American writer and art collector Gertrude Stein was BOTD in 1874. Born in Pittsburgh to a wealthy Jewish family, she was raised in Paris, Vienna and California. She attended Radcliffe College, studying psychology with William James, and briefly attended medical school, where she had her first lesbian relationship with Mabel Haynes. In 1902, she and her brother moved to Paris, where she lived for the rest of her life. Moving to the Left Bank, the Steins amassed a collection of modernist art, including important works by Paul Gauguin, Pierre-August Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne. Stein met American expatriate Alice B. Toklas in 1907, forming a relationship that lasted until Stein’s death. Together, they hosted Saturday afternoon salons that became the nexus of 20th century Modernism, entertaining Picasso, Matisse, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Carl Van Vechten, Paul Bowles and Truman Capote. She published her first novel Tender Buttons in 1912, which was hailed by critics as a major work of Modernist literature. She is best known for her 1933 experimental memoir The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, providing a fascinating portrait of her Parisian artistic milieu. Stein undertook a six month lecture tour of America to promote the book, solidifying her international recognition. She became known for her oblique aphorisms, including “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” and “There is no there there”. As World War Two broke out, Stein and Toklas left Paris and settled in the Rhône-Alpes region, avoiding persecution and retaining their art collection via their friendships with Nazi collaborators. She died in 1946, aged 72. Widely regarded as a central figure in 20th century literature, her reputation has suffered in recent years due to her tacit support for the Nazi regime.