Jerry Reed was an American musician and actor best known for his Grammy hit "When You're Hot, You're Hot," and for the film Smokey and the Bandit.
1937-2008
Lou Reed is a singer and guitarist best known as a co-founder of the influential rock group the Velvet Underground and as solo artist.
1942-
Dana Reeve was an actress and the wife of actor Christopher Reeve. She established and chaired the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.
1961-2006
1922-
American actor, director and producer Rob Reiner is best known for directing the classic hits Stand By Me (1996) and When Harry Met Sally (1989).
1947-
A leading Impressionist painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the most famous artists of the early twentieth century.
1841-1919
Ray Reyes is a former member of the Latin-pop boy band Menudo and has released a number of successful albums with the band Project M.
1970-
American track star Sanya Richards-Ross won Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008, as part of the U.S. 400-meter relay team, and went on to win gold in the women's 400 meters in 2012.
1985-
Born in London on February 21, 1946, this actor is best known for portraying memorable villains in films like Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Theives.
1946-
1913-2005
1918-1995
International R&B star Rihanna released her first album in 2005 and is known for such hits as "Umbrella," Pon de Replay," "SOS" and "Disturbia."
1988-
Basketball coach Patrick James Riley participated in both basketball and football, playing professionally with the San Diego Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
1945-
French actress Emmanuelle Riva first attracted international attention with the 1959 film Hiroshima Mon Amour. She later received an Academy Award nomination for 2012's Amour.
1927-
1960-
Robert II was king of Scotland from 1371 to 1390, and is best known for his largely ineffectual reign.
1316-1390
Known as the "King of Motown," Smokey Robinson founded the R&B group The Miracles, which delivered 37 Top 40 hits for Motown Records.
1940-
1888-1931
Fred Rogers is the much-loved host of the public television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran on PBS from 1968 to 2001.
1928-2003
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney made a run for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election, losing to John McCain. He made another run for the presidency in 2012, but was defeated by President Barack Obama.
1947-
American basketball player Rajon Rondo is an all-star point guard who led the Boston Celtics to the NBA championship in 2008.
1986-
Kevin Rose is an Internet entrepreneur, as well as the founder and CEO of Digg, a popular social news website.
1977-
Artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth became the king of California custom car culture in the 1950s and '60s with his Beatnik Bandit model and characters like Rat Fink.
1932-2001
American novelist and short-story writer Philip Roth is best known for his provocative explorations of Jewish and American identity.
1933-
1957-
Scottish Rob Roy, also known as Red MacGregor was the famous Scottish folk hero of the 18th century best known as the Scottish Robin Hood.
1671-1734
Pete Rozelle is a U.S. sports executive best known for helping to turn the National Football League into one of the most successful leagues in the world.
1926-1996
1963-
Mercedes Ruehl is an actress of Cuban and Irish descent. She won a Tony Award for Lost in Yonkers and an Oscar for The Fisher King.
1948-
Ja Rule is one of the biggest rappers from the early 2000s, known for hits like "Between Me and You," "Always on Time" and "Put It on Me."
1976-
Debra Jo Rupp is an actress who played Kitty on the TV sitcom That '70s Show, which ran from 1998 to 2006.
1951-
Actor Kurt Russell has appeared in a number of film roles and is know as long-time romantic companion to actress Goldie Hawn, mother of actress Kate Hudson.
1951-
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
Melissa Rycroft is known for her engagement and break-up on the 13th season of The Bachelor, and for winning 2012's Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars.
1983-
1847-1917
Antonio Sabato Jr. is an actor known for his roles on General Hospital, Melrose Place and Charmed. He has also modeled for Calvin Klein.
1972-
1892-1962
Bobby Sands was an Irish nationalist who led a hunger strike in prison in 1981. He was elected Member of Parliament during the strike and died May 5, 1981.
1954-1981
1941-
Augusta Savage is remembered as an artist, activist, and arts educator, serving as an inspiration to the many that she taught, helped, and encouraged.
1892-1962
Antonin Scalia is best known as an Associate Justice for the U.S. Supreme Court, appointed in 1986 by Ronald Reagan.
1936-
Mob boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo controlled Philadelphia's organized crime for many years, even from prison.
1929-
1937-
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher best known for his book The World as Will and Representation, and for his pessimistic views of human nature.
1788-1860
1934-
Charles Scribner co-founded the publishing house Baker & Scribner, which became Charles Scribner's Sons.
1821-1871
Seal is a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter with an international reach known for hits like "Crazy," "Kiss From a Rose" and "Love's Divine."
1963-
Neil Sedaka is an American singer-songwriter known for writing hits like "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Laughter in the Rain."
1939-
1893-1987
Throughout his career, cartoonist and writer Dr. Seuss published 60 children's books, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.
1904-1991
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel's 11th prime minister.
1928-
Kate Sheppard was a leader in the New Zealand women's suffrage movement, helping women gain the right to vote in New Zealand.
1847-1934
Claressa Shields is an American boxer who made her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in London in 2012, and took home an Olympic middleweight gold medal.
1995-
Dinah Shore was an award-winning television personality and singer known for her string of TV shows, including Dinah!, Dinah's Place, and Dinah and Friends.
1916-1994
Iconic mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel built the Flamingo casino in Las Vegas, igniting an era of glamour, gambling and gangsters in the desert.
1906-1947
1946-1974
1933-2003
1955-
American psychologist B.F. Skinner is best known for developing the theory of behaviorism, and for his utopian novel Walden Two (1948).
1904-1990
Writer Lemony Snicket became well-known for his series of children's novels, A Series of Unfortunate Events, featuring the Baudelaire siblings.
1970-
Dee Snider is best known as the lead singer of glam metal band Twisted Sister.
1955-
1918-2006
1824-1893
John Steinbeck was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist whose book The Grapes of Wrath portrayed the plight of migrant workers during the Depression.
1902-1968
Rudolf Steiner was a lecturer and founder of anthroposophy. His works attempted to find a synthesis between science and mysticism.
1861-1925
Jazz master Rex Stewart is best known for his work with the Duke Ellington orchestra. Duke Ellington arranged many of his pieces to showcase Stewart's talent.
1907-1967
American designer Gustav Stickley created the simple and functional Craftsman furniture that became highly popular in the early 20th century.
1858-1942
Actress Sharon Stone is most famous for her starring role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct. She won an Oscar nomination for her performance in Casino.
1958-
Dorothy Stratten was a Playboy model and actress before she was murdered at the age of 20.
1960-1980
Levi Strauss started an enduring fashion empire, which he launched by making one of the world's most durable and popular clothing items--the blue jeans.
1829-1902
Power-hitting outfielder Darryl Strawberry was one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1980s before his career was derailed by substance-abuse problems.
1962-
Jimmy Swaggart is a Pentecostal radio and television evangelist. He also recorded best-selling gospel albums before his career unraveled due to a scandal.
1935-
Comedian Wanda Sykes became famous for her intelligent, sometimes political, stand-up comedy and television appearances on shows including The New Adventures of Old Christine.
1964-
1952-
Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney made the pro-slavery ruling in the 1857 Dred Scot Case that deemed blacks weren't citizens of the United States.
1777-1864
Actress Elizabeth Taylor starred in films like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Butterfield 8, but was just as famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life.
1932-2011
1856-1915
1948-
1975-
1944-
American singer Rosetta Tharpe is credited with popularizing gospel music among secular audiences during the 1930s and '40s.
1915-1973
During the mid-1980s to early 1990s, actor Alan Thicke played one of television’s most beloved sitcom dads, psychiatrist Jason Seaver on Growing Pains.
1947-
Robin Thicke is a singer/songwriter and reality-television star known for major soul hits like "Lost Without U," "Magic" and "Sex Therapy."
1977-
1915-2007
Timbaland is a rapper and music producer known for smash hits like "Cry Me a River," "4 Minutes," "The Way I Are" and "Give It to Me."
1972-
1947-1996
Ivana Trump was once the glamorous wife of real estate mogul Donald Trump.
1949-
Shannon Tweed is an actress, a former Playboy Playmate of the Year and is married to KISS rocker, Gene Simmons.
1957-
Carrie Underwood was the winner of American Idol's fourth season and went on to win multiple Grammy and Academy of Country Music Awards.
1983-
Writer John Updike's works are known for their subtle depiction of American middle-class life. His popular Rabbit series earned him two Pulitzer prizes.
1932-2009
Hannah Van Buren was the wife of Martin Van Buren, the eighth U.S. president, but she died of tuberculosis 18 years before he took office.
1783-1819
Known for her fashion design and tumultuous personal life, actress, writer and artist Gloria Vanderbilt became an iconic figure in American popular culture during the 20th century.
1924-
Abe Vigoda has been a popular character actor in television and film for more than four decades. He landed his film break with a role in The Godfather.
1921-
20th century Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’s work, including Bachianas brasileiras, brought Brazilian folk motifs to American classical music.
1887-1959
Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th century composer who’s become one of the most renowned figures in European classical music.
1678-1741
1867-1940
David Foster Wallace was a writer known for his dense short stories, magazine articles and novels, most notably the 1,200-page Infinite Jest.
1962-2008
Wide receiver Hines Ward played his entire 14-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, helping lead the team to wins in Super Bowls XL and XLIII.
1976-
1891-1974
1946-