People a to z

A former ABA star and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Hall of Fame center Moses Malone was the first basketball player to skip college and go pro.

Lee Boyd Malvo was one of the vicious snipers who bred fear in the Washington, D.C. area for more than 20 days in 2002.

David Mamet is a playwright and screenwriter known for such heady works as American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross.

William Manchester was a historian who notably wrote about American president John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill.

American actor, comedian and television personality Howie Mandel is best known for creating the cartoon series Bobby's World and hosting Deal or No Deal.

Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994. A symbol of global peacemaking, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

American country singer Barbara Mandrell scored No. 1 hits with "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" and "Years."

Edouard Manet was a French painter who depicted everyday scenes of people and city life. He was a leading artist in the transition from realism to impressionism.

Joe Manganiello has risen to fame as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the television drama True Blood.

Barry Manilow made the whole world sing with his 1970s hits "I Write the Songs," "Mandy" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)."

Herman J. Mankiewicz was a journalist and screenwriter who won an Academy Award for his work on the film Citizen Kane.

American producer, director and screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz was known for creating memorable characters. He worked with many major Hollywood stars.

Wilma Mankiller worked for several years as a leading advocate for the Cherokee people, and became the first woman to serve as their principal chief in 1985.

Horace Mann was an American politician and education reformer, best known for promoting universal public education and teacher training in "normal schools."

American actress Leslie Mann is known for her comedic performances, especially in several films directed by her husband, Judd Apatow.

Michael Mann in an Emmy Award-winning film director, producer and screenwriter best known for producing the 1980s crime series, Miami Vice.

German novelist, short-story and essay writer Thomas Mann won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. One of his best-known novels is Death in Venice.

Eli Manning is the Super Bowl–winning quarterback for the New York Giants, the brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

One of the most dominant quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning has won multiple MVP awards and led the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI.

Jayne Mansfield was an American actress best known for her bombshell curves and roles in films during the 1950s and '60s.

Writer Katherine Mansfield is best known for creating the story collections Bliss and The Garden Party.

Professor Peter Mansfield received the Nobel Prize for further developing magnetic resonance (MRI) technology, leading to its widespread use in hospitals.

Charles Manson is an American cult leader whose followers carried out several notorious murders in the late 1960s and inspired the book Helter Skelter.

Shirley Manson is a Scottish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Garbage.

Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Actor, scriptwriter and improvisational comic Jason Mantzoukas has played Rafi on the FX show The League and co-starred with Sacha Baron Cohen in The Dictator.

Ray Manzarek was a co-founder of the Doors, a 1960s rock band. His keyboard skills helped turn Doors songs like "Light My Fire" into huge hits.

Robert Mapplethorpe, recognized as a giant of late 20th century photography, is best known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white portraits.

Although she had roles in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Social Network, Rooney Mara gained mainstream success when she played heroine Lisbeth Salander in the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011). 

Soccer great Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, though his accomplishments were later overshadowed by his battles with drug abuse.

Alice Marble was a women's tennis champion, winner of 12 U.S. Open and 5 Wimbledon titles. She also served as U.S spy in Switzerland during WWII.

Marcel Marceau was best known for his work as a mime artist in France.

Carlos Marcello was best known as the mob boss of New Orleans, and for the FBI's investigation of his possible involvement in JFK's assassination.

American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title and won an unrivaled 49 straight fights.

Known for running a corrupt, undemocratic regime, Ferdinand Marcos was the president of the Philippines from 1966 to 1986.

Imelda Marcos spent more than 20 years as the first lady of the Philippines. She became infamous for her spending habits and enormous shoe collection.

Rudolph A. Marcus is a Canadian chemist known for his research in electron-transfer reactions. He established what is known as the Marcus Theory, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1992.

Herbert Marcuse was an American political philosopher whose Marxists theories of 20th-century Western society influenced liberal student groups in the 1960s.

Jo Marie Payton won over television audiences as Harriette Winslow, a quick-witted and long-suffering wife and mother, on the situation comedy Family Matters.

Marilu Henner is best known for her acting careerin film and TV, particularly the series Taxi.

Half of the famed stoner duo Cheech and Chong, Cheech Marin is an accomplished comedian, actor and director.

French-American actor and model, Gilles Marini, finished second place on the eighth season of dance-competition show Dancing with the Stars.

Dan Marino was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami Dolphins from 1984-2000.

American baseball player Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 to break the single-season record held by the legendary Babe Ruth.

A co-founder of Apple Computers Inc., Mike Markkula laid the groundwork for the company's success with his management and marketing vision.

Philip Markoff answered a Craigslist ad for massage services, met a masseuse/former call girl, and killed her, becoming known as the "Craigslist killer."

Stephen Marley is the third child of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley who has won five Grammys for his music.

Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley served as a world ambassador for reggae music and sold more than 20 million records throughout his career—making him the first international superstar to emerge from the so-called Third World.

Damian Marley is a Grammy Award-winning reggae musician and the son of Bob Marley. His biggest hit is the song "Welcome to Jamrock."

Rita Marley is Bob Marley's widow, and is best known for carrying on her late husband's musical legacy and developing her own career as a solo artist.

Singer and songwriter Ziggy Marley is the oldest son of the reggae giant Bob Marley, and is best known as a talented reggae musician in his own right.

Playwright, poet. Christopher Marlowe was a poet and playwright at the forefront of the 16th-century dramatic renaissance. His works influenced William Shakespeare and generations of writers to follow.

American gymnast McKayla Maroney won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympics gymnastics team and a silver medal for the vault at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

French explorer Jacques Marquette is best known as the first European to see and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River.

Writer Gabriel García Márquez, author of Love in the Time of Cholera, has gained worldwide readership with his brand of magical realism.

J. Willard Marriott is a 20th-century American entrepreneur who started in food service and eventually opened a hotel chain.

After several years as one of pop music's premier songwriters, Bruno Mars broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit "Nothin' on You."

A giant in the music world, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is a multi-Grammy Award winner who has been lauded for his work both in jazz and classical music.

James Marsden is an American actor best known for his role as Cyclops in the action adventure movie X-Men and its two sequels.

Actor E.G. Marshall starred on Broadway in the original runs of The Crucible and Waiting for Godot before becoming a film and TV star.

Garry Marshall produced some of the most popular television shows in the 1970s, including The Odd Couple and Mork and Mindy. He also directed Pretty Woman.

John Marshall became the fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1801. He is largely responsible for establishing the Supreme Court's role in federal government.

Penny Marshall became a successful film director after starring in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. Her works include Big and Riding in Cars With Boys.

Thomas R. Marshall was a governor of Indiana and served as U.S. vice president under Woodrow Wilson.

Thurgood Marshall was instrumental in ending legal segregation and became the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court.

Film actor. William Marshall was an actor best known for his lead role in the legendary blaxploitation film Blacula.

A poet and a journalist, José Martí spent his short life fighting for Cuban independence. He died in 1895 during a failed attempt to win freedom for Cuba.

Chris Martin is lead singer, rhythm guitarist and pianist for the alternative band Coldplay, which has won two Grammy awards one being for its debut album.

Actor, singer Dean Martin starred in several films with Jerry Lewis and belonged to the "Rat Pack," which included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Fantasy writer George R. R. Martin created A Song of Ice and Fire, one of the most popular book series today and includes 1996's Game of Thrones

Jesse L. Martin is a singer and a TV, film and stage performer known for his roles in Rent and Law & Order.

Lesra Martin is a writer, lawyer and motivational speaker known for his efforts to free wrongly accused Rubin Carter.

Mary Martin was a Tony Award-winning actress and singer famous for her roles in stage productions of Peter Pan, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.

Pop singer Ricky Martin was a member of Menudo as a teenager and is now known for such solo pop hits as "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "She Bangs."

Comedian and comedy writer Steve Martin found fame starring in such films as The Jerk, Little Shop of Horrors, and Father of the Bride.

Republican New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is best known for her role as the nation's first female Hispanic governor.

Actor Lee Marvin’s appeared in about 70 films, including Hell in the Pacific and The Dirty Dozen, between 1951 and 1986.

The oldest of the Marx Brothers, Chico Marx had an antic personality and a savvy eye for how to keep the group going, but that was also because he had a weakness for both gambling and chasing women.

Comedian and film actor Groucho Marx was one of the Marx Brothers. He spent nearly seven decades making people laugh with his snappy one-liners and sharp wit.

Often referred to as the "forgotten" Marx brother, Gummo Marx was the first to leave the act to enlist in World War I and become a businessman.