JEAN JACQUES RÉGIS DE CAMBACÉRÉS, French revolutionary and legislator, born; Throughout his career, his chief interest was in developing the principles of revolutionary jurisprudence. Although it is generally believed that he was solely responsible for legalizing in France same-sex relations between consenting adults in private, that is an oversimplification based on the irony that he himself was Gay.

He was one of the principal framers of the Code Napoléon. Cambacérés sexuality was well known, and he was commonly called “Tante Urlurette,” The triumverate of Napoleon, Cambacérés and Lebrun, in fact, was known as Hic, Haec and Hoc, Latin for “this one” in male, female and neuter genders, respectively. Cambacérés, so it is told, was once late for an appointment with Napoleon and offered the excuse of having “been with a woman” to the annoyed emperor. “Been with a woman?” Napoleon sniffed, “Next time tell her this: ‘Take your hat and cane and leave me.’”

HEINRICH VON KLEINST, Romantic German novelist, poet, playwright, born on this date (d: 1811); He achieved in death what he could not in life: His works were taken seriously. None of his literary efforts had any real success during his short life time. Poverty-stricken and despondent, he killed himself in a suicide pact with a friend, a Frau Vogel, when he was 34.

Although he was older, Kleinst, in death, became the German Chatterton, revered by his contemporaries. His letters reveal him to have been homosexual. The letters to his friend Ernst con Pfuel particularly passionate in their outpouring of love. “You are my Greek god, dear youth. I want to sleep with you, embrace you. When you bathe in Lake Thun, I stare at your magnificent body with the longing of a girl.”

LAURA NYRO, American singer and songwriter was born (d. 1997); American composer, lyricist, singer and pianist. Her style was a distinctive hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, mixed with elements of jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock.

She was best known, and had the most commercial success, as a composer and lyricist rather than as a performer. Between 1968 and 1970 a number of other singers had significant hits with her songs: the Fifth Dimension with "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save The Country" and "Black Patch"; Blood, Sweat * Tears with "And When I Die"; Three Dog Night with "Eli's Coming"; and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End." Ironically, Nyro's own best-selling single was a cover of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s "Up on the Roof." By 1976, her marriage had ended, and she returned with an album of new material, Smile. She then embarked on a four-month tour with a full band, which resulted in the 1977 live album Season of Lights. Around this time, she met her subsequent life partner, Brooklyn-born painter Maria Desiderio (d. 1999).

Posthumous releases include Angel In The Dark (2001), which include her final studio recordings made in 1994 and 1995, and The Loom’s Desire, a set of live recordings with solo piano and harmony singers from The Bottom Line Christmas shows of 1993 and 1994.

Nyro's influence on popular musicians has also been acknowledged by such artists as Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, and Todd Rundgren. Rundgren stated that, once he heard her, he "stopped writing songs like The Who and started writing songs like Laura". His song about her, "Baby, Let's Swing" on his first solo album Runt, includes the lyrics "Laura...I heard you open in L. A." and "Now I love to shuffle / ever since I heard you sing." Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, when promoting her 2006 solo album Rabbit Fur Coat repeatedly cited Nyro's 1971 album Gonna Take a Miracle as a big influence on her music.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, Czech-born tennis player, born; former World #1 woman tennis player. Billie Jean King said about Navratilova in 2006, "She's the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived." Tennis writer Steve Flink, in his book The Greatest Tennis Matches of the Twentieth Century, named her as the second best female player of the 20^th century, directly behind Steffi Graf. Tennis Magazine has selected her as the greatest female tennis player for the years 1965 through 2005. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She has reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including 9 consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women's singles title at Wimbledon a record 9 times.

She also ties Billie Jean King's 20 Wimbledon titles by winning the mixed doubles in 2006. She is one of just three women to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles (Called the Grand Slam box set). She holds the open era record for most singles and doubles tournament wins (167 and 177 titles respectively). She also recorded the longest winning streak in tennis history (74 matches in a row) and three of the top six longest winning streaks in women's tennis history. Navratilova, Margaret Smith Court, and Maureen Connolly Brinker share the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament championships won (six).

Navratilova reached 11 consecutive Grand Slam Singles Finals (2nd All-Time) Steffi Graf made it to 13 consecutive finals. In doubles Navratilova and Shriver won 109 consecutive matches. They won the calendar year Grand Slam in 1984 as a team. They also tied the record of 20 Grand Slam Doubles titles as a team.

Originally from the former Czechoslovakia, she defected to the United States in 1975 at the age of 18 and became a U.S. citizen in 1981. In 1981, shortly after being granted U.S. Citizenship, Navratilova came out publicly about her sexuality. From 1983 to 1991, Navratilova had a long-term relationship with partner Judy Nelson. Their split in 1991 included a much-publicized legal wrangle. Navratilova was featured in a WITA (Women's International Tennis Association) calendar, shot by Jean Renard with her Wimbledon trophies and Nelson's children in the background.

Navratilova also made a humorous guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace in a 2000 episode in which a flashback revealed that she had been a heterosexual until a 1985 relationship with character Karen Walker “turned her Lesbian.”

When not playing tennis, Navratilova is involved with various charities that benefit animal rights, underprivileged children, and Gay rights. She filed a lawsuit against Amendment 2, a 1992 ballot proposition in Colorado designed to deny Gays and Lesbians legal protection from discrimination. In the same year, she spoke before the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights.

Women are officially considered "Persons" under law in Canada. Canada has still not decided about corporations.