Sheldon Adelson developed COMDEX, a computer trade show, which made him a fortune and launched him into the casino resort business.
1933-
Entrepreneur Richard Branson launched Virgin Records in 1973. Today Virgin Group holds more than 200 companies in more than 30 countries.
1950-
People's sexiest man alive George Clooney is an Oscar-winning actor best known for playing Dr. Doug Ross on TV's ER and Danny Ocean in the Ocean's Eleven films.
1961-
Courteney Cox is an actress best known for her role on the hit TV series Friends and Cougar Town.
1964-
Matt Damon is an American actor and Academy Award-winning screenwriter for his work on Good Will Hunting. He plays Jason Bourne in the hit film series.
1970-
Actor and cultural icon James Dean starred in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. He was killed in a tragic car accident at age 24.
1931-1955
Michael Dell helped launch the personal computer revolution in the 1980s with the creation of the Dell Computer Corporation, now known as Dell Inc.
1965-
Charles Dickens was the well-loved and prolific British author of numerous works that are now considered classics.
1812-1870
Bob Dylan is a folk rock singer-songwriter whose career began in the early 1960s with songs that chronicled social issues like war and civil rights.
1941-
Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen and became one of the richest men in the world.
1955-
David Geffen is an ambitious, energetic music and movie executive who established a vast Hollywood-based empire, featuring Geffen Records and DreamWorks.
1943-
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
Guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix delighted audiences in the 1960s with his outrageous electric guitar playing skills and his experimental sound.
1942-1970
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He initiated World War II and oversaw fascist policies that resulted in millions of deaths.
1889-1945
Howard Hughes produced and directed movies in the '30s. He had a playboy lifestyle and love of aviation. After a plane accident in 1946, he became reclusive.
1905-1976
New Zealand native Peter Jackson is best known as a director for his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which has won 11 Oscars.
1961-
Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak. Under Job's guidance, the company pioneered a series of revolutionary technologies, including the iPhone and iPad.
1955-2011
Pop icon Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame included hits "Just Dance" and "Poker Face." Her follow-up, The Fame Monster, was nominated for six Grammys.
1986-
Count Dracula was Actor Bela Lugosi's most famous role. Lugosi played him in stage productions and in the 1931 Universal Pictures film Dracula.
1882-1956
Pop legend Madonna is known for her constant reinvention as a performer. Her biggest hits include "Papa Don't Preach," "Like a Prayer" and "Vogue."
1958-
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.
1926-1962
Danica Patrick is a female race car driver and has set several records for women drivers, including becoming the first woman to lead the Indy 500 and the first woman to win the pole position at the Daytona 500.
1982-
Actor and producer Brad Pitt is a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee and a two-time winner of People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" title (1995 and 2000.)
1963-
1968-
Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, forging a career as an award-winning singer and film actor.
1915-1998
Quentin Tarantino jolted onto the Hollywood scene with his screenplay for True Romance, before directing the early 1990s films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
1963-
John Travolta is a Golden Globe-winning actor whose breakout role was in "Saturday Night Fever." He had a career revival in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
1954-
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.
1977-
1959-
African-American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the 1950s and '60s.
1925-1965
Mark Zuckerberg is co-founder and CEO of the social-networking website Facebook, as well as one of the world's youngest billionaires.
1984-