s
-
Nancy Sinatra
Singer / 1940 -
Nancy Sinatra is an American singer best known as the daughter of Frank Sinatra and for her 1966 hit single These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.
See full bio
(1940-)
Singer
-
Richard E Smalley
Chemist / 1943 - 2005
Richard E. Smalley was an American chemist best known for discovering a new form of carbon, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
See full bio
(1943-2005)
Chemist
-
Adam Smith
Educator, Philosopher, Scholar, Economist, Political Scientist, Journalist / 1723 - 1790
Scottish social philosopher and political economist Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations and achieved the first comprehensive system of political economy.
See full bio
(1723-1790)
Educator, Philosopher, Scholar, Economist, Political Scientist, Journalist
-
Tommie Smith
Track and Field Athlete / 1944 -
African-American track and field star Tommie Smith broke both the Olympic and world records and won the 200-meter race in the 1968 Olympics.
See full bio
(1944-)
Track and Field Athlete
-
Leelee Sobieski
Film Actress, Television Actress / 1983 -
Actress Leelee Sobieski's debut film was the Disney comedy Jungle to Jungle. Shortly after, she landed her breakthrough role in Deep Impact.
See full bio
(1983-)
Film Actress, Television Actress
-
Sonia Sotomayor
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice / 1954 -
Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in US history.
See full bio
(1954-)
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice
-
Eliot Spitzer
U.S. Governor / 1959 -
Former governor Eliot Spitzer had a promising career until his frequent use of prostitutes was discovered, forcing him to resign.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1959-)
U.S. Governor
-
Maureen Stapleton
Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1925 - 2006
Maureen Stapleton was an American actress known primarily for her stage work in the plays of Tennessee Williams.
See full bio
(1925-2006)
Film Actress, Theater Actress
-
George Stephenson
Engineer, Inventor / 1781 - 1848
British engineer George Stephenson invented the locomotive and built the first version in
1825.
See full bio
(1781-1848)
Engineer, Inventor
-
Steve-O
Animal Rights Activist, Reality Television Star / 1974 -
Entertainer Steve-O is most famous for performing extreme stunts on the American TV series Jackass.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1974-)
Animal Rights Activist, Reality Television Star
-
Parker Stevenson
Television Actor / 1952 -
Parker Stevenson is best known for his role as Frank Hardy in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.
See full bio
(1952-)
Television Actor
-
Jerry Stiller
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian / 1927 -
Jerry Stiller is an actor and comedian known for his roles on Seinfeld and The King of Queens. He is the father of actors, Amy Stiller and Ben Stiller.
See full bio
(1927-)
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian
-
Carl Stokes
Lawyer, Mayor, News Anchor / 1927 - 1996
Carl Stokes served as the Cleveland, Ohio’s mayor from 1967 to 1971. He was one of the first African Americans to be elected mayor in a major U.S. city.
See full bio
(1927-1996)
Lawyer, Mayor, News Anchor
-
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Activist, Philanthropist, Author / 1811 - 1896
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an author and social activist best known for her popular anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
See full bio
(1811-1896)
Activist, Philanthropist, Author
-
Richard Strauss
Songwriter / 1864 - 1949
Richard Strauss was a leading German classical composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras best known for his operas Der Rosenkavalier and Salome.
See full bio
(1864-1949)
Songwriter
-
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
Songwriter, Conductor, Pianist / 1882 - 1971
Russian composer Igor Stravinsky wrote more than 100 works, including pieces for Les Sylphides, Firebird and Petrouchka, performed by the Ballet Russes.
See full bio
(1882-1971)
Songwriter, Conductor, Pianist
-
Meryl Streep
Film Actress / 1949 -
Award-winning actress Meryl Streep is a star of stage and screen, known for her work in such diverse films as The Deer Hunter, Adaptation, Mamma Mia! and Doubt.
See full bio
(1949-)
Film Actress
-
William Styron
Author / 1925 - 2006
Novelist William Styron won a Pulitzer Prize for The Confessions of Nat Turner and wrote Sophie’s Choice, the basis of an Academy Award-winning film.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1925-2006)
Author
-
Sukarno
World Leader / 1901 - 1970
Sukarno is best known as the first president of the Republic of Indonesia.
See full bio
(1901-1970)
World Leader
-
Hilary Swank
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Television Actress / 1974 -
Hilary Swank is an American actress who has won Academy Awards for her starring roles in the films Million Dollar Baby and Boys Don't Cry.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1974-)
Animal Rights Activist, Film Actress, Television Actress
t
-
Helen Taft
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, U.S. First Lady / 1861 - 1943
Helen Taft was a schoolteacher, political adviser and U.S. First Lady who was the wife of President William Howard Taft.
See full bio
(1861-1943)
Civil Rights Activist, Women's Rights Activist, U.S. First Lady
-
Jessica Tandy
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1909 - 1994
Jessica Tandy was an English-born U.S. actress well known for her role in Broadway's Foxfire and her Oscar-winning performance in the film Driving Miss Daisy.
See full bio
(1909-1994)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
-
Henry Ossawa Tanner
Painter / 1859 - 1937
Henry Ossawa Tanner was an American painter who frequently depicted biblical scenes and is best known for the paintings "Nicodemus Visiting Jesus," "The Banjo Lesson" and "The Thankful Poor." He was the first African-American painter to gain international fame.
See full bio
(1859-1937)
Painter
-
John Taylor
Bassist / 1960 -
Bassist John Taylor first rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of the internationally successful band Duran Duran.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1960-)
Bassist
-
Clarence Thomas
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice / 1948 -
Clarence Thomas is the second African-American justice to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed in 1991 and leans conservative.
See full bio
(1948-)
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice
-
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin of Largs
Physicist, Academic Author / 1824 - 1907
Lord Kelvin was an Irish physicist who developed a temperature scale based on absolute zero, named the Kelvin scale.
See full bio
(1824-1907)
Physicist, Academic Author
-
LaDainian Tomlinson
Football Player / 1979 -
LaDainian Tomlinson is an American professional gridiron football player who was one of the most productive running backs in NFL history.
See full bio
(1979-)
Football Player
-
Wolfe Tone
Military Leader, Political Leader / 1763 - 1798
Irish republican and rebel Wolfe Tone led a French military force to Ireland during the insurrection of 1798.
See full bio
(1763-1798)
Military Leader, Political Leader
-
Donald Trump
Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star / 1946 -
Donald Trump is a real estate mogul and billionaire. He is also owner of Trump Plaza and host of the NBC reality series, The Celebrity Apprentice.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1946-)
Entrepreneur, Reality Television Star
-
Alan Turing
Educator, Mathematician / 1912 - 1954
Famed mathematician Alan Turing proved in his 1936 paper, "On Computable Numbers," that a universal algorithmic method of determining truth in math cannot exist.
See full bio
(1912-1954)
Educator, Mathematician
-
Kathleen Turner
Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1954 -
Actress Kathleen Turner made her film debut in Body Heat and received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in Peggy Sue Got Married.
See full bio
(1954-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress
-
Mike Tyson
Boxer / 1966 -
Mike Tyson is a former heavyweight boxing champion who's served jail time and also appeared in several films.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1966-)
Boxer
u
-
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
v
-
James Van Der Zee
Photographer, Musician / 1886 - 1983
James Van Der Zee was a renowned, Harlem-based photographer known for his posed, storied pictures capturing African-American citizenry and celebrity.
See full bio
(1886-1983)
Photographer, Musician
-
Jim Varney
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian / 1949 - 2000
Comedic actor Jim Varney played his signature character Ernest P. Worrell in hundreds of commercials and five Disney films including Ernest goes to Camp (1987).
See full bio
(1949-2000)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian
-
Diego Velázquez
Painter / 1599 - 1660
Diego Velázquez was a 17th century Spanish painter who produced "Las Meninas" and many renowned portraits as a member of King Philip IV's royal court.
See full bio
(1599-1660)
Painter
-
Michael Vick
Football Player / 1980 -
Star Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's promising career has been tainted by illegal activities including involvement in an illegal dog-fighting ring.
See full bio
(1980-)
Football Player
-
Pancho Villa
Military Leader / 1878 - 1923
Pancho Villa was a top military leader of the Mexican Revolution whose exploits were regularly filmed by a Hollywood company.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1878-1923)
Military Leader
-
Johann Heinrich von Thünen
Economist / 1783 - 1850
Economist and agriculturalist Johann Heinrich von Thünen wrote about the relationship between commodity transportation costs and the location of production.
See full bio
(1783-1850)
Economist
w
-
Lana Wachowski
Activist, Filmmaker, Screenwriter / 1965 -
Lana Wachowski, along with brother Andy, is a producer, director and screenwriter known for The Matrix film trilogy, V for Vendetta and Cloud Atlas.
See full bio
(1965-)
Activist, Filmmaker, Screenwriter
-
Lindsay Wagner
Film Actress, Television Actress, Journalist / 1949 -
Lindsay Wagner is an actress and activist known for her portrayal of Jamie Sommers on TV's The Bionic Woman.
See full bio
(1949-)
Film Actress, Television Actress, Journalist
-
Mark Wahlberg
Film Actor, Rapper / 1971 -
Mark Wahlberg got his start headlining the musical group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, later going on to a modeling career and acting success in Hollywood.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1971-)
Film Actor, Rapper
-
Ralph Waite
Television Actor / 1928 -
Ralph Waite is an American actor whose most notable role was playing John Walton Sr. on the 1970s television series The Waltons.
See full bio
(1928-)
Television Actor
-
Jimmy Walker
Mayor / 1881 - 1946
Flamboyant mayor of New York City, Jimmy Walker was a frequenter of Broadway theater and upper-class speakeasies. His administration was marred by corruption.
See full bio
(1881-1946)
Mayor
-
LeRoy Walker
Coach / 1918 - 2012
LeRoy Walker was the first black coach of an American Olympic team and the first black president of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
See full bio
(1918-2012)
Coach
-
Vera Wang
Entrepreneur, Fashion Designer / 1949 -
Known for balancing modern designs with traditional elegance, Vera Wang is arguably the most prominent designer of bridal wear in America.
See full bio
(1949-)
Entrepreneur, Fashion Designer
-
Kurt Warner
Football Player / 1971 -
Professional football player Kurt Warner drove a high-powered St. Louis Rams offense to a Super Bowl victory, and collected MVP honors along the way.
See full bio
(1971-)
Football Player
-
Elizabeth Warren
Educator, Legal Professional, U.S. Representative, Government Official / 1949 -
Elizabeth Warren is a Democrat from Massachusetts who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. She previously worked as an assistant to President Barack Obama and helped design the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, among several other roles.
See full bio
(1949-)
Educator, Legal Professional, U.S. Representative, Government Official
-
J. Robin Warren
Medical Professional, Scientist / 1937 -
J. Robin Warren is a Nobel Prize-winning pathologist who, with Barry J. Marshall, identified the bacteria that causes ulcers.
See full bio
(1937-)
Medical Professional, Scientist
-
Martha Washington
U.S. First Lady / 1731 - 1802
Martha Washington was the wife of President George Washington and thus the original first lady of the United States.
See full bio
(1731-1802)
U.S. First Lady
-
André Watts
Pianist / 1946 -
André Watts is an award-winning, renowned pianist known for his virtuosic playing and rhapsodic interpretations of classical music greats.
See full bio
(1946-)
Pianist
-
Charlie Watts
Drummer / 1941 -
Charlie Watts is best known for playing drums as part of the famed rock 'n' roll group the Rolling Stones. He is also a noted jazz musician.
See full bio
(1941-)
Drummer
-
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Director, Producer / 1958 -
Comedian and actor Keenen Ivory Wayans hosted his own late night show, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show. His famous siblings are Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Kim.
See full bio
(1958-)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Director, Producer
-
Weegee
Photographer / 1899 - 1968
Weegee was a photographer noted for his gritty yet compassionate images of the aftermath of New York street crimes and disasters.
See full bio
(1899-1968)
Photographer
-
Dicky Wells
Musician / 1907 - 1985
Dicky Wells was a leading American jazz trombonist noted for his melodic creativity and expressive techniques.
See full bio
(1907-1985)
Musician
-
John Wesley
Philanthropist, Evangelist / 1703 - 1791
John Wesley was an Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and founder, with his brother Charles, of the Methodist movement in the Church of England.
See full bio
(1703-1791)
Philanthropist, Evangelist
-
Cornel West
Educator, Philosopher, Scholar, Civil Rights Activist, Academic Author / 1953 -
Cornel West is a scholar of African American studies, and political activist. He published Race Matters in 1993 and appeared in the Matrix sequels.
See full bio
(1953-)
Educator, Philosopher, Scholar, Civil Rights Activist, Academic Author
-
Dorothy West
Editor, Author / 1907 - 1998
Dorothy West is a writer remembered for her sharp observations of varied issues within the African American community.
See full bio
(1907-1998)
Editor, Author
-
Kanye West
Songwriter, Music Producer, Rapper, Singer / 1977 -
Kanye West is a Grammy-winning rapper and sought-after producer who is as well known for his outrageous statements as he is for his broad musical palette.
See full bio
(1977-)
Songwriter, Music Producer, Rapper, Singer
-
Samuel West
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Director / 1966 -
Samuel West is a British actor best known for his roles in the films Howards End, Notting Hill, Van Helsing and Hyde Park on Hudson.
See full bio
(1966-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Director
-
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Radio Talk Show Host, Television Personality, Journalist / 1928 -
Dr. Ruth Westheimer is one of the world's most recognized authorities on sex. She has delivered her advice on TV, radio and the web for decades and has written numerous books.
See full bio
(1928-)
Radio Talk Show Host, Television Personality, Journalist
-
Joss Whedon
Screenwriter / 1964 -
Joss Whedon is a writer and director best known as the creator of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
See full bio
(1964-)
Screenwriter
-
Charles Whitman
Murderer / 1941 - 1966
Charles Whitman was a former Marine and sniper who killed 16 people at the University of Texas in 1966.
See full bio
(1941-1966)
Murderer
-
George Dunton Widener
1861 - 1912
George Dunton Widener died during the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. He was a wealthy Philadelphia businessman.
See full bio
(1861-1912)
-
Alan Wilder
Songwriter, Pianist / 1959 -
British musician and producer Alan Wilder is best known as a keyboardist and songwriter for the band Depeche Mode. Wilder wrote songs like "The Great Outdoors," "The Landscape Is Changing" and "In Your Memory."
See full bio
(1959-)
Songwriter, Pianist
-
Billy Wilder
Director, Producer / 1906 - 2002
Billy Wilder is best known for the many films he directed and produced, like Some Like It Hot.
See full bio
(1906-2002)
Director, Producer
-
Gene Wilder
Actor, Comedian, Author / 1933 -
Actor Gene Wilder became a children's hero as the star of Mel Brook's film adaptation of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1933-)
Actor, Comedian, Author
-
Kendra Wilkinson
Model, Reality Television Star / 1985 -
Model Kendra Wilkinson was one of Hugh Hefner's Playboy girlfriends. She co-starred in the TV series The Girls Next Door about the Playboy Mansion.
See full bio
(1985-)
Model, Reality Television Star
-
Venus Williams
Tennis Player / 1980 -
Venus Williams rose from a tough childhood in Compton, Los Angeles to become a champion women's tennis player and four-time Olympic gold medalist.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1980-)
Tennis Player
-
Ann Wilson
Singer / 1950 -
Ann Wilson is best known as the vocalist for Heart, the rock band that became famous for songs like "Barracuda."
See full bio
(1950-)
Singer
-
Brian Wilson
Songwriter, Singer / 1942 -
Brian Wilson is one of the most influential songwriters in rock and roll history and the front man for the Beach Boys.
See full bio
(1942-)
Songwriter, Singer
-
Charlie Wilson
Military Leader, U.S. Representative, Spy / 1933 - 2010
Former congressman Charlie Wilson helped fund Afghanistan's resistance to the Soviet Union. His story was told in the book and film Charlie Wilson's War.
See full bio
(1933-2010)
Military Leader, U.S. Representative, Spy
-
Edward O. Wilson
Biologist / 1929 -
Edward O. Wilson is the world's foremost expert on ants, and proponent of sociobiology, which explores the genetic basis of social behavior.
See full bio
(1929-)
Biologist
-
Gretchen Wilson
Singer / 1973 -
Gretchen Wilson is best known for her successful country music albums Here for the Party and All Jacked Up.
See full bio
(1973-)
Singer
-
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
-
Ron Wood
Bassist, Songwriter, Guitarist / 1947 -
English rocker Ron Wood became the Rolling Stones' guitarist in the mid-1970s, and is now a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
See full bio
(1947-)
Bassist, Songwriter, Guitarist
-
Irene Worth
Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1916 - 2002
Irene Worth was an American and English actress, widely respected for her vast versatility. She was a leading actress on London and Broadway stages.
See full bio
(1916-2002)
Film Actress, Theater Actress
-
Frank Lloyd Wright
Architect / 1867 - 1959
Frank Lloyd Wright was a modern architect who developed an organic and distinctly American style. He designed numerous iconic buildings.
See full bio
(1867-1959)
Architect
y
-
William Butler Yeats
Playwright, Poet / 1865 - 1939
William Butler Yeats was one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.
See full bio
(1865-1939)
Playwright, Poet
-
Brigham Young
Missionary / 1801 - 1877
Brigham Young was an American Mormon leader and colonizer who significantly influenced the development of the American West.
See full bio
(1801-1877)
Missionary
-
Muhammad Yunus
Economist / 1940 -
Muhammad Yunus won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for founding the Grameen Bank, which provides poor Bangladeshis with micro loans and credit.
See full bio
(1940-)
Economist
z
-
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Basketball Player, Golfer, Track and Field Athlete / 1911 - 1956
Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1914–1956) was named "Woman Athlete of the Half Century" in 1950 for her skills in basketball, track & field, and golf.
See full bio
(1911-1956)
Basketball Player, Golfer, Track and Field Athlete
-
Zinedine Zidane
Soccer Player / 1972 -
One of soccer's all-time greats, Zinedine Zidane led France to victory at the 1998 World Cup, but was thrown out of the '06 Cup final for striking an opponent.
See full bio
(1972-)
Soccer Player