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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Sahra Wagenknecht — the German politician, economist, and author who founded the party Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) — was born on this day — July 16, 1969 — in Jena, East Germany.

She is a graduate of the University of Groningen, where she earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Modern German Literature, and Chemnitz University of Technology (TU Chemnitz), where she earned a PhD in Microeconomics.

Wagenknecht was a long-time leading figure in the party Die Linke (The Left) before breaking away in 2024 to establish her own political alliance. Known for her focus on economic populism and social conservatism, she has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009 and previously served as a member of the European Parliament. She has written extensively on Marxist theory and the history of economic thought.

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