People a to z

Harpo Marx was a talented comedian and mime best known for his performances as part of the Marx Brothers comedy act.

German philosopher and revolutionary socialist Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, anticapitalist works that form the basis of Marxism.

The youngest of the Marx Brothers, Zeppo Marx was the handsomest sibling, but often underappreciated as the straight man and young romantic lead. He left the famous comedic team to become a millionaire inventor.

American Mary Cassatt was one of the leading artists in the Impressionist movement of the later part of the 1800s.

Mary II served as queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689–94), and was the wife of King William III.

Mary of Teck became Queen Mary, consort of King George V. She was the mother of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.

U.S. Psychologist Abraham Maslow was a practitioner of humanistic psychology. He is known for his theory of “self-actualization.”

Charlotte Mason was an American socialite and philanthropist who was an important patron of Harlem Renaissance figures, including Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.

Nick Mason was a founding member and drummer of the British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd.

Former U.S. Representative Eric Massa served just over a year in the House before he was accused of sexual misconduct with a male staffer.

Mobster Joseph Massino became boss of the Bonanno crime family when other crime bosses were being sent to jail for life. The press called him "the Last Don."

Master P is a rapper and hip-hop mogul who founded No Limit Records.

Bat Masterson was a prominent lawman, gambler, saloon keeper and sports writer of the American West. He was a good friend of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.

Marcello Mastroianni often played the ideal European male in Federico Fellini's films.

Former child star Jerry Mathers is best known for playing the role of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver from 1957-1963 on the series Leave It to Beaver.

Henri Matisse was a revolutionary and influential artist of the early 20th century, best known for the expressive color and form of his Fauvist style.

Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, who pursued a professional acting career despite being legally deaf, is an inspirational role model to many.

Walter Matthau was an actor known for his gruff on-screen demeanor in such films as The Odd Couple and Grumpy Old Men.

Journalist and political commentator Chris Matthews is best known as the talk show host of MSNBC's Hardball and The Chris Matthews Show.

Dave Matthews is the front man, guitarist and singer-songwriter of The Dave Matthews Band.

Maurice was duke and elector of Saxony (southeastern Germany) during the 16th century.

Maximilian was the Archduke of Austria and the Emperor of Mexico from 1863-1867. He was executed in 1867 by President Benito Juárez's victorious forces.

Maximilian I was the first king of Bavaria (1806–25), a member of the house of Wittelsbach.

Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell originated the idea of electromagnetic radiation. His ideas formed the basis for quantum mechanics.

Lois Maxwell was an actress best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film series.

Brian May, lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, wrote the song "We are the Champions," applying his physics background in the recording studio.

Misty May-Treanor is a professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She is the longtime competitive partner of Kerri Walsh-Jennings.

Louis B. Mayer was a film mogul and the most influential person in Hollywood from the mid-1920s to the late-1940s.

Marissa Mayer led the development of Google's most successful products for more than 10 years and was appointed CEO of Yahoo in 2012, at the age of 37.

Curtis Mayfield was a singer-songwiter known for his racially conscious soul and funk who had a number one album with his score for the film Superfly.

Robert C. Maynard was a journalist and publisher best known for being the first African American to own and publish a major daily newspaper (Tribune).

Architect Thom Mayne helped found the architectural design firm Morphosis, and co-founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).

Ornithologist Ernst Mayr demonstrated that the development of separate species in higher animals depends on the geographical isolation of precursor populations.

Willie Mays played professional baseball for the Giants and the Mets. He was one of the best batters and fielders at the time.

American boxer Floyd Mayweather is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his generation. HBO's documentary about him, 24/7, increased his popularity.

Thabo Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela as the president of South Africa, holding leadership for more than nine years.

Rachel McAdams is a Canadian actress best known for her roles in Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers, The Time Traveler's Wife, Sherlock Holmes and The Vow.

High school teacher Christa McAuliffe was the first American civilian selected to go into space. She died in the space shuttle Challenger’s explosion in 1986.

James McAvoy is a Scottish actor best known for his roles in The Last King of Scotland (2006), Atonement (2007) and X-Men: First Class (2011).

Cindy McCain is an Arizona businesswoman, a philanthropist who works with international nonprofit organizations, and the wife of U.S. Senator John McCain.

John McCain is a military hero and Republican U.S. Senator defeated by Barack Obama in the 2008 United States presidential election.

Colum McCann is an Irish born writer best known for his works of fiction published as novels and short stories.

Andrew McCarthy is best known for his roles in iconic 1980s "Brat Pack" films such as Pretty in Pink, Less than Zero, and St. Elmo's Fire.

American politician Eugene J. McCarthy challenged Lyndon B. Johnson in the race for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, which led to Johnson's withdrawal.

Jenny McCarthy was named Playboy's 1994 Playmate of the Year and hosted MTV's Singled Out from 1995 to 1997. She began hosting Love in the Wild in June 2012.

Actress Melissa McCarthy starred as Sookie in the show Gilmore Girls. In 2011, she received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress in the film Bridesmaids.

Linda McCartney was a photographer who became widely known as the wife of Beatle Paul McCartney.

British vocalist, songwriter, musician, and composer, Paul McCartney was a member of the Beatles as well as one of the most popular solo performers of all time.

Fashion designer and committed vegetarian Stella McCartney is the daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his late wife, Linda.

Billy the Kid is best known for his time as a thief and gunfighter, constantly on the run from law enforcement.

Philadelphia's Michael McCary is known for his deep bass voice as part of the boy band Boyz II Men, which he quit in 2003 because of problems from scoliosis.

Stanley A. McChrystal led the Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq during the Persian Gulf Wars and was top Commander of American forces in Afghanistan.

Actress Rue McClanahan is best-known for her role as self-absorbed bombshell Devereaux on the 1980's sitcom Golden Girls. 

Matthew McConaughey is an American actor from Texas known for his laid back persona and good looks. He was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2005.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Frank McCourt wrote the biography Angela’s Ashes after retiring from teaching for 30 years in New York City.

Elijah McCoy was a 19th century African-American inventor best known for inventing lubrication devices used to make train travel more efficient.

In late 1800s, Randall McCoy and his kin engaged in a bitter and deadly dispute with another Appalachian family in the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

Mindy McCready was best known for her hit country music album Ten Thousand Angels, as well as for her ongoing personal struggles. At the age of 37, she was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The work of Carson McCullers, author of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and The Member of the Wedding, is must-read southern gothic fiction.

Actress and radio performer Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.

Michael McDonald is an American singer and songwriter best known as a former member of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.

Bob McDonnell, a prominent Republican politician, became governor of Virginia in 2010.

Actor Roddy McDowall had a recurring role on the Batman television series, and played Cornelius in the film and TV versions of Planet of the Apes.

John McEnroe is a world champion tennis player famous for his temperamental outbursts. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.

Reba McEntire is a chart-topping, award-winning country music singer who has acted in films and starred on her own sitcom. She also owns several businesses.

Elizabeth McGovern is an Academy Award-nominated actress known for playing Cora Crawley on the BBC series Downton Abbey.

Though he helped reform the Democratic Party, U.S. Senator George S. McGovern lost his 1972 presidential campaign to Richard Nixon.

Rose McGowan in an American actress whose pin-up looks and bad-girl demeanor attracted a devoted following in the 1990s.

One of the world's most popular country singers, Tim McGraw is married to fellow country crooner Faith Hill.

Scottish actor Ewan McGregor first received worldwide acclaim with his role in Trainspotting, and has since played Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Kenneth McGriff was the leader of the Supreme Team gang, a main player in the Baisley Park crack-cocaine scene. In 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison.

William McGuffey was a 19th-century educator remembered chiefly for his series of elementary readers.