, among others. Heinrich Heine was fond of Bellini's works; But he predicted that Bellini will die, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Raphael, at the hight of his genius. Bellini died of peritonitis on September 23, 1835, in Paris, France, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Pere Lachaise in Paris. In 1876 his remains were moved to the cathedral of his native town of Catania, Italy.

Bellini's opera "Norma" became a hallmark of the Bel canto style. It was premiered on December 26, 1831 at the La Scala, Milan, and initially had a cool reception on its first night. The title role is still considered the most difficult role in all of the soprano repertoire. Its performances by Maria Callas are among the finest. The extremely popular cavatina "Casta diva" was used in soundtracks for many films, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), The Game of their Lives, The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Atlantic City (1980), and Lorenzo's Oil (1992) among other films.

William Henry Seward was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War, he was a prominent figure in the Republican Party in its formative years, and was praised for his work on behalf of the Union as Secretary of State during the Civil War. He also negotiated the treaty for the United States to purchase the Alaskan Territory.

Salvatore Cammarano was born on 19 March 1801 in Naples, Kingdom of Naples [now Campania, Italy]. He was a writer, known for Match Point (2005), The Money Pit (1986) and Lucia di Lammermoor (1971). He died on 17 July 1852 in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies [now Campania, Italy].

Nestroy completed high school between 1811 and 1816. After graduating from high school, he began studying philosophy at the University of Vienna in 1817. In 1820 he moved to the law faculty for two semesters. During this time he had his first appearances as a singer and actor on amateur stages. He also took on speaking roles. He gave up his studies and devoted himself entirely to stage art. Between 1823 and 1825 he was engaged as a bassist at the German Theater in Amsterdam. This was followed by appearances in various places such as Brno, Graz and Pressburg. From 1831 he was back in Vienna. He played there at the Theater an der Wien until 1839. This was followed by appearances at the Leopoldstadt Theater, which was renamed the Carl Theater in 1848. In 1854 he leased this venue and ran it as director. There he was able to record many performance successes.

In 1860 he gave up this activity and moved to Graz. There he appeared for the first time in 1827 as the author of local farces with the title "Der Zettelträger Papp". Since his engagement in Vienna, Johann Nestroy has often written his speaking roles himself, and he has usually appeared in the lead role in his works. In total he wrote over 80 plays, which he adapted from originals. He used novels, novellas, comedies and vaudevilles by English or French authors as inspiration. Through his redesigns, in which he often used his characteristic dialogue wit or language play, the pieces underwent a strong change and deviation from the original, which was often no longer recognizable. Nestroy's play "The Ankin" (1848), for example, is based on the play "Martin Chuzzlewit" by Charles Dickens. In his pieces he makes language itself the theme of the content. But he also adapted pieces into parodies in which the original remained explicitly recognizable.

For example, he created "Tannhäuser" (first performed in 1857), "Lohengrin" (first performed in 1859) and "Judith and the Holofernes" (first performed in 1849). Nestroy's first literary success came with the fantastic comedy "The Evil Spirit Lumpacivagabundus or The Dissolute Cloverleaf" (premiered in 1833). It is a "magic farce with singing" as the subtitle says. The dramatic piece can still be seen on many schedules today. The magical elements of the content soon disappeared in Nestroy's work. He turned to social criticism. Just two years later, the work "On the ground and first floor" was premiered. In it the author addresses the contrast between poverty and wealth. The social difference was made immediately noticeable in the divided stage design at the premiere. The play "Talisman" was premiered in 1840. There Titus Feuerfuchs stands in the foreground as an outsider and for injustice, but also for the narrow-mindedness of the lower middle class, poverty and boredom. With these social symptoms, Nestroy pointed to the fragility of the world order. The "Talisman" is considered Nestroy's masterpiece.

As an opera singer himself, he often added vocals to his works. In the revolutionary play "Freiheit in Krähwinkel", which premiered in 1848, political criticism is voiced directly - Nestroy speaks out against the reaction in the year of the German revolution. But the author also doubts the effectiveness of exclusively rhetorical formulations in revolutionary jargon. Thanks to his acting experience and talent, Nestroy was a master of extemporization. This spontaneous, improvised speaking posture in the middle of the performance was a thorn in the side of the censors, because in this way Nestroy made his socially critical content heard without the censors being able to intervene. Nestroy's comedic, satirical plays served as inspiration for the work of numerous writers, such as Ödön von Horváth, Karl Kraus and Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

Nestroy's title "He wants to make a joke" (1842) became the literary template for Thornton Wilder's comedy "The Matchmaker" and the musical "Hello Dolly".

Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 - August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as church president, Young led his followers, the Mormon pioneers, west from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley. He founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. Young also worked to establish the learning institutions which would later become the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. A polygamist, Young had at least 55 wives and 56 children. He instituted a ban prohibiting conferring the priesthood on men of black African descent, and defended the Utah saints in the Utah War waged by the United States.

Joseph Lanner was born on 12 April 1801 in Vienna, Austria. He was a composer, known for The Blues Brothers (1980), Only One Night (1939) and Waltz War (1933). He died on 14 April 1843 in Oberdöbling, Austria.

Jan Kalivoda was born on 21 February 1801 in Prague, Bohemia, Habsburg Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire [now Czech Republic]. He died on 3 December 1866 in Karlsruhe, Baden [now Baden-Württemberg, Germany].

Claude Tillier was born on 11 April 1801 in Clamecy, Nièvre, France. He was a writer, known for Mon oncle Benjamin (1924), Ne goryuy! (1968) and My Uncle Benjamin (1969). He died on 12 October 1844 in Clamecy, Nièvre, France.

Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau was the first person to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image-or motion picture-through animation. He used rotating disks using a device he called the "phenakistiscope", the first device to give the illusion of a moving image. At the time, he published his animations in scientific publications as part of his study on the illusion of motion and human vision.

Adolf Müller Sr. was born on 7 October 1801 in Tolna, Hungary. Adolf was a writer and composer, known for Wiener Blut (1972) and Die lustigen Klassiker (1972). Adolf died on 29 July 1886 in Vienna, Austria.

Pio Pico was born on 5 May 1801 in San Gabriel, California, USA. He was married to María Ignacia Alvarado. He died on 11 September 1894 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Ludwig Bechstein was born on 24 November 1801 in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire [now Thuringia, Germany]. He was a writer, known for The Little Broomstick Rider, Vom Knaben, der das Hexen lernen wollte (1988) and Der Hasenhüter (1977). He was married to Johanne Therese Schulz and Karoline Wiskemann. He died on 14 May 1860 in Meiningen, Saxe-Meiningen [now Thuringia, Germany].

David Haggart was born on 24 June 1801 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer. He died on 18 July 1821 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

John Hill Hewitt was born on 11 July 1801 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Mary Smith and Estelle Mangin. He died on 7 October 1890 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Christian Dietrich Grabbe was born on 11 December 1801 in Detmold, Lippe, Holy Roman Empire [now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany]. He was a writer, known for Don Juan et Faust (1922), Teatro de siempre (1966) and Faust (1994). He was married to Louise Christina Clostermeier. He died on 12 September 1836 in Detmold, Lippe, Germany].

Albert Lortzing was born on 23 October 1801 in Berlin, Prussia, Holy Roman Empire [now Germany]. He was a composer and writer, known for Zar und Zimmermann (1956), Zar und Zimmermann (1970) and Zar und Zimmermann: Singschule (1908). He was married to Rosina Regina Ahles. He died on 21 January 1851 in Berlin, Prussia [now Germany].