People a to z

Isaac Singer founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the first company to make sewing machines practical and easy to use at home.

Peter Singer is an Australian philosopher whose work in applied ethics has led to controversial views on abortion, animal liberation and infanticide.

Screenwriter and director John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood led to a Academy Award for Best Director, making him the first African-American ever nominated.

Siouxsie Sioux is best known as the lead singer of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees, whose most popular singles include "Peek-A-Boo," "Cities in Dust," "The Killing Jar" and "Kiss Them For Me."

David Alfaro Siqueiros was a Mexican painter and muralist whose work reflected his Marxist ideology.

Film critic Gene Siskel reviewed movies with co-host Roger Ebert on the nationally syndicated program Siskel & Ebert & the Movies.

Alfred Sisley was a French impressionist painter, primarily of landscapes, and was a friend of Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

J.C.L. Simonde de Sismondi was an 18th-19th century economist and author who espoused pioneering ideas on governmental structures.

Noble Sissle was a pioneering jazz singer, bandleader and composer known for his work on the musical Shuffle Along, among other productions.

Considered one of South Africa's worst serial killers, Moses Sithole was found guilty of 38 murders and 40 rapes in 1997.

Dame Edith Sitwell was an English poet was famous for her formidable personality, Elizabethan dress, and eccentric opinions.

Nikki Sixx founded and played bass in the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He has written two autobiographies, and hosts the radio show Sixx Sense.

Ricky Skaggs is a legendary country and bluegrass singer and mandolin player.

Jeffrey Skilling was the CEO of the energy company Enron who was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud and insider trading.

American psychologist B.F. Skinner is best known for developing the theory of behaviorism, and for his utopian novel Walden Two (1948).

Award-winning hard rock guitarist Slash played with Guns N’ Roses until 1996. He went on to form the band Velvet Revolver and release two solo albums.

Actor John Slattery played Julia Roberts's love interest in the film Mona Lisa Smile, and a government official in the World War II drama Flags of Our Fathers.

Singer-songwriter Grace Slick was one of the lead singers for the band Jefferson Airplane. She wrote the songs "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love".

Elizabeth Smart gained national fame in 2003 when she was rescued after being kidnapped and held captive for nine months.

Tavis Smiley is a talk show host, political commentator and philanthropist, well-known for work around diversity in journalism. He has hosted various shows on television and radio.

After her impressive 2006 debut, professional dancer Karina Smirnoff went on to star in six more seasons of Dancing with the Stars.

Scottish social philosopher and political economist Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations and achieved the first comprehensive system of political economy.

Anna Nicole Smith gained early fame as a model for Guess and Playboy magazine, and later became known for her marriage to 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II.

Captain Edward J. Smith played a role in one of the most famous disasters at sea in history, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

Jazz and blues vocalist Bessie Smith's powerful, soulful voice won her countless fans and earned her the title "Empress of the Blues."

Emmitt Smith was a running back with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2002, he broke Walter Payton's rushing record to become the leading rusher in NFL history.

Jaclyn Smith is a model and actress who starred in all five seasons of Charlie’s Angels. She has also launched her own collections for K-Mart.

Jaden Smith is an actor best known for his starring role in the remake of The Karate Kid, and as the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

John Smith was a British soldier who was a founder of the American colony of Jamestown in the early 1600s.

British actress Maggie Smith's distinguished career includes performing opposite Laurence Olivier in Othello to an Academy Award-winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, to a role in the Harry Potter series.

Matthew Robert Smith is a British actor best known for playing the lead role in the popular British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, produced by the BBC.

Former San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in baseball history.

Patti Smith is a highly influential figure in the New York City punk rock scene, starting with her 1975 album Horses. Her biggest hit is the single "Because the Night."

Susan Smith is best known for her murder of her two sons in order to carry on a relationship with a man.

African-American track and field star Tommie Smith broke both the Olympic and world records and won the 200-meter race in the 1968 Olympics.

Will Smith was on the TV show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and has had a successful career as a film actor in several blockbusters since 1992.

Willow Smith, the daughter of stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, gained musical fame in 2010 with her first hit single "Whip My Hair".

Zadie Smith is a novelist whose first book, White Teeth, was a sensation, instantly putting her on the literary map.

Sam Snead was an American pro golfer who won a record 82 PGA tournaments.

Writer Lemony Snicket became well-known for his series of children's novels, A Series of Unfortunate Events, featuring the Baudelaire siblings.

Dee Snider is best known as the lead singer of glam metal band Twisted Sister.

Wesley Snipes is an actor known for his action roles in such films as Blade and Passenger 57 and for his trouble with the law over unpaid taxes.

Tom Snyder co-anchored the first noon news show in the country. He was the host of the NBC interview show Tomorrow and The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder.

Charles Sobhraj was a famous serial killer in the 1970's, known for drugging and killing between 12 and 24 western tourists in Asia. His several successful escapes from prison coined him the nickname, "The Serpent."

Actress Leelee Sobieski’s debut film was the Disney comedy Jungle to Jungle. Shortly after, she landed her breakthrough role in Deep Impact.

Socrates was a Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. Little is known of his life except what was recorded by his students, including Plato.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo helped the U.S. Women's Soccer Team win gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2011.

Greek statesman and poet Solon is considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. He created a code of laws that became the basis of Athenian democracy.

Brett Somers was a TV actress and personality perhaps best known for her appearances on Match Game, the top game show during much of the 1970s.

Suzanne Somers is an American actress known for her role in the TV sitcom Three’s Company as well as for promoting health and fitness books and equipment.

Trey Songz is a Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter known for hits like "Can't Help but Wait."

Stephen Sondheim is one of Broadway’s most successful and revered composers, responsible for works like Follies, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd.

Susan Sontag was a critical essayist, cultural analyst, novelist and filmmaker. She wrote On Photography, Illness as Metaphor, The Volcano Lover and In America.

George Soros is a self-made billionaire known for his investment savvy and his vast body of philanthropic work.

Ted Sorensen was an American presidential adviser and speech writer, best known for his contributions to President John F. Kennedy's most famous speeches.

Mira Sorvino is an Academy Award-winning actress who starred in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite.

Sammy Sosa is a former MLB slugger, most notably with the Chicago Cubs, with whom he chased Roger Maris's home run record.

Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in US history.

Kevin Spacey was catapulted into international stardom in the '90s with roles in The Usual Suspects (1995) and Se7en (1995).

Fashion designer Kate Spade launched her own line of handbags. Her company has grown to include several retail outlets and a wider range of categories.

U.S. baseball player, executive, and sporting-goods manufacturer A.E. Spalding co-founded one of the premier American sporting-goods companies.

Dame Muriel Spark was a Scottish novelist, poet and literary critic best known for her novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Spartacus was a Roman slave and gladiator in the first century BCE who led an uprising against Rome.

Britney Spears has been one of the most successful—and sometimes controversial—solo acts in popular music. More recently, she began hosting The X Factor.

Jamie Lynn Spears is the younger sister of pop singer Britney Spears, best known for her starring role in the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101. She made headlines in 2007 when she announced she was pregnant with her first child at just 16 years old.

Charlotta Spears Bass was a journalist and activist who, as editor of the California Eagle, championed African-American equality and freedom.

In 1966, Richard Speck committed one of the most horrifying mass murders in American history when he brutalized and killed eight student nurses living on Chicago's South Side.

Arlen Specter was Philadelphia District Attorney and was elected to the senate five times. He helped initiate the reauthorization of the Patriot Act.

Phil Spector is best known for writing several No. 1 hit songs, and for being convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson.

Ronnie Spector became famous in the 1960s as the lead singer of the Ronettes, whose hits include "Be My Baby" and "Walking in the Rain".

Aaron Spelling remains television’s most prolific producer, primarily known for escapist entertainment.

Tori Spelling is an actress who has appeared on TV and in films, notably on the TV show Beverly Hills 90210.

After years of scene-stealing small acting roles, Octavia Spencer rose to fame with her award-winning performance in 2011's The Help.

Roger W. Sperry was a 20th century scientist who won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on brain hemispheres.