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In 2012, Barack Obama and his vice president Joe Biden faced off against Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan in a run for the U.S. presidency.  After a grueling campaign season, Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term as U.S. president on November 6th, 2012. Here's a look at the four candidates from the 2012 presidential election.

As the 2012 presidential race heats up, all eyes are on who Republican candidate Mitt Romney will choose as his running mate. Here is a group of Romney's possible picks for vice president, including Ohio senator Rob Portman, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, among other potential VP nominees.

Republicans and Democrats alike are gearing up for the 2012 elections, with debates and campaigns in full swing. With a Democrat in the White House, the GOP is hoping to capitalize on Tea Party support for a big win. The race is far from clear-cut at this point, as several big names contend for the candidacy. Here are the people who are vying for the highest office in the land in 2012.

Explore our collection of 2013 Oscar nominees, which includes actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington and Hugh Jackman; actresses Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts and Jennifer Lawrence; directors Benh Zeitlin and Steven Spielberg; and many more. Find out who will be vying for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences's prestigious honor, and view full biographies, videos and photos, only on Biography.com.

During their courtship and marriage, John Adams and Abigail Smith Adams exchanged over 1,100 letters, many filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics considered an invaluable account of the Revolutionary War. Abigail, a fierce advocate of rights for women and African-Americans, was an important partner throughout John's political career. The couple lived on a farm in Quincy, Massachusetts, where they raised five children. Abigail died in 1818; John died in 1826, 16 months after their son, John Quincy Adams, was sworn in as the sixth President of the United States.

President Abraham Lincoln's Cabinet was truly one of the most unique in American history, including several of his disappointed presidential opponents—William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Simon Cameron and Edward Bates, who lost the Republican Party's presidential nomination to Lincoln in 1860—as well as dogmatic politicians like Montgomery Blair, Hannibal Hamlin, Edwin Stanton, Gideon Welles and Lincoln's future successor, President Andrew Johnson. Learn more about these historic figures, Abraham Lincoln's presidency, the American Civil War and more, only at Biography.com.

Explore Biography.com's collection of famous Academy Award winners, including Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Ang Lee, Ben Affleck, Anne Hathaway and Christoph Waltz. See full biographies, photos and videos of the stars who took home the best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best director, best song, best picture and best screenplay trophies, only at Biography.com.

Action movie stars are the heroes and heroines who get our adrenaline pumping. Early action stars include Douglas Fairbanks, the swashbuckling adventurer of the 1920s and '30s; John Wayne, the famous gunslinger of the 1940s and '50s; and Sean Connery, who played the debonair spy Bond—James Bond—in the 1960s. By the 1970s, however, a new maverick action star had hit the silver screen, with rogue cops played by Steve McQueen in Bullitt and Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, as well as the military mercenary Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). By the 1980s, action movies were literally exploding on screen, with big budgets and big stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) and Bruce Willis (Die Hard), leading to today's action-packed blockbusters. Here's a look at some of Hollywood's most famous action movie stars, who have kicked some major butt on the big screen. 

Browse notable activists such as Pink, Quincy Jones, and Robert Kennedy.

Browse notable actors such as Woody Allen, John Belushi, and Steve Buscemi.

After years of on-screen success, many talented actors decide to take their chances on the other side of the camera—often to even greater acclaim. Here's our collection of performers who have made a new name for themselves as film and television directors.

Lot of actors play politicians on the big and small screens, but few have made the transition in real life. At every level of government, there are actors who have used their charisma, good looks, and personalities to get the policies they support enacted. Though Hollywood has a reputation as a city of liberals, many conservative actors have been members of the Republican party. From Ronald Reagan to Sonny Bono, here's a look at famous actors who went on to careers in politics.

Without question, the president of the United States is one of the most respected and dignified positions held throughout the world. However, the men that have taken the oath to lead the nation forward have their own stories, struggles and lives beyond the speeches and suits that are on display to the public. These are the actors that have shown the men of the White House for who they really are.

Just as there's no shortage of Christmas-themed movies out each holiday season, there is no shortage of actors who have put on the red suit and white beard. Here's our group of actors who have played Santa Claus.

These adoptees found their path to fame and fortune as entertainers, inventors, authors, politicians, and athletes. While most may have found long-lasting success in their respective fields, some were unable to handle their celebrity. From the revolutionary technophile Steve Jobs to the actress-turned-U.S. First Lady Nancy Regan, explore our group of Famous Adoptees.

These adoptive parents are a testament that fame and wealth can't fill the emotional void that little, innocent rugrats can. While some of these famous parents find love and satisfaction through the adoption of one child, others catch—what we like to call—the We Are the World Syndrome, adopting multiple children from across borders. Explore our group of Famous Adoptive Parents and see how they're changing the world—one child at a time.

It's a rare person who is not only a good listener, but a skilled problem solver. From suggestions on how to invest your money to wise thoughts about child-rearing, here are the people who have made a career out of giving sage advice. Explore our collection of advice dispensers, including Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Ann Landers, Abigail Van Buren and Joyce Brothers.

Who can forget Angela Bassett as Tina Turner or Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles? Do you remember who played Billie Holiday? Or who Beyoncé performed as in the film Cadillac Records? More recent African-American biopics include the Lifetime original movie Betty & Coretta (2013), starring Angela Bassett as Coretta Scott King and Mary J. Blige as Betty Shabazz, and The Butler (2013), starring Forest Whitaker and based on the life of Eugene Allen.

View our photos of African-American biopics to compare these famous figures to the actors and actresses who have portrayed them.

Many African-Americans left their country to escape the confines of racism, segregation and McCarthyism in the United States. As a result, an entirely new African-American subculture sprouted up in Europe, Africa and other countries abroad. A street in Paris is named after Josephine Baker, who found acceptance and fame in France that she couldn't achieve in the still-segregated United States. Marcus Garvey was a leader of the Back-to-Africa movement. And singer Nina Simone lived in several different countries, including Liberia, Switzerland, England and Barbados before eventually settling down in the South of France. Find out more about these African-American expats, and the new lives they made for themselves abroad, on Biography.com.

View African-American Expats Pictures

Who was the first African-American boxing champ? How about World Cycling champ? Who was the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal? What year did Jackie Robinson break baseball's color barrier? Who was Althea Gibson and what first did she achieve? Detail our collection of pioneering African-American athletes for the answers to these and many more questions, and explore our African-American Firsts: Athletes photos gallery.

From stereotypical roles as maids and cooks to Academy Award-winning performances in blockbuster movies, African-Americans have come a long way in the world of film and TV. Early stars like Sidney Portier and Hattie McDaniel may have been the first actors to win awards for their stellar performances, but modern-day actors such as Denzel Washington and Halle Berry are still breaking new ground as the first African-Americans to win Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globes in certain categories. Learn about the African-American actors who became the first to change the fabric film and TV with their dramatic performances.

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the global impact of AIDS, many important figures have gotten involved in the fight against this deadly disease. Celebrities of all stripes have signed on for the cause, raising money for research, raising awareness, and speaking out for those affected by the virus. Here's our group of celebrity AIDS activists.

Browse famous American explorers, including Neil Armstrong, Kit Carson and Daniel Boone.

In the early days of the music industry, only a combination of hard work and luck could get musicians a recording contract—and even then, success was limited by the scope of a radio or record distribution deal. But thanks to the reality TV phenomenon, even an appearance on the American Idol competition can make you an instant superstar. Here are some of the show's most famous competitors and judges.

These days, many celebrities take on causes and raise awareness of issues they care about. Some stars choose to speak on behalf of those who can't speak for themselves— animals, that is. From Pamela Anderson to Betty White, here are some famous animal rights activists.

Actresses Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres began dating in 1997, soon after DeGeneres publicly came out. They dated until 2000, when they had a reportedly tough breakup. Just after moving out of their shared home, Heche was picked up by police who found her wandering California's Central valley. Heche said she was looking for a spaceship to pick her up, and later released a memoir about living with her alter ego "Celestia." In 2001, Heche got married—to a cameraman.

Browse notable anthropologists such as Margaret Mead, Katherine Dunham, and Michel Foucault.

Browse notable antiwar activists such as Queen Rania, Coretta Scott King, and Jane Fonda.

Many African-Americans made their name performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, including Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. The roster of talented artists who made their careers after a successful amateur night at the Apollo grew so large, that the venue earned a reputation as the place to jump-start the career of an ambitious hopeful. Other performers, like Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, came to the theater after experiencing big professional success, adding further credibility to the historic New York concert hall. Explore the biographies of some of the more notable African-Americans who stepped out onto the Apollo stage, making entertainment history.

Steve Jobs wasn't the only person in history to turn the apple into a significant cultural symbol. Somewhere in between the origin of the Adam and Eve story and the invention of the iPod, there were dozens of notable people who transformed the forbidden fruit into a significant statement.

Meet famous people past and present who were born in April. Valerie Bertinelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Bette Davis, Washington Irving, Shirley Temple are just some of the names you'll find who share a birthday in April.

Browse notable archaeologists such as Mary Leakey, Robert Ballard, and Arthur Evans.

Browse notable archbishops such as John Carroll, Desmond Tutu, and St Thomas Becket.

Browse notable architects such as Frank Gehry, Henry Bacon, and Andreas Feininger.

Learn more about famous alumni of Arizona State University. Read full biographies, and view photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Browse notable art collectors such as Doris Duke, Henry Frick, and J Paul Getty.

Browse our collection of history's most famous artists, whose striking, pioneering artwork has depicted progressive interpretations as well as personal and historic events. Explore full biographies, and view photos and videos, of notable artists such as Jeff Koons, Romare Bearden, Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and more, only at Biography.com.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" The famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong in 1969, created one of the most unforgettable moments in U.S. history. Even before that first-ever landing on the moon, astronauts began navigating their way through the thrill and mystery that is outer space. From John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, to Sally Ride, the first American woman to enter space, these  famous names have taken space exploration to new heights.

Browse notable astronomers such as Nostradamus, Caroline Lucretia Herschel, and Nicolas Copernicus.

For some athletes, the risk of losing—or even being less than the best—is worse than the many consequences of doping in professional sports, and for decades, performance-enhancing drug controversies have made headlines around the world. Other athletes have garnered media attention, criminal charges and sporting suspensions for their recreational drug use. Biography.com examines some of the world's greatest athletes to ever fall from fame, whose names have been tarnished by drugs scandals, including Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Marion Jones, Andre Agassi, Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong.

Meet famous people born in August. Barack Obama, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Tim Tebow, Ingrid Bergman, Halle Berry, Tony Bennett, Jack Black, Coco Chanel, and Andy Warhol are just some of the names you'll find share an August birthday.

James Dean, Princess Diana, Isadora Duncan, are among the notable people who lost their lives in automobile accidents or from injuries from car crashes.

See our group of celebrity aviation accident victims.

Browse notable ballet dancers such as Jose Limon, Anna Pavlova, and Robert Joffrey.

Like baseball cards and Cracker Jack, nicknames are an integral part of the culture of baseball. From Babe Ruth to the Ryan Express, nicknames often reflect a player's abilities, ethnicity, or personality. Here are the best nicknames from America's national pastime.

America’s favorite pastime has had quite a few heavy hitters and powerful pitchers throughout its history. With their impressive RBIs, game-winning strikeouts and larger-than-life personalities, these famous baseball players have become sports legends. From breaking barriers – Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Toni Stone – to breaking records – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Alex Rodriguez – here are the athletes that have made baseball a national treasure.

Browse notable basketball players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett, and Wilt Chamberlain.

Browse notable bass players such as Peter Frampton, Krist Novoselic, and Adam Clayton.

A superhero like Batman needs a legion of super villains to zap, ka-pow and wham out of Gotham City. From his first appearance in Batman comic books of the late 1930s to later television shows and films, the Caped Crusader has battled such infamous foes as "the Penguin," played by Burgess Meredith on TV and Danny DeVito on the big screen, and "the Joker," played by both Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, among others. Browse our evil lair of actors who have played some of the baddest Batman baddies.

Actor Warren Beatty's romantic exploits were legendary before he took on the real-life role of family man opposite wife Annette Bening. His list of conquests reads like a Hollywood who's who, from Jane Fonda and Natalie Wood to Brigitte Bardot and Madonna. Although a full count of Warren's women would probably be impossible, here's a few of his most famous lovers.

Whether by sword, axe or guillotine, death by beheading was historically considered the most humane form of death sentence—as long as the executioner was swift, strong and good at hitting his mark. While the practice was never legally supported in the United States, we do give the method a nod in this country whenever we use the term "capital punishment"; the word "capital" is derived from the Latin "capitalis," which translates to "of the head." Here are some of the most famous victims of this gruesome form of execution.

Jennifer Lopez was married in 2002, when she met actor Ben Affleck on the set of box office bomb Gigli. Lopez got a divorce, and she and Ben Affleck got together. The famous duo earned the nickname "Bennifer" in the press, but in January 2004 they called it off. They blamed too much media attention for the breakup.

Explore our collection of Best Actor Oscar winners, including Daniel Day-Lewis, Adrien Brody, Colin Firth, Forest Whitaker, Tom Hanks and Sean Penn. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Actress Oscar winners, including Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard, Vivien Leigh and Cher. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore Biography.com's collection of Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winners, including Edith Head and Cecil Beaton. See full biographies, photos and videos.

Explore Biography.com's collection of Best Director Oscar winners, including Ang Lee, Anthony Minghella, Barry Levinson, Bernardo Bertolucci, Carol Reed, Elia Kazan, Ethan Coen and Francis Ford Coppola.

Explore our collection of Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winners, including Ang Lee, Vittorio de Sica, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Jacques Tati, Ingmar Bergman, Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut and Roberto Benigni. See full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Original Score Oscar winners, including Bernard Herrmann, Aaron Copland, John Williams, Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, Burt Bacharach, Charlie Chaplin and Prince. See full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Picture Oscar winners, including Ben Affleck, George Clooney, James L. Brooks, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow and Peter Jackson. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Screenplay Oscar winners, including Quentin Tarantino, Sofia Coppola, Matt Damon, Billy Wilder, Emma Thompson and Orson Welles. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Song Oscar winners, including Adele, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Isaac Hayes, Melissa Etheridge and Annie Lennox. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Supporting Actor Oscar winners, including Christoph Waltz, Joe Pesci, Christopher Plummer, Walter Matthau and Frank Sinatra. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

Explore our collection of Best Supporting Actress Oscar winners, including Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Penelope Cruz, Octavia Spencer, Juliette Binoche, Marisa Tomei and Whoopi Goldberg. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

In the past, witches—or those alleged to be witches—were burned at the stake. They are a Halloween staple, portrayed as cackling, cauldron-stirring evil-doers. Far from such eerie depictions are the portrayals of witches in film and on television. Played by glamorous actresses, these witches have no warts on their faces, but rather ordinary lives and good intentions—with some supernatural powers to contend with. Here are some of the witches who have brought witchcraft into today's pop culture, on the big and small screens.

Since its emergence in the American South in the early 19th century, country music has evolved into one of the most popular mainstream musical genres. Modern-day country musicians, such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift, maintain steadfast fan bases and turn huge profits with their albums. 

But country musicians weren’t always pop culture superstars; in the 1920s, U.S. immigrants formed the backbone of what was known as “hillbilly music.”  Their explorations of the rural experience, from the depths of poverty to the height of pastoral life, became the voice of a growing, but often ignored, American subculture. These relatively unknown musicians influenced the later standout stars of country music, including Johnny Cash, Dale Evans and Hank Williams.

And the rise of country music is far from over. Its ever-changing sound—an amalgam of folk, gospel, rockabilly, bluegrass, and even urban rock—continues to pave the way for new musical innovators.

Browse notable biologists such as Werner Arber, Francis Crick, and Alexander Fleming.

Explore some of the most famous figures featured in biopics and the leading actors who portrayed them, including President Abraham Lincoln and his mimic in Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis; White House butler Eugene Allen and The Butler's leading man, Forest Whitaker; Etta James and Cadillac Records star Beyoncé Knowles; Ray Charles and his Academy Award-winning portrayer, Jamie Foxx; and Angela Bassett and Mary J. Blige, who play Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, respectively, in the Lifetime original movie Betty & Coretta (2013).

African-Americans have a long history of activism in America, from fighting for the right to vote to pushing for integrated public spaces. Activists like Stokely Carmichael organized freedom rides, James Meredith fought to integrate blacks and whites at the University of Mississippi, and Rosa Parks instigated the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These protests were often legal and nonviolent, and made a powerful impact on civil rights in the United States. With the help of activists like these—and many others—the country slowly worked to acknowledge the basic rights and contributions of African-Americans. Activists outisde of the U.S. include Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, who have fought against apartheid in South Africa. Learn more about the many black activists who fought against the odds in order to achieve equality.

From film to television to the stage, African-American actors have been credited with a wide range of acclaimed and pioneering cinematic works, including Malcolm X, The Last King of Scotland, Remember the Titans, Training Day, Man on Fire, Ali and Ray. Explore our collection of famous black actors, including Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Forest Whitaker, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith and Richard Pryor.

They've made us laugh. They've made us cry. They've made us nostalgic, and they've even made us vengeful. They're among Hollywood's most famous black actresses, appearing in classic films like The Color Purple, Poetic Justice, Soul Food, Dreamgirls and The Help, as well as on television and on the stage. Explore our collection of famous black actresses, including Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne and Angela Bassett.

They are the famous African-American artists who have exquisitely shared portrayals of historic events and individuals, cultural perspectives, and the experiences and struggles of minorities through their artwork. Examine our list of pivotal black artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, who helped to bring African-American and Latino experiences into the elite art world through his graffiti works; Augusta Savage, a sculptor and leading artist of the Harlem Renaissance, who experienced racial discrimination by an art program's selection committee; and Kara Walker, who has used paper silhouettes to depict race and gender relations.

They've sprinted, served, batted, slam-dunked and TKO'd their way into sports history. Sprinter Jesse Owens's Olympic triumphs put Hitler to shame. Basketball star Michael Jordan taught kids that they could fly. Gymnast Gabby Douglas showed that champions can come in pint-size packages, and Tiger Woods brought the game of golf to another level. Explore biographies of famous black athletes who broke records and barriers and, ultimately, captured our imaginations.