Gene Roddenberry and other historical figures born on August 19

August 19 marks the birthdays of several influential historical figures. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the ‘Star Trek’ universe, was born in 1921 in El Paso, Texas. A former US Army Air Forces pilot who survived a B-17 bomber crash, Roddenberry transitioned from police work to television writing, eventually developing his vision of space exploration and human cooperation through the Enterprise.

Other notable births on this date include French fashion designer Coco Chanel, born in 1883, who founded the Chanel empire; television pioneer Philo Farnsworth, born in 1906, who invented the first functional electronic camera; and aviation pioneer Orville Wright, born in 1871, who co-invented the first successful motor-operated airplane.