American Revolutionary Samuel Adams organized the Boston Tea Party and signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
1722-1803
Michael Crichton was an American author best known for his sci-fi and medical thrillers. The movie based on his book, Jurassic Park, was one of the highest-grossing films in history.
1942-2008
Barney Frank is the first U.S. Congressman to voluntarily announce his homosexuality. He is also known for his work on the 2008 American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act.
1940-
Al Franken is the junior senator of Minnesota who first gained notice as a comedian and political satirist during his long tenure on Saturday Night Live.
1951-
Merrick Garland is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. He supervised the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombing and Unibomber case.
1952-
William Randolph Hearst is best known for publishing the largest chain of American newspapers in the late 19th century, and particularly for sensational "yellow journalism."
1863-1951
1841-1935
John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, negotiated the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and initiated the Alliance for Progress. He was assassinated in 1963.
1917-1963
Known as the “Lion of the Senate,” Democrat Ted Kennedy was a staunch liberal who was elected to Congress 9 times, spearheading many legislative reforms.
1932-2009
1917-1977
1663-1728
Twice appointed the United States' poet laureate, Howard Nemerov was a writer with wit and illuminating irony.
1920-1991
Deval Patrick is governor of Massachusetts and the former U.S. assistant attorney general of civil rights.
1956-
1945-
John Roberts became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after he was nominated by George W. Bush in 2005.
1955-
A New York governor who became the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt is remembered for his foreign policy, corporate reforms and ecological preservation.
1858-1919