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Katharine Lee Bates
Scholar, Poet / 1859 - 1929
A professor and a poet, Katharine Lee Bates wrote the poem "America the Beautiful." Her poem became the lyrics to the popular American ballad still enjoyed today.
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(1859-1929)
Scholar, Poet
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Jerome Brudos
Serial Killer / 1939 - 2006
Jerome Brudos was a serial murderer and necrophile who murdered four women in Oregon during the 1960s. He was known as the "The Lust Killer" and "The Shoe Fetish Slayer."
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(1939-2006)
Serial Killer
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Marc Chagall
Illustrator, Painter / 1887 - 1985
Marc Chagall was a French artist whose work was generally based on emotional association rather than traditional pictorial fundamentals.
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(1887-1985)
Illustrator, Painter
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Arthur Crudup
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1905 - 1974
"The Father of Rock 'n Roll" Arthur Crudup (1905–1974) was an early electric guitarist and composer of blues standards "That's All Right" and "Rock Me Mama."
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(1905-1974)
Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
General, U.S. President, Journalist / 1890 - 1969
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the United States, promoted Atoms for Peace at the United Nations General Assembly in order to ease Cold War tensions.
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(1890-1969)
General, U.S. President, Journalist
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Eugène Ionesco
Playwright / 1909 - 1994
Playwright Eugène Ionesco's first “antiplay,” The Bald Soprano, inspired a revolution in dramatic techniques and helped inaugurate the Theatre of the Absurd.
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(1909-1994)
Playwright
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Janet Jagan
Activist, Nurse, World Leader, Prime Minister / 1920 - 2009
Janet Jagan co-founded the People's Progressive Party. She was the first woman to become prime minister of Guyana and was also Guyana’s first female president.
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(1920-2009)
Activist, Nurse, World Leader, Prime Minister
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Randall McCoy
Murderer / 1825 - 1914
In late 1800s, Randall McCoy and his kin engaged in a bitter and deadly dispute with another Appalachian family in the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.
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(1825-1914)
Murderer
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Robert Merle
Author / 1908 - 2004
Robert Merle was a French novelist who is best known for publishing war memoirs and novels inspired by English genres.
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(1908-2004)
Author
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Modest Mussorgsky
Songwriter / 1839 - 1881
Modest Mussorgsky was a 19th century Russian composer. His most famous works include "Night on Bald Mountain," "Boris Godunov" and "Pictures at an Exhibition."
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(1839-1881)
Songwriter
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Songwriter, Pianist / 1873 - 1943
Sergey Rachmaninov was a Russian musician known for his magnificent piano playing as well as his distinguished compositions and symphonies.
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(1873-1943)
Songwriter, Pianist
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Albert Ryder
Painter / 1847 - 1917
Albert Pinkham Ryder was a painter, whose seascapes, including Toilers of the Sea, reflect his feeling of helplessness against the forces of nature.
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(1847-1917)
Painter
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Earl Scruggs
Musician / 1924 - 2012
Earl Scruggs is a bluegrass musician who pioneered the Scruggs Style, a method of banjo playing.
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(1924-2012)
Musician
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Jim Thorpe
Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Boxer, Football Player, Hockey Player, Track and Field Athlete / 1888 - 1953
Jim Thorpe was a Native American professional football and baseball player, known for his all-around athleticism. He was a gold-medal runner at the 1912 Olympics.
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(1888-1953)
Baseball Player, Basketball Player, Boxer, Football Player, Hockey Player, Track and Field Athlete
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Peter Ustinov
Academic, Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Director, Radio Personality, Television Personality, Journalist, Playwright / 1921 - 2004
Peter Ustinov was an English actor, writer and director who is known for his Oscar-winning performances in Spartacus (1960) and Topkapi (1964).
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(1921-2004)
Academic, Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Director, Radio Personality, Television Personality, Journalist, Playwright
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Caspar Weinberger
Lawyer, Government Official / 1917 - 2003
Caspar Weinberger served in three U.S. presidential administrations. He was appointed Secretary of Defense after Reagan’s election in 1980.
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(1917-2003)
Lawyer, Government Official
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Virginia Woolf
Journalist, Author / 1882 - 1941
English Writer Virginia Woolf became famous for her nonlinear prose style, especially noted in her novels Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.
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(1882-1941)
Journalist, Author