Gaston of Foix, Duke of Nemours

Gaston de Foix, duc de Nemours, nicknamed The Thunderbolt of Italy, was a famed French military commander of the Renaissance. Nephew of King Louis XII of France and general of his armies in Italy from 1511 to 1512, he is noted for his military feats in a career which lasted no longer than a few months. The young general is regarded as a stellar commander well ahead of his time. An adept of lightning fast forced marches as well as sudden and bold offensives that destabilized contemporary armies and commanders, De Foix is mostly remembered for his six-month campaign against the Holy League in the War of the League of Cambrai. He met his end in said conflict, at the age of 22, during the Battle of Ravenna (1512), the last of his triumphs.

10 December 1489

Born on the same birth day (10 December): Chen Shubao • Chet Huntley • Elizabeth Baker (economist) • Emily Dickinson • Greg Mortimer • Harry Locke • Kang Daniel • Lancelot Blackburne • Mark Aguirre • Mark McKoy • Michael Jopling • Michael Manley • Pannonica de Koenigswarter • Rob Blake • Shane Byrne (motorcyclist) • Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet • Walt Arfons • Yōko Oginome