b
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Florence Ballard
Singer / 1943 - 1976
Singer Florence Ballard formed The Supremes in 1961 with childhood friends Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. She sang on 16 different Top 40 hits.
See full bio
(1943-1976)
Singer
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Kristen Bell
Actress / 1980 -
Kristen Bell is an American actress known for her roles on TV's Veronica Mars and in such films as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat and Get Him to the Greek.
See full bio
(1980-)
Actress
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Sandra Bernhard
Actress, Comedian / 1955 -
Sandra Bernhard is an actress and stand-up comedian best known for her role on Roseanne and in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy.
See full bio
(1955-)
Actress, Comedian
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Ivan Boesky
Business Leader, White Collar Criminal / 1937 -
Ivan Boesky amassed a fortune of over $200 million in the 1980s before an insider trading scandal landed him with a $100 million fine and prison time.
See full bio
(1937-)
Business Leader, White Collar Criminal
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Sonny Bono
Singer, U.S. Representative / 1935 - 1998
Musician and politician Sonny Bono was once wed to singer Cher and in 1994 was elected to U.S. Congress as a representative from California.
See full bio
(1935-1998)
Singer, U.S. Representative
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Christie Brinkley
Children's Activist, Model / 1954 -
Model Christie Brinkley embodies the all-American look that dominated the fashion industry in the 1980s, during which she appeared on over 200 magazine covers.
See full bio
(1954-)
Children's Activist, Model
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Jerry Bruckheimer
Producer, Television Producer / 1945 -
Jerry Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer who brought audiences the film Top Gun and the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
See full bio
(1945-)
Producer, Television Producer
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Avery Brundage
Athlete / 1887 - 1975
Sports administrator Avery Brundage was president of the U.S. Olympic Association (1929-1953) and the International Olympic Committee (1952-1972).
See full bio
(1887-1975)
Athlete
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Ralph Bunche
Diplomat / 1904 - 1971
Ralph Bunche was a U.S. diplomat, a key member of the United Nations for more than two decades, and the winner of the 1950 Nobel Prize for Peace.
See full bio
(1904-1971)
Diplomat
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Ellen Burstyn
Actress / 1932 -
Actress Ellen Burstyn played the mother in The Exorcist and earned an Oscar for her role in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
See full bio
(1932-)
Actress
c
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Harry Callahan
Photographer / 1912 - 1999
Photographer Harry Callahan became famous for his innovative and unconventional perspectives on everyday objects and scenes.
See full bio
(1912-1999)
Photographer
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Ben Carson
Surgeon, Philanthropist, Journalist / 1951 -
Ben Carson overcame his troubled youth in inner-city Detroit to become a gifted neurosurgeon famous for his work separating conjoined twins.
See full bio
(1951-)
Surgeon, Philanthropist, Journalist
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Caryl Chessman
Criminal / 1921 - 1960
Caryl Chessman is best known for his controversial conviction for sex crimes and his execution in 1960.
See full bio
(1921-1960)
Criminal
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Alice Cooper
Film Actor, Singer, Radio Personality / 1948 -
Considered the Godfather of Shock Rock, singer Alice Cooper came to fame in the 1970s, alarming audiences with his garish, often ghoulish stage performances.
See full bio
(1948-)
Film Actor, Singer, Radio Personality
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Francis Ford Coppola
Director, Producer, Screenwriter / 1939 -
Director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola is best known for creating The Godfather film series starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.
See full bio
(1939-)
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
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Roger Corman
Actor, Director, Producer / 1926 -
Roger Corman is a film director and producer who helmed B-Movie classics and helped launch the careers of James Cameron, John Sayles, Ron Howard and others.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1926-)
Actor, Director, Producer
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Dave Coulier
Television Actor / 1959 -
Dave Coulier is a comedic actor who played Joey Gladstone on the long-running TV sitcom Full House.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1959-)
Television Actor
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Hawley Crippen
Murderer, Doctor / 1862 - 1910
Hawley Crippen became the first criminal to be caught with the aid of wireless communication when police arrested him in 1910 for murdering his wife.
See full bio
(1862-1910)
Murderer, Doctor
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Leon Frank Czolgosz
Assassin / 1873 - 1901
Leon Frank Czolgosz is known as the assassin who killed President William McKinley.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1873-1901)
Assassin
e
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Keith Ellison
Lawyer, U.S. Representative / 1963 -
Politician and U.S. congressman Keith Ellison broke new ground as the first black Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress from Minnesota.
See full bio
(1963-)
Lawyer, U.S. Representative
f
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Edna Ferber
Writer / 1885 - 1968
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Edna Ferber wrote books and plays that became movies like Show Boat, Giant, and Stage Door.
See full bio
(1885-1968)
Writer
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Dann Florek
Television Actor / 1950 -
Dann Florek is an actor who once had a lead role on Law & Order and later on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
See full bio
(1950-)
Television Actor
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Henry Ford
Entrepreneur / 1863 - 1947
One of America's foremost industrialists, Henry Ford revolutionized assembly-line modes of production for the automobile.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1863-1947)
Entrepreneur
g
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Berry Gordy Jr.
Entrepreneur / 1929 -
Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records, the most successful black owned music company in the history of the United States.
See full bio
(1929-)
Entrepreneur
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David Alan Grier
Actor, Comedian / 1956 -
Actor and comedian David Alan Grier is an accomplished Broadway and film actor who rose to fame as a cast member of the TV sketch-comedy show In Living Color.
See full bio
(1956-)
Actor, Comedian
h
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Bill Haley
Singer / 1925 - 1981
Bill Haley is best known for singing the one of the earliest rock and roll songs, "Rock Around the Clock".
See full bio
(1925-1981)
Singer
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Charles Hamilton
Entrepreneur, Writer / 1914 - 1996
Charles Hamilton was an autograph dealer, handwriting expert and author of works like Great Forgers and Famous Fakes.
See full bio
(1914-1996)
Entrepreneur, Writer
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Julie Harris
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1925 -
Film, stage and television actress Julie Harris rose to stardom through her roles in The Member of the Wedding (1950), The Lark (1955), and other plays.
See full bio
(1925-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
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Robert Hayden
Poet / 1913 - 1980
Robert Hayden was an African-American poet and professor who is best known as the author of poems, including “Those Winter Sundays” and “The Middle Passage.”
See full bio
(1913-1980)
Poet
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Tom Hayden
Animal Rights Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Political Leader / 1939 -
Tom Hayden is a political activist and writer who served in the California State Assembly and State Senate. He is also the former husband of actress Jane Fonda.
See full bio
(1939-)
Animal Rights Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Political Leader
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Tippi Hedren
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Television Actress / 1930 -
Film and television actress Tippi Hedren was discovered by director Alfred Hitchcock and starred in two of his best known films, The Birds and Marnie.
See full bio
(1930-)
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Television Actress
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A.D. Hershey
Biologist / 1908 - 1997
American biologist A.D. Hershey won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1969 for his research done on viruses that infect bacteria.
See full bio
(1908-1997)
Biologist
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John Hughes
Director, Producer, Screenwriter / 1950 - 2009
Film director and screenwriter John Hughes directed a string of hit teen films, including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.
See full bio
(1950-2009)
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
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Betty Hutton
Film Actress, Singer / 1921 - 2007
A popular film actress of the 1940s and 1950s, Betty Hutton starred in such films as Annie Get Your Gun and Greatest Show on Earth.
See full bio
(1921-2007)
Film Actress, Singer
j
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Milton Jackson
Musician / 1923 - 1999
Milt Jackson was an African-American jazz musician, the first and most influential vibraphone improviser of the postwar, modern jazz era.
See full bio
(1923-1999)
Musician
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Ken Jeong
Actor, Comedian / 1969 -
Ken Jeong is a Korean-American actor, comedian and physician, best known for his role as the comedic gangster Leslie Chow in The Hangover film franchise.
See full bio
(1969-)
Actor, Comedian
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Magic Johnson
Basketball Player, Entrepreneur / 1959 -
For 12 years, Earvin "Magic" Johnson dominated the court as one of America's best basketball players. In 1991, he announced that he had the AIDS virus.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1959-)
Basketball Player, Entrepreneur
k
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Andrew Kehoe
Mass Murderer / 1872 - 1927
Andrew Kehoe was a mass murderer who went on a 1927 killing spree that included dynamiting the Bath, Michigan Consolidated School, killing 37 children.
See full bio
(1872-1927)
Mass Murderer
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W.K. Kellogg
Business Leader, Philanthropist / 1860 - 1951
W.K. Kellogg founded the Kellogg Company, which makes cereal products that have become popular around the world.
See full bio
(1860-1951)
Business Leader, Philanthropist
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Jack Kevorkian
Doctor / 1928 - 2011
Jack Kevorkian was a U.S.-based physician who assisted in patient suicides, sparking increased talk on hospice care and "right to die" legislative action.
See full bio
(1928-2011)
Doctor
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Anthony Kiedis
Singer / 1962 -
Anthony Kiedis is the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their 1991 alternative rock album BloodSugarSexMagik sold more than 4 million copies.
See full bio
(1962-)
Singer
l
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Tim LaHaye
Pastor, Author / 1926 -
Tim LaHaye is an evangelical Christian minister who helped found the Moral Majority and co-wrote the best-selling Left Behind series.
See full bio
(1926-)
Pastor, Author
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Taylor Lautner
Actor / 1992 -
Taylor Lautner is an American actor who portrayed Jacob Black in the Twilight movie series, based on the books by Stephenie Meyer.
See full bio
(1992-)
Actor
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Matthew Lillard
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1970 -
Matthew Lillard is an American actor who became popular in the 1990s. He starred in Wes Craven's Scream.
See full bio
(1970-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Charles Lindbergh
Inventor, Pilot, Writer / 1902 - 1974
Aviator Charles Lindbergh became famous for making the first solo transatlantic airplane flight in 1927.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1902-1974)
Inventor, Pilot, Writer
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James Lipton
Educator, Actor, Radio Talk Show Host, Television Producer, Writer / 1926 -
Actor, writer and producer James Lipton founded the Actors Studio Drama School and has hosted Bravo TV's Inside the Actors Studio since 1994.
See full bio
(1926-)
Educator, Actor, Radio Talk Show Host, Television Producer, Writer
m
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Madonna
Film Actress, Singer / 1958 -
Pop legend Madonna is known for her constant reinvention as a performer. Her biggest hits include "Papa Don't Preach," "Like a Prayer" and "Vogue."
See full bio
| Watch video
(1958-)
Film Actress, Singer
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Lee Majors
Television Actor / 1939 -
Actor Lee Majors achieved stardom through a variety of popular TV series, including The Big Valley, The Fall Guy and The Six Million Dollar Man.
See full bio
(1939-)
Television Actor
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Floyd Mayweather
Boxer / 1977 -
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.
See full bio
(1977-)
Boxer
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Ed McMahon
Comedian, Game Show Host / 1923 - 2009
Ed McMahon was the announcer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, made famous through his banter and his opening introduction, 'Heeeere's Johnny!'
See full bio
(1923-2009)
Comedian, Game Show Host
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S. Epatha Merkerson
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1952 -
S. Epatha Merkerson is an Emmy-Award-winning actress who’s starred on the TV series Law & Order for 17 years.
See full bio
(1952-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
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Warith Deen Mohammed
Religious Leader / 1933 - 2008
Warith Deen Mohammed was a religious leader and son and successor of Elijah Muhammad as head of the Nation of Islam, which he reformed.
See full bio
(1933-2008)
Religious Leader
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Michael Moore
Anti-War Activist, Comedian, Director, Television Personality / 1954 -
Michael Moore is a documentary filmmaker and satirist. His debut film was Roger & Me which became the highest-grossing American documentary of the time.
See full bio
(1954-)
Anti-War Activist, Comedian, Director, Television Personality
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Michael Moriarty
Theater Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Pianist / 1941 -
Michael Moriarty is an Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor best known for his role as Executive District Attorney Ben Stone on Law & Order.
See full bio
(1941-)
Theater Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Pianist
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Frank Murphy
Supreme Court Justice, Mayor / 1890 - 1949
Frank Murphy served as associate justice of the Supreme Court from 1940 to 1949. He established the Civil Rights Unit of the Department of Justice.
See full bio
(1890-1949)
Supreme Court Justice, Mayor
n
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Terry Nichols
Terrorist / 1955 -
Terry Nichols was one of the conspirators of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.
See full bio
(1955-)
Terrorist
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Ted Nugent
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1948 -
Ted Nugent fronted the band Amboy Dukes in the 1970s. He has produced solo work since 1977, including the successful album Cat Scratch Fever.
See full bio
(1948-)
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
o
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Kevin O'Connor
Entrepreneur / 1961 -
Business leader and entrepreneur Kevin O'Connor is a co-founder and the CEO of the internet advertising technology company DoubleClick.
See full bio
(1961-)
Entrepreneur
p
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Larry Page
Entrepreneur, Engineer / 1973 -
Internet entrepreneur and computer scientist Larry Page teamed up with grad school buddy Sergey Brin to launch a little search engine called Google in 1998.
See full bio
(1973-)
Entrepreneur, Engineer
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Iggy Pop
Drummer, Guitarist, Singer / 1947 -
Considered by many to be one of the pioneers of punk music, Iggy Pop is known for his wild stage antics and the hit song "Real Wild Child."
See full bio
(1947-)
Drummer, Guitarist, Singer
r
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Gilda Radner
Television Actress, Comedian / 1946 - 1989
Gilda Radner was an award-winning actress and comedian known for her work on Saturday Night Live. She was married to fellow comedian Gene Wilder.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1946-1989)
Television Actress, Comedian
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Sam Raimi
Director, Producer / 1959 -
Sam Raimi has directed some of Hollywood's scariest movies and biggest blockbusters, such as Evil Dead 2 and Spider-man.
See full bio
(1959-)
Director, Producer
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Elizabeth Reaser
Actress / 1975 -
Elizabeth Reaser is an American actress best known for her roles on the show Grey's Anatomy and in the Twilight film series.
See full bio
(1975-)
Actress
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Della Reese
Television Actress, Singer / 1931 -
Della Reese is a singer and actress known for her gospel talents and for her role on TV's Touched by an Angel.
See full bio
(1931-)
Television Actress, Singer
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Burt Reynolds
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1936 -
Burt Reynolds starred in movies in the 1970s and '80s. His role in the film Boogie Nights earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1936-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Smokey Robinson
Singer / 1940 -
Known as the "King of Motown," Smokey Robinson founded the R&B group The Miracles, which delivered 37 Top 40 hits for Motown Records.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1940-)
Singer
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Kid Rock
Guitarist, Rapper, Singer / 1971 -
When it came to musician Kid Rock, record labels weren't quite sure how to promote a white rapper who blended heavy metal and country rock.
See full bio
(1971-)
Guitarist, Rapper, Singer
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Theodore Roethke
Poet / 1908 - 1963
Poet and professor Theodore Roethke was best known for winning the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for his poetry volume The Wakening. His other works include "Open House" and "The Far Field."
See full bio
(1908-1963)
Poet
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Ann Romney
Activist / 1949 -
Ann Romney is the former first lady of Massachusetts and the wife of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
See full bio
(1949-)
Activist
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Mitt Romney
Governor / 1947 -
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney made a run for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election, losing to John McCain. He made another run for the presidency in 2012, but was defeated by President Barack Obama.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1947-)
Governor
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Diana Ross
Actress, Singer / 1944 -
Singer and actress Diana Ross was part of the 1960s trio the Supremes as well as a solo artist, and starred in such films as Lady Sings the Blues and The Wiz.
See full bio
(1944-)
Actress, Singer
s
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Steven Seagal
Activist, Film Actor, Martial Arts Expert, Police Officer, Producer, Musician, Philanthropist, Reality Television Star / 1951 -
Actor Steven Seagal makes popular action movies such as the 1998 hit Under Siege. He studied martial arts in Asia and opened an academy in the U.S.
See full bio
(1951-)
Activist, Film Actor, Martial Arts Expert, Police Officer, Producer, Musician, Philanthropist, Reality Television Star
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Bob Seger
Guitarist, Singer / 1945 -
Bob Seger is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who achieved great popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.
See full bio
(1945-)
Guitarist, Singer
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Tom Selleck
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1945 -
Tom Selleck is an actor best known for portraying Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television series Magnum, P.I., and for films including Three Men and a Baby.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1945-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Betty Shabazz
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Nurse / 1934 - 1997
Betty Shabazz is best known as the wife of African-American nationalist leader Malcolm X, who was assassinated in New York City in 1965.
See full bio
(1934-1997)
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, Nurse
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Claressa Shields
Boxer / 1995 -
Claressa Shields is an American boxer who made her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in London in 2012, and took home an Olympic middleweight gold medal.
See full bio
(1995-)
Boxer
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Norman Shumway
Surgeon / 1923 - 2006
Surgeon Norman Shumway performed the first human heart transplant in 1968.
See full bio
(1923-2006)
Surgeon
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David Spade
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1964 -
Comedian and actor David Spade is know for his dry humor, as displayed on Saturday Night Live and in films such as Tommy Boy and Joe Dirt.
See full bio
(1964-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Potter Stewart
Civil Rights Activist, Judge, Government Official / 1915 - 1985
Potter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 - 1981. He is best known for his contributions to criminal justice reform.
See full bio
(1915-1985)
Civil Rights Activist, Judge, Government Official
t
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Marlo Thomas
Television Actress / 1937 -
Actress Marlo Thomas starred on the 1970s television hits That Girl and Free to Be...You and Me. She is married to Phil Donahue.
See full bio
(1937-)
Television Actress
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Lily Tomlin
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress, Comedian, Writer / 1939 -
Lily Tomlin is an actress and comedian known for roles on TV shows such as Laugh-In and films such as Nashville.
See full bio
(1939-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress, Comedian, Writer
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Verne Troyer
Film Actor, Reality Television Star / 1969 -
Verne Troyer first came to fame as Mini-Me in the popular 1999 comedy Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me with Mike Myers.
See full bio
(1969-)
Film Actor, Reality Television Star
u
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Kate Upton
Actor, Model / 1992 -
Kate Upton is known for her appearances in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue in 2011 and 2012, and on the July 2012 cover of GQ magazine. She's also known for a popular video of her provocatively dancing to the Rej3ctz's song, "Cat Daddy."
See full bio
(1992-)
Actor, Model
w
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Robert Wagner
Film Actor, Television Actor, Television Personality / 1930 -
Robert Wagner is an American film and television actor known for his popularity in numerous television series and most recently, in the Austin Powers films.
See full bio
(1930-)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Television Personality
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Jack White
Guitarist, Singer / 1975 -
Jack White is best known for singing and playing guitar with Meg White in the band the White Stripes.
See full bio
(1975-)
Guitarist, Singer
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Meg White
Singer / 1974 -
Meg White is best known a member of the musical duo, The White Stripes.
See full bio
(1974-)
Singer
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Serena Williams
Tennis Player / 1981 -
American professional tennis player Serena Williams has won 27 Grand Slam titles, including five Wimbledon and five Australian Open championships, and several Olympic gold medals.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1981-)
Tennis Player
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Jackie Wilson
Singer / 1934 - 1984
Jackie Wilson was a dynamic and powerful soul performer during 1960s who successfully crossed over from the rhythm-and-blues charts to pop music.
See full bio
(1934-1984)
Singer
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Stevie Wonder
Songwriter, Pianist, Singer / 1950 -
Stevie Wonder is an American musician and a former child prodigy who became one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. His hit songs include "Living in the City," "Boogie on a Reggae Woman" and "Isn't She Lovely."
See full bio
| Watch video
(1950-)
Songwriter, Pianist, Singer
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Aileen Wuornos
Serial Killer / 1956 - 2002
An abused child who later earned her living as a sex worker, Aileen Wuornos was found guilty of killing six men and was later executed in a Florida prison.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1956-2002)
Serial Killer