Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Oliver Stone is responsible for the hit films Platoon, Scarface, Born on the Fourth of July and Natural Born Killers.
1946-
1899-1973
Ruben Studdard is a R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol.
1978-
Preston Sturges is regarded as the first Hollywood figure to successfully move from screenwriting to directing his own scripts.
1898-1959
Jason Sudeikis is an American actor best known for his work as a cast member of Saturday Night Live.
1975-
Louis H. Sullivan was an architect dubbed the "father of modern American architecture."
1856-1924
1941-
William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, becoming the only person to have served as both a U.S. chief justice and president.
1857-1930
1899-1991
Architect Kenzo Tange's best-known early work is the Hiroshima Peace Center. His later work includes the dramatic National Gymnasium for the 1964 Olympic Games.
1913-2005
Margaret Taylor was best known for her marriage to Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President of the United States.
1788-1852
1901-1987
Henry Thomas played Elliott in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, followed by roles in such widely acclaimed films as Legends of the Fall (1994), All the Pretty Horses (2000) and Gangs of New York (2002).
1971-
Educational psychologist E.L. Thorndike pioneered the fields of animal learning and behavioral psychology with his theory of connectionism.
1874-1949
Russian author Leo Tolstoy wrote the acclaimed novels War and Peace, Anna Karenina and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and still ranks among the world's top writers.
1828-1910
Lily Tomlin is an actress and comedian known for roles on TV shows such as Laugh-In and films such as Nashville.
1939-
Actor and comedian Chris Tucker came to fame playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.
1972-
Shania Twain is a Canadian country and pop singer and songwriter, best known for the albums The Woman in Me and Come on Over.
1965-
Jeff Tweedy is a singer and songwriter who belongs to the influential alternative rock band Wilco.
1967-
In the mid-1960s, Twiggy became one of the world's first supermodels and the face of London's "mod" scene.
1949-
Conway Twitty was a country singer who scored 55 No. 1 hits over the long expanse of his career.
1933-1993
1904-1971
Leslie Van Houten was a member of Charles Manson's "Family," and was convicted of the 1969 murder of Rosemary LaBianca, orchestrated by Manson.
1949-
James Van Praagh has worked as a psychic medium and popular media figure, and is also the bestselling author of the book Talking to Heaven.
1958-
1749-1832
1947-
Paul Walker is an actor who made a splash with the movie Varsity Blues and found enduring success with The Fast and the Furious franchise.
1973-
1919-1998
1899-1986
Quvenzhané Wallis is an actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as Hushpuppy in the 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild.
2003-
1924-1963
1918-1971
Roger Waters was the singer, songwriter and bassist for the British rock band Pink Floyd. He also has had an extensive solo career.
1943-
Tom Watson is an American golfer and six-time PGA Player of the Year. He was one of the sport's dominant figures in the 1970s and '80s.
1949-
Damon Wayans is an African-American comedian who appeared on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.
1960-
Former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner served New York's 9th Congressional District from 1999 to 2011, when he abruptly resigned over a sexting scandal.
1964-
Florence Welch is the lead singer of the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. She can be heard on popular songs such as "Kiss with a Fist" and "Shake It Out."
1986-
Actress Raquel Welch was launched as a cinematic sex symbol in One Million Years BC (1966) and continues to be regarded as one of the world's great beauties.
1940-
H.G. Wells was a writer of science-fiction works—including The Time Machine and War of the Worlds—who had a great influence on our vision of the future.
1866-1946
A country music legend, Kitty Wells had a string of hits in the 1950s and '60s, including "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."
1919-2012
1928-
1944-2003
Dan White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist, in 1978.
1946-1985
American skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White, known as the "Flying Tomato," is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He has also won multiple Summer and Winter X Games medals.
1986-
1759-1833
Roy Wilkins was best known as the executive director of the NAACP and a leader of the African-American civil rights movement.
1901-1981
Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29.
1923-1953
Katt Williams is a comedian, actor and rapper whose off-stage controversies have often garner as much attention as his on-stage accomplishments. His credits include the films Rebound, Epic Movie and Friday After Next, and the TV series NYPD Blue and Wild n' Out.
1971-
Michelle Williams first came to stardom as a star of teen drama Dawson's Creek. She rose to critical acclaim with films such as Blue Valentine and Brokeback Mountain.
1980-
Baseball legend Ted Williams was best known as the Boston Red Sox Player who had a contentious relationship with Boston fans, who he refused to tip his hat to during his career.
1918-2002
Ted Williams was homeless in 2011 when a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch made him famous with a viral Internet video story.
1957-
1883-1963
1969-
James Wilson was a Supreme Court associate justice. He signed both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
1742-1798
Luke Wilson is a film actor known mostly for his comedic roles in such films as Old School and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
1971-
Amy Winehouse won five Grammy Awards for her 2006 album Back to Black, and is remembered for songs like "Rehab," "Back to Black" and "Valerie." She died in 2011, at age 27.
1983-2011
1941-
Pioneering African-American writer Richard Wright is best known for the classic texts Black Boy and Native Son.
1908-1960
1922-
1964-
Lee Kuan Yew was the prime minster of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, making him the longest-serving PM in history. During his long rule, Singapore became the most prosperous nation in Southeast Asia.
1923-
Graham Young is best known as the Teacup Poisoner, responsible for the killing of at least three people in England.
1947-1990
1909-1959
1902-1979