p
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Andrea Palladio
Architect, Journalist / 1508 - 1580
Andrea Palladio was an influential Classical Italian architect in the 1500s.
See full bio
(1508-1580)
Architect, Journalist
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Eddie Palmieri
Songwriter, Pianist / 1936 -
Famed pianist and composer Eddie Palmieri won nine Grammy Awards throughout his career, for albums like The Sun of Latin Music, Solito and Masterpiece.
See full bio
(1936-)
Songwriter, Pianist
-
Nick Park
Artist, Filmmaker / 1958 -
Nick Park is the animator and clay artist behind Aardman Animations' Wallace and Gromit adventures, as well as the Oscar-winning Creature Comforts.
See full bio
(1958-)
Artist, Filmmaker
-
Sean Parker
Entrepreneur / 1979 -
Sean Parker is an entrepreneur who co-founded the music file-sharing service Napster and was the founding president of Facebook.
See full bio
(1979-)
Entrepreneur
-
Gordon Parks
Photographer, Director, Songwriter, Pianist, Writer / 1912 - 2006
Gordon Parks was an African-American photographer, filmmaker and author, best known for his work published in LIFE magazine and for directing the hit movie Shaft.
See full bio
(1912-2006)
Photographer, Director, Songwriter, Pianist, Writer
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Ann Patchett
Journalist, Author / 1963 -
Ann Patchett is an American novelist best known for her PEN/Faulkner Award-winning novel Bel Canto.
See full bio
(1963-)
Journalist, Author
-
Joe Paterno
Coach, Football Player / 1926 - 2012
As head football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Joe Paterno was one of the most successful coaches in the history of collegiate football.
See full bio
(1926-2012)
Coach, Football Player
-
John Patterson
Entrepreneur / 1844 - 1922
John Patterson was an American manufacturer who helped popularize the modern cash register by means of aggressive and innovative sales techniques.
See full bio
(1844-1922)
Entrepreneur
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Tim Pawlenty
Lawyer, Governor / 1960 -
Attorney and politician Tim Pawlenty is a former Republican Minnesota state senator, and served as governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2009.
See full bio
(1960-)
Lawyer, Governor
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Philip V
Political Leader, King / 1683 - 1746
Philip V was the King of Spain twice, from 1700 - 1746. He is best known for helping Spain to regain it's former influence in international affairs.
See full bio
(1683-1746)
Political Leader, King
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Stone Phillips
News Anchor / 1954 -
Stone Phillips is a television personality and reporter, best known as the host of Dateline NBC and guest host for other NBC shows.
See full bio
(1954-)
News Anchor
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Wendell Phillips
Civil Rights Activist / 1811 - 1884
Wendell Phillips was a Boston lawyer who gave up his practice to devote his life to fighting for the abolition of slavery.
See full bio
(1811-1884)
Civil Rights Activist
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Edith Piaf
Singer / 1915 - 1963
Édith Piaf, also known as “The Little Sparrow,” was a French singer who became an icon of France during World War II.
See full bio
(1915-1963)
Singer
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Franklin Pierce
Military Leader, U.S. President, U.S. Representative / 1804 - 1869
Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, prompting a bloody conflict over Kansas' slavery status.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1804-1869)
Military Leader, U.S. President, U.S. Representative
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Augusto Pinochet
General, Dictator / 1915 - 2006
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Allende government in 1973 and stayed in power until 1998. He was never tried for alleged human rights abuses.
See full bio
(1915-2006)
General, Dictator
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Oscar Pistorius
Track and Field Athlete / 1986 -
Oscar Pistorius, the "Blade Runner," is a South African sprint runner who became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics in 2012. In 2013, Pistorius admitted to shooting and killing his girlfriend, South African model Reeva Steenkamp.
See full bio
(1986-)
Track and Field Athlete
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Thomas Pitera
Organized Crime Boss / 1954 -
Mobster Thomas Pitera was a hitman for the Gambino and Bonanno organized crime families. Notorious for his brutal crimes, he is nicknamed “The Butcher.”
See full bio
(1954-)
Organized Crime Boss
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Brad Pitt
Film Actor / 1963 -
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.)
See full bio
| Watch video
(1963-)
Film Actor
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Christopher Plummer
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1929 -
Regarded as one of the most brilliant Canadian actors of his generation, Christopher Plummer played Captain Von Trapp in the 1965 movie The Sound of Music.
See full bio
(1929-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Carlo Ponti
Producer / 1912 - 2007
Carlo Ponti produced more than 150 films, including La strada, War and Peace and Doctor Zhivago. He discovered and was married to actress Sophia Loren.
See full bio
(1912-2007)
Producer
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Ricky Ponting
Athlete / 1974 -
Australian Ricky Ponting is considered by many to be one of Australia's finest cricketers of the modern era.
See full bio
(1974-)
Athlete
-
Pope Francis
Pope / 1936 -
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1936-)
Pope
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Rob Portman
U.S. Representative / 1955 -
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio is an influential Republican politician who served as President George W. Bush's budget chief from 2006 to 2007.
See full bio
(1955-)
U.S. Representative
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Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
Civil Rights Activist, U.S. Representative, Pastor / 1908 - 1972
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was a 20th century clergyman and U.S. representative who was a major force in establishing civil rights for African Americans.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1908-1972)
Civil Rights Activist, U.S. Representative, Pastor
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Otto Preminger
Director / 1906 - 1986
Otto Preminger helped establish film noir with his movie Laura in 1944. He opened his own production company, which made controversial movies that challenged film regulations.
See full bio
(1906-1986)
Director
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Louis Prima
Actor, Songwriter, Singer, Trumpet Player / 1911 - 1978
Louis Prima was an influential jazz trumpeter, singer and composer known for songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Angelina," "Buona Sera" and "Jump, Jive an' Wail."
See full bio
(1911-1978)
Actor, Songwriter, Singer, Trumpet Player
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Princess Masako
Princess / 1963 -
Princess Masako Owada is the Crown Princess of Japan. She is best known for her independent nature before she joined the royal family.
See full bio
(1963-)
Princess
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Richard Pryor
Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter / 1940 - 2005
Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking African-American comedian and one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and '80s.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1940-2005)
Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter
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Johannes Purkinje
Physicist / 1787 - 1869
Czech experimental physiologist Johannes Purkinje discovered the Purkinje effect, Purkinje cells and Purkinje fibers and first introduced the term protoplasm.
See full bio
(1787-1869)
Physicist
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Jacques Pépin
Chef / 1935 -
Jacques Pépin is a chef and the host of cooking shows on public television. He is also an author, columnist and former guest judge on the Bravo show Top Chef.
See full bio
(1935-)
Chef
q
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Queen Mary I
Queen / 1542 - 1587
Mary Queen of Scots is one of the most fascinating and controversial monarchs of the 16th century who claimed the crowns of four nations in her lifetime.
See full bio
(1542-1587)
Queen
r
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Paula Radcliffe
Track and Field Athlete / 1973 -
British athlete Paula Radcliffe is one of the elite runners competing today, having set and broken her own record in the women's marathon.
See full bio
(1973-)
Track and Field Athlete
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Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Criminal, Cult Leader, Religious Leader / 1931 - 1990
Indian cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh created the spiritual practice of dynamic meditation. He started the Rancho Rajneesh commune in Oregon in the 1980s.
See full bio
(1931-1990)
Criminal, Cult Leader, Religious Leader
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Lou Rawls
Singer / 1933 - 2006
Lou Rawls was a singer and songwriter known for his baritone voice and the small acting roles he took on the side.
See full bio
(1933-2006)
Singer
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Harry Reid
Lawyer, U.S. Representative, Government Official / 1939 -
Harry Reid is a Democratic U.S. senator from Nevada. He was elected Senate majority leader in 2008.
See full bio
(1939-)
Lawyer, U.S. Representative, Government Official
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Lee Remick
Film Actress, Theater Actress / 1935 - 1991
Actress Lee Remick appeared with Andy Griffith in Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd and starred opposite Jack Lemmon in Days of Wine and Roses.
See full bio
(1935-1991)
Film Actress, Theater Actress
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Giovanni Ribisi
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1974 -
American actor Giovanni Ribisi has been known for playing a range of quirky characters on television and in movies of various genres since the 1990s.
See full bio
(1974-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Charlie Rich
Guitarist, Pianist, Singer / 1932 - 1995
Musician Charlie Rich had several No. 1 country songs in the 1970s, including "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl."
See full bio
(1932-1995)
Guitarist, Pianist, Singer
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Little Richard
Singer / 1932 -
Little Richard is a flamboyant American singer and pianist whose hit songs in the mid 1950s were defining moments in the development of rock ‘n’ roll.
See full bio
(1932-)
Singer
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Ellen Richards
Scientist / 1842 - 1911
Chemist, sanitation engineer, and home economist Ellen Richards opened scientific education and professions to women when she started teaching at MIT in 1884.
See full bio
(1842-1911)
Scientist
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Keith Richards
Guitarist / 1943 -
Guitarist Keith Richards is one of the driving forces behind the Rolling Stones, the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band."
See full bio
(1943-)
Guitarist
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Branch Rickey
Civil Rights Activist, Business Leader / 1881 - 1965
Branch Rickey was an innovative baseball executive known for his groundbreaking 1945 decision to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, thereby breaking the color barrier.
See full bio
(1881-1965)
Civil Rights Activist, Business Leader
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Cathy Rigby
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Gymnast, Musician / 1952 -
Cathy Rigby is best known as a medal-winning American gymnast and Tony nominated actress for her theatrical production in Peter Pan.
See full bio
(1952-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Gymnast, Musician
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Rainer Maria Rilke
Author, Poet / 1875 - 1926
Bohemian-Austrian poet Ranier Maria Rilke is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language and is best known for his work Duino Elegies.
See full bio
(1875-1926)
Author, Poet
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Charles Ringling
Business Leader / 1863 - 1926
Charles Ringling co-founded the Ringling Bros., and later co-owned the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
See full bio
(1863-1926)
Business Leader
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Diego Rivera
Painter / 1886 - 1957
Painter and muralist Diego Rivera sought to make art that reflected the lives of the working class and native peoples of Mexico.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1886-1957)
Painter
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Robin Roberts
Talk Show Host, News Anchor / 1960 -
In the 1990s, Robin Roberts began hosting Sportscenter and appearing as a guest reporter on Good Morning America. In 2005, she was hired as a full-time co-anchor of the morning news program.
See full bio
(1960-)
Talk Show Host, News Anchor
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Oscar Robertson
Basketball Player / 1938 -
Hall of Fame basketball guard Oscar Robertson played 14 NBA seasons. He averaged more than 25 points per game and retired as the league’s all-time assist leader.
See full bio
(1938-)
Basketball Player
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Edward Robinson
Actor / 1893 - 1973
Actor Edward G. Robinson played a range of movie roles from a gangster in Little Caesar (1931) to an Israelite in The Ten Commandments (1956).
See full bio
(1893-1973)
Actor
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Aaron Rodgers
Football Player / 1983 -
Aaron Rodgers is quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He steered the franchise to victory in Super Bowl XLVII.
See full bio
(1983-)
Football Player
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Ray Romano
Actor / 1957 -
American actor and comedian Ray Romano is best known for his CBS hit Everybody Loves Raymond in which Raymond plays a father and husband.
See full bio
(1957-)
Actor
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Nellie Ross
Governor / 1876 - 1977
Nellie Ross was the first woman in the U.S. to serve as governor, and the first to direct the U.S. mint (which she did for 20 years).
See full bio
(1876-1977)
Governor
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Christina Rossetti
Poet / 1830 - 1894
English poet Christina Rossetti was the daughter of Gabriele Rossetti. Her collections Goblin Market and The Prince's Progress contain most of her finest work.
See full bio
(1830-1894)
Poet
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Debbie Rowe
Nurse / 1958 -
Debbie Rowe is known mostly as the surrogate mother for two of pop star Michael Jackson's children.
See full bio
(1958-)
Nurse
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Coleen Rowley
Political Leader / 1954 -
After September 11, FBI agent Coleen Rowley made the FBI director aware
of D.C. headquarters' failure to respond to information regarding a
suspected terrorist.
See full bio
(1954-)
Political Leader
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A.L. Rowse
Historian, Academic Author / 1903 - 1997
A.L. Rowse was one of the 20th century's foremost historians on Elizabethan England. He wrote biographies of several English historical and literary figures.
See full bio
(1903-1997)
Historian, Academic Author
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Mark Ruffalo
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1967 -
Mark Ruffalo is an actor who has become known most recently for his portrayal of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the movie The Avengers.
See full bio
(1967-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Prince Rupert
Military Leader, Duke, Prince / 1619 - 1682
Prince Rupert, a 17th century soldier, statesman and scientist, is best known for his talent as a Royalist commander of the English Civil War (1642 - 1651).
See full bio
(1619-1682)
Military Leader, Duke, Prince
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Lillian Russell
Actress / 1861 - 1922
Lillian Russell was a singer and actress who first made her mark in the 1881 film Grand Mogul.
See full bio
(1861-1922)
Actress
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Amy Ryan
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1969 -
Amy Ryan is an American actress from Queens, New York known for her roles in Gone Baby Gone, and television's The Wire and The Office.
See full bio
(1969-)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
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Juliette Récamier
1777 - 1849
Madame de Récamier was a Parisian hostess who attracted her time's literary and political big wigs and inspired the wrath of Napoleon.
See full bio
(1777-1849)
s
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Nelly Sachs
Playwright, Poet / 1891 - 1970
German poet and playwright Nelly Sachs won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966 for expressing the grief and yearning of her fellow Jews after WWII.
See full bio
(1891-1970)
Playwright, Poet
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Alicia Sacramone
Gymnast / 1987 -
Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone has won dozens of World Championship and U.S. National Championship medals—competing with such teammates as Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson—and won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
See full bio
(1987-)
Gymnast
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William Safire
Journalist / 1929 - 2009
William Safire was a writer whose column "On Language" was a long-running feature of The New York Times Magazine.
See full bio
(1929-2009)
Journalist
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Charles Schulz
Illustrator, Writer / 1922 - 2000
Charles Schulz was a cartoonist best known for creating the one of the world's most successful comic strips, Peanuts.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1922-2000)
Illustrator, Writer
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Ridley Scott
Director, Producer / 1937 -
Ridley Scott is an English director and producer, whose notable hits include Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. He is also recognized as the older brother of director Tony Scott, who committed suicide in August 2012.
See full bio
(1937-)
Director, Producer
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Richard W. Sears
Entrepreneur / 1863 - 1914
Richard W. Sears was an American merchant who is best known for developing his mail-order jewelry business into the retail company Sears, Roebuck.
See full bio
(1863-1914)
Entrepreneur
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Monica Seles
Tennis Player / 1973 -
Monica Seles is a former No. 1-ranked women's tennis player with nine Grand Slam titles. She is also an author and speaker, and competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2008.
See full bio
(1973-)
Tennis Player
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Junipero Serra
Missionary / 1713 - 1784
Spanish missionary Juniper Serra established his first U.S. mission in 1769. He built eight more California missions over the next thirteen years.
See full bio
(1713-1784)
Missionary
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Joseph Sestak
Military Leader, U.S. Representative / 1951 -
Joseph Sestak was Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, overseeing the Navy's warfare budget. He became the highest-ranking officer ever elected to Congress.
See full bio
(1951-)
Military Leader, U.S. Representative
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Georges Seurat
Painter / 1859 - 1891
French painter Georges Seurat founded Neo-Impressionism and the technique of tiny strokes of contrasting color, pointillism.
See full bio
(1859-1891)
Painter
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Amanda Seyfried
Film Actress, Television Actress / 1985 -
Amanda Seyfried is an American actress best known for her roles in Mean Girls and Mamma Mia! She is considered one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming actresses.
See full bio
(1985-)
Film Actress, Television Actress
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Garry Shandling
Comedian / 1949 -
Comedian and actor Garry Shandling starred in HBO's The Larry Sanders Show. The award-winning program parodied a late-night talk show.
See full bio
(1949-)
Comedian
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Catherine Share
Criminal / 1942 -
Catherine Share, a member of Charles Manson's "Family," was not involved in the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders, but was implicated in lesser plots inspired by Manson.
See full bio
(1942-)
Criminal
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Dick Shawn
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian / 1923 - 1987
Known as an unusual comic performer, Dick Shawn had both TV and film roles, including in Mel Brooks' The Producers and the sitcom Three's Company.
See full bio
(1923-1987)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian
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Sarah Silverman
Comedian / 1970 -
American comedian Sarah Silverman is best known for her controversial statements and performances on her one-woman show, Jesus is Magic.
See full bio
(1970-)
Comedian
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Paul Simonon
Painter, Bassist / 1955 -
English musician Paul Simonon was bass player for the punk rock band The Clash.
See full bio
(1955-)
Painter, Bassist
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Frank Sinatra
Film Actor, Singer / 1915 - 1998
Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, forging a career as an award-winning singer and film actor.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1915-1998)
Film Actor, Singer
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Nikki Sixx
Bassist / 1958 -
Nikki Sixx founded and played bass in the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He has written two autobiographies, and hosts the radio show Sixx Sense.
See full bio
(1958-)
Bassist
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Jeffrey Skilling
Business Leader, White Collar Criminal / 1953 -
Jeffrey Skilling was the CEO of the energy company Enron who was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud and insider trading.
See full bio
(1953-)
Business Leader, White Collar Criminal
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Anna Nicole Smith
Pin-up, Reality Television Star / 1967 - 2007
Anna Nicole Smith gained early fame as a model for Guess and Playboy magazine, and later became known for her marriage to 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1967-2007)
Pin-up, Reality Television Star
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Margaret Chase Smith
Political Leader / 1897 - 1995
Margaret Chase Smith is best known for her independent American political career.
See full bio
(1897-1995)
Political Leader
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W. Eugene Smith
Photographer / 1918 - 1978
W. Eugene Smith was a photojournalist known for his work during the Pacific Theater in WWII and his photo essays for popular magazines.
See full bio
(1918-1978)
Photographer
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Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Educator, Activist, Journalist, Author / 1918 - 2008
Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist and historian, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970.
See full bio
(1918-2008)
Educator, Activist, Journalist, Author
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Trey Songz
Children's Activist, Songwriter, Singer / 1984 -
Trey Songz is a Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter known for hits like "Can't Help but Wait."
See full bio
(1984-)
Children's Activist, Songwriter, Singer
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Spade Cooley
Film Actor, Television Actor, Murderer, Musician / 1910 - 1969
Spade Cooley, the King of Western Swing, is best known for his musical success and the murder of his wife.
See full bio
(1910-1969)
Film Actor, Television Actor, Murderer, Musician
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Britney Spears
Singer, Television Personality / 1981 -
Britney Spears has been one of the most successful—and sometimes controversial—solo acts in popular music. More recently, she began hosting The X Factor.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1981-)
Singer, Television Personality
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Richard Speck
Serial Killer / 1941 - 1991
In 1966, Richard Speck committed one of the most horrifying mass murders in American history when he brutalized and killed eight student nurses living on Chicago's South Side.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1941-1991)
Serial Killer
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Steven Spielberg
Director, Producer / 1946 -
Academy Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer Steven Spielberg's films include Jaws, The Color Purple and Schindler's List.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1946-)
Director, Producer
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Lesley Stahl
News Anchor, Editor, Journalist / 1941 -
Lesley Stahl is an award-winning television journalist. She's served as co-editor of 60 Minutes and anchored the news program 48 Hours Investigates.
See full bio
(1941-)
News Anchor, Editor, Journalist
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Joseph Stalin
Dictator / 1878 - 1953
Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1878-1953)
Dictator
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Edwin Stanton
Civil Rights Activist, Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Government Official / 1814 - 1869
Edwin Stanton served as secretary of war under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He later served under President Andrew Johnson.
See full bio
(1814-1869)
Civil Rights Activist, Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Government Official
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Charles Starkweather
Murderer / 1938 - 1959
After murdering a gas station attendant in 1957, Nebraska native Charles Starkweather embarked on a murderous rampage with girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate in 1958. Together, they killed 10 people.
See full bio
(1938-1959)
Murderer
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Ben Stein
Actor, Economist, Lawyer / 1944 -
Actor and lawyer Ben Stein was a speech writer for Richard Nixon, but is best known as the economics teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
See full bio
(1944-)
Actor, Economist, Lawyer
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John Lloyd Stephens
Archaeologist, Journalist / 1805 - 1852
U.S. traveler and archaeologist John Lloyd Stephens's travels in the Middle East and Central America resulted in books that created interest in the regions.
See full bio
(1805-1852)
Archaeologist, Journalist
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George Stevens
Director / 1904 - 1975
Academy Award-winning director George Stevens is remembered for classic films including Shane (1953) and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959).
See full bio
(1904-1975)
Director
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Jon Stewart
Comedian, Talk Show Host, Writer / 1962 -
Jon Stewart is the host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which dubs itself "the most trusted name in fake news" and has run for nearly 20 seasons.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1962-)
Comedian, Talk Show Host, Writer
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Ben Stiller
Film Actor / 1965 -
Actor and director Ben Stiller is responsible for such funny films as There's Something About Mary, Zoolander, and Meet the Fockers.
See full bio
(1965-)
Film Actor
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Rex Stout
Author / 1886 - 1975
Rex Stout was an American crime writer best known as the man who brought the world the fictional New York City detective Nero Wolfe.
See full bio
(1886-1975)
Author
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Billy Strayhorn
Songwriter, Pianist / 1915 - 1967
Billy Strayhorn is best known for his musical collaborations with Jazz legend Duke Ellington, including "Take the 'A' Train".
See full bio
(1915-1967)
Songwriter, Pianist