Amanda Peet is an American actress who's starred in films like 'The Whole Nine Yards,' 'Something's Gotta Give' and in TV shows like 'Togetherness' and 'Brockmire.'

• Playwright, Actress
  (1972–)

One of America’s richest men is now its no. 2 real estate broker. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought HomeServices of America, Inc. in 2000; the company has since grown through acquisitions, including Long & Foster Cos. last year, to dominate its business sector.

• Business Leader, Philanthropist
  (1930–)

In a speech honoring Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama warned of the proliferation of "strongman politics" and the disregarding of facts, pointing to France's multicultural World Cup-winning team as an immigration success story.

• Lawyer, U.S. President, U.S. Senator
  (1961–)

Radio distress calls picked up by locals and the government may offer clues to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance and destiny in the days after, according to a new report by Richard Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery.

• Pilot
  (1897–c. 1939)

Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American congresswoman in 1968. Four years later, she became the first major-party black candidate to make a bid for the U.S. presidency.

• U.S. Representative
  (1924–2005)

Madeleine Albright became the first woman to represent the U.S. in foreign affairs as the secretary of state.

• Government Official, Diplomat
  (1937–)

Frances Perkins was the first female to serve in the U.S. presidential cabinet. As secretary of labor, she helped with the New Deal and Social Security.

• Government Official, Civil Servant
  (1880–1965)

‘Vanity Fair’ revealed it removed James Franco’s image from its Hollywood issue cover, which featured stars including Tom Hanks and Oprah, due to sexual misconduct allegations -- a highly unusual last-minute move. Franco has denied accusations of wrongdoing.

• Television Actor, Film Actor
  (1978–)

Ursula Le Guin, who pushed boundaries as a female writer in male-dominated fantasy and science fiction genres, has died at 88. The author was known for her novels including ‘The Left Hand of Darkness,’ ‘A Wizard of Earthsea,’ ‘The Tombs of Atuan’ and ‘The Farthest Shore.’

• Author
  (1929–2018)

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted NOVA ScienceNow and makes media appearances to encourage science and space exploration.

• Writer, Television Personality, Scientist
  (1958–)

Marie M. Daly is best known for being the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States.

• Chemist
  (1921–2003)

Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress known for roles in small films and for her leading-lady role in The Dark Night.

• Film Actress
  (1977–)

Chelsea Clinton is the daughter of Hillary Rodham Clinton and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

• Business Leader
  (1980–)

Alicia Keys is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose debut album, Songs in A Minor, went platinum five times over.

• Singer, Television Actress, Pianist
  (1981–)

Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s, setting the mark for consecutive games played. He died of ALS in 1941.

• Famous Baseball Players
  (1903–1941)

Charles Drew was an African-American surgeon who pioneered methods of storing blood plasma for transfusion and organized the first large-scale blood bank in the U.S.

• Surgeon, Doctor, Educator
  (1904–1950)

Jack Kerouac was an American writer best known for the novel On the Road, which became an American classic, pioneering the Beat Generation in the 1950s.

• Journalist, Author, Poet
  (1922–1969)

Alexander Hamilton, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and major author of the Federalist papers, was the United States' first secretary of the treasury.

• Lawyer, Military Leader, Economist, Journalist, Political Scientist, Government Official
  (c. 1755–1804)

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was a 20th century clergyman and U.S. representative who was a major force in establishing civil rights for African Americans.

• U.S. Representative, Civil Rights Activist, Pastor
  (1908–1972)

Anthony Perkins is an Oscar-nominated stage and film actor who is best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

• Actor
  (1932–1992)

Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated with Richard Rodgers on popular musicals such as ‘Oklahoma!,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Carousel,’ ‘The King and I,’ and ‘The Sound of Music.’

• Songwriter
  (1895–1960)

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."

• Composer
  (1902–1979)

Anne Tyler is an American novelist best known for writing The Accidental Tourist (1985) which was made into a movie in 1988 starring William Hurt and Geena Davis.

• Editor, Author
  (1941–)

James Meredith is a civil rights activist who became the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962.

• Civil Rights Activist
  (1933–)