The punk rock icon and his girlfriend shared the plunge into the excesses of the lifestyle, until he was charged with her murder in October 1978.

After the death of the actor who played Coach, Harrelson joined the show, invigorated the cast with his youthful zest and quickly won over audiences.

The Bard churned out 'King Lear,' 'Macbeth' and 'Antony and Cleopatra' as London reeled from the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and an outbreak of the bubonic plague the following year.

Isolated during the Great Plague of London, the philosopher engaged in the groundbreaking discoveries that marked his "year of wonders."

The New York City couple were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage in 1953, sparking decades of conspiracy talk that produced new twists in the 21st century.

The Swedish singers found inspiration and love from one another and pulled together to become one of the best-selling pop acts of the 1970s.

Never-ending rehearsals, performances, bus rides and hotel rooms were the norm for a young Donny and Marie and their musical siblings.

The president divided the international community and angered a contingent of American athletes with his attempt to punish the Soviet Union.

The determination that fueled the first female African American aviator contributed to her demise at age 34.

The measured elder and his headstrong protégé brought out the best in one another in the crucial early days of American independence.

Unable to devote his full attention to storytelling, the inventor saw his half-hearted attempt at authorship come and go with the brief newspaper run of 'In the Deep of Time.'

While three members of the Nation of Islam were arrested for his 1965 murder, more than 50 years later, mystery still surrounds who really killed the civil rights activist.

From sharing the travails of discrimination to providing a sanctuary at home, Rachel Robinson proved to be an invaluable presence as the athlete helped integrate the national pastime.

Groening named the cartoon family named after his own siblings and parents, albeit with a "Bart" in lieu of a character named after himself.

The African American scientist is known as the "Peanut Man," but did he actually create the popular spread?

The civil rights icon met his end on April 4, 1968, while seeking victory for the Memphis' struggling sanitation workers.

After his injury, the 'Superman' actor devoted his life fighting for medical advancements as he lived out his final years as a quadriplegic.

An over-reliance on psychedelic drugs drove the rock star from the bounds of reality and forced his bandmates to cut ties to keep their musical dreams alive.

The pontiff cited advanced age as the reason behind his shocking move in February 2013, though his decision may have been aided by the difficulties of bringing the Church into the 21st century.

The then-unknown actor lit up the screen with his charisma and one-liners, turning the coming-of-age comedy into a cult favorite.

The on-the-job devotion of the man who discovered a bomb at the 1996 Olympic Games also triggered the investigation that made him the FBI's chief suspect and upended his life.

Deodorant, drunken antics and a breakup fueled the creation of the song that launched grunge into the mainstream and made the rocker a household name.

The up-and-coming songwriter and country music singer found common ground on a crossover classic that cemented both artists' reputations.

The country star was supposed to be on the plane that crashed and took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959.