Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist and author of Things Fall Apart, a work that in part led to his being called the "patriarch of the African novel."
1930-2013
Susan B. Anthony was a prominent American civil rights activist and leader during the women's suffrage movement of the 1800s.
1820-1906
John Jacob Astor V, the fifth member of the American Astor family to bear the name John Jacob, became owner and chairman of The Times of London in 1922.
1886-1971
William Waldorf Astor was a wealthy descendant of John Jacob Astor who became a New York State senator and a member of the New York State Assembly.
1848-1919
Politician and publisher Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor became a member of Parliament and was the publisher of the London Observer from 1915 to 1945.
1879-1952
Daisy Bates was an African American civil rights activist and newspaper publisher who documented the battle to end segregation in Arkansas.
1914-1999
Media magnate Conrad Black once owned The London Daily Telegraph and The Chicago Sun Times, before he was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice.
1944-
Amelia Bloomer was a women's rights activist. She advocated for changes in women's fashion that would be less restrictive. "Bloomers" are named after her.
1818-1894
André Breton was a French writer, editor and critic who was a key figure in the Dada and Surrealist art movements.
1896-1966
1790-1843
1903-1974
1919-
When Larry Flynt published an unflattering parody of Jerry Falwell in Hustler, Falwell waged a suit that eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. It ruled in Flynt's favor, citing the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech.
1942-
Publisher Malcolm Forbes was the son of B.C. Forbes, who founded Forbes magazine. Malcolm Forbes eventually worked his way up to becoming company president.
1919-1990
William Lloyd Garrison was an American journalistic crusader who helped lead the successful abolitionist campaign against slavery in the United States.
1805-1879
1917-2001
Helen Gurley Brown served as Cosmopolitan's editor-in-chief for more than 30 years.
1922-2012
After earning a fortune in the cigar industry, Oscar Hammerstein I, grandfather of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, built numerous theaters and opera houses.
1847-1919
William Randolph Hearst is best known for publishing the largest chain of American newspapers in the late 19th century, and particularly for sensational "yellow journalism."
1863-1951
Later the publisher of political magazine George, JFK Jr. was the first child ever born to a president-elect, the son of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy,
1960-1999
1892-1984
Stan Lee is a revered comic-book creator who co-launched superheroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the X-Men for Marvel Comics.
1922-
Since co-founding Essence magazine, Edward T. Lewis has become one of the most successful and respected magazine publishers in the country.
1940-
Henry R. Luce was a journalist and publishing mogul who started the magazines Time, Life, Fortune and Sports Illustrated.
1898-1967
William Lyon Mackenzie was a journalist and political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Canadian government in 1837.
1795-1861
1925-2004
László Moholy-Nagy was a Hungarian painter, photographer and art teacher who took charge of the metal workshop of the Bauhaus.
1895-1946
Garrett Morgan blazed a trail for African-American inventors with his many patents, including those for a hair-straightening product, a breathing device, and an improved sewing machine and traffic signal.
1877-1963
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is the founder and head of News Corporation, a global media conglomerate. He created Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986.
1931-
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, noted for her style and elegance, was the wife of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. first lady. She later married Aristotle Onassis.
1929-1994
1937-2006
George Arthur Plimpton expanded the educational publishing company Ginn & Co worldwide. He had a renowned collection of manuscripts and books.
1855-1936
1847-1911
1779-1869
1772-1833
Charles Scribner co-founded the publishing house Baker & Scribner, which became Charles Scribner's Sons.
1821-1871
1854-1926
Dame Muriel Spark was a Scottish novelist, poet and literary critic best known for her novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
1918-2006
Gertrude Stein was an American author and poet best known for her modernist writings, extensive art collecting and literary salon in 1920s Paris.
1874-1946
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
DeWitt Wallace was an American publisher and, with his wife, founder of Reader's Digest magazine. The couple supported numerous philanthropic causes.
1889-1981
Victoria Woodhull was a spiritualist, activist, politician and author who was the first woman to run for the presidency of the United States.
1838-1927