Anne Bronte (born January 17, 1820) - British novelist, poet - Agnes Grey
Poem by Acton Bell
(pseudonym for Anne Bronte)
LINES COMPOSED IN A WOOD ON A WINDY DAY
My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,
Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.
The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,
The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
The dead leaves beneath them are merrily dancing,
The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky
I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;
I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
And hear the wild roar of their thunder to-day!
Anton Chekhov (born in January 1860; January 17 Julian (old) calendar or January 29 Gregorian calendar) - Russian playwright, short story writer - The Cherry Orchard (1904)
Benjamin Franklin (born January 17, 1706) – U.S. philosopher, statesman, historian – The Way to Wealth
Read about Benjamin Franklin's writings here
Brian Thomas Helgeland (born January 17, 1961) U.S. film director, screenwriter
Read the IMDB film biography for Brian Helgeland