People a to z

Sydney Pollack is an Oscar-winning film director, producer and actor. His director credits include Tootsie and Three Days of the Condor.

Fritz Pollard was the first African American to play in the Rose Bowl, the first African-American NFL coach and one of the NFL's first black players.

Famous 20th century artist Jackson Pollock revolutionized the world of modern art with his unique abstract painting techniques.

Venetian merchant and adventurer Marco Polo traveled from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295. He wrote Il Milione, known in English as The Travels of Marco Polo.

St. Polycarp was a 2nd century Greek bishop whose Letter to the Philippians formed the basis of Christian literature.

Charles Ponzi was best known for the financial crimes he committed when he conned investors into giving him millions of dollars, and paid them returns with other investors' money.

Pope Benedict XIV (originally Prospero Lambertini) was head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1740 to 1758.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas.

Inventor Ron Popeil pioneered the TV sales pitch with products like the Ronco Chop-O-Matic and phrases like "But wait, there's more."

Paulina Porizkova is a Czechoslovakian model and actress best known for being the first woman from Eastern Europe to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Ferdinand Porsche founded the Porsche car company in 1931. In the early 1920s, he oversaw the development of the Mercedes compressor car, and later developed the first designs of the Volkswagen car with his son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche.

Thanks to the model 356, created in 1948 by Ferdinand Anton Ernst "Ferry" Porsche, the Porsche car company became known worldwide as a producer of successful sports and racing cars. Several years earlier, in 1934, Porsche worked with father Ferdinand Porsche on the first designs of the Volkswagen car.

American filmmaker Edwin S. Porter invented the Simplex camera for the Edison Company, and pioneered new techniques in films like The Great Train Robbery.

William Sydney Porter was a prolific short story writer whose work appeared under the name O. Henry.

Janie Porter Barrett was a social worker and reformer who established a school for previously incarcerated African-American girls.

Actress Natalie Portman won the 2010 Academy Award for her role as a dancer in Black Swan.

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio is an influential Republican politician who served as President George W. Bush's budget chief from 2006 to 2007.

Zac Posen is a fashion designer who became the Next Big Thing before he even had his first runway show.

Rabbi and author Chaim Potok wrote The Chosen, along with several other novels featuring characters grappling with clashing secular and religious views.

Grace Potter is a singer and musician who fronts the band the Nocturnals. She also sang on the hit duet "You and Tequila" with country singer Kenny Chesney.

Fondly remembered as the sassy secretary in Ghostbusters (1984), actress Annie Potts also appeared in Pretty in Pink.

English golfer Ian Poulter is a successful member of both the PGA and European tours.

Poet Ezra Pond authored more than 70 books and promoted many other now-famous writers, including James Joyce and T.S. Eliot.

Terence Powderly served as union leader of the Knights of Labor from 1879 to 1893. Under his leadership, the union saw both unprecedented growth and sudden decline.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was a 20th century clergyman and U.S. representative who was a major force in establishing civil rights for African Americans.

Colin Powell was the first African American appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State, and the first, and so far the only, to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

American author Julie Powell is best known for her blog, "The Julie/Julia Project," and the Nora Ephron movie Julie & Julia, which is based in part on Powell's experience.

Lewis Powell was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1972 to 1987.

Tyrone Power was a stage and film actor known for his roles in such films as Witness for the Prosecution and The Mark of Zorro.

Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas, ruled over six Powhatan tribes in the Richmond, Virginia, area during the early 17th century.

Miuccia Prada is an Italian fashion designer best known as the head of Prada, a fashion powerhouse that specializes in luxury goods for men and women.

Canadian poet E.J. Pratt is the author of several collections of verse, including The Titans (1926) and Brébeuf and His Brethren (1940).

Steve Prefontaine is best known as the runner who once held the U.S. record in every long-distance event. He died in a car crash in 1974 at age 24.

Actress Laura Prepon played Donna opposite Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, on That 70's Show.

Musician and actor Elvis Presley endured rapid fame in the mid-1950s—on the radio, TV and the silver screen—and continues to be one of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll.

Lisa Marie Presley is a singer and actress who is familiar to most as the only daughter of Elvis Presley and the ex-wife of Michael Jackson.

Priscilla Presley is an American businesswoman and actress, best known for marrying Elvis Presley, with whom she had daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

Sharon Preston is a media planner and author who has said that she is the daughter of legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong.

Florence Beatrice Price was an award-winning pianist and composer who became the first African-American woman to have her work performed by a major symphony.

Leontyne Price is a lyric soprano who has been credited as the first African-American singer to achieve an international reputation in opera.

American actor Vincent Price starred as the villain in the 1953 film House of Wax, which revitalized the horror genre, and was one of the first films shot in 3D.

Charley Pride is one of the few black country musicians to have had considerable success in the largely white country music industry, and was the first black musician to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Jason Priestley is a Canadian-American actor best known for his role as Brandon Walsh on the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210.

Louis Prima was an influential jazz trumpeter, singer and composer known for songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Angelina," "Buona Sera" and "Jump, Jive an' Wail."

American musician Prince achieved wide fame in the 1980s with 1999 and Purple Rain, the latter album sharing a title with a film starring the musician.

Prince Charles is the oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and is the heir apparent to the British throne.

Prince Albert married his first cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at the age of 20, and after his untimely death at age 42, the queen's memory of him guided her for the next 40 years.

Prince Harry is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Diana. He known for his teenage escapades and his charitable work.

Prince William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales and is next in line for the British throne after his father.

Princess Diana was Princess of Wales while married to Prince Charles. One of the most adored members of the British royal family, she died in a 1997 car crash.

Known as the 'wild child' of Monaco for her scandalous affairs, Princess Stephanie's diverse career path has included singing, swimwear design and modeling.

Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden is the eldest child born to King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and is heir to the Swedish throne.

John Prine is an American singer-songwriter who has issued a prodigious number of albums. His work has been covered by Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash and George Strait.

French Romantic painter Pierre-Paul Prud'hon is best known for his soft forms and gentle light in his allegorical paintings and portraits.

The daughter of comedian Richard Pryor, Rain Pryor is a multifaceted actress, singer, comedian and artistic director.

Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking African-American comedian and one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and '80s.

George Psalmanazar was best known for posing as the first Formosan to visit Europe.

Italian composer Giacomo Puccini started the operatic trend toward realism with his popular works La Boheme and Madame Butterfly.

Wolfgang Puck is a chef who expanded his purview into running restaurants, writing cookbooks and hosting cooking shows.

Tito Puente was a musical pioneer, mixing musical styles with Latin sounds and experimenting in fusing Latin music with jazz.

Professional athlete. Considered one of the top players in the sport, Albert Pujols is a Major League Baseball first baseman for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Czech experimental physiologist Johannes Purkinje discovered the Purkinje effect, Purkinje cells and Purkinje fibers and first introduced the term protoplasm.

Melvin Purvis was the FBI agent responsible for bringing several notorious criminals to justice, among them outlaws John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd.

Vladimir Putin served as president of Russia from 2000 to 2008, and was re-elected to the presidency in 2012. He previously served as Russia's prime minister.

Mario Puzo became famous when he adapted his novel The Godfather into a screenplay for director Francis Ford Coppola in the 1960s.