1953-
Dorothy West is a writer remembered for her sharp observations of varied issues within the African American community.
1907-1998
Jerry West is a former basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers who went on to become the team’s head coach and general manager.
1938-
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-
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.
1966-
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.
1928-
Actress Lisa Whelchel co-starred in the popular 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life.
1963-
T.H. White was an English writer known for his novel series about King Arthur, The Once and Future King.
1906-1964
Walt Whitman was an American poet whose verse collection Leaves of Grass is a landmark in the history of American literature.
1819-1892
1861-1912
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."
1959-
Actor Gene Wilder became a children's hero as the star of Mel Brook's film adaptation of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
1933-
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.
1985-
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.
1980-
1958-
1949-
Ann Wilson is best known as the vocalist for Heart, the rock band that became famous for songs like "Barracuda."
1950-
1942-
1933-2010
1929-
1934-1984
Actor Paul Winfield was best known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper in the film Sounder, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.
1939-2004
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.
1947-
1915-
Frank Lloyd Wright was a modern architect who developed an organic and distinctly American style. He designed numerous iconic buildings.
1867-1959
Iannis Xenakis was a Greek avant-garde composer of electronic music and musique concrete.
1922-2001
One-third of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, Peter Yarrow co-wrote and sang hits like "Puff the Magic Dragon." He is now a social and political activist.
1938-
William Butler Yeats was one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.
1865-1939
Brigham Young was an American Mormon leader and colonizer who significantly influenced the development of the American West.
1801-1877
1918-1997