Famous People Born in 1942 a to z

Muammar al-Qaddafi seized control of the Libyan government in 1969, and ruled as an authoritarian dictator for more than 40 years before he was overthrown in 2011.

Muhammad Ali is considered one of the greatest athletes in boxing history, winning both the coveted Golden Gloves title and an Olympic gold medal, among several other honors.

Isabel Allende is a Chilean author best known for penning novels in the style of magic realism. She is the niece of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is known for his roles in action movies like Zanjeer, and for hosting the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

Deep-sea archaeologist and oceanographer Robert Ballard is best known for discovering the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985.

Patricia Bath is the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology. She invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986.

Former Delaware Senator Joe Biden was elected the 47th U.S. vice president with President Barack Obama in 2008. He earned a second term as vice president when Obama was re-elected to the presidency in 2012.

Michael Bloomberg is a billionaire buisnessman and a three-term mayor of New York City.

Bluford became the first African American to travel in space in 1983, as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger.

Linda Brown was the child associated with the lead name in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, which led to the outlawing of U.S. school segregation in 1954.

Puerto Rican politician and businesswoman Sila María Calderón is best known for becoming the first female governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 2001, serving until 2005.

Folk singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, famous in the 1970s for hits like "Cat's in the Cradle," was also a philanthropist dedicated to fighting world hunger.

Margaret Court is best known for her successful tennis career, winning 66 Grand Slam Championships.

Michael Crichton was an American author best known for his sci-fi and medical thrillers. The movie based on his book, Jurassic Park, was one of the highest-grossing films in history.

Sandra Dee became the “Queen of Teens” in 1950s Hollywood, appearing in such films as Gidget and A Summer Place.

Ann Dunham was the mother of Barack Obama, who became the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to hold this office.

Roger Ebert was an American film critic best known as one half of the popular Siskel and Ebert film critic television show.

Robert F. Engle is a co-recipient of the 2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, honored for developing methods to analyze unpredictable movements in the financial market.

As press secretary for Ronald Reagan, Marlin Fitzwater helped manage the president’s and the country’s image as the Cold War came to a close.

When Larry Flynt published an unflattering parody of Jerry Falwell in Hustler, Falwell waged a suit that eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. It ruled in Flynt's favor, citing the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech.

Harrison Ford is one of Hollywood's leading men, with an acting career that has spanned nearly 40 years and included iconic roles.

Multiple Grammy winner and "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin is known for such hits as "Respect," "Freeway of Love" and "I Say a Little Prayer."

Annette Funicello is an American singer and actress known for her starring roles on Walt Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club and in the Beach Party film series.

John Wayne Gacy was a U.S. serial killer who was found guilty of killing 33 boys and young men.

Son of famed music producer John H. Hammond, John P. Hammond is a Grammy-winning American blues singer and guitarist. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.

Stephen Hawking is known for his work regarding black holes and for authoring several popular science books. He suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Issac Hayes was an American musician. His hit song "Soul Man" and the musical score for the 1971 film Shaft are legendary contributions to modern music.

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix delighted audiences in the 1960s with his outrageous electric guitar playing skills and his experimental sound.

German director Werner Herzog has enjoyed international success with such films as Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972), Fitzcarraldo (1982) and Rescue Dawn (2006).

Myra Hindley was an serial killer of small children, murders she committed in partnership with boyfriend Ian Brady.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault is best known as one of two African-American students first admitted to the University of Georgia and is an award-winning journalist.

Award-winning, bestselling American novelist John Irving is known for works like The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp.

Communist party leader Hu Jintao became vice president of China in 1998 and president in 2003. His administration has focused on social and economic reform.

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson developed her edgy, offbeat style during the new wave/punk era of the late 1970s.

Brian Jones was a guitarist for rock-and-roll band the Rolling Stones.

Judith Sheindlin, or Judge Judy as she is known, is a no-nonsense courtroom presence on the TV show Judge Judy.

Ted Kaczynski is a mathematician best known for a campaign of letter bombs he sent as "The Unabomber" over a 20 year period, resulting in three fatalities.

Madeleine Kahn was an actress of stage and screen known for her roles in Mel Brooks' comedies such as Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety.

American singer and songwriter Carole King has written or co-written over 400 songs that have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists.

Fashion designer Calvin Klein is known for his line of menswear and womenswear. He also designs home collections, fragrances and cosmetics.

Best known as Enron business executive who was convicted of conspiracy and fraud. 20,000 Enron employees lost their jobs and life savings.

Singer Claudine Longet recorded seven albums from 1966 to 1972 and user her popularity to transition into an acting career. She murdered her boyfriend in 1976.

Taj Mahal is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music blends various folk traditions and was influential in the creation of the world music genre.

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

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.

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

Paul McCartney is a former member of the Beatles and one of the most popular solo performers of all time.

Tammy Faye Messner was the wife of disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker, with whom she hosted The 700 Club and the Praise the Lord Club. The couple split in 1992, after Jim Bakker's affair with a church secretary surfaced.

Graham Nash's vocals and songwriting talents helped make Crosby, Stills and Nash one of the most popular folk-rock bands of all time.

Michael Nesmith rose to fame as a member of the Monkees, a made-for-television group that turned into a real rock success story.

Huey P. Newton was an African-American activist best known for founding the militant Black Panther Party in 1966, along with co-founder Bobby Seale.

With a handful of hits to his credit, singer Wayne Newton has spent more than five decades as one of Las Vegas's most popular entertainers.

Lou Reed is a singer and guitarist best known as a co-founder of the influential rock group the Velvet Underground and as solo artist.

Charlie Rose is an American journalist who hosts the PBS interview show Charlie Rose. He has also held prominent broadcast roles at NBC and CBS.

Known for his fast and easy "wet-on-wet" painting technique, Bob Ross reached millions of art lovers with his popular television program The Joy of Painting.

Director Martin Scorsese has produced some of the most memorable films in cinema history, including the iconic Taxi Driver and Academy Award-winner The Departed.

Catherine Share, a member of Charles Manson's "Family," was not involved in the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders, but was implicated in lesser plots inspired by Manson.

Jean Shrimpton is known for being one of the world's first supermodels, the highest-paid model of the 1960s and the face of "Swinging London," as well as for popularizing the miniskirt.

Roger Staubach is a former NFL quarterback who led the Dallas Cowboys to win two Super Bowls. He’s also a businessman and sports commentator.

Barbra Streisand is the highest-selling female recording artist of all time, and has won awards and acclaim in every medium that she's worked in.

Andy Summers achieved international fame as the Grammy Award-winning guitarist of The Police, known for hits songs like "Message in a Bottle," "Every Breath You Take" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic."

As a member of the Monkees, Peter Tork achieved big pop music success in the 1960s, with such hits as "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville."

Paul Warren is a former professional American football wide receiver from Warren Ohio known for his grace on the field in the 1960s and 1970s.

Jeffrey Wigand became famous in the 1990s when he took public his knowledge that cigarette companies had tried to conceal the dangers of smoking.

Tammy Wynette was a Grammy Award-winning country music singer who recorded the hit "Stand By Your Man." She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

Casino resort developer Steve Wynn brought new life to the Las Vegas strip by renovating the Golden Nugget and opening The Mirage and The Bellagio.

Jacob Zuma was elected president of South Africa in 2009. In 2007, he won the presidency of the African National Congress, the country's leading political party.