People a to z

Matthew C. Perry was a 19th century U.S. Naval officer who fought in the Mexican War and headed an important naval expedition to Japan.

Republican politician Rick Perry was elected governor of Texas in 2000, and ran for the Republican nomination for the 2012 presidential race.

Steve Perry was the lead singer of pop rock band Journey from 1977 to 1986. He is known for having a wide vocal range, which can be heard on such popular hits as "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Oh Sherrie."

Writer, actor, producer, and director Tyler Perry has built an entertainment empire that consists of successful films, plays, and a best-selling book.

Peter III was the Emperor of Russia for a mere six months in 1762 before he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great, and assassinated in 1762.

German serial killer Peter Kürten, known as the "Dusseldorf Vampire", murdered at least nine people before surrendering to police in 1931.

Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th century, who is best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish Russia as a great nation.

With bright eyes and bee-sting lips, Bernadette Peters is best know for her comedic musical performances, especially in period roles.

American football player Adrian Peterson returned from a serious leg injury to challenge the single-season rushing record and win the NFL MVP Award in 2012.

American actress Cassandra Peterson became famous in the 1980s for her television role as the vampy Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Former police sergeant Drew Peterson was convicted in the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. He was also named a suspect in 2007 in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson.

Scott Peterson is best known as the man who murdered his eight-month pregnant wife, Laci, in 2002. A jury sentenced him to death by lethal injection.

French daredevil Philippe Petit is best known for his 1974 high-wire walk between the twin towers in New York City.

U.S. Army General David Petraeus became director of the CIA in 2011. He resigned from the post in 2012, after his extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell was publicized.

Alexei Petrovich was the son of Peter the Great and heir to the Russian throne. He was sentenced to death by his father.

Richard Petty is a champion NASCAR driver who was nicknamed "The King" for his record setting Daytona 500 and NASCAR championship wins.

Tom Petty is best known as the front man for the well-known band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He pursued a solo career in 1989, recording hit songs like "Free Fallin'" and "Runnin' Down a Dream."

Michelle Pfeiffer is an American actress known for her film roles in Scarface, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Batman Returns.

Swimmer Michael Phelps has set the record for winning the most medals, 22, of any Olympic athlete in history.

Mekhi Phifer is an African-American actor whose first role was in the Spike Lee film Clockers, and who was featured on ER for six seasons.

Regis Philbin is a well-known TV personality who co-hosted his own daytime talk show for almost three decades, also working in prime time and writing several books.

King Philip II of Spain, also known as Philip the Prudent, ruled one of the world's largest empires. The Philippines are named after him.

Lou Diamond Phillips is an actor best known for his his work in films such as La Bamba, Stand and Deliver, and Young Guns.

Actress Mackenzie Phillips, daughter of rock musician John Phillips, starred in the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time and the Disney Channel's So Weird.

Olympic medalist Mark Phillips is renowned as the commoner who married Princess Anne.

American record producer Sam Phillips is best known for discovering musicians Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Howlin' Wolf, among other blues, country and rock 'n' roll artists. He is also known for revolutionizing the music industry and introducing rock 'n' roll to the world throughout the 1950s.

Stone Phillips is a television personality and reporter, best known as the host of Dateline NBC and guest host for other NBC shows.

Joaquin Phoenix is an actor known for such films as Gladiator and Walk the Line, in which he played Johnny Cash.

River Phoenix was an Academy Award nominee and promising young actor who died at the young age of 23 from a drug overdose.

Édith Piaf, also known as “The Little Sparrow,” was a French singer who became an icon of France during World War II.

Psychologist Jean Piaget identified stages of mental development, called Schema, and established the fields of cognitive theory and developmental psychology.

Spanish expatriate Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, as well as the co-creator of Cubism.

Russian serial killer Alexander Pichushkin, nicknamed "The Chessboard Killer," was caught in Moscow and convicted in 2007 of killing 48 people.

Mary Pickford was a legendary silent film actress and was known as "America’s sweetheart." She was a founder of United Artists and helped establish the Academy.

Singer Kellie Pickler appeared on American Idol in 2006 and has since released several hit country albums, including Small Town Girl and 100 Proof.

Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, prompting a bloody conflict over Kansas' slavery status.

First Lady Jane Pierce was married to Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth U.S. president. She suffered from numerous health problems and the tragic loss of her son.

American singer Kate Pierson is famous as the frontwoman for the B-52s, one of the most popular bands of the late 1980s and early '90s.

Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor under the emperor of Tiberius in the 1st century. He is best known as the judge of Jesus's trial.

British author Chapman Pincher has concentrated on history and espionage-related topics in his investigative journalism as well as his fiction writing.

Charles Pinckney was an American Founding Father, governor of South Carolina and signer of the U.S. Constitution.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was an American Revolutionary War veteran, South Carolina legislator and two-time presidential candidate.

A pioneer in early hormonal and reproductive research, Gregory Pincus and his team of scientists are credited with formulating the first oral contraceptive for birth control.

Chris Pine is an American actor who portrayed a young Captain James Kirk in the 2009 remake of Star Trek and its 2013 sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness.

Filipino Arnel Pineda is best known as the new lead singer for the rock group Journey.

Allan Pinkerton was a Scottish-born detective and founder of a famous American private detective agency, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Jada Pinkett Smith is an American actress, is married to Will Smith, and is the mother of Jaden and Willow Smith.

Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Allende government in 1973 and stayed in power until 1998. He was never tried for alleged human rights abuses.

American poet and critic Robert Pinksy is best known for writing about the significance of every-day experiences.

Harold Pinter is a renowned British playwright who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.

Billie Piper is a British actress and former pop singer best known for her role as Rose Tyler, companion to the Doctor, on the hit U.K. sci-fi TV series Doctor Who.

Horace Pippin was a self-taught, African-American painter whose art documented slavery and his experiences in World War I.

American author Robert Pirsig is best known for his philosophical novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (1974).

Comedian Joe Piscopo joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980 where he was known for his impressions of celebrities like Frank Sinatra.

Camille Pissarro was a French landscape artist best known for his influence on Impressionist and Postimpressionist painting.

Oscar Pistorius, the "Blade Runner," is a South African sprint runner who became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics in 2012. In 2013, Pistorius admitted to shooting and killing his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp.

Molly Pitcher was a patriot who--during the American Revolution--carried pitchers of water to American soldiers for cooling the cannons.

Mobster Thomas Pitera was a hitman for the Gambino and Bonanno organized crime families. Notorious for his brutal crimes, he is nicknamed “The Butcher.”

Actor and producer Brad Pitt is a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee and a two-time winner of People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" title (1995 and 2000.)

Spanish explorer and conquistador Francisco Pizarro helped Vasco Núñez de Balboa discover the Pacific Ocean, and after conquering Peru, founded its capital city, Lima.

Robert Plant is a British rock singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin.

Sylvia Plath was a gifted, troubled poet, known for the confessional style of her work. She wrote the novel The Bell Jar.

Dana Plato was a child actress on the television show Diff'rent Strokes. She fell into drug addiction and died of an overdose in 1999.

Ancient Greek philosopher Plato founded the Academy and is the author of philosophical works of unparalleled influence in Western thought.

Suzanne Pleshette was an Emmy Award-nominated actress known for roles in films like The Geisha Boy and The Birds, as well as the television series The Bob Newhart Show.

Homer Plessy is best known as the plaintiff in Plessy v. Ferguson, a landmark court case challenging southern-based segregation.

George Arthur Plimpton expanded the educational publishing company Ginn & Co worldwide. He had a renowned collection of manuscripts and books.

Amanda Plummer is an actress best known for her work on stage and in films such as The Fisher King, Pulp Fiction and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Pocahontas, later known as Rebecca Rolfe, was a Native American who assisted English colonists during their first years in Virginia.

American writer, critic and editor Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his tales and poems of horror and mystery, including The Raven.

Amy Poehler is an actress and comedian famous for her work on Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation.

Sidney Poitier became the first black Academy Award winner in 1964, receiving the honor for his performance in Lilies of the Field (1963).

Pol Pot was the political leader of Cambodia who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people under his reign.