ScrapSayings, Brief Bios

These are the people that I have quoted in my scrapbook website on numerous occasions. Rather than describe them over and over again, I have placed their brief biographies here. And these are indeed brief. Wikipedia can tell you much more. Use your back button to return to the scrappin titles you were reviewing.

  • Hank Aaron, 1934:
    Hall of Fame Baseball Player for Milwaukee and Atlanta- Hit 755 Home Runs.

  • Abigail Adams, 1744-1818:
    First Lady to John Adams, who was a founder of the Revolution and the second president of the United States.

  • John Quincy Adams, 1767-1848:
    Sixth president of the United States.

  • Scott Adams:
    Author of the Dilbert Principle.

  • Aesop:
    Legendary Greek fablist in the 6th century BC. Example: the Lion and the Mouse.

  • Louisa May Alcott, 1855-1888:
    Teacher, nurse in WWI, author Little Women, and publisher.

  • Muhammad Ali, 1942:
    Olympic and 3 heavy weight champion boxer, civil rights activist.

  • Hans Christian Andersen, 1805-1875:
    story teller The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling and many more.

  • Maya Angelou, 1928:
    poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director.

  • Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906:
    Teacher and suffra-jet women rights movement in 1852 along side Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She also pushed for anti-slavery.

  • St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274:
    Italian Scholastic Philosopher and Theologian)

  • Hannah Arendt, 1906-1975:
    German-born American Political Philosopher)

  • Aristotle, 384BC-322BC:
    Greek mathematician, philosopher.

  • Arthur Ashe, 1943-1993:
    World class champion tennis player-over 800 victories, first black man to win U.S. Championship(1968)and Wimbledon(1975). Equal and civil rights activist, aids activist.

  • Jane Austen, 1775-1817:
    English novelist and poet - Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816).

  • Burt Bacharach, 1928:
    3 Academy and 7 Grammy Awards, 70 Top 40 hits in the U.S., 52 Top 40 hits in the UK, composed over 500 songs, singer, pianist.

  • Francis Bacon, 1561-1626:
    British Philosopher, Essayist, Statesman)

  • Lucille Ball, 1911-1989:
    America's Funny Lady- movie, stage and TV actress, comedian, co-producer of the I love Lucy show.

  • Brigitte Bardot, 1934:
    French actress, former fashion model, singer, nationalist, animal rights activist, sex kitten of the 1950s and 1960s .

  • Dave Barry, 1947:
    Columnist, humorist, author, Pulitzer Prize for commentary 1988.

  • Drew Barrymore, 1975:
    Actress (E.T. and Charlie's Angels), producer, author .

  • St. Basil, 329-379:
    Bishop of Caesarea.

  • Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887:
    American Preacher, Orator, Writer and abolitionist .

  • Harry Belafonte, 1927:
    Jamaican American musician, actor and social and civil rights activist to many humanitarian causes.

  • Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922:
    Scientist, professor, inventor and innovator of the telephone - patented in 1876, beating out Elisha Gray by only hours. Both Bell's mother and wife were deaf, he did some of the first developments with hearing aids.

  • Francis Bellamy, 1855 - 1931:
    A Baptist minister who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1954, Congress, after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words 'under God' to the Pledge. The original version did not contain these (now controversial) words.

  • Milton Berle, 1908-2002:
    American comedian and actor on stage and screen, and the first American TV superstar.

  • Irving Berlin, 1888-1989:
    Jewish American composer and lyricist in the "Tin Pan Ally" era. Composed over 3,000 songs. (God Bless America, White Christmas, There's No Business Like Show Business)

  • Yogi Berra, 1925:
    Baseball Hall of Fame player NY Yankees and coach Yankees, Mets, Astros; known for his non-sense sayings .

  • Otto Von Bismarck, 1815-1898:
    founder of the German Empire.

  • Erma Bombeck:
    Author of many comedy books, and ABC news reporter.

  • Bono, 1960:
    Rock singer in U2, peace and feed the world activist.

  • Victor Borge, 1909-2000:
    born Børge Rosenbaum -humorist, entertainer and world-class pianist .

  • Ray Bradbury, 1920:
    Writer of science fiction - The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451.

  • Dr. Joyce Brothers, 1928:
    An American psychologist and advice columnist, publishing a daily syndicated newspaper column since 1960.

  • Les Brown, 1945:
    American speaker, author, trainer, motivator.

  • Margaret Wise Brown:
    Author of Good Night Moon, a popular children's book.

  • Pearl S. Buck, 1892-1973:
    American Novelist - The Good Earth.

  • Edmund Burke, 1729-1797:
    Lawyer, writer, leader in England's parliament, political theorist and philosopher.

  • Carol Burnett, 1933:
    American television comedian, stage and movie actress, singer, dancer, author. The Carol Burnett Show was a prime time hit for 11 years.

  • George Burns, 1896-1996:
    vaudeville, stage, screen, radio and TV -Gracie Allen's straight man.

  • Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998:
    American Expert on Love, Lecturer, Author. aka "Dr. Hug".

  • Barbara Bush, 1925:
    American First Lady, Wife of President George Bush Sr., and mother of George Bush Jr.

  • George W. Bush, 1946:
    Governor of Texas and 43rd President of the US.

  • Samuel Butler, 1612-1680:
    British poet, satirist.

  • Julia Cameron:

  • George Carlin, 1937-2008:
    Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, movie and TV actor, and author)

  • Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919:
    American Industrialist, Philanthropist. Founder, Carnegie Steel Co..

  • Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955:
    Writer and pioneer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and interpersonal skills.

  • Jimmy Carter, 1924:
    39th president of the United States. Nobel Peace Prize 2002, statesman, humanitarian.

  • Rosalynn Carter, 1927:
    American First Lady, Wife of President Jimmy Carter, co-founder of the Carter Foundation and spokes person for Habitat for Humanity.

  • George Washington Carver, 1864-1943:
    American Scientist.

  • Wille Cather:

  • Patrick Skene Catling:

  • Coco Chanel:
    Clothes designer.

  • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:
    A French Jesuit, scientist, and philosopher.

  • Winston Churchill, 1874 - 1965:
    British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A noted statesman and orator, officer in the British Army, a historical writer, and an artist.

  • Cicero, 106BC-43BC:
    Roman politician, statesman, philosopher, and orator. He introduced Rome to Greek philosophy, and his works rank among the most influential in European culture.

  • William Jefferson Clinton, 1946:
    12 years governor of Arkansas and the 42nd president of the United States.

  • Tom Cochrane, 1953:
    Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his hit songs Life Is a Highway, Lunatic Fringe, White Hot, Boy Inside the Man.

  • Caleb Colton:
    Cleric and writer.

  • Confucius, 551BC-479BC:
    Famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced East Asian culture.

  • Bart Conner, 1958:
    Olympic Gold-Medal gymnast 1984, sportscaster and entrepreneur. Married to Romanian gold medalist Nadia Com*neci.

  • John Calvin Coolidge, 1872-1933:
    30th president of the United States.

  • Bill Cosby, 1937:
    World class comedian, actor, author, and producer.

  • Norman Cousins, 1915-1990:
    American editor, humanitarian, author)

  • Billy Crystal, 1948:
    American TV and film actor, writer, producer, comedian, and film director. Starting with Soap and then big box office hits When Harry Met Sally, and City Slickers

  • Marie Curie, 1867-1934:
    Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) Davy Medal (1903. Matteucci Medal (1904) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1911. known for her radioactivity.

  • Charles Darwin, 1809-1882:
    British Naturalist, discoverer of evolution (with a nod to Alfred Wallace of course).

  • Agnes DeMille, 1905-1993:
    American dancer and choreographer, winning Tony and Martha Gramham awards over her life career.

  • John Denver, 1943 - 1997:
    Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., and died in a plane crash. An American folk singer, songwriter, and stellar perfomer. He recorded and released some 300 songs, about half of which he had composed, and was named Poet Laureate of Colorado in 1977. Denver has been referred to as "The Poet For the Planet", Mother Nature's Son (based on The Beatles song he covered), and "A Song's Best Friend". Also starred inseveral movies, including Oh God.

  • Neil Diamond, 1941:
    American singer-songwriter and actor in the "Jazz Singer". Strong record sales and sold out performances for 50 years and still touring today. (guest mentor on 2008 American Idol -selling his new album)

  • Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886:
    American poet.

  • Phyllis Diller, 1917:
    American Comedian - one of the 1st female stand-ups. Actress in TV and Movies. Zany hair and clothes and white gogo boots)

  • Walt Disney, 1901-1966:
    creator and voice of Mickey Mouse, Disney cartoons, Disneyland/worlds in CA, FL, Japan, France; Wonderful World of Disney TV series, The Mickey Mouse club, G-rated family entertainment, philanthropist.

  • Fats Domino, 1928:
    Classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. Blueberry Hill and Blue Monday

  • Patty Duke, 1946:
    American actress on TV and movies The Miracle Worker. Activist for mental wellness.

  • Jimmy Durante, 1893-1980:
    actor, comedian, jazz/ragtime piano.

  • Wayne Dyer, 1940:
    Self-help advocate, author Your Erroneous Zones and lecturer.

  • Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931:
    prolific American inventor -incandescent lamp, phonograph, motion picture camera, and many more. Founder of General Electric.

  • Albert Einstein, 1879-1955:
    German-born American Physicist. e = mc2

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1890-1969:
    Army General, 34th President of the US .

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882:
    American poet, essayist.

  • Malissa Ethridge, 1961:
    Singer, song writer, gay rights activist, breast cancer survivor.

  • Euripdes, 480BC-406BC:
    Greek philosopher.

  • Dan Fogelberg, 1951-2007:
    song writer, singer, performer.

  • Gerald R. Ford, 1913-2006:
    38th president of the United States.

  • Harrison Ford, 1942:
    An award winning American Actor best known for Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies.

  • Henry Ford, 1863-1947:
    Father of the Ford Motor Company and the assembly line.

  • Harry Emerson Fosdik, 1878-1969:
    American clergyman, who claimed that the bible is not the word of God, but a history, telling of the unfolding of God's will.

  • Jodie Foster, 1962:
    Award winning actress in movies including 2 Oscars and 3 Golden Globes.

  • St. Francis De Sales, 1567-1622:

  • Anne Frank, 1929-1945:
    She and 7 others hid from the Nazis, Anne wrote a diary on her experience.

  • Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790:
    Printer, Inventor, Scientist, Writer, Statesman of the First Continental Congress, Diplomat.

  • Sidney A. Friedman, 1935:
    American Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker, Author.

  • Erich Fromm, 1900-1980:
    Internationally renowned social psychologist, psychoanalyst, and humanistic philosopher.

  • Robert Frost, 1874-1963:
    award winning American Poet -four Pulitzer Prizes.

  • Thomas Fuller, 1608-1661:
    British Clergyman and Author.

  • Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948:
    Indian Political and Spiritual Leader .

  • Judy Garland, 1922-1969:
    American actress and singer. Child star with The Wizard of Oz in 1939, winning The Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Tony Awards. (Her career spanned 45 of her 47 years.)

  • Kahlil Gibran,1883 -1931:
    A Lebanese American artist, poet and writer of The Pamphet, and The New Frontier-influencing The American New Age movement, Pres. Kennedy's, `Ask not what a country can do for you…'.

  • Al Gore:
    Gore was a senator from Tennessee for many years, and became vice president to Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2000. He published in Scientific American (September 1991); a rare accomplishment for a senator. After he lost the 2000 bid for president, an electoral college outcome that is highly controversial even to this day, he became an outspoken champion for the environment. His documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, brought the issue to the forefront of American voters, and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

  • Dag Hammarskjold, 1905-1961:
    He was head of the bank of Sweden, where he coined the phrase "planned economy". He was also a UN delegate, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961. His plane was shot down over Katanga, trying to negotiate a cease fire.

  • Robert A. Heinlein, 1907-1988:
    American novelist and science fiction writer. 32 novels, 59 short stories, 16 collections during his life. Four films, two TV series, several episodes of a radio series, and a board game have been derived more or less directly from his work.

  • Jim Henson, 1936-1990:
    world renowned puppeteer and creator of The Muppets for the television series Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. He also produced several Muppet movies. He constructed advanced puppets for projects like Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Return of the Jedi. Oscar-nominated film director, Emmy Award-winning television producer, and the founder of The Jim Henson Company, the Jim Henson Foundation, and Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

  • Katharine Hepburn, 1907-2003:
    American actress on film, television and stage. her 73-year career includes the most "Best Actress" Oscars, with two, from 12 nominations. She won an Emmy Award in 1976 for Love Among the Ruins, and was nominated for four other Emmys, two Tony Awards and seven Golden Globes. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Hepburn as the greatest female star in the history of American cinema.

  • Napoleon Hill, 1883-1970:
    American Authur Think and Grow Rich, and other motivational books.

  • Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980:
    British-born film director and producer of suspense and thriller genres. More than 50 films over 6 decades. Host and producer of TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

  • Bob Hope, 1903-2003:
    He cleared his 100th birthday by 2 months. Actor, comedian on stage, screen and TV. `Road to…' movies with Bing Crosby. 60yrs entertaining the troops with the USO. Married to Deloris Hope for 69 years.

  • Edgar Watson Howe, 1853-1937:
    American Journalist, Author.

  • Helen Hunt, 1963:
    American Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning actress. As Good As It Gets, and the TV sitcom Mad About You.

  • Lee Iacocca, 1924:
    American Businessman, Former CEO of Chrysler.

  • Steve Irwin, 1962-2006:
    World wide fame as Discovery Channel's The Crocodile Hunter. He co-owned and operated the Australia Zoo, winning many awards and grants for animal ecology and scientific discovery along the way.

  • Jesse Jackson, 1941:
    American clergyman, Civil Rights leader.

  • Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826:
    Author of the Declaration of Independence, third president of the United States, inventor, architect, statesman.

  • Bruce Jenner, 1949:
    American track athlete, Olympic decathlon winner 1976, author, speaker.

  • Elton John, 1947:
    born Reginald Kenneth Dwight. English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. In his four-decade career he wrote more than 50 Top 40 hits including seven consecutive No. 1 U.S. albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won five Grammy awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award.

  • Angelina Jolie, 1975:
    American film actress, former fashion model, ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, mother of 1 and 4 adopted.

  • Quincy Jones:

  • Barbara Jordan, 1936-1996:
    professor at University of Texas, and House of Representatives, D, Texas.

  • Michael Jordan, 1963:
    Basketball Star-3 NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls.

  • Danny Kaye, 1913-1987:
    Comedian, singer, dancer, philanthropist, UNICEF ambassador, symphony conductor.

  • Helen Keller, 1880-1968:
    Deaf and Blind, authur, speaker, teacher.

  • John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963:
    35th president of the United States - assassinated in 1963.

  • Robert F. Kennedy, 1925-1968:
    American Attorney General, Senator. Assassinated while running for president.

  • Rose Kennedy, 1890-1995:
    Mother of nine, one being the 35th President JFK, and two U.S. Senators)

  • Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, 1813-1855:
    Profound and prolific writer in the Danish "golden age" of intellectual and artistic activity. His work crosses the boundaries of philosophy, theology, psychology, literary criticism, devotional literature and fiction.

  • Coretta Scott King:
    Civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968:
    American Civil Rights Leader, Nobel Prize Winner 1964. Assassinated 1968. He so profoundly advanced the cause of equality, that we now honor him with a national holiday.

  • Jonathan Kozol:
    Author, educator, education activist.

  • Judith Krantz, 1928:
    American novelist of the romance genre - Scruples, Princess Daisy, Till We Meet Again.

  • Ann Landers, 1918-2002:
    born Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman, she and Ruth Crowley were the main writers behind the public image of advice columnist "Ann Landers", syndicated for 45 years. Her twin sister, Pauline Esther Friedman ("Popo"), wrote a similar personal advice column, "Dear Abby," under the name Abigail Van Buren.

  • D.H. Lawrence, 1885-1930:
    British Author.

  • Bruce Lee, 1940-1973:
    Chinese-American Martial Artist, Actor, Director, Author. Died at age 32 in an accident during the filming of The Crow in 1993.

  • John Lennon, 1940-1980:
    Former Beatle, song writer, solo artist. Shot by a crazed fan.

  • Baron Justus von Liebig, 1803-1873:
    German chemist.

  • Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865:
    16th President of the United States. Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation. Assassinated 1865.

  • Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906-2001:
    Writer, first woman glider pilot, medal winning private pilot wife of Charles Lindbergh.

  • Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970:
    , Football coach for the Green Bay Packers.

  • Douglas MacArthur:
    WWII and Korean war general.

  • Malcolm X, 1925-1965:
    Civil rights leader.

  • Nelson Mandela:
    He was an outspoken anti-apartheid activist, and was placed in jail under cruel conditions on Robin Island for 27 years as a result. When apartheid was finally overthrown, he was elected president of South Africa.

  • Og Mandino, 1923-1996:
    American motivational author and speaker.

  • Bobby McFarran:
    Musician, singer.

  • Margaret Mead, 1901-1978:
    Pioneering anthropologist.

  • Ethel Merman:
    Dynamic singer, actress on stage and screen.

  • Clement Clark Moore, 1779-1863:
    Author of the poem A visit from St. Nickolas, popularly known as T'was the night before Christmas. Biblical Hebrew scholar and Professor of Classics at General Theological Seminary and father of six.

  • Alannah Myles, 1955:
    Canadian singer.

  • Robert Nathan, 1894-1985:
    American Novelist.

  • Randy Newman:
    Oscar and grammy award winning song writer.

  • Sir Isaac Newton, 1642-1727:
    British Scientist, Alchemist, Mathematician. Developed calculus, gravitation, orbital mechanics, optics, and astronomy, to name a few. Certainly in the running for the most brilliant mind that has ever lived.

  • Anais Nin, 1903-1977:
    A Cuban-French author who became famous for her published journals, which span more than 60 years.

  • Sandra Day O'Connor:
    First Woman Supreme Court Justice.

  • Barack Obama, 1961:
    First African American to be president of the Harvard Law Review, and the 44th President of the United States in 2009)

  • Ovid, 43BC-18AD:
    Roman poet.

  • Thomas Paine, 1737-1809:
    Author, pamphleteer, revolutionary, radical, liberal and intellectual. Best known for his Common Sense (1776) supporting the Revolution.

  • Dolly Parton, 1946:
    Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated American country singer, songwriter, composer, musician, author, actress, business woman, and philanthropist.

  • Norman Vincent Peale, 1898 - 1993:
    US clergyman, motivational speaker, author The Power of Positive Thinking.

  • Pericles, 495BC-429BC:
    Ancient Greek Politician, General and Statesman, of the aristocratic Alcmaeonid family.

  • Michelle Pheiffer, 1958:
    American Actress, recipient of a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award for The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), as well as three Academy Award nominations.

  • Pablo Picasso:
    20th century abstract Artist.

  • Mary Pickford, 1893-1979:
    Canadian-born American Actress.

  • Colin Powell, 1937:
    Retired Army General, Secretary of State to President George W. Bush.

  • Beatrix Potter, 1866-1943:
    Author of children's books The Tale of Peter Rabbit, illustrator, painter, zoologist, and botanist.

  • Elvis Presley, 1935-1977:
    American singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon as "The KING of Rock and Roll". He performed rock ("Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock"), blues, R&B, and pop ballads like "Love me Tender", but his heart stayed in his gospel roots in Tupelo, Mississippi.

  • Victoria Principal:
    American actress, best known for her role in Dallas. Produced several infomercials.

  • Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004:
    Actor, governor of California, Fortieth President US. "the great communicator".

  • Otis Redding:

  • Christopher Reeve, 1952-2004:
    American Actor Superman, Director, and Speaker, who became paralyzed from the neck down after a horse riding accident.

  • Edward Vernon Rickenbacker, 1890-1973:
    American Aviator, World War I Ace.

  • Gene Roddenberry, 1921-1991:
    American scriptwriter and producer -creator of Star Trek.

  • Dale Evens Rogers:
    American western singer and actress, wife of Roy Rogers, one of America's "singing cowboys".

  • Will Rogers, 1879-1935:
    Cowboy, Trick roper, humorist stand-up, actor, writer.

  • Andy Rooney:
    American television news personality.

  • Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962:
    First Lady from 1933-1945 to FDR.

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882-1945:
    President in 1932 for 4 terms, bringing the US out of the great depression and into WWII.

  • Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919:
    26th president of the United States. Known for workers' rights, national parks, the Panama Canal, and Mount Rushmore.

  • Mike Rowe:
    Host of Discovery's Dirty Jobs.

  • Wilma Rudolph, 1940-1994:
    Olympic Gold metal winner in track and field. An inspiration to all women and the African American community.

  • Rosalind Russell, 1908-1976:
    American stage and movie actress Auntie Mame and Sister Kenny.

  • Babe Ruth, 1895-1948:
    Major League Star and Home Run King.

  • Carl Sagan, 1934-1996:
    American astronomer and astro-biologist -writer; TV producer -Cosmos- A Personal Voyage .

  • Carl Sandburg:

  • Charles Schultz, 1922-2000:
    Cartoonist of Peanuts for 50 years.

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1947:
    Austrian-American bodybuilder, movie actor and an American politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California.

  • Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965:
    German born medical missionary, theologian, musician, and philosopher)

  • Dr. Seuss, 1904-1991:
    Cartoonist of political satire and author of children's books that were once band by schools; now we herald his birthday as part of March reading month.

  • William Shakespear, 1564-1616:
    British poet, playwright, and actor.

  • William Shedd, 1820-1894:
    Author of Dogmatic Theology.

  • Beverly Sills, 1929-2007:
    Award winning Opera singer. After retiring she became general manager of the New York City Opera, and the Chairman of Lincoln Center, and then, of the Metropolitan Opera, stepping down in 2005.

  • Paul Simon, 1941:
    American singer, song writer, musician. Originally sang with Art Garfunkel, e.e. Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Many awards, including Grammys (Graceland) and Kennedy Center Honors.

  • Kendra Smiley:
    Motivational speaker, talk show host on Christian Radio, and Authur)

  • Socrates, 470BC-399BC:
    Philosopher, influenced Plato and Euclid.

  • Sophocles, 495BC-406BC:
    Greek Tragic Poet. Oedipus Rex

  • Dr. Benjamin Spock, 1903-1998:
    American Pediatrician, author.

  • Edward Stanley:
    Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

  • Mattie Stepanek, 1990-2004:
    Poet, philosopher, adviser to presidents, friend, MDA poster child.

  • Cat Stevens, 1948:
    British singer and song writer, selling over 60 million albums world wide. Hits include Morning is Broken and Peace Train. He converted to Islam in 1977, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and left his musical career behind.

  • Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892:
    English poet of the Victorian age. Tennyson succeeded Wordsworth as Poet Laureate in 1850.

  • Mother Teresa, 1910-1997:
    Albanian-born Roman Catholic Missionary.

  • Margaret Thatcher, 1925:
    Prime Minister of England from 1979-1990.

  • Dave Thomas:
    Owner of the Wendy's restaurant chain (daughter was named Wendy), and founder of the Dave Thomas Foundation, dedicated to the adoption of waiting children in the United States. Dave Thomas was himself adopted.

  • Henry David Thoreau:
    19th century American essayist, poet, and philosopher.

  • Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, 1828-1910:
    Russian author, one of the world's greatest novelists. War and Peace

  • Mel Torme, 1925-1999:
    aka the Velvet Fog - a jazz composer and arranger, wrote The Christmas Song. Drummer, an actor on radio/film/TV, and the author of five books .

  • Ryan Town:
    Adopted through Adopt America Network 2000. He wrote his Hope poem at the age of 11.

  • Harry Truman:
    33th president of the United States. Ended World War II (with the atomic bomb), and saw the beginning of the Korean War.

  • Harriet Tubman, 1820-1913:
    African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the U.S. Civil War. After escaping from captivity, she made thirteen missions to rescue over seventy slaves using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era struggled for women's suffrage.

  • Mark Twain, 1835-1910:
    Pseudonym of Samuel Taylor Clemens, speaker, reporter, writer (Tom Sawyer etc), life satirist, American Humorist.

  • Cicely Tyson:
    American Actress and dancer, Kizzy in Roots .

  • Peter Ustinov, 1929-2004:
    Oscar winning actor in 1960 +1964, writer, director, dramatist and raconteur.

  • Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890:
    Dutch Painter.

  • Leonardo Da Vinci, 1452-1519:
    Italian Inventor, Architect, Painter, scientist, sculptor.

  • Denis Waitley, 1933:
    Motivational speaker, mental trainer, author. Peak performance expert.

  • Denzel Washington, 1954:
    American Academy Award Winning Actor

  • George Washington, 1732-1799:
    General of the First Continental Army, and first President of the US.

  • H. G. Wells, 1886-1946:
    English author of science fiction novels: The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau.

  • Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900:
    Irish poet and dramatist.

  • Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957:
    writer of The Little House on the Prairie books.

  • Marianne Williamson, 1952:
    American Author, Lecturer on Spirituality.

  • Woodrow T. Wilson, 1856-1924:
    28th president of the United States. Formed the League of Nations after WW I.

  • Walter Winchell, 1897-1972:
    An American newspaper and radio commentator, invented the gossip column at the New York Evening Graphic.

  • Oprah Winfrey, 1954:
    American TV personality, actress, author.

  • Diana Spencer Windsor, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997:
    AIDS activist, headed the campaign to ban land mines. She worked to help children all over the world. She died in a car accident in Paris.

  • Betty White, 1924:
    American Emmy Award winning Actress on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Golden Girls.

  • Walt Whitman:

  • The Wizard of Oz, 1939:
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Burt Lahr, Jack Haley, Billy Burke-Glinda, Frank Morgan-Prof. Marvel+the wizard+doorman, Margret Hamilton-Miss Gulsh+Wicked Witch of the West.

  • Tiger Woods, 1975:
    Was golfing on the Mike Douglas show at age 2. Won 4Masters, 2USOpens, 3British Opens, 57 PGA Tournaments.

  • Frank Llyod Wright, 1869-1959:
    American Architect-public buildings, private homes, glass design work and furniture. Wright was an American original…

  • Zig Ziglar, 1932:
    American speaker, author, trainer, motivator.