h
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Moe Howard
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Comedian / 1897 - 1975
Moe Howard was the leader of the vaudeville and film comedy team, The Three Stooges.
See full bio
(1897-1975)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Comedian
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Howlin' Wolf
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1910 - 1976
Howlin’ Wolf was a singer and musician famous for his Mississippi Delta style blues singing, guitar and harmonica playing, which he performed in Chicago clubs.
See full bio
(1910-1976)
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
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Helen Hunt
Film Actress, Television Actress / 1963 -
Helen Hunt in an Emmy and Academy Award-winning actress best known for her roles in the sitcom Mad About You and the film As Good As It Gets.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1963-)
Film Actress, Television Actress
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Robert Hunter
Musician / 1941 -
Robert Hunter is a writer and lyricist chiefly known for the songs he has written for the Grateful Dead.
See full bio
(1941-)
Musician
i
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Roy Innis
Civil Rights Activist, Political Leader / 1934 -
Roy Innis is an American Civil Rights Activist best known as the former National Chairman of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
See full bio
(1934-)
Civil Rights Activist, Political Leader
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Chris Isaak
Film Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Singer / 1956 -
Chris Isaak is a singer-singwriter and actor with several gold records and notable appearances in films by David Lynch, Jonathan Demme and John Waters.
See full bio
(1956-)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Songwriter, Singer
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Allen Iverson
Basketball Player / 1975 -
Allen Iverson was an NBA basketball player. He was Rookie of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers and was known for his rebellious, hip-hop style.
See full bio
(1975-)
Basketball Player
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Burl Ives
Film Actor, Singer / 1909 - 1995
Actor and singer Burl Ives recorded more than 100 albums during his lifetime. His hits include “Frosty the Snowman” and “The Blue Tail Fly.”
See full bio
(1909-1995)
Film Actor, Singer
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James Ivory
Director / 1928 -
James Ivory is an American film director who is well-known for pictures he made with Ismail Merchant, including A Room with a View and The Remains of the Day.
See full bio
(1928-)
Director
j
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Rachel Jackson
U.S. First Lady / 1767 - 1828
Rachel Jackson was the wife of President Andrew Jackson and is best known for the smears about her honor during her husband's election campaign.
See full bio
(1767-1828)
U.S. First Lady
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Randy Jackson
Bassist, Music Producer, Singer, Television Personality / 1956 -
Record producer and musician Randy Jackson is notable mostly as a judge on the talent-search TV show American Idol
.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1956-)
Bassist, Music Producer, Singer, Television Personality
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François Jacob
Biologist, Physiologist / 1920 -
Follow the discoveries of François Jacob on Biography.com. He won a Nobel Prize in Physiology for discoveries involving the regulatory activities of bacteria.
See full bio
(1920-)
Biologist, Physiologist
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Waylon Jennings
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1937 - 2002
Musical rebel Waylon Jennings is best remembered for helping to popularize a grittier and more rock-influenced style of ÂťoutlawÂť country music.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1937-2002)
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
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Derek Jeter
Baseball Player / 1974 -
Derek Jeter is a Major League Baseball Player with the New York Yankees and was a key factor in their 1990s World Series wins.
See full bio
(1974-)
Baseball Player
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Bobby Jindal
U.S. Governor / 1971 -
A rising star in the Republican Party, Bobby Jindal became the first Indian American to be elected governor in the United States in 2007.
See full bio
(1971-)
U.S. Governor
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Aaron Johnson
Film Actor / 1990 -
Actor Aaron Johnson has appeared in such films as Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy, Savages and Anna Karenina.
See full bio
(1990-)
Film Actor
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James Weldon Johnson
Scholar, Civil Rights Activist, Songwriter, Diplomat, Journalist / 1871 - 1938
James Weldon Johnson was an African-American writer, politician, educator and lawyer. He was also an early civil rights activist and leader of the NAACP.
See full bio
(1871-1938)
Scholar, Civil Rights Activist, Songwriter, Diplomat, Journalist
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Angelina Jolie
Activist, Film Actress, Director / 1975 -
Angelina Jolie is one of Hollywood's leading actresses, known for movies like Changeling and Salt as much as she is for her relationship with actor Brad Pitt.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1975-)
Activist, Film Actress, Director
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Mick Jones
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1955 -
English musician Mick Jones was a guitarist and singer for the punk rock band The Clash.
See full bio
(1955-)
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
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Tom Jones
Singer, Television Personality / 1940 -
Tom Jones is a Welsh rock, pop, blues and soul singing legend best known as a hit maker over the last five decades in the U.S. and U.K.
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| Watch video
(1940-)
Singer, Television Personality
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Ben Jonson
Playwright / 1572 - 1637
Playwright Ben Jonson (1572–1637) was a major force in Elizabethan and Jacobean theater, second only to William Shakespeare himself.
See full bio
(1572-1637)
Playwright
k
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Lech Kaczynski
World Leader / 1949 - 2010
Lech Kaczynski was a politician who served as president of Poland until his sudden death in a plane crash in 2010.
See full bio
(1949-2010)
World Leader
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Khloé Kardashian
Reality Television Star / 1984 -
Reality television personality Khloé Kardashian has starred on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Khloé and Lamar, Celebrity Apprentice and The X Factor.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1984-)
Reality Television Star
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Linda Kasabian
1949 -
Linda Kasabian was a member of Charles Manson's "Family," and became the prosecution's star witness at their 1970 trial.
See full bio
(1949-)
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Yasunari Kawabata
Author / 1899 - 1972
Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese writer whose melancholic lyricism echoes an ancient Japanese literary tradition in the modern idiom.
See full bio
(1899-1972)
Author
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Helen Keller
Educator, Activist, Journalist / 1880 - 1968
American educator Helen Keller overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf to become one of the 20th century's leading humanitarians, as well as co-founder of the ACLU.
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| Watch video
(1880-1968)
Educator, Activist, Journalist
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Minka Kelly
Actress / 1980 -
Minka Kelly is an American actress best known for her cheerleading role on the acclaimed TV series Friday Night Lights.
See full bio
(1980-)
Actress
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Ned Kelly
Criminal / 1855 - 1880
Australian outlaw Ned Kelly (1855–1880) was leader of the Kelly gang, notorious for robberies and police shootings in the 19th century.
See full bio
(1855-1880)
Criminal
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John Maynard Keynes
Economist, Journalist / 1883 - 1946
English economist, journalist and financier John Maynard Keynes is best known for his Keynesian economics, theories on the causes of prolonged unemployment.
See full bio
(1883-1946)
Economist, Journalist
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Ban Ki-moon
Diplomat / 1944 -
South Korean Ban Ki-moon was elected secretary-general of the United Nations in 2006.
See full bio
(1944-)
Diplomat
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Nicole Kidman
Film Actress / 1967 -
Academy Award–winning actress Nicole Kidman starred in Dead Calm, Moulin Rouge and The Hours, and was married to Tom Cruise for ten years.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1967-)
Film Actress
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Charles Kingsley
Priest, Writer / 1819 - 1875
Charles Kingsley was an English clergyman who wrote Hypatia. He debated mightily with John Henry Newman about the Anglican church's trend toward Catholicism.
See full bio
(1819-1875)
Priest, Writer
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Greg Kinnear
Actor / 1963 -
Greg Kinnear, the American actor, nominated for an Academy Award in the film As Good as It Gets, after starting his career on Talk Soup.
See full bio
(1963-)
Actor
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Alfred Kinsey
Anthropologist, Educator, Biologist, Zoologist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1894 - 1956
Biologist Alfred Kinsey wrote Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, which was based on research he and his colleagues conducted at the Institute for Sex Research.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1894-1956)
Anthropologist, Educator, Biologist, Zoologist, Academic Author, Journalist
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Heidi Klum
Actress, Model, Reality Television Star, Television Producer / 1973 -
Former supermodel Heidi Klum has produced and served as host and judge of Project Runway, a competitive reality television series about fashion designers.
See full bio
(1973-)
Actress, Model, Reality Television Star, Television Producer
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Jerzy Kosinski
Author / 1933 - 1991
Jerzy Kosinksi was a Polish-American novelist. He wrote Being There in 1971, which was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1979.
See full bio
(1933-1991)
Author
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Anna Kournikova
Tennis Player, Model, Reality Television Star / 1981 -
Anna Kournikova is a Russian professional tennis player, well known for her beauty. At her peak, she was one of the best known players worldwide.
See full bio
(1981-)
Tennis Player, Model, Reality Television Star
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Julia Kristeva
Educator, Literary Critic, Psychologist, Journalist, Author / 1941 -
Julia Kristeva is a psychoanalyst, critic and novelist, known for her writings in structuralist linguistics, psychoanalysis and philosophical feminism.
See full bio
(1941-)
Educator, Literary Critic, Psychologist, Journalist, Author
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Kris Kristofferson
Film Actor, Songwriter, Singer / 1936 -
Singer, songwriter, and actor Kris Kristofferson made it big with country songs like "Me and Bobby McGee" before starting his film career.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1936-)
Film Actor, Songwriter, Singer
l
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Susan La Flesche Picotte
Doctor / 1865 - 1915
DaSusan La Flesche Picotte was the first Native American female to become a physician in the United States. A member of the Omaha Reservation, she worked there as a physician until 1894.
See full bio
(1865-1915)
Doctor
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Robert M. La Follette
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, U.S. Representative, U.S. Governor / 1855 - 1925
Robert M. La Follette was an American Republican best known as a proponent of progressivism and a fierce opponent to corporate power.
See full bio
(1855-1925)
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, U.S. Representative, U.S. Governor
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Shia LaBeouf
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1986 -
Actor Shia LaBeouf played Even Stevens in the Disney film in Holes and later starred in the films Disturbia and Transformers.
See full bio
(1986-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Martin Landau
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1928 -
Actor Martin Landau has appeared in a number of successful films but is best known for his role on television series Mission: Impossible.
See full bio
(1928-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Karl Landsteiner
Immunologist / 1868 - 1943
Immunologist and pathologist Karl Landsteiner received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the major blood types.
See full bio
(1868-1943)
Immunologist
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Cyndi Lauper
Songwriter, Singer / 1953 -
Cyndi Lauper is a singer who rose to fame in the 1980s with a string of pop hits such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."
See full bio
| Watch video
(1953-)
Songwriter, Singer
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Hugh Laurie
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Comedian / 1959 -
Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Dr. Gregory on the TV show House made him famous in the U.S. For years prior, the comedian was making sitcoms in the U.K.
See full bio
(1959-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Comedian
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Henry Lawson
Author, Poet / 1867 - 1922
Henry Lawson was a revered Australian writer of short stories and poetry.
See full bio
(1867-1922)
Author, Poet
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Jean-Marie Le Pen
1928 -
Jean-Marie Le Pen is best known for being the founder of the Front National, a far-right wing political party in France, and for his polarizing xenophobic and anti-Semitic comments.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1928-)
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Leopold I
Emperor / 1640 - 1705
Leopold I was Holy Roman emperor during whose lengthy reign Austria emerged from a series of struggles to become a great European power.
See full bio
(1640-1705)
Emperor
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James Levine
Conductor, Pianist / 1943 -
James Levine is a renowned pianist, violinist and conductor who has served as music director of the Metropolitan Opera since 1971.
See full bio
(1943-)
Conductor, Pianist
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Richard Lewis
Actor, Comedian, Journalist / 1947 -
Angst-ridden and neurotic, Richard Lewis turned his private pain into a comic persona that served him as a standup comedian and versatile actor, adding author to his credits when he penned a memoir of struggling with sobriety.
See full bio
(1947-)
Actor, Comedian, Journalist
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Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Pilot, Journalist, Author / 1906 - 2001
Writer and aviation pioneer Anne Morrow Lindbergh was married to aviator Charles Lindbergh. The couple’s child was kidnapped for ransom and murdered in 1932.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1906-2001)
Pilot, Journalist, Author
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Little Eva
Singer / 1943 - 2003
Little Eva was a singer best known for the overnight stardom brought to her through her #1 smash "The Loco-Motion."
See full bio
(1943-2003)
Singer
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Richard Loeb
Murderer / 1905 - 1936
Richard Loeb, of Leopold and Loeb, is best known for murdering 14-year old Bobby Franks with Nathan Leopold in an attempt to carry out the 'perfect crime'.
See full bio
(1905-1936)
Murderer
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Frederick Loewe
Songwriter / 1901 - 1988
Frederick Loewe, along with collaborator Alan Jay Learner, composed several Broadway scores, including the now-famous songs in My Fair Lady.
See full bio
(1901-1988)
Songwriter
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Vince Lombardi
Coach / 1913 - 1970
Vince Lombardi was an NFL coach, notably for the Green Bay Packers, a team he led to five championships.
See full bio
(1913-1970)
Coach
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Jon Lord
Musician / 1941 - 2012
Jon Lord is best known for his membership in the hard-rock band Deep Purple in the late 1960s, performing songs like "Demon's Eye" and "Space Truckin'." He later joined the band Whitesnake, which gained wide fame in the 1980s.
See full bio
(1941-2012)
Musician
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Peter Lorre
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1904 - 1964
Hungarian actor Peter Lorre is most often cast as the sinister foreigner. His role as the serial killer in M was the beginning of his prolific acting career.
See full bio
(1904-1964)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Louis XII
King / 1462 - 1515
Louis XII was king of France from 1498 and was noted for his disastrous Italian wars and his domestic popularity.
See full bio
(1462-1515)
King
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Sidney Lumet
Director, Producer, Screenwriter / 1924 - 2011
Director Sidney Lumet was best known for his films Twelve Angry Men and Serpico. He made more than 40 films during his career.
See full bio
(1924-2011)
Director, Producer, Screenwriter
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Paul Lynde
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Game Show Host / 1926 - 1982
Actor Paul Lynde is best known for his work on the fledgling game show Hollywood Squares, where he worked for 15 years.
See full bio
(1926-1982)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Game Show Host
m
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Tobey Maguire
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1975 -
Tobey Maguire is an American actor and producer who is best known for his role as Peter Parker in the 2002-2007 Spiderman films.
See full bio
(1975-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Barry Manilow
Songwriter, Singer / 1943 -
Barry Manilow made the whole world sing with his 1970s hits "I Write the Songs," "Mandy" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)."
See full bio
(1943-)
Songwriter, Singer
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Thomas Mann
Journalist / 1875 - 1955
German novelist, short-story and essay writer Thomas Mann won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. One of his best-known novels is Death in Venice.
See full bio
(1875-1955)
Journalist
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Nancy Marchand
Actress / 1928 - 2000
Actress Nancy Marchand won Obie Awards for her stage work and Emmy Awards for her role on Lou Grant. She is also known for playing Livia on The Sopranos.
See full bio
(1928-2000)
Actress
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Erich Maria Remarque
Author / 1898 - 1970
Novelist Erich Maria Remarque wrote All Quiet on the Western Front, which is perhaps the best-known and most representative novel dealing with World War I.
See full bio
(1898-1970)
Author
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Jacques Marquette
Explorer / 1637 - 1675
French explorer Jacques Marquette is best known as the first European to see and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River.
See full bio
(1637-1675)
Explorer
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E.G. Marshall
Actor / 1914 - 1998
Actor E.G. Marshall starred on Broadway in the original runs of The Crucible and Waiting for Godot before becoming a film and TV star.
See full bio
(1914-1998)
Actor
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Dean Martin
Actor, Comedian, Singer / 1917 - 1995
Actor, singer Dean Martin starred in several films with Jerry Lewis and belonged to the "Rat Pack," which included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1917-1995)
Actor, Comedian, Singer
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Jerry Mathers
Television Actor / 1948 -
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.
See full bio
(1948-)
Television Actor
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James C. Maxwell
Academic, Physicist / 1831 - 1879
Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell originated the idea of electromagnetic radiation. His ideas formed the basis for quantum mechanics.
See full bio
(1831-1879)
Academic, Physicist
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Curtis Mayfield
Singer / 1942 - 1999
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.
See full bio
(1942-1999)
Singer
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Robert C. Maynard
Educator, Journalist / 1937 - 1993
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).
See full bio
(1937-1993)
Educator, Journalist
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Thabo Mbeki
Activist, World Leader / 1942 -
Thabo Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela as the president of South Africa, holding leadership for more than nine years.
See full bio
(1942-)
Activist, World Leader
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Paul McCartney
Animal Rights Activist, Songwriter, Singer / 1942 -
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.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1942-)
Animal Rights Activist, Songwriter, Singer
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Barbara McClintock
Botanist, Geneticist / 1902 - 1992
Scientist Barbara McClintock won a Nobel Prize in 1983 for her study of corn chromosomes, which revolutionized the field of cytogenetics.
See full bio
(1902-1992)
Botanist, Geneticist
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John McCormack
Singer / 1884 - 1945
Irish tenor John McCormack made his Italian debut in 1906. After his London debut, an international operatic career ensued, especially in the United States.
See full bio
(1884-1945)
Singer
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Hattie McDaniel
Film Actress / 1895 - 1952
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.
See full bio
(1895-1952)
Film Actress
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Bob McDonnell
Governor / 1954 -
Bob McDonnell, a prominent Republican politician, became governor of Virginia in 2010.
See full bio
(1954-)
Governor
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Frances McDormand
Film Actress / 1957 -
Actress Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her portrayal of a pregnant, Minnesotan policewoman in the Coen brothers’ film Fargo.
See full bio
(1957-)
Film Actress
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Ian McEwan
Author, Screenwriter / 1948 -
Ian McEwan is a British novelist known for his dark humor and perverse subject matter, notably found in his 2001 novel, Atonement (made into a film in 2007).
See full bio
(1948-)
Author, Screenwriter
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Ida McKinley
U.S. First Lady / 1847 - 1907
Ida McKinley was the wife of 25th U.S. President William McKinley. She served as first lady from 1897 until McKinley's assassination in 1901.
See full bio
(1847-1907)
U.S. First Lady
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Larry McMurtry
Author, Screenwriter / 1936 -
Writer Larry McMurtry is noted for his novels set on the frontier, in contemporary small towns, and in increasingly urbanized and industrial areas of Texas.
See full bio
(1936-)
Author, Screenwriter
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Robert S McNamara
Entrepreneur, Military Leader, Government Official / 1916 - 2009
Robert S. McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth U.S. Secretary of Defense. He is best known for helping lead the U.S. into the Vietnam War.
See full bio
(1916-2009)
Entrepreneur, Military Leader, Government Official
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James Meredith
Civil Rights Activist / 1933 -
James Meredith is a civil rights activist who became the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962.
See full bio
(1933-)
Civil Rights Activist
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Robert Merrill
Film Actor, Singer, Journalist / 1917 - 2004
Baritone Robert Miller was best known as a favorite of the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years, also appearing in orchestras, films and musical comedies.
See full bio
(1917-2004)
Film Actor, Singer, Journalist
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Lionel Messi
Children's Activist, Soccer Player / 1987 -
Argentina native Lionel Messi has established records for goals scored and won individual awards en route to worldwide recognition as the best player in soccer.
See full bio
(1987-)
Children's Activist, Soccer Player
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George Michael
Singer / 1963 -
Grammy award-winning pop singer George Michael was one of the leading performers in the 1980s. His 1987 album Faith won a Grammy for Best Album of the Year.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1963-)
Singer
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Phil Mickelson
Golfer / 1970 -
American athlete Phil Mickelson began golfing as soon as he could walk, and is now one of the foremost successful golfers in the world.
See full bio
(1970-)
Golfer
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George Mikan
Basketball Player, Lawyer / 1924 - 2005
Basketball player George Mikan won five NBA championships with Minneapolis. He was one of the tallest players and increased modern height expectations.
See full bio
(1924-2005)
Basketball Player, Lawyer
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John Everett Millais
Illustrator, Painter / 1829 - 1896
John Everett Millais was a 19th century English painter who co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
See full bio
(1829-1896)
Illustrator, Painter
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Franco Modigliani
Economist / 1918 - 2003
Economist Franco Modigliani won a Nobel Prize in 1985 for his research of household savings and financial markets.
See full bio
(1918-2003)
Economist
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Al Molinaro
Television Actor / 1919 -
American character actor Al Molinaro was loved by television audiences for his recurring roles on The Odd Couple and Happy Days.
See full bio
(1919-)
Television Actor
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Elizabeth Monroe
U.S. First Lady / 1768 - 1830
Elizabeth Monroe was popular in France as the wife of diplomat James Monroe. As first lady, her sophisticated style was often mistaken for aloofness.
See full bio
(1768-1830)
U.S. First Lady
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Marilyn Monroe
Film Actress, Pin-up / 1926 - 1962
Actress Marilyn Monroe overcame a difficult childhood to become of the world's biggest and most enduring sex symbols. She died of a drug overdose in 1962.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1926-1962)
Film Actress, Pin-up
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Joe Montana
Football Player / 1956 -
Professional football player Joe Montana lead the 49ers to victories in four Super Bowls during the 1980s, including consecutive wins in 1989 and 1990.
See full bio
(1956-)
Football Player
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Alanis Morissette
Film Actress, Television Actress, Songwriter, Singer / 1974 -
Canadian musician Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album Jagged Little Pill established her as one of alternative rock's foremost female vocalists of the 1990s.
See full bio
(1974-)
Film Actress, Television Actress, Songwriter, Singer
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Pat Morita
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1932 - 2005
Japanese-American actor Pat Morita became a beloved pop culture figure with his turn as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid movies.
See full bio
(1932-2005)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Nathan Morris
Singer / 1971 -
Nathan Morris founded the all-boy group Boyz II Men, whose members are known for their smooth-sounding harmonies as well as their slick dance performances.
See full bio
(1971-)
Singer
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Shirley Muldowney
Race Car Driver / 1940 -
Shirley Muldowney is recognized as one of the top professional car racers in the world, having earned the moniker "First Lady of Drag Racing."
See full bio
| Watch video
(1940-)
Race Car Driver