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.
Former President Obama is in negotiations with Netflix to produce a series of shows, according to ‘The New York Times.’ The shows, produced by the former first couple and highlighting inspirational stories, are evidence that the Obamas intend to remain engaged in civics.
An anthropology professor says his study confirms that bones discovered on the remote island of Nikumaroro in 1940 are Amelia Earhart’s. He says the bones are 99 percent more similar to Earhart’s based on her size than that of 2,776 other people studied.
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.
Madeleine Albright became the first woman to represent the U.S. in foreign affairs as the secretary of state.
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.
‘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.
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.’
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted NOVA ScienceNow and makes media appearances to encourage science and space exploration.
Marie M. Daly is best known for being the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States.
Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress known for roles in small films and for her leading-lady role in The Dark Night.
Chelsea Clinton is the daughter of Hillary Rodham Clinton and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Alicia Keys is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter whose debut album, Songs in A Minor, went platinum five times over.
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.
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.
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.
Alexander Hamilton, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and major author of the Federalist papers, was the United States' first secretary of the treasury.
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.
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.
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.’
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."
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.
James Meredith is a civil rights activist who became the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi in 1962.
The son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon has contributed to groups as a musician and producer, and has released multiple albums as a solo artist.