A versatile stage, television and film actor, Hal Holbrook is an Emmy and Tony winner, and a longtime Mark Twain impersonator.
1925-
Buddy Holly was a singer/songwriter whose records, conveying a sense of the wide-open spaces of West Texas and unstoppable joie de vivre, remain vital today.
1936-1959
Bob Hope was a entertainer and comic actor, known for his rapid-fire delivery of jokes and for his success in virtually all entertainment media.
1903-2003
Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as The Wiz and her trademark song, "Stormy Weather."
1917-2010
1909-1995
20th century recording artist Mahalia Jackson, known as the Queen of Gospel, is revered as one of the greatest musical figures in U.S. history.
1911-1972
Davy Jones is a singer and actor who found fame as the singer for the band the Monkees on the TV show by the same name.
1945-2012
Shirley Jones is a singer and actress best known for her parts in movie musicals, and for her role as Mrs. Partridge on the 1970s television show The Partridge Family.
1934-
Actor and comedian Danny Kaye was enormously popular across stage, radio, TV and movie venues for his singing, dancing, impersonations and improvisations.
1913-1987
Comedian and director Buster Keaton was popular for his pioneering silent comedies in the 1920s.
1895-1966
Singer and actress Eartha Kitt is best known for her holiday song "Santa Baby," and for playing Catwoman in the 1960's TV show Batman.
1927-2008
Alan King was a Jewish-American stand-up comedian who honed his skills in vaudeville, and went on to perform a number of memorable film and television roles.
1927-2004
Singer Gladys Knight has given voice to multiple R&B hits (with and without her Pips), including "Midnight Train to Georgia."
1944-
1913-1994
1944-
1920-2002
Film actress Janet Leigh, once Tony Curtis’s wife, is best remembered for her shower scene as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, Psycho.
1927-2004
The winner of two Oscars, Jack Lemmon was one of Hollywood’s finest actors, known for his roles in films like Some Like it Hot and The Odd Couple.
1925-2001
Jerry Lee Lewis is a piano-playing rock 'n roll pioneer famous for his high energy stage presence and controversial life.
1935-
Jerry Lewis rose to fame as Dean Martin's comedic partner. The two performed on stage before their film career began in 1949.
1926-
Liberace was a flamboyant pianist who twice had his own TV show and frequently performed in Las Vegas.
1919-1987
Sophia Loren is an Academy Award-winning Italian actress. A striking beauty, Loren is often listed among the world's all time most attractive women.
1934-
The world heavyweight boxing champion from June 22, 1937, until March 1, 1949, Joe Louis held the title longer than anyone else in history.
1914-1981
1894-1975
Miriam Makeba, also known as "Mama Africa," was a popular South-African singer who introduced Xhosa and Zulu songs to Western audiences. She is best known for the songs "Pata Pata," "The Click Song" and "Malaika."
1932-2008
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress best known for her bombshell curves and roles in films during the 1950s and '60s.
1933-1967
Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
1931-1995
Marcel Marceau was best known for his work as a mime artist in France.
1923-2007
American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title and won an unrivaled 49 straight fights.
1923-1969
American baseball player Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 to break the single-season record held by the legendary Babe Ruth.
1934-1985
1935-
Willie Mays played professional baseball for the Giants and the Mets. He was one of the best batters and fielders at the time.
1931-
Actor Roddy McDowall had a recurring role on the Batman television series, and played Cornelius in the film and TV versions of Planet of the Apes.
1928-1998
Ethel Merman is best known as a gutsy, powerful musical comedy performer and remembered for her brassy style and powerful mezzo-soprano voice.
1908-1984
Liza Minnelli, the daughter of Judy Garland, is a star in her own right. Her finest film role was playing Sally Bowles in the 1972 musical Cabaret.
1946-
A legendary tough guy on and off-screen, Robert Mitchum was one of the most memorable leading men of the twentieth century.
1917-1997
Rita Moreno is a Puetro Rican actress, of West Side Story (1961) fame, who throughout her career has broken new ground for Latinos in entertainment.
1931-
Jim Morrison was the charismatic singer and songwriter for the 1960 rock group the Doors until his death in a Paris bathtub at age 27.
1943-1971
American radio and television news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow gave eyewitness reports of WWII for CBS and helped develop journalism for mass media.
1908-1965
1929-
Paul Newman came to be known as one of the finest actors of his time. He also started the Newman's Own food company, which donates all profits to charity.
1925-2008
With a handful of hits to his credit, singer Wayne Newton has spent more than five decades as one of Las Vegas's most popular entertainers.
1942-
Film actress Kim Novak was a leading box-office attraction of the 1950s, perhaps the last of the ‘sex goddesses’ produced by the Hollywood star system.
1933-
Famed Russian-born male dancer Rudolf Nureyev was a soloist for the Kirov Ballet and a choreographer for the Paris Opera Ballet.
1938-1993
Maureen O'Hara was an Irish-born actress who was billed alongside Hollywood's leading men in a slew of swashbuckling features in the 1940s.
1920-
1932-
American track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. His long jump world record stood for 25 years.
1913-1980
Puppeteer Frank Oz is the man behind such iconic characters as Yoda, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Grover, and Animal. He's also directed several films.
1944-
Jack Palance was an American actor best known for playing villainous roles in the 1960s and for his award-winning appearance in the film City Slickers.
1919-2006
American boxer Floyd Patterson was the first to hold the world heavyweight championship twice. He won a gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games.
1935-2006
Les Paul was a musician who designed a solid-body guitar in 1941, which then was a new type of instrument.
1915-2009
Pearl Bailey was a Tony Award-winning singer and actress known for her roles in works like Carmen Jones, House of Flowers, Hello, Dolly! and Porgy and Bess.
1918-1990
Gregory Peck is best known for his larger-than-life film roles, particularly as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
1916-2003
Israeli classical violinist Itzhak Perlman is one of the 20th century's premier musicians, despite having lost the use of his legs at age 4 due to polio.
1945-
Édith Piaf, also known as “The Little Sparrow,” was a French singer who became an icon of France during World War II.
1915-1963
1906-1986
Musician and actor Elvis Presley endured rapid fame in the mid-1950s—on the radio, TV and the silver screen—and continues to be one of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll.
1935-1977
Leontyne Price is a lyric soprano who has been credited as the first African-American singer to achieve an international reputation in opera.
1927-
American actor Vincent Price starred as the villain in the 1953 film House of Wax, which revitalized the horror genre, and was one of the first films shot in 3D.
1911-1993
Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking African-American comedian and one of the top entertainers of the 1970s and '80s.
1940-2005
Anthony Quinn was an Oscar-winning Mexican-American actor known for his roles in Viva Zapata!, Lust for Life and Zorba the Greek.
1915-2001
Actress Charlotte Rae is best known for her role as Mrs. Garrett on the TV series Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.
1926-
Lou Rawls was a singer and songwriter known for his baritone voice and the small acting roles he took on the side.
1933-2006
President Ronald Reagan helped redefine the purpose of government and pressured the Soviet Union to end the Cold War. He solidified the conservative agenda for decades after his presidency.
1911-2004
Della Reese is a singer and actress known for her gospel talents and for her role on TV's Touched by an Angel.
1931-
Known for her boundless energy and pert demeanor, Reynolds' most memorable turn was in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain.
1932-
Comedian Joan Rivers created a Grammy nominated comedy album, launched a syndicated daytime talk show, and went on to win a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1933-
1917-2007
Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play major league baseball, becoming Rookie of the Year in 1947, National League MVP in 1949 and a World Series champ in 1955.
1919-1972
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-
Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who is frequently cited as the greatest boxer in history.
1921-1989
From The Sound of Music to Oklahoma! to South Pacific, Richard Rodgers helped change the face of Broadway musicals, giving them stories and making them both memorable and "hum-able."
1902-1979
Mickey Rooney was a child star best known for his role as Andy Hardy in a long-running film series. He a starred in a number of musicals with Judy Garland.
1920-
1944-
Nipsey Russell was best known for his comic rhymes and his appearances on TV game shows.
1918-2005
Comedian and pie-throwing television personality Soupy Sales was the popular host of such shows as Lunch with Soupy Sales and the Soupy Sales Show.
1926-2009
1878-1967
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
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
Phil Silvers is an American comedian best known for his portrayal of the fast-talking gambler Sergeant Ernest Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show.
1911-1985
1933-2003
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
1913-1997
Sam Snead was an American pro golfer who won a record 82 PGA tournaments.
1912-2002
Rod Steiger was an Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in On the Waterfront and In the Heat of the Night.
1925-2002
Jimmy Stewart was a major motion-picture star known for his portrayals of diffident but morally resolute characters in films such as It’s a Wonderful Life.
1908-1997
Jerry Stiller is an actor and comedian known for his roles on Seinfeld and The King of Queens. He is the father of actors, Amy Stiller and Ben Stiller.
1927-
1923-
Barbra Streisand is the highest-selling female recording artist of all time, and has won awards and acclaim in every medium that she's worked in.
1942-
Jessica Tandy was an English-born U.S. actress well known for her role in Broadway's Foxfire and her Oscar-winning performance in the film Driving Miss Daisy.
1909-1994
1907-1982
Tiny Tim was a singer and musician who had a hit with “Tip Toe Through the Tulips With Me” and guest-starred on shows like Laugh-In and The Tonight Show.
1932-1996
Mel Torme was a singer, jazz vocalist, and composer active from the 1940s-1990s. He also wrote biographies of Judy Garland and Buddy Rich.
1925-1999
Sophie Tucker, also known as "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas," was a Russian-American singer, comedian, actress and Vaudeville performer.
1886-1966
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress who topped the pop music charts in the 1980s.
1939-
Rudy Vallée was an American singer and entertainer best known as the host of the variety hour The Rudy Vallee Show (1929-43).
1901-1986
Dick Van Dyke is an American actor and comedian best known for hosting The Dick Van Dyke Show. He's also known for starring on Diagnosis Murder and for roles in films like Mary Poppins, Dick Tracy and Night at the Museum.
1925-
1930-
Soul singer Warwick became a superstar with early hits like "Walk On By" and "I Say a Little Prayer," and later with albums like Dionne and Heartbreaker.
1940-