Sheldon Adelson developed COMDEX, a computer trade show, which made him a fortune and launched him into the casino resort business.
1933-
Woody Allen is an American comedian, filmmaker and writer who directed and starred in two of his most famous films, Annie Hall and Manhattan.
1935-
Broadway playwright Pddy Chayefsky picked up two Academy Awards for his films The Hospital and Network.
1923-1981
Actor Lee J. Cobb had roles in some eighty movies. Despite his success in Hollywood, he was probably most proud of his stage work in Death of a Salesman.
1911-1976
1882-1965
Actor Ben Gazzara starred in the Broadway debut of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and in films such as 1998's The Big Lebowski.
1930-
Lyricist Ira Gershwin wrote for popular musicals like Porgy and Bess in the 1920s and '30s. He was in the first writing team to win a Pulitzer for songwriting.
1896-1983
1951-
Ed Koch was an outspoken attorney, author and media commentator who was the mayor of New York City from 1977 to 1989.
1924-2013
Actor Len Lesser played Uncle Leo on the sitcom Seinfeld. He also co-starred with Hollywood legends Steve McQueen, Robert DeNiro and Clint Eastwood.
1922-2011
Colin Powell was the first African American appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State, and the first, and so far the only, to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
1937-
A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and social activist who fought for the rights of African-American laborers, including better wages and working conditions.
1889-1979
Faith Ringgold is an American artist and author who became famous for innovative, quilted narrations like Tar Beach that communicate her political beliefs.
1930-
Bayard Rustin was a civil rights organizer and activist, best known for his work as adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and '60s.
1912-1987
Jonas Salk was an American physician and medical researcher who developed the first safe and effective vaccine for polio.
1914-1995
Poet, novelist and short-story writer Jean Toomer was a major figure during the Harlem Renaissance. He is best known for his first book, Cane.
1894-1967