Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, b. 1791. With funding from the U.S. government, he constructed the first telegraph line in the US between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Maryland. The first message sent on this telegraph line on May 24, 1844 by Morse himself was, “What hath God wrought?” (Can you imagine the furor over such a “religious” message nowadays, government funded, no less?)

Bemelmans, Ludwig, b. 1898. We like Madeline. “She was not afraid of mice–she loved winter, snow, and ice. To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said, ‘Pooh-pooh.’” She’s definitely a positive role model––brave, bold, and adventurous. Mr. Bemelmans was born in Austria.

Lanz, Walter, b. 1900. Animator and creator of Woody the Woodpecker.