John Ratcliffe — the American politician and attorney who has served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency since January 2025 — was born on this day — October 20, 1965 — in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Studies, and the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor.

Prior to his appointment as CIA Director, Ratcliffe served as the Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021. He represented Texas’s 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020. Earlier in his career, he served as the Mayor of Heath, Texas, and as a federal prosecutor, holding the role of acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.

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Gavin Newsom — the American politician and businessman who has served as the 40th Governor of California since 2019 — was born on this day — October 10, 1967 — in San Francisco, California.

He is a graduate of Santa Clara University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science while attending on a partial baseball scholarship.

Prior to his tenure as Governor, Newsom served as the Lieutenant Governor of California (2011–2019) and as the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco (2004–2011). Before entering public service, he was a successful entrepreneur, co-founding the PlumpJack Group, which grew from a single wine shop into a network of hospitality and retail businesses.

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Sean Duffy — the American politician, prosecutor, and media personality who has served as the 20th United States Secretary of Transportation since January 2025 — was born on this day — October 3, 1971 — in Hayward, Wisconsin.

He is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, and the William Mitchell College of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor.

Prior to his appointment to the Cabinet, Duffy represented Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Following his time in Congress, he became a prominent contributor and host on Fox News and Fox Business. Earlier in his career, he served as the District Attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin, and gained early national fame as a cast member on MTV’s The Real World: Boston.

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Michael Studeman — the retired Rear Admiral of the United States Navy and current foreign policy expert — was born on this day — September 10, 1966 — in Fairfax, Virginia.

He is a graduate of the College of William & Mary, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts, and the Naval Postgraduate School, where he earned a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs. He is also a distinguished graduate of the National War College.

During his distinguished naval career, Studeman served as the Director of Intelligence for the United States Indo-Pacific Command (J2) from 2019 to 2022, and subsequently as the Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). He is widely regarded as a leading authority on Chinese military strategy and Indo-Pacific security. Since retiring from active duty in 2023, he has continued to contribute to national security discourse as a senior fellow and consultant.

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Sir Keir Starmer — the British politician and lawyer who has served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party since 2024 — was born on this day — September 2, 1962 — in Southwark, London.

He is a graduate of the University of Leeds, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he earned a Bachelor of Civil Law.

Prior to entering politics, Starmer had a distinguished legal career as a human rights barrister and served as the Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013. He has represented the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras as a Member of Parliament since 2015.

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Scott Bessent — the American investor and government official who has served as the 79th United States Secretary of the Treasury since January 2025 — was born on this day — August 21, 1962 — in Conway, South Carolina.

He is a graduate of Yale University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Prior to his appointment to the Cabinet, Bessent had a four-decade career in global finance, notably serving as the Chief Investment Officer for Soros Fund Management and later founding the macro hedge fund Key Square Group. He also served as an adjunct professor at Yale University, teaching economic history and the history of hedge funds.

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Doug Collins — the American politician, lawyer, and minister who has served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs since February 2025 — was born on this day — August 16, 1966 — in Gainesville, Georgia.

He is a graduate of the University of North Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminal Justice; the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity; and John Marshall Law School, where he earned a Juris Doctor.

Prior to his appointment to the Cabinet, Collins represented Georgia’s 9th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021, serving as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. A Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he has served as a military chaplain for over two decades, including a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Marion Anne Perrine “Marine” Le Pen — the French politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of the National Assembly for the 11th constituency of Pas-de-Calais since 2017 — was born on this day — August 5, 1968 — in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

She is a graduate of Panthéon-Assas University, where she earned a Master of Laws and a Master of Advanced Studies (DEA) in criminal law.

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Kathryn Marie Hahn — the American actress and comedian who works in both film comedies and television dramas — was born on this day — July 23, 1973 — in Westchester, Illinois.

She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and the Yale School of Drama, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts.

Hahn’s career began with roles in Crossing Jordan and the 2004 comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Since then, she has appeared in films such as Bad Moms and Step Brothers, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe series WandaVision and its 2024 spin-off, Agatha All Along.

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David Lammy — the British politician and lawyer who has served as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs since 2024 — was born on this day — July 19, 1972 — in Tottenham, London.

He is a graduate of the SOAS University of London, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws, and Harvard Law School, where he earned a Master of Laws.

Prior to his appointment as Foreign Secretary, Lammy has represented the constituency of Tottenham as a Member of Parliament since 2000. He held several ministerial roles under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and has been a prominent voice on issues of institutional reform in the UK.

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