A
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Aaron, Daniel | b. January 27, 1926, Gießen, Germany d. February 20, 2003, Pennsylvania, United States Daniel Aaron was a businessman and business journalist who cofounded Comcast, a global telecommunications and cable company. |
| Abad, Pacita | b. October 5, 1946, Batanes, Philippines d. December 7, 2004, Batanes, Philippines Pacita Abad was a painter, best remembered for her colorful abstract canvases. She often incorporated other materials into her work such as fabric, beads, bark or glass. |
| Abani, Chris | b. December 27, 1966, Nigeria, Africa Chris Abani is a novelist, poet, essayist and playwright who was part of a new generation of Nigerian writers working to convey to an English-speaking audience the experience of those born and raised in Africa. |
| Abbott, Senda Berenson | b. March 19, 1868, Butrimonys, Lithuania d. February 16, 1954, California, United States Senda Berenson Abbott was a pioneer in women's basketball. In 1907, she wrote the first Basketball Guide for Women. |
| Abboud, Joseph | b. May 5, 1950, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Syria Joseph Abboud is a menswear fashion designer and author of Threads: My Life Behind the Seams in the High-Stakes World of Fashion. |
| Abdi, Barkhad | b. April 10, 1985, Mogadishu, Somalia Barkhad Abdi is an actor and director. After making his debut in 2013 he has landed several other films including a leading role alongside Eion Bailey in Extortion. |
| Abdirahman, Abdi | b. January 1, 1977, Hargeisa, Somalia Abdi Abdirahman is a four-time Olympic long distance runner. He has competed for the United States in the marathon and 10,000m. |
| Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem | b. April 16, 1947, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Trinidad Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played basketball professionally for 20 years with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships as a player and was an All-Star for 19 of his 20 years in the NBA. |
| Abdul, Paula | b. June 19, 1962, California, United States Father: From Syria, Mother: From Canada Paula Abdul is a singer, songwriter, voice actress, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality. |
| Abedin, Huma | b. July 28, 1976, Michigan, United States Father: From India, Mother: From present-day Pakistan Huma Abedin is a political staffer who was vice chair of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for President of the United States. |
| Abel, Sid | b. February 22, 1918, Melville, Canada d. February 8, 2000, Michigan, United States Sid Abel was a hall of fame hockey player and a three-time Stanley Cup winner on the Detroit Redwings. He is considered one of the 100 greatest hockey players. |
| Abloh, Virgil | b. 1980, Illinois, United States Parents: From Ghana Virgil Abloh is the designer behind Milan-based label, Off-White. He is also Kanye West's longtime creative director. |
| Abraham, F. Murray | b. October 24, 1939, Pennsylvania, Unites States Father: From Syria, Mother: From Italy F. Murray Abraham is an actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Amadeus (1984). |
| Abraham, Kuzhikalail M. | b. January 17, 1945, Ranny, India Kuzhikalail M. Abraham is an expert on lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries. He invented the ultrahigh energy density Lithium-air battery. |
| Abramović, Marina | b. November 30, 1946, Belgrade, present-day Serbia Marina Abramović is a performance artist. She is famous for several iconic works including Rhythm 0, in which she placed 72 objects on a table in front of her with a sign saying the audience could use them on her any way they chose. These objects included a rose, a feather, scissors, a gun and a single bullet. |
| Abreu, José | b. January 29, 1987, Cienfuegos, Cuba José Abreu plays first base for the Chicago White Sox and was the recipient of the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year. |
| Abrikosov, Alexei Alexeyevich | b. June 25, 1928, Moscow, present-day Russia d. March 29, 2017, California, United States Alexei Alexeyevich Abrikosov was a physicist known for his work in the field of superconductivity. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics in 2003. |
| Abu-Jaber, Diana | b. November 5, 1960, New York, United States Father: From Jordan Diana Abu-Jaber is an author, best known for her debut novel Arabian Jazz. |
| Abunimah, Ali | b. December 29, 1971, Washington, D.C., United States Father: From present-day Israel/Palestine, Mother: From present-day Israel Ali Abunimah is one of the founders of The Electronic Intifada website, a non-profit, independent online publication which covers the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian perspective. |
| Abzug, Bella | b. July 24, 1920, New York, United States d. March 31, 1998, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Bella Abzug was an anti-war activist, feminist, and politician who was one of the shining stars of the Women's Rights Movement of the 1960 and 70s. From 1973 to 1977, Abzug served the 20th district of New York as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| Achebe, Chinua | b. November 16, 1930, Ogidi, Nigeria Chinua Achebe is a novelist, poet and critic. His first novel Things Fall Apart is often considered his best and is the most widely read book in modern African literature. |
| Achebe, Nwando | b. March 7, 1970, Enugu, Nigeria Nwando Achebe is a historian whose work looks at the use of oral history in the study of women, gender and sexuality in Nigeria. |
| Achenbaum, Alvin | b. December 11, 1925, New York, United States d. January 26, 2016, New York, United States Father: From Russia Alvin Achenbaum was an advertising executive and marketing management consultant of the late 20th century. |
| Acheson, Dean | b. April 11, 1893, Connecticut, United States d. October 12, 1971, Maryland, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Dean Acheson was a statesman and lawyer who, as United States Secretary of State, was influential on American politics during the Cold War. He wrote several books based on his experience in government. |
| Acho, Emmanuel | b. November 10, 1990, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Emmanuel Acho is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas. |
| Acho, Sam | b. September 6, 1988, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Sam Acho is an American football outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Texas. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. |
| Ackerman, James S. | b. November 8, 1919, California, United States d. December 31, 2016, Massachusetts, United States Maternal Great-grandfather: From Germany James S. Ackerman was an architectural historian, a major scholar of Michelangelo's architecture, of Palladio and of Italian Renaissance architectural theory. In 2017, Ackerman was awarded the Henry Hope Reed Award. |
| Acosta, Oscar Zeta | b. April 8, 1935, Texas, United States d. May 27, 1974, Sinaloa, Mexico Father: From Mexico Oscar Zeta Acosta was an activist in the Chicano Movement. He was most well known for his novels Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo (1972) and The Revolt of the Cockroach People (1973). |
| Acra, Reem | b. Date and year unknown, Beirut, Lebanon Reem Acra is a fashion designer known for her bridal and red carpet gowns. She also has an epoynmous ready-to-wear line. |
| Adamic, Louis | b. March 23, 1899, Blato present-day Slovenia d. September 4, 1951, New Jersey, United States Louis Adamic was a novelist and journalist who wrote about the experience of American minorities, especially immigrants, in the early 1900s. |
| Adams, Amy | b. August 20, 1974, Vicenza, Italy Amy Adams is an actress whose career began in 1994 and gained ground with Junebug and Enchanted in 2006. She earned an academy award by 2009 for her work in Doubt. |
| Adams, James Truslow | b. October 18, 1878, New York, United States d. May 18, 1949, Connecticut, United States Father: From Venezuela James Truslow Adams was a historian and writer. As a freelance author, he helped to popularize contemporary writings about American history. His best known work, The Founding of New England, is a three-volume history of the region. |
| Adams, Maud | b. February 12, 1945, Luleå, Sweden Maud Adams is an actress, known for her role in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). |
| Addai-Robinson, Cynthia | b. January 12, 1985, London, United Kingdom Cynthia Addai-Robinson is an actress. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series Spartacus and DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series Arrow. |
| Adeleke, Kenny | b. February 10, 1983, Lagos, Nigeria Kenny Adeleke is a professional basketball player . |
| Adesida, Ilesanmi | b. 1949, Ondo State, Nigeria Ilesanmi Adesida is a physicist. He is an expert in the processing of semiconductors and other materials at the nanometer-scale level and in ultra-high-speed heterostructure field-effect transistors. |
| Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi | b. September 15, 1977, Enugu, Nigeria Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, non-fiction writer and short story writer. Her most popular works include Americana, Half of a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus. |
| Adler, Bernard | b. May 8, 1879, Illinois, United States d. June 11, 1942, Illinois, United States Father: From Germany Bernard Adler was a composer and singer who wrote and performed in Chicago and New York City. His most popular song was Just as the Ship Went Down, written after the Titanic sunk. |
| Adler, Felix | b. August 13, 1851, Alzey, Germany d. April 24, 1933, New York, United States Felix Adler was a professor of political and social ethics, rationalist, influential lecturer on euthanasia, religious leader and social reformer who founded the Ethical Culture movement. He is known for his lectures on the need for morality through good deeds rather than just religion. |
| Adu, Freddy | b. June 2, 1989, Tema, Ghana Freddy Adu is a professional soccer player and at the age of 14 was the youngest athlete to sign a major league professional contract in more than 115 years. He is currently a midfielder for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. |
| Aduba, Uzo | b. February 10, 1981, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Nigeria Uzo Aduba an actress known for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange Is the New Black. |
| Afeyan, Noubar | b. July 25, 1962, Beirut, Lebanon Noubar Afeyan is a entrepreneur, venture capitalist, inventor, technologist, and CEO. He founded Flagship Pioneering to create and fund early-stage start-ups addressing unmet needs in healthcare and sustainability. He is a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and lectures extensively internationally. |
| Agassiz, Jean | b. May 28, 1807, Haut-Vully, Switzerland d. December 14, 1873, Massachusetts, United States Jean Agassiz was a biologist and geologist who established the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. |
| Agron, Dianna | b. April 30, 1986, Georgia, United States Paternal Great-grandfathers: From present-day Ukraine and present-day Latvia Dianna Agron is an actress, singer, and dancer who entered the spotlight with her role as Quinn Fabray in the popular television show Glee. |
| Aguiar, Guma | b. May 31, 1977, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil d. January 29, 2015, Florida, United States Guma Aguiar was an energy industrialist and millionaire businessman. |
| Aguilar, Luis A. | b. 1953, Cuba Luis A. Aguilar is a former Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He was appointed under George Bush in 2008 and continued to serve under President Obama until 2015 when his term expired. |
| Agwunobi, John O. | b. Date and year unknown, Dundee, United Kingdom Father: From Nigeria John O. Agwunobi is a pediatrician and a former U.S. government official and business executive. |
| Ahamed, Liaquat | b. November 14, 1952, Kenya Liaquat Ahamed is an author. His best known book, The Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World, details the causes of, and events surrounding, the Great Depression. |
| Ahuja, Mequitta | b. 1976, Michigan, United States Father: From India Mequitta Ahuja is a painter working in the field of self-portraiture. Her work is colorful and uses myths and legends as inspiration. She describes her self-portraits as feminist. |
| Aiyewa, Victor | b. February 4, 1989, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Victor Aiyewa is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Washington. Aiyewa was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, FXFL Blacktips, and BC Lions. |
| Ajzenberg-Selove, Fay | b. February 13, 1926, Berlin, Germany d. August 8, 2012, Pennsylvania, United States Fay Ajzenberg-Selove was a nuclear physicist. She was known for her experimental work in nuclear spectroscopy of light elements, and for her annual reviews of the energy levels of light atomic nuclei. |
| Ake, Claude | b. February 18, 1939, Nigeria d. November 7, 1996, Nigeria Claude Ake was a political economist and social scientist. He held various academic positions at institutions around the world, including Yale University (United States), University of Nairobi (Kenya), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria). |
| Akerlof, George | b. June 17, 1940, Connecticut, United States Father: From Sweden, Maternal Grandparents: From Germany George Akerlof is an economist who is a University Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and Koshland Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. |
| Akers, William Joseph | b. August 2, 1852, United Kingdom d. Date and place unknown William Joseph Akers was a businessman and philanthropist in Cleveland, and wrote a report on Cleveland schools in the 19th century. |
| Akinnagbe, Gbenga | b. December 12, 1978, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Nigeria Gbenga Akinnagbe is an actor and writer, best known for his role as Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire. |
| Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adewale | b. August 22, 1967, London, United Kingom Parents: From Nigeria Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje began his career as a model in Milan. He moved to Los Angeles to make the transition to acting. He is best known for his roles in the movies Congo (1995), The Mummy Returns (2001), and the HBO series Oz (1997). |
| Akinosun, Morolake | b. May 17, 1994, Lagos, Nigeria Morolake Akinosun is an Olmpic runner who took gold in 4x100 meters in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Akinradewo, Foluke | b. October 5, 1987, London, Canada Foluke Akinradewo is a two-time Olympic volleyball player. She won silver in the 2012 Games and bronze in the 2016 Games. |
| Akinyah, Samuel | b. September 5, 1953, Ghana, Samuel Akainyah is a painter and art gallery owner. Akainyah was honored by the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois when they proclaimed February 15, 1999 as Samuel Akainyah Day in Chicago. That same year, he was elected as the official artist of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. |
| Akognon, Josh | b. February 10, 1986, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Josh Akognon is a professional basketball player for Iberostar Tenerife of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Washington State and Cal State Fullerton. |
| Akyeampong, Emmanuel K. | b. February 21, 1962, Kumasi, Ghana Emmanuel K. Akyeampong is a professor of history and African and African American studies, and the Oppenheimer Faculty Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies at Harvard University. |
| Alameddine, Rabih | b. January 1, 1959, Amman, Jordan Rabih Alameddine is a writer. He often weaves his Middle Eastern background into his stories and is best known for Koolaids and The Angel of History. |
| Alarcón, Daniel | b. March 5, 1977, Lima, Peru Daniel Alarcón is an author whose works include Lost City Radio and At Night We Walk in Circles. |
| Alba, Jessica | b. April 28, 1981, California, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Mexico Jessica Alba is an award-winning actress and entrepreneur who co-founded the Honest Company in 2012. During her career, Alba has won a Teen Choice Award, Saturn Award, and a Golden Globe. |
| Albers, Anni | b. June 12, 1899, Berlin, present-day Germany d. May 9, 1994, Connecticut, United States Anni Albers was a textile artist and designer, one of the best known of her time. She created designs for her textiles using ink washes and created weavings from both traditional and non-traditional materials. |
| Albers, Josef | b. March 19, 1888, Bottrop, present-day Germany d. March 25, 1976, Connecticut, United States Josef Albers was an artist who was skilled in the fields of design, photography, typography and print. He is best remembered for his work as an abstract painter and theorist, and in particular his series Homage to the Square. |
| Albert, Réka | b. March 2, 1972, Romania Réka Albert is a scientist. She co-created the Barabasi-Albert model and researched into scale-free networks and Boolean modeling of biological systems. |
| Albies, Ozzie | b. January 7, 1997, Willemstad, Curacao Ozzie Albies plays second base for the Atlanta Braves. |
| Albright, Madeleine | b. May 15, 1937, Prague, Czech Republic Madeleine Albright was the first woman to become the United States Secretary of State. She served under Bill Clinton from from 1997 to 2001. |
| Alburt, Lev | b. August 21, 1945, Orenburg, Russia Lev Alburt is a chess grandmaster and author. Alburt was a a three-time U.S. champion. |
| Aleichem, Sholem | b. March 2, 1859, Pereyaslav, present-day Ukraine d. May 13, 1916, New York, United States Sholem Aleichem was a humorist, author and playwright who was often referred to as the "Jewish Mark Twain." The musical Fiddler on the Roof was based on his Tevye the Dairyman stories. |
| Aleksander, Grant | b. August 7, 1960, Maryland, United States Father: From Poland Grant Aleksander is an actor and director best known for the television soap opera Guiding Light. |
| Alexander, Franz | b. January 22, 1891, Budapest, Hungary d. March 8, 1964, California, United States Franz Alexander was a psychoanalyst and physician, who is considered one of the founders of psychosomatic medicine and psychoanalytic criminology. He founded the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis. |
| Alexander, Pico | b. March 6, 1991, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Pico Alexander is a stage, film and television actor. He had a major supporting role in the critically acclaimed film A Most Violent Year. |
| Alfond, Harold | b. March 6, 1914, Massachusetts, United States d. November 16, 2007, Maine, United States Parents: From Russia Harold Alfond was a successful businessperson who founded the Dexter Shoe Company and the first factory outlet store. By providing affordable casual shoes and boots to the public, Alfond was a retail footwear pioneer. |
| Ali, Ayaan Hirsi | b. November 13, 1969, Mogadishu, Somalia Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an activist, feminist, author, scholar, and former Dutch politician. She received international attention as a critic of Islam and advocate for the rights and self-determination of Muslim women, actively opposing forced marriage, honor violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation. |
| Ali, Omar H. | b. February 10, 1971, Place unknown Father: From India, Mother: From Peru Omar H. Ali is a historian of the African diaspora in relation to independent political movements and instances of social resistance. |
| Ali, Tatyana | b. January 24, 1979, New York, United States Father: From Trinidad, Mother: From Panama Tatyana Ali is an actor and singer who began her career as a child performer on Star Search, Sesame Street, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her album, Kiss the Sky, was certified gold in 1999. |
| Alinsky, Saul | b. January 30, 1909, Illinois, United States d. June 12, 1972, California, United States Parents: From Russia Saul Alinsky was a community organizer and writer. He is considered to be the impetus behind modern community organizing. Alinsky's 1971 book, Rules For Radicals, became the template effecting constructive social change for the counterculture revolutionaries of the day. |
| Allen, Woody | b. December 1, 1935, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia, Maternal Grandparents: From Austria Woody Allen's prolific career as a comedian, writer, and filmmaker has now spanned more than six decades. Allen's first screenplay was for What's New Pussycat?. He has written and directed more than 45 feature films, including Annie Hall, Manhattan and more recently, Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine. |
| Allende, Isabel | b. August 2, 1942, Lima, Peru Isabel Allende is a writer whose works often contain aspects of magical realism. She is famous for novels such as The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts. |
| Allex, Jake | b. July 13, 1887, Prizren, present-day Kosovo d. August 28, 1959, Illinois, United States Jake Allex was a soldier in the U.S. Army at the outbreak of WWI. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his "extraordinary heroism in action" during the Battle of Chipilly Ridge in France where he led his platoon in a counter-attack to neutralize an enemy machine gun position. |
| Allred, Gloria | b. July 3, 1941, Pennsylvania, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom Gloria Allred is the best known women's rights attorney of the 20th century. Allred has represented clients dealing with sexual assault, harassment, wrongful termination, employement discrimination, and other civil rights offenses. |
| Almond, Gabriel | b. January 12, 1911, Illinois, United States d. December 25, 2002, California, United States Parents: From Russia and Ukraine Gabriel Almond was a political scientist best known for his pioneering work on comparative politics, political development, and political culture. |
| Alonso, Laz | b. March 25, 1974, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Cuba Laz Alonso is a film and television actor. He is known for playing Tsu'tey in James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar and Fenix "Rise" Calderon in the film Fast & Furious. |
| Alpers, Svetlana | b. February 10, 1936, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Germany Svetlana Alpers is an art historian, writer and critic whose work focuses on Dutch Golden Age painting. |
| Alpert, Herb | b. March 31, 1935, California, United States Parents: From Romania and present-day Ukraine Herb Alpert is a composer, trumpeter and businessperson. His best-selling record, Whipped Cream & Other Delights, has one of the most iconic record covers of the 1960s. Herb Alpert is co-founder of A&M records, but sold his ownership in the 1980s to form the Herb Alpert Foundation to pursue his philanthropic interests. |
| Alston, Charles | b. November 28, 1907, North Carolina, United States d. April 27, 1977, New York, United States Father: From North Carolina, United States Charles Alston was an African-American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist and teacher. He was the first African-American supervisor for the WPA's Federal Art Project. |
| Altman, Sidney | b. May 7, 1939, Quebec, Canada Sidney Altman is a molecular biologist who researched proteins and genetic codes. |
| Altuve, José | b. May 6, 1990, Maracay, Venezuela Jose Altuve is a second baseman for the Houston Astros. He is the recipient of the 2017 Lou Gehrig Award. |
| Alvarez, Julia | b. March 27, 1950, New York, United States Parents: From the Dominican Republic Julia Alvarez is a novelist, poet and essayist. Many of her works are influenced by her experiences as a Dominican in the United States, and focus heavily on issues of assimilation and identity. |
| Álvarez, Luis F. | b. January 4, 1853, Asturias, Spain d. May 24, 1937, Place unknown Luis F. Álvarez was a physician and researcher. He worked with leprosy patients and developed a new way of testing for the disease. |
| Alvarez, Luis Walter | b. June 13, 1911, California, United States d. September 1, 1988, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Spain Luis Walter Alvarez was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and inventor that made significant contributions to the scientific world. Alvarez and his son, Walter Alvarez, also created the "Alvarez Hypothesis" which suggests an asteroid impact was the impetus for the extinction of the dinosaurs. |
| Alvarez, Walter C. | b. July 22, 1884, California, United States d. June 18, 1978, California, United States Father: From Spain Walter C. Alvarez was a doctor. He wrote a medical column which was widely published and he authored several dozen medical books. |
| Alves, Camila | b. January 28, 1982, Itambacuri, Brazil Camila Alves is a model and designer. In January 2016, she launched a lifestyle website, Women of Today. Alves was a co-founder of the organic frozen baby food company Yummy Spoonfuls, which launched its product line for babies and toddlers in Target's frozen food section in 2016. |
| Alzubaidy, Nawras | b. March 17, 1978, Kut, Iraq Nawras Alzubaidy is an independent filmaker, writer, and actor. He has worked as a language consultant and culture advisor for the U.S. Army. |
| Amanat, Sana | b. 1983, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Pakistan Sana Amanat is Director of Content and Character Development at Marvel. Among other accomplishments, she is responsible for re-booting the Ms. Marvel character as a Pakistani-American teenage girl, the first Muslim superheroine. |
| Amanpour, Christiane | b. January 12, 1958, London, United Kingdom Christiane Amanpour is a world renowned war correspondent and news anchor. She is CNN's chief international correspondent. She is the anchor of the network's award-winning program Amanpour. |
| Amarista, Alexi | b. April 6, 1989, Barcelona, Venezuela Alexi Amarista is baseball utility player for the Colorado Rockies. He is a former Los Angeles Angel and San Diego Padre. |
| Amateau, Albert Jean | b. April 20, 1889, Milas, Turkey d. February 9, 1996, Santa Rosa, California Albert Jean Amateau was a social activist. He began a movement to bring more Jews into the workplace and government. |
| Ambati, Bala | b. July 29, 1977, Vellore, India Bala Ambati, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, is the world's youngest doctor. He received his medical degree at the age of seventeen. |
| Ambrosio, Alessandra | b. April 11, 1981, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Alessandra Ambrosio began her modeling career at the age of 14. Today she holds multiple contracts with well known brands including Victoria's Secret and has made acting another facet of her career. |
| Ameen, Aml | b. July 30 1985, London, United Kingdom Parents: From the Carribean Aml Ameen is an actor known for his roles as Trevor in Kidulthood, Lewis Hardy in The Bill, Malcolm in Harry's Law, Capheus in the first season of the Netflix series Sense8, and Alby in The Maze Runner. |
| Amer, Ghada | b. 1963, Cairo, Egypt Ghada Amer is an artist whose work looks at gender and sexuality. She is known for making canvases that focus on line, and combine stitch and painting. |
| Ameriie | b. January 12, 1980, Massachusetts, United States Mother: From South Korea Ameriie is a singer, songwriter, author, actress and record producer. |
| Amfitheatrof, Daniele | b. October 29, 1901, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. June 4, 1983, Venice, Italy Daniele Amfitheatrof was a busy film composer and conductor who wrote music for well over one hundred films and television shows. |
| Aminu, Al-Farouq | b. September 21, 1990, Georgia, United States Parents: From Nigeria Al-Farouq Ajiede Aminu is a professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. |
| Aminu, Alade | b. September 14, 1987, Georgia, United States Parents: From Nigeria Alade Aminu is a professional basketball player for Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Georgia Tech. |
| Amoruso, Sophia | b. April 20, 1984, California, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Greece Sophia Amoruso is a businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of the online retailer Nasty Gal and the author of #Girlboss, her autobiography. |
| Amos, Wally | b. July 1, 1936, Florida, United States Wally Amos is a television personality and businessman most notable for his Famous Amos cookie brand and his adult literacy show Learn to Read. |
| Anaya, Rudolfo | b. October 30, 1937, New Mexico, United States Rudolfo Anaya is a prolific writer and playwright best known for Bless Me, Ultima and the Sonny Baca series. Anaya has won multiple awards, including the National Humanities medal and American Book Award. |
| Andersen, Morten | b. August 19, 1960, Copenhagen, Denmark Morten Andersen is a former kicker in the NFL who holds the record for most games played and the all time leading scorer. He is only the second exclusive placekicker inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. |
| Anderson, Benedict | b. August 26, 1936, Kunming, China d. December 13, 2015, Batu, Indonesia Mother: From the United Kingdom, Father: From Ireland Benedict Anderson was a political scientist and historian, renowned for his book Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. |
| Anderson, Gary | b. July 16, 1959, Parys, South Africa Gary Anderson is a former NFL placekicker who played in the league for 23 seasons. He retired as the all-time leading scorer in NFL history and was the first NFL kicker to have a perfect regular season. |
| Andretti, Mario | b. February 28, 1940, present-day Motovun, Croatia Mario Andretti is considered as one of the world's greatest race car drivers. He began racing at an early age with his twin-brother Aldo when they joined a youth race car driving program at age 13. He has won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. |
| Andrews, Benny | b. November 13, 1930, Georgia, United States d. November 10, 2006, New York, United States Benny Andrews was a collage maker, printer and painter who worked in art education programs with underprivileged students. Known as the Dot "Man" he won multiple awards, including the John Hay Whitney Fellowship, New York Council of the Arts Fellowship and the National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship. |
| Anekwe, Chet | b. 1966, Nigeria Chet Anekwe is an actor and filmmaker. |
| Anfuso, Victor | b. March 10, 1905, Italy d. December 28, 1966, New York, United States Victor Anfuso was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 1951-1962. |
| Angel, Heather | b. February 9, 1909, Oxford, United Kingdom d. December 13, 1986, California, United States Heather Angel was an actress whose film and television career spanned nearly 50 years. Her numerous films include The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935), Suspicion (1941), and 1960s/70s television series Family Affair. |
| Angel, John Lawrence | b. March 21, 1915, London, United Kingdom d. November 3, 1986, Washington, D.C., United States John Lawrence Angel was the Curator of Physical Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute. His writings have had a large impact on Paleodemography. |
| Angelou, Maya | b. April 4, 1928, Missouri, United States d. May 28, 2014, North Carolina, United States Maya Angelou was an actress, dancer, writer and professor whose works were among the first to place African-American women and their lives in the center of narrative rather than in marginalized roles. She is best known for her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. |
| Anisfeld, Boris | b. October 2, 1878, Bieltsy, present-day Moldova d. December 14, 1973, Connecticut, United States Boris Anisfeld was a respected artist, theatre stage designer, and educator. |
| Aniston, Jennifer | b. February 11, 1969, California, United States Father: From Greece Jennifer Aniston is a actress, director, producer, and businesswoman. |
| Anka, Paul | b. July 30, 1941, Ottawa, Canada Paul Anka is a singer, songwriter and actor. He wrote and performed his first No. 1 hit Diana in 1957. After a number of Top 20 hits, he turned to songwriting, composing for Buddy Holly, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, and others. |
| Ann-Margret | b. April 28, 1941, Valsjöbyn, Sweden Ann-Marget is a famous singer and actress. She has been nominated for numerous awards for her work, including two Acadamy Awards. |
| Annable, Odette | b. May 10, 1985, California, United States Father: From Colombia, Mother: From Cuba Odette Annable is an actress who is best known for her role as Dr. Jessica Adams on the TV medical drama House. |
| Anozie, Nonso | b. May 28, 1979, London, United Kingdom Nonso Anozie is an actor, known for The Grey (2011), Cinderella (2015) and Atonement (2007). |
| Ansari, Anousheh | b. September 12, 1966, Mashhad, Iran Anousheh Ansari is a co-founder of the technology company Prodea Systems. Ansari holds the honor of being the first Muslim woman and the first person of Iranian descent to travel into space. |
| Ansari, Aziz | b. February 23, 1983, South Carolina, United States Parents: From India Aziz Ansari is a comedian, writer and actor, best known for his stand-up touring and his show Master of None. |
| Ansary, Nina | b. 1966, Tehran, Iran Nina Ansary is a historian and author who writes about women's equality in Iraq. Her work often challenges conventional assumptions on this topic. |
| Antheil, George | b. July 8, 1900, New Jersey, United States d. February 12, 1959, New York, United States Parents: From Germany George Antheil was an avant-garde composer, pianist, and novelist who is best known for his score for the dadaist short film Ballet Mécanique. Antheil was also an inventor who collaborated with actress Hedy Lamarr on what would eventually become modern wireless technology. |
| Anthony, Michael | b. June 20, 1954, Illinois, United States Parents: From Poland Michael Anthony is the former bass guitarist and one of the founding members of the rock band Van Halen. Anthony is currently the bass player in Chickenfoot with former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar and guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani. |
| Antin, Mary | b. June 13, 1881, Polotsk, present-day Belarus d. May 15, 1949, New York, United States Mary Antin was an author, best remembered for The Promised Land, an autobiographical account of her immigration to North America. Her work offers a glimpse into the geographical and personal journey made by millions of Jews between 1891 and 1914. |
| Antoine, Vinessa | b. July 21, 1983, Ontario, Canada Vinessa Antoine is an actress, known for General Hospital (1963), Being Erica (2009) and A Day Late and a Dollar Short (2014). |
| Anuszkiewicz, Richard | b. May 23, 1930, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Poland Richard Anuszkiewicz is a painter, printmaker and sculptor, known as one of the leading exponents of Op art. He has described his work as experimental, and centered on the effects of color, light and intensity. |
| Anyadike, Kimberly | b. 1994, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Kimberly Anyadike is a pilot. Anyadike took her first flying lessons at the age of 12, attending an after-school aviation program offered by Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum for disadvantaged youths. |
| Aoki, Devon | b. August 10, 1982, New York, United States Father: From Japan Devon Aoki is an actress and fashion model. In 1998, at the age of 16, Aoki replaced Naomi Campbell as the face of Versace. |
| Aoki, Hiroaki | b. October 9, 1938, Tokyo, Japan d. July 10, 2008, New York, United States Hiroaki Aoki was a wrestler and restaurateur who founded popular Japanese cuisine restaurant chain Benihana. |
| apl.de.ap | b. November 28, 1974, Angeles City, Philippines apl.de.ap is the stage name of Allan Pineda Lindo. He is a rapper, record producer and musician, and co-founder of the group The Black Eyed Peas. |
| Appiah, Kwame Anthony | b. May 8, 1954, London, United Kingdom Father: From Ghana, Mother: From the United Kingdom Kwame Anthony Appiah is a cultural theorist whose interests include political and moral theory, and the philosophy of language and mind. Appiah currently holds an appointment at the NYU Department of Philosophy and NYU's School of Law. |
| Aptheker, Herbert | b. July 31, 1915, New York, United States d. March 17, 2003, California, United States Parents: From Russia Herbert Aptheker was a Marxist historian, political activist and scholar of African-American studies. He wrote more than fifty books including, American Negro Slave Revolts and the seven-volume Documentary History of the Negro People. |
| Apuan, Dennis | b. October 30, 1964, Manila, Philippines Dennis Apuan is a peace activist who has protested against nuclear weapons and the Iraq war. |
| Aragonés, Sergio | b. September 6, 1937, Castellón, Spain Sergio Aragonés is a cartoonist best know for his wacky, artistic contributions to Mad Magazine. |
| Araia, Semhar | b. 1978, New York, United States Parents: From Eritrea Semhar Araia is a social activist, professor and international lawyer. She founded Diaspora African Women's Network (DAWN), a non-governmental organization, whose mission is to develop and support talented female immigrants from Africa. |
| Araujo, Ana Lucia | b. 1971, Brazil Ana Lucia Araujo is a social and cultural historian whose research examines slavery and the social and cultural effects of the Atlantic slave trade. |
| Arbib, Richard | b. September 1, 1917, New York, United States d. February 22, 1995, New York, United States Father: From Egypt Richard Arbib was an industrial designer who specialized in automotive design, although also created designs for electric watches. |
| Archipenko, Alexander | b. May 30, 1887, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. February 25, 1964, New York, United States Alexander Archipenko was a sculptor, painter and graphic artist, best known for his original, Cubist-inspired sculptural style. In his sculpture he explored the connection between interlocking voids and solids, and different planes and surfaces. |
| Arctowski, Henryk | b. July 15, 1871, Warsaw, Poland d. February 21, 1958, Maryland, United States Parents: From Poland Henryk Arctowski was a scientist and explorer and one of the first persons to winter in Antarctica. He became an internationally renowned meteorologist. |
| Arden, Elizabeth | b. December 31, 1878, Woodbridge, Canada d. October 18, 1966, New York, United States Elizabeth Arden was a businesswoman who was a pioneer in the U.S. cosmetics industry. |
| Arendt, Hannah | b. October 14, 1906, Hanover, present-day Germany d. December 4, 1975, New York, United States Hannah Arendt was a political theorist who wrote extensively on the nature of power and the subjects of politics, democracy and totalitarianism. Some of her work traced the historical roots of totalitarianism and revolution. |
| Ariri, Obed | b. April 4, 1956, Owerri, Nigeria Obed Ariri is a former placekicker of American football in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. |
| Arkin, Alan | b. March 26, 1934, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia, Maternal Grandfather From Russia, Maternal Grandmother: From present-day France Alan Arkin is a lauded actor and director. Arkin is also a singer and a musician (he recorded an album of folks songs in 1955) and a talented writer of science fiction, children's books, and memoirs. |
| Arkus-Duntov, Zora | b. December 25, 1909, Belgium d. April 21, 1996, Michigan, United States Zora Arkus-Duntov was an accomplished race car driver and engineer. Arkus-Duntov was an instrumental part of the design of the original Chevrolet Corvette. He is often called the "godfather" of the Corvette. |
| Armitage, Faye | b. May 29, 1958, Bogotá, Colombia Faye Armitage is a health activist and campaigner for embryonic stem cell research, patient safety and universal health care. |
| Arnaz, Desi | b. March 2, 1917, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba d. December 2, 1986, California, United States Desi Arnez is an actor, best remembered for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the TV sitcom I Love Lucy. Arnez was also an active musician. His group the Desi Arnaz Orchestra was often featured on the show as the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra. Arnez helped popularize Latin music in the United States. |
| Arndt, Felix | b. May 20, 1889, New York, United States d. October 16, 1918, New York, United States Father: From Switzerland, Mother: From Spain Felix Arndt was a composer and early proponent of the novelty piano style. |
| Arnett, Will | b. May 4, 1970, Toronto, Canada Will Arnett is a popular actor, comedian, and voice actor. Arnett is probably best known for his role as Gob Bluth II in the Fox/Netflix series Arrested Development. |
| Arnheim, Rudolf | b. July 15, 1904, Berlin, Germany d. June 9, 2007, Michigan, United States Rudolf Arnheim was a professor of psychology at the the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University, and a visiting professor at the University of Michigan. |
| Aronow, Donald | b. March 3, 1927, New York, United States d. February 3, 1987, Florida, United States Parents: From Russia Donald Aronow was a world famous and, often times controversial, champion boat racer and designer and builder of speedboats. Aronow designed the famous Magnum Marine, Cigarette, and Formula speedboats. |
| Aronson, Boris | b. October 15, 1898, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. November 16, 1980, New York, United States Brosi Aronson was a set designer for Broadway and Yiddish experimantal theatre. His work was innovative and often considered ahead of its time. |
| Aronson, Marc | b. October 19, 1950, New York, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine, Maternal Grandfather: From present-day Czech Republic Marc Aronson is a writer, editor and historian who has written non-fiction books about history for children and young adults. |
| Aronson, Rudolph | b. April 8, 1856, New York, United States d. February 4, 1919, New York, United States Parents: From Germany Rudolph Aronson was a known operetta producer and builder of the Casino Theatre, the first playhouse specifically designed for Broadway musicals. |
| Arpaio, Joe | b. June 14, 1932, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Italy Joe Arpaio is the former Sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona. He is known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. |
| Arquette, David | b. September 8, 1971, Virginia, United States Maternal Grandfather: From present-day Ukraine David Arquette is an actor. He is the youngest from a family of noted film figures including Rosanna, Patricia and Alexis. He is best known for his role as the dim-witted law officer in the hit horror movie Scream. |
| Arquette, Rosanna | b. August 10, 1959, New York, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Ukraine Rosanna Arquette is an award-winning actress from a family of noted film figures including David, Patricia and Alexis. She received a BAFTA (British Academy Film Award) for her supporting performance in the 1985 film, Desperately Seeking Susan. |
| Arredondo, Carlos | b. August 25, 1960, San José, Costa Rica Carlos Arredondo is a peace activist. He became an anti-war activist after his 20-year-old eldest son Lance Corporal Alexander Arredondo died in action during Iraq War in 2004. |
| Arrow, Kenneth | b. August 23, 1921, New York, United States d. February 21, 2017, California, United States Parents: From Romania Kenneth Arrow was an American economist, mathematician, writer, and political theorist. He was the joint winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with John Hicks in 1972. |
| Arthur, Chester A. | b. October 5, 1829, Vermont, United States d. November 18, 1886, New York, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Chester A. Arthur was the 21st President of the United States. During his 1881-1885 presidential term, Arthur approved the Congress-approved Chinese Exclusion Act which seriously limited the amount of new immigrants allowed into the country. |
| Artschwager, Richard | b. December 26, 1923, Washington D.C., United States d. February 9, 2013, New York, United States Father: From present-day Germany/Poland/Russia/Lithuania, Mother: From Ukraine Richard Artschwager was a painter and sculptor, associated with neo-Dada, Minimalist and Pop Art movements, and remembered as someone who constantly pushed the boundaries of sculpture. He studied cabinet-making early on and this is evident in his sculptural works. |
| Arvielo, Patty | b. Date and year unknown, California, United States Mother: From Mexico Patty Arvielo is an entrepreneur in the housing and morgage industry. She is president of New American Funding, a home loans company. |
| Asawa, Ruth | b. January 24, 1926, California, United States d. August 5, 2013, California, United States Parents: From Japan Ruth Asawa was a sculptor, best known for her basket-like wire sculptures that often hang from the ceiling. The forms she used were originally rooted in nature, although became more geometric and abstract through time. |
| Asch, Solomon | b. 1907, Warsaw, Poland d. February 20, 1996, Pennsylvania, United States Solomon Asch was a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsyvania specializing in social psychology. |
| Ascher, Emil | b. April 12, 1859, Hamburg, Germany d. October 22, 1922, New York United States Emil Ascher was a composer, organist, pianist and conductor. He organized a 75 woman orchestra in New York and founded a publishing firm. |
| Ashley, Maurice | b. March 6, 1966, St. Andrew, Jamaica Maurice Ashley is a chess grandmaster, author, commentator, app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker. He became the first African-American Grand Chessmaster and, in 2016, the first African-American inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. |
| Asimov, Isaac | b. January 2, 1920, Petrovichi, Russia d. April 6, 1992, New York, United States Isaac Asimov was a writer of science fiction and popular science. He was considered one of the biggest science fiction authors of his time and is best known for the Foundation series and the Galactic Empire novels. |
| Askin, Leon | b. September 18, 1907, Vienna, present-day Austria d. June 3, 2005, Vienna, Austria Leon Askin was an actor who is best known for his role as General Albert Burkhalter in the popular television series Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971). |
| Askowith, Dora | b. August 30, 1884, present-day Kaunas, present-day Lithuania d. October 23, 1958, New York, United States Dora Askowith was an author, activist and historian. Her work is concerned with examining and disseminating knowledge of Jewish History. |
| Aslan, Reza | b. May 3, 1972, Tehran, Iran Reza Aslan is an author. He writes non-fiction books about religion and his books include No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| Asner, Ed | b. November 15, 1929, Missouri, United States Parents: From Russia Ed Asner is a film, voice, and television actor who rose to fame via his role as Lou Grant, the cantankerous but lovable news producer, on the critically-acclaimed, long-running TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show which ran from 1970 to 1977. |
| Asomugha, Nnamdi | b. July 6, 1981, Louisiana, United States Parents: From Nigeria Nnamdi Asomugha is an actor, producer and former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of California, Berkeley, and was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. |
| Astaire, Fred | b. May 10, 1899, Nebraska, United States d. June 22, 1987, California, United States Father: From Austria, Maternal Grandparents: From present-day Germany Fred Astaire, the consummate dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer, enjoyed an incredibly distinguished career in film and television. Astaire will probably be best remembered for the series of films he made with dancing partner Ginger Rogers. |
| Atanasoff, John | b. October 4, 1903, New York, United States d. June 15, 1995, Maryland, United States Father: From Bulgaria John Atanasoff was a physicist, inventor, and computer pioneer credited with creating the first electric digital computer. He teamed up with Clifford Berry to create the Atanasoff-Berry Comuter in 1939. |
| Atkinson, Rick | b. November 16, 1952, Munich, present-day Germany Rick Atkinson is a military historian, journalist and author who has written accounts of several American wars. |
| Atlas, Charles | b. October 30, 1892, Acri, Italy d. December 24, 1972, New York, United States Charles Atlas was a bodybuilder and physical culturist who, with Frederick Tilney and Charles P. Roman, created and marketed a highly popular mail-order bodybuilding course. |
| Auden, W. H. | b. February 21, 1907, York, United Kingdom d. September 27, 1973, Vienna, Austria W. H. Auden was a poet, playwright, and critic who exerted a major influence on the poetry of the 20th century. |
| Audubon, John James | b. April 26, 1785, Les Cayes, present-day Haiti d. January 27, 1851, New York, United States John James Audubon was a ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. |
| Auer, Mischa | b. November 17, 1905, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. March 5, 1967, Rome, Italy Mischa Auer was a busy character actor whose career spanned 40 years. Auer appeared in many now classic films, including My Man Godfrey (1936), Destry Rides Again (1939), and Mr. Arkadin (1955). |
| Auerbach, Red | b. September 20, 1917, New York, United States d. October 28, 2006, Washington, D.C., United States Father: From present-day Belarus Red Auerbach was a successful basketball coach known for coaching the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. From 1959 to 1966, Auerbach led the Celtics to win eight consecutive NBA championships - a record that has yet to be equaled or beat. |
| Avedon, Richard | b. May 15, 1923, New York, United States d. October 1, 2004, Texas, United States Father: From Russia Richard Avedon was a fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, demanding that his models convey emotion and movement, a departure from the norm of motionless fashion photography. |
| Avnet, Charles | b. 1888, Russia d. 1979, Place unknown Charles Avnet was a businessman who founded electronics parts distributor Avnet. |
| Awad, Mubarak | b. 1943, Jerusalem, Palestine Mubarak Awad is a psychologist and an advocate of nonviolent resistance. He was the founder of Youth Advocate Program International. |
| Axelrod, Julius | b. May 30, 1912, New York, United States d. December 29, 2004, Maryland, United States Parents: From Poland Julius Axelrod was a biochemist. He won a share of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1970 along with Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler. |
| Aykroyd, Dan | b. July 1, 1952, Ottawa, Canada Dan Aykroyd is an actor, comedian, musician, and producer. He was part of the original ensemble for Saturday Night Live from 1975-1979. A sketch with John Belushi turned into the Blues Brothers Act, which evolved into two movies and a touring band. |
| Ayodele, Remi | b. April 22, 1983, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Remi Ayodele is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Oklahoma. |
| Azevedo, Tony | b. November 21, 1981, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tony Azevedo is captain of the USA Water Polo National Team and a four-time Olympian and silver medalist. |
| Azria, Max | b. January 1, 1949, Sfax, Tunisia Max Azria is the original designer behind the womenswear brand, BCBGMAXAZRIA. |
| Azrouël, Yigal | b. Date and year unknown, Israel Yigal Azrouël is an Israeli-born ready-to-wear designer who owns an epoymous womenswear brand. |
B
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Babashoff, Shirley | b. January 31, 1957, California, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Shirley Babashoff is multiple award-winning and record-holding Olympic swimmer and coach. |
| Baccarin, Morena | b. June 2, 1979, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Morena Baccarin is an actress known for her role as Jessica Brody in the Showtime series Homeland (for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013). She plays the role of Dr. Leslie Thompkins in the Fox television series Gotham. |
| Bachmann, Michele | b. April 6, 1956, Iowa, United States Michele Bachmann is a Republican politician. She is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who represented Minnesota's 6th congressional district, a post she held from 2007 to 2015. |
| Bacho, Peter | b. 1950, Washington, United States Parents: From the Philippines Peter Bacho is a writer, best known as the author of Cebu. This books explores themes of neocolonialism and Filipino-American identity. |
| Bachofen, Max Albin | b. 1903, Zurich, Switzerland d. 1987, Texas, United States Max Albin Bachofen was an artist. He studied at the Cleveland School of Art with Paul Bough Travis and then traveled to Mexico where he did painting. With the Civilian Conservation Corps, he worked in Texas and Alaska, and with the Public Works Project, painted in Ohio. |
| Baclanova, Olga | b. August 19, 1893, Moscow, Russia d. September 6, 1974, Vevey, Switzerland Olga Baclanova was an actress of the stage and screen who is well known to cult movie fans for her role as Cleopatra in Tod Browning's controversial, cult film Freaks (1932). |
| Baer, Ralph | b. March 8, 1922, Pirmasens, Germany d. December 6, 2014, New Hampshire, United States Ralph Baer was an inventor, game developer, and engineer, and was known as "the Father of Video Games." He is credited with designing the first video game console. |
| Báez, Albert V. | b. November 15, 1912, Puebla, Mexico d. March 20, 2007, California, United States Albert V. Báez was a physicist who was instrumental in developing the technologies used in X-ray microscopes and X-ray telescopes. Folk music mavens might know him as the father of two successful singer-songwriters: Joan Baez and Mimi Fariña. |
| Baez, Joan | b. January 9, 1941, New York, United States Father: From Mexico, Mother: From the United Kingdom Joan Baez is an accomplished folk singer, philanthropist, and civil rights advocate. Baez performed at Woodstock in 1969. Amnesty International has an award (The Joan Baez award) named after Baez, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Baez in 2017. |
| Bagdasarian, Ross, Jr. | b. October 25, 1949, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Armenia Ross Bagdasarian Jr. was a filmmaker and musician, best known for his work on the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise. |
| Bagdasarian, Ross, Sr. | b. January 27, 1919, California, United States d. January 16, 1972, California, United States Parents: From Armenia Ross Bagdasarian Sr. is known to the multitudes of Alvin and the Chipmunks' fans as David Seville - the human part of the cartoon rodent gang. Beside creating Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bagdasarian composed numerous popular songs, including Come On-a My House, Witch Doctor, and Armen's Theme. |
| Bailyn, Bernard | b. September 9, 1922, Connecticut, United States Father: From Russia Bernard Bailyn is a historian, author, and academic specializing in U.S. Colonial and Revolutionary-era History. He has been a professor at Harvard University since 1953. Bailyn has won the Pulitzer Prize for History twice. |
| Bailyn, Lotte | b. July 17, 1930, Vienna, Austria Maternal Grandmother: From present-day Czech Republic Lotte Bailyn was a professor of organizational psychology and management at the Sloan School of Management at Harvard University. |
| Baio, Scott | b. September 22, 1960, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Scott Baio is an actor and television director, known for his roles in Happy Days and Charles in Charge. |
| Baird, John Wallace | b. May 21, 1869, Motherwell, Canada d. February 2, 1919, Maryland, United States John Baird was a professor at Clark University, and investigated three-dimensional space perception. |
| Baker Motley, Constance | b. September 14, 1921, Connecticut, United States d. September 28, 2005, New York, United States Parents: From Saint Kitts and Nevis Constance Baker Motley was a lawyer and politician who became the first African-American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court of the United States and the first African-American woman to be named to the federal judiciary. |
| Baker, Ella | b. December 13, 1903, Virginia, United States d. December 13 1986, New York, United States Ella Baker became one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights movement through her work with the NAACP, SCLC and SNCC. She was an organizer and fundraiser for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and for numerous SNCC and NAACP fights for human rights for decades. |
| Baker, Simon | b. July 30, 1969, Launceston, Australia Simon Baker is an actor who is known for his lead roles in the CBS television series The Mentalist (as Patrick Jane) and The Guardian (as Nicholas Fallin). |
| Baklanoff, Georges | b. January 4, 1881, Riga, Latvia d. December 6, 1938, Basel, Switzerland Georgy Baklanoff was a gifted, internationally-renowned operatic baritone. |
| Balanchine, George | b. January 22, 1904, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. April 30, 1983, New York, United States George Balanchine, was the "Father of American ballet." He also co-founded the New York City Ballet and choreographed 400 works. |
| Balderas, Karlos | b. August 4, 1996, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Karlos Balderas is a lightweight boxer who competed at the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Baldessari, John | b. June 17, 1931, California, United States Father: From Italy, Mother: From Denmark John Baldessari is a conceptual artist. His best known work uses found images and photographs, and often incorporates text. |
| Bale, Christian | b. January 30, 1974, Haverfordwest, United Kingdom Father: From South Africa, Mother: From the United Kingdom Christian Bale is an actor. He stared in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. His film credits also include American Psycho, The Machinist, The Fighter, American Hustle, andThe Big Short. He is recognized for his role in Christopher Nolan's Batman film trilogy. |
| Balmaseda, Liz | b. January 17, 1959, Puerto Padre, Cuba Liz Balmaseda is a two time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. Balmaseda's column in the Palm Beach Post covers food and dining throughout Florida, mostly West Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. |
| Bamba, Bambadjan | b. January 30, 1982 Abidjan, Ivory Coast Bambadjan Bamba is an actor. Bambadjan is also the owner of IvoStar Pictures, an independent production company based in Los Angeles, that focuses on producing African content. |
| Bánáthy, Béla H. | b. December 1, 1919, Gyula, Hungary d. September 4, 2003, California, United States Béla H. Bánáthy was founder of White Stag Leadership Development Program, established the International Systems Institute in 1982, and was a cofounder of the General Evolutionary Research Group in 1984. |
| Bancroft, Anne | b. September 17, 1931, New York, United States d. June 6, 2005, New York, United States Grandparents: From Italy Anne Bancroft was a talented actress best known for her role as Mrs. Robinson in the ground-breaking film The Graduate (1967). Earlier in her career, Bancroft won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Miracle Worker (1962). |
| Banjo, Chris | b. February 26, 1990, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Chris Banjo is an American football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He played college football at SMU. Banjo was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2013. |
| Banner, John | b. January 28, 1910, Vienna, present-day Austria d. January 28, 1973, Vienna, Austria John Banner was an actor best known for "knowing nothing" in his role role as Master Sergeant Schultz in the television series Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971). |
| Bannon, Steve | b. November 27, 1953, Virginia, United States Steve Bannon is a media executive, political figure and former investment banker. He is the former CEO of Breitbart Media and served as White House Chief Strategist for Donald Trump. |
| Banyaga, Augustin | b. March 31, 1947, Kigali, Rwanda Augustin Banyaga is a mathematician whose research fields include symplectic topology and contact geometry. He is currently a Professor of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University. |
| Barabási, Albert-László | b. March 30, 1967 Cârța, Harghita Romania Albert-László Barabási is a researcher of network theory, concept of scale-free networks, and the proposed Barabasi-Albert model. |
| Baranski, Christine | b. May 2, 1952, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland Christine Baranski is an award-winning stage and film actress. She has won Tonys for Broadway productions of The Real Thing and Rumors. Baranski also won an Emmy for her supporting role on the television sitcom Cybill. |
| Barat, Kahar | b. 1950, Xinjiang, China Kahar Barat is a historian, known for his work about Buddhism and Islam in Xinjiang province in China. |
| Barber, Gary | b. 1957, Johannesburg, South Africa Gary Barber is an American film producer. Since 2010, Barber is chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is also a co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment. |
| Barletta, Lou | b. January 28, 1956, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Italy Lou Barletta is a politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district since 2011. |
| Barnes, Harry Elmer | b. June 15, 1889, New York, United States d. August 25, 1968, California, United States Harry Elmer Barnes was a historian who wrote summarized books on historical topics in order to try and make these subjects accessible, and the information usable. |
| Baron, Hans | b. June 22, 1900, Berlin, Germany d. November 26, 1988, Illinois, United States Hans Baron was a historian of literature and politics, best known for his book The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance. |
| Baron, Salo Wittmayer | b. May 26, 1895, Tarnów, present-day Poland d. November 25, 1989, New York, United States Salo Wittmayer Baron was a scholar of Jewish History who wrote, along with his wife Jeannette Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews. |
| Barry, John | b. November 3, 1933, York, United Kingdom d. January 30, 2011, New York, United States John Barry was a prolific, Acadamy Award-winning film score composer. Barry scored well over 100 films and is probably best remembered for his scores for 11 James Bond films. |
| Barth, Uta | b. January 29, 1958, Berlin, Germany Uta Barth is a photographer. Her work examines the difference between how the human eye and the camera see differently, and celebrates the incidental. |
| Barton Joe | b. September 15, 1949, Texas, United States Joe Barton is a Republican politician, representing Texas's 6th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985, and is a member of the Tea Party Caucus. |
| Barton, H. Arnold | b. November 30, 1929, California, United States d. September 28, 2016, Stockholm, Sweden Paternal Grandparents: From Sweden H. Arnold Barton was a historian of Scandinavian history, and Swedish history in particular. He also wrote about Swedes and other Scandinavians in the United States and Canada. |
| Barton, Mischa | b. January 24, 1986, London, United Kingdom Mischa Barton is a stage, film and television actress. Barton is best known for role as Marisa in the television series The O.C. |
| Bartsch, Paul | b. August 14, 1871, Silesia, Germany d. April 24, 1960, Virginia, United States Paul Bartsch was a malacologist and carcinologist who fashioned important toxonomic research. |
| Baryshnikov, Mikhail | b. January 27, 1948, Riga, Latvia Parents: From Russia Mikhail Baryshnikov is often regarded as one of the greatest and well-known ballet dancers of his generation. Baryshnikov also has had a successful acting career; he was nominated for an Acadamy Award for his role in the film Turning Point (1977). |
| Barzun, Jacques | b. November 30, 1907, Créteil, France d. October 25, 2012, Texas, United States Jacques Barzun was a cultural historian with a wide range of interests. Barzun pondered French and German literature, crime fiction, Darwin, baseball, Marx, and more, but he is probably best known for his voluminous and influential writings dealing with the state of American education. |
| Bashiri, Iraj | b. July 31, 1940, Behbahan, Iran Iraj Bashiri is a historian working in the field of Central Asian and Iranian studies. |
| Basia | b. September 30, 1954, Jaworzno, Poland Basia is a singer-songwriter and record producer. She is noted for possessing a wide vocal range, approximately three octaves that span from contralto to soprano tessituras, as well as her singular jazz-influenced stylings and multi-layered harmonies. |
| Baskin, Burt | b. December 17, 1913, Illinois, United States d. December 24, 1967, California, United States Father: From Russia Burt Baskin was a businessman who co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1946 with business partner and brother-in-law Irv Robbins. |
| Basquiat, Jean-Michel | b. December 22, 1960, New York, United States d. August 12, 1988, New York, United States Father: From Haiti Jean-Michel Basquiat was an artist who came to prominence through his graffiti and later developed a unique style which incorporated poetry, painting and drawing. Much of his work criticizes power structures in society and looks at dichotomies such as rich versus poor. |
| Bass, Benny | b. December 4, 1903, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. June 25, 1975, Pennsylvania, United States Benny Bass was a well-known boxer who revelled in a nearly twenty year career in professional boxing from 1921 to 1940. |
| Bass, Elaine | b. 1927, New York, United States Parents: From Hungary Elaine Bass is an accomplished title sequence designer who has worked closely with Martin Scorsese. |
| Bass, Mercedes | b. April 10, 1944, Tehran, Iran Mercedes Bass is a philanthropist and socialite active in New York City, Aspen, Colorado and Fort Worth, Texas. She has supported the Metropolitan Opera and she is a trustee of the Aspen Institute and the American Academy in Rome. |
| Bass, Saul | b. May 8, 1920, New York, United States d. April 25, 1996, California, United States Father: From Lithuania, Mother: From Russia Saul Bass was a graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. |
| Bassett, Scout | b. August 18, 1988, Nanjing, China Scout Bassett is a paralympic track and field runner. She took 5th in the 100m and 10th in the long jump in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Batatu, Hanna | b. 1926, Jerusalem, present-day Israel d. 2000, Connecticut, United States Hanna Batatu was a historian, specializing in the history of Iraq and the modern Arab East. His research on Iraq is considered the leading study on modern Iraqi history. |
| Bateson, Gregory | b. May 9, 1904, Grantchester, United Kingdom d. July 4, 1980, California, United States Gregory Bateson was an anthropologist whose work intersected with many other fields and who helped extend systems theory and cybernetics to the social and behavioral sciences. |
| Battisti, Frank J. | b. October 4, 1922, Ohio, United States d. October 19, 1994, Ohio, United States Parents: From Italy Frank J. Battisti was a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Ohio. He presided over many controversial cases including the acquittal of eight Ohio national guardsmen involved in the Kent State University shootings, as well as Reed vs. Rhodes. |
| Bauer, Harold | b. April 28, 1873, Surrey, United Kingdom d. March 12, 1951, Florida, United States Harold Bauer was a distinguished pianist, teaching at the Manhattan School of Music. His American debut was with the Boston Symphon Orchestra performing Brahms Concerto in D minor in 1900. |
| Bauer, Steven | b. December 2, 1956, Havana, Cuba Steven Bauer is an actor and producer, known for Scarface (1983), Primal Fear (1996) and Ray Donovan (2013). |
| Bautista, Dave | b. January 18, 1969, Washington, D.C., United States Paternal Grandparents: From the Philippines Dave Bautista is an actor, semi-retired professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist, and bodybuilder. He is one of the WWE's most-decorated stars who was able to segue his athletic career into acting roles on big box office action flicks. |
| Bay, Michael | b. February 17, 1965, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia Michael Bay is a director and producer who has made a name for himself in Hollywood thanks to his series of blockbuster films, including Armageddon (1998) and the Transformers franchise. Bay started his career in film as a music video director. |
| Bay, Zoltán | b. July 24, 1900, Gyulavari, Hungary d. October 4, 1992, Washington, D.C., United States Zoltán Bay was a physicist, professor, and engineer who developed technologies, including tungsten lamps and microwave devices. |
| Beah, Ishmael | b. November 23, 1980, Mogbwemo, Sierra Leone Ishmael Beah is an author who rose to fame for his memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, about his time as a child soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone. |
| Beame, Abraham | b. March 20, 1906, London, United Kingdom d. February 10, 2001, New York, United States Abraham Beame was the 104th mayor of New York City, from 1974 to 1977. He was the city's first Jewish mayor. Beame struggled to lead the city through its worst financial crisis. Beame, long after his term, was praised for helming a government free of corruption. |
| Beard, Frank | b. 1842, Ohio, United States d. 1905, Place unknown Frank Beard was a political cartoonist and caricaturist who worked for publications such as Harper's Weekly. Many of his works took an explicitly political stance and showed a bias for Prohibition and against immigration. |
| Bearden, Romare | b. September 21, 1911, North Carolina, United States d. March 12, 1988, New York, United States Romare Bearden is widely considered one of the most important African-American artists of the 20th century. After his death, Bearden's legacy lives on through the Romare Bearden Foundation for aspiring artists. |
| Beauvais, Garcelle | b. November 26, 1966, Saint-Marc, Haiti Garcelle Beauvais is a well-known actress and talk show host. |
| Becall, Lauren | b. September 16, 1924, New York, United States d. August 12, 2014, New York, United States Mother: From Romania, Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Belarus Lauren Bacall was an actress well known for her long career in films. In 1944, she began her acting career playing opposite Humphrey Bogart in a series of now classic crime films. Bacall married Bogart in 1945 and their romance both on and off screen became the stuff of legend. |
| Beck, Glenn | b. February 10, 1964, Washington, United States Glenn Beck is a talk show host, political commentator, and producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and radio network TheBlaze. |
| Beck, Mary | b. February 29, 1908, Pennsylvania, United States d. January 30, 2005, Michigan, United States Parents: From Ukraine Mary Beck was a Detroit Democratic Party politician, female activist and journalist from Pennsylvania, most notable for being Detroit's first female city council woman. |
| Beck, Roy | b. July 12, 1948, Missouri, United States Roy Beck is an American journalist and public policy analyst who founded and has served as President of NumbersUSA. |
| Becker, Gary | b. December 2, 1930, Pennsylvania, United States d. May 3, 2014, Chicago, Illinois, United States Father: From Canada Gary Becker was an economist and empiricist. Becker was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1992 and received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007. |
| Beckert, Sven | b. 1965, Frankfurt, Germany Sven Beckert is a historian whose focus is the history of the United States in the 19th century, with a particular reference to capitalism and global trade. |
| Bejczy, Antal K. | b. January 16, 1930, Sinatelep, Hungary d. June 25, 2015, California, United States Antal K. Bejczy was a scientist who pioneered the development of "smart hands" with "smart sensors" in robotics. He holds forty-three NASA innovation awards, seven US patents and published more than one hundred and sixty technical papers and eleven book chapters. |
| Belafonte, Harry | b. March 1, 1927, New York, United States Parents: From Jamaica Harry Belafonte is a multi-talented performer whose decades-long career has impacted music, television, film, and activism. He popularized Calypso music in the United States, became the first African-American television producer, and has fought for civil rights in the United States and around the world. |
| Belarsky, Sidor | b. February 12, 1898, Kryzhopol, Ukraine d. June 7, 1975, New York, United States Sidor Belarsky was a popular for his singing career with the Los Angeles Sympothy. His career in Jewish music helped keep many Yiddish songs alive and carried them on to new generations. |
| Belasco, Leon | b. October 11, 1902, Odessa, present-day Ukraine d. June 1, 1988, California, United States Leon Belasco was an film and television actor and musician who enjoyed a career in film that lasted nearly 50 years. Belasco appeared in nearly 150 films and television shows. |
| Belbin, Tanith | b. July 11, 1984, Kingston, Canada Tanith Belbin is a two-time Olympic figure skater, taking silver in pairs at the 2006 Winter Games. She is currently a program host for NBC Sports. |
| Belfer, Arthur | b. 1906, Poland d. May 2, 1993, New York, United States Arthur Belfer was a businessman and philanthropist who founded the Belco Petroleum Corporation. |
| Belkin, Jules | b. April 30, 1931, Ohio, United States Parents: From Russia Jules Belkin is a concert promoter. Along with his brother, Mike, he started Belkin Productions in 1965. Belkin Productions promted many concerts throughout the years, including the successful World Series of Rock Concerts at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. |
| Belkin, Mike | b. September 19, 1935, Ohio, United States Parents: From Russia Mike Belkin is a concert promoter and manager of Rock and Roll Artists. He and his brother, Jules started Belkin Productions in 1965. They promoted a multitude of concerts over the years, including the World Series of Rock and managed artists, including the James Gang, Michael Stanley, and the Sir Douglas Quintet. |
| Bell, Alexander Graham | b. March 3, 1847, Edinburgh, United Kingdom d. August 2, 1922, Nova Scotia, Canada Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, inventor and engineer. He patented the telephone and cofounded AT&T, a telecommunications company. |
| Bell, Kristen | b. July 18, 1980, Michigan, United States Paternal Great-grandmother: From Germany, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Poland Kristen Anne Bell is a stage,television and film actress. She made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Bell is best known for playing title role in the teen television drama Veronica Mars. |
| Bellak, Laszlo | b. February 12, 1911, Budapest, Hungary d. September 20, 2006, Miami, United States Laszlo Bellak was a world-class table tennis player. He took the U.S. Men's Singles title in 1938, the U.S. Men's Doubles in 1937, 1939, and 1943, and the U.S. Mixed Doubles in 1941, and was inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980. |
| Bellak, Leopold | b. June 22, 1916, Vienna, Austria d. March 24, 2000, New York, United States Leopold Bellak was a clinical professor of psychology at New York University with work on dementia, schizophrenia, and ADD. |
| Belldegrun, Arie S. | b. 1949, Israel Parents: From Israel Arie S. Belldegrun is a urologic oncologist, businessman, investor and philanthropist. |
| Bello, Maria | b. April 18, 1967, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Italy Maria Bello is an award-winning television and film actress. She won critical acclaim for her supporting role in the series ER. |
| Bellow, Saul | b. June 10, 1915, Quebec, Canada d. April 5, 2005, Massachusetts, United States Father: From present-day Lithuania, Mother: From present-day Latvia Saul Bellow was a writer. His best remembered works include The Adventures of Augie March, Henderson the Rain King, Herzog, Mr. Sammler's Planet, Seize the Day, Humboldt's Gift and Ravelstein. |
| Bemelmans, Ludwig | b. April 27, 1898, Meran, present-day Italy d. October 1, 1962, New York, United States Ludwig Bemelmans was a painter, writer, and illustrator who is best known for his series of the Madeline children's books. |
| Ben-Atar, Doron | b. May 25, 1957, Kfar Shmaryahu, Israel Doron Ben-Atar is a historian, playwright and expert on intellectual property. His research shows how historic misappropriation of intellectual property can be linked to the economy of the United States. |
| Ben-Jochannan, Yosef | b. December 31, 1918, Gondar, Ethiopia d. March 19, 2015, New York, United States Yosef Ben-Jochannan was a controversial Afrocentric scholar, writer and historian. |
| Benacerraf, Baruj | b. October 29, 1920, Caracas, Venezuela d. August 2, 2011, Massachusetts, United States Baruj Benacerraf was an immunologist, who shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the major histocompatibility complex genes. |
| Benben, Brian | b. June 18, 1956, Virginia, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Austria Brian Benben is a television and film and actor. He had appeared on Broadway and had recurring parts in several series and mini-series before his breakout starring role in the sitcom Dream On. |
| Benesch, Ruth Baade | b. February 25, 1925, Paris, France d. March 25, 2000, New York, United States Ruth Baade Benesch was a biochemist who researched hemoglobin chemistry. |
| Benjamin, Benny | b. July 25, 1925, Alabama, United States d. April 20, 1969, Michigan, United States Benny Benjamin was a jazz musician, most notable as the drummer for the Motown Studios band the Funk Brothers. He played on many influential singles and records. |
| Benmosche, Bob | b. May 29, 1944, New York, United States d. February 27, 2015, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Lithuania Bob Benmosche was the president and chief executive officer of American International Group. |
| Benny, Jack | b. February 14, 1894, Illinois, United States d. December 26, 1974, California, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: from Lithuania Jack Benny was a radio, film, and television actor and comedian. Benny's unique brand of comedic timing, which he began honing on the stages of vaudeville, was a big influence on what would eventually become the sitcom genre. |
| Bentley, Helen Delich | b. November 28, 1923, Nevada, United States d. August 6, 2016, Maryland, United States Parents: From Serbia Helen Delich Bentley (a former journalist) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland, serving from 1985 to 1995. |
| Berenson, Bernard | b. June 26, 1865, Butrimonys, Lithuania d. October 6, 1959, Florence, Italy Bernard Berenson was an art historian who specialized in the Renaissance and was a major figure in the attribution of Old Masters. His most well known publication is The Italian Painters of the Renaissance. |
| Bergdorf, Herman | b. Date and year unknown, France d. Date and year unknown, Paris, France Herman Bergdorf was a tailor and the founder of Bergdorf Goodman, a department store chain. |
| Bergeron, Tom | b. May 6, 1955, Massachusetts, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Canada Tom Bergeron is a television personality, comedian, and game show host. |
| Bergson, Maria | b. 1914, Vienna, Austria d. March 19, 2009, United States Maria Bergson was an interior designer who specialized in cooperate offices. |
| Berkman, Alexander | b. November 21, 1870, Vilnius, present-day Lithuania d. June 28, 1936, Nice, France Alexander Berkman was a political activist. He was a leading member of the anarchist movement in the early 20th century. |
| Berkowitz, Bruce | b. 1958, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia Bruce Berkowitz is an equity fund manager and registered investment adviser. |
| Berlin, Irving | b. May 11, 1888, Tolochin, Russia d. September 22, 1989, New York, United States Irving Berlin was a composer and songwriter who is considered one of the most successful songwriters in history. Berlin composed over 1500 songs and dozens of scores for musicals. His songs have been covered by a countless number of artists. |
| Berliner, Emile | b. May 20, 1851, Hanover, present-day Germany d. August 3, 1929, Washington D.C., United States Emile Berliner was an inventor, businessman, and philanthropist. His work significantly improved the telephone and the gramophone, and he founded the United States Gramophone Company. |
| Bernanke, Ben | b. December 13, 1953, Georgia, United States Paternal Granfather: From Ukraine Ben Bernanke is an economist at the Brookings Institution who served two terms as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, from 2006 to 2014. |
| Bernard, Carlos | b. October 12, 1962, Illinois, United States Mother: From Spain Carlos Bernard is an actor and writer. He is noted for his supporting role in television action drama 24. |
| Bernhard, Lucian | b. March 15, 1883, Stuttgart, Germany d. May 29, 1972, New York, United States Lucian Bernhard was a graphic designer remembered for being the creative force behind a crisp, higly linear, German design style called Sackplakt. |
| Bernstein, Elmer | b. April 4, 1922, New York, United States d. August 18, 2004, California, United States Parents: From Ukraine Elmer Bernstein was a well-known composer and conductor of numerous soundtracks for film and television. Bernstein was nominated for several Acadamy Awards throughout his career and he won the Oscar for best score in 1967 for Thoroughly Modern Millie. |
| Bernstein, Irving | b. November 15, 1916, New York, United States d. September 25, 2001, California, United States Parents: From Lithuania Irving Bernstein was a historian of the labor movement and a political scientist. He wrote several books about the labor movement including A History of the American Worker and The Lean Years: A History of the American Worker, 1920-1933. |
| Bernstein, Leonard | b. August 25, 1918, Massaschusetts, United States d. October 14, 1990, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Leonard Bernstein was one of the first American-born conductors to receive worldwide fame. He composed the score for the Broadway musical West Side Story. |
| Berra, Yogi | b. May 12, 1925, Missouri, United States d. September 22, 2015, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Italy Yogi Berra was a baseball player who played catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946 to 1963. He helped the Yankees win several pennants and holds the record for winning the most championships in baseball history. |
| Bertoia, Harry | b. March 10, 1915, San Lorenzo, Italy d. November 6, 1978, Pennsylvania, United States Harry Bertoia was an artist, sound art sculptor, and modern furniture designer. |
| Berty, Thomas Elod | b. January 1, 1931, Kispest, Hungary Thomas Elod Berty worked at Union Carbide as a chemical engineer for pilot plant design and operation. Later, he worked at Fluor Engineering and Construction as a process engineer and principal process development engineer. |
| Bethe, Hans | b. July 2, 1906, Strasbourg, Germany d. March 6, 2005, New York, United States Hans Bethe was a nuclear physicist who helped shape quantum physics. He won a Nobel Prize in Astrophysics. |
| Bettmann, Otto | b. October 15, 1903, Leipzig, Germany d. May 1, 1998, Florida, United States Otto Bettmann was known as "The Picture Man" and wish the rise of Photojournalism he created the "Bettmann Archive." He is considered to have "virtually invented the image resource business." |
| Bewkes, Jeff | b. May 25, 1952, New Jersey, United States Maternal Grandmother: From Germany Jeff Bewkes is a media executive and the CEO of Time Warner, a cable company. |
| Bhagwati, Jagdish | b. July 26, 1934, India Jagdish Bhagwati is a professor of economics at Columbia University and a Senior Fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. |
| Bhajan, Yogi | b. August 26, 1929, Kot Harkarn, present-day Pakistan d. October 6, 2004, New Mexico, United States Yogi Bhajan is known for introducing Kundalini Yoga and Sikhism to the United States. He created the still active 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) Foundation in 1969. |
| Bhatia, Sabeer | b. December 30, 1968, Chandigarh, India Sabeer Bhatia is an entrepreneur and the cofounder of Hotmail.com, an email service that has since been acquired by Microsoft. |
| Bhatt, Ajay | b. September 6, 1957, Vadodara, India Ajay Bhatt is a computer architect who has been key in developing many widely used computer technologies, such as the USB. |
| Bibb, Leon | b. October 5, 1944, Alabama, United States Leon Bibb was the first African-American prime time news anchor in the state of Ohio and served as news anchor at WEWS TV in Cleveland, Ohio from 1995-2017. He continues to host the Sunday morning Kaleidoscope program focusing on urban issues in Cleveland. |
| Bieber, Margarete | b. July 31, 1879, present-day Drzonowo, present-day Poland d. February 25, 1978, Connecticut, United States Margarete Bieber was an art historian, classical archaeologist and professor. She studied the theatre, sculpture and clothing of ancient Rome and Greece. |
| Biehle, August F., Jr. | b. January 13, 1885, Ohio, United States d. February 7, 1979, Ohio, United States Parents: From Germany August F Biehle Jr. was an artist who contributed paintings of both urban and rural Ohio to the American Scene movement of the 1920s and 1930s. Biehle was a member of the Kokoon Arts Club in Cleveland, Ohio, which was founded in 1911 by a group of young Cleveland artists. |
| Bielenberg, John | b. 1957, Regensburg, Germany John Bielenberg is an AIGA award winning graphic designer. |
| Bierstadt, Albert | b. January 7, 1830, Solingen, present-day Germany d. February 18, 1902, New York, United States Albert Bierstadt was a painter, best known for his depictions of the American West. Bierstadt joined several trips during the Westward Expansion to seek inspiration for his large landscape paintings. |
| Bigler, John | b. January 8, 1805, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 29, 1871, California, United States John Bigler was a lawyer, politician and diplomat. He serves as the third Governor of California and the second Speaker of the California State Assembly. One of Bigler's best known policies involved the prevention of Chinese immigrants from entering California. |
| Bihari, Joe | b. May 30, 1925, Tennessee, United States d. November 28, 2013, California, United States Father: From Hungary, Mother: From present-day Slovakia Joe Bihari, along with his brother Saul, founded Modern Records, an important independent record label that produced early recordings of B.B. King, Etta James, and other blues and rhythm and blues artists. |
| Bikel, Theodore | b. 1924, Vienna, Austria d. July 21, 2015, California, United States Theodore Bikel is one of the most versatile and respected actors and performers of his generation. He won acclaim both on Broadway and in Hollywood for his mastery of languages, dialects and accents. |
| Bilbray, Brian | b. January 28, 1951, California, United States Brian Bilbray is a politician who served as a U.S. Representative for California's 50th congressional district, serving from 2006 to 2012, and previously for the 49th district from 1995 to 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party and is on the national board of advisors for the Federation of American Immigration Reform. |
| Bilirakis, Gus | b. February 8, 1963, Florida, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Greece Gus Bilirakis is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 12th congressional district, serving since January 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Billikopf, Jacob | b. June 1, 1882, Vilnius, present-day Lithuania d. December 31, 1950, Pennsylvania, United States Jacob Billikopf was a nationally known figure in social work, Jewish philanthropy and labor arbitration. In 1937 and 1938, he dedicated himself full-time to bringing European Jewish refugees into the United States. |
| Biosse, Vladine | b. June 19, 1982, Praia, Cabo Verde Vladine Biosse is a super middleweight boxer. |
| Birch, Elizabeth | b. September 2, 1956, Ohio, United States Father: From Canada Elizabeth Birch is an activist for gay rights. Birch was executive director of the HRC (Human Rights Campaign). |
| Biro, Bela L. | b. August 26, 1937, Endrod, Hungary d. October 24, 2014, Hungary Bela L. Biro launched his doctoral study of Climatology and Geomorphology. He was an occasional contributor to Hungarian-American newspapers, magazines, and journals. His legacy of language, literature, geography, culture, folklore, and ethnic studies continued over his lifespan. |
| Bishop, Rob | b. July 13, 1951, Utah, United States Rob Bishop is the U.S. Representative for Utah's 1st congressional district and Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. |
| Bjorlin, Nadia | b. August 2, 1980, Rhode Island, United States Father: From Sweden, Mother: From Iran Nadia Bjorlin is an actress and model. |
| Black, Ben | b. December 11, 1889, Dudley, United Kingdom d. December 26, 1950, California, United States Ben Black was the musical director of the Paramount Theatres in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. |
| Black, Diane | b. January 16, 1951, Maryland, United States Diane Black is a politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 6th congressional district, elected in 2010. |
| Black, Edwin | b. February 27, 1950, Illinois, United States Parents: From Poland Edwin Black is a columnist and investigative journalist whose writing discusses the historical interplay between economics and politics in the Middle East, the financial underpinnings of Nazi Germany and the connections between corporations and states. |
| Blackbourn, David | b. 1949, Yorkshire, United Kingdom David Blackbourn is a historian who focuses on modern German and European History. |
| Blackburn, Elizabeth | b. November 26, 1948, Tasmania, Australia Elizabeth Blackburn is a Nobel laureate who is currently the President of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She is a pioneer in the study of telomeres and won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine. |
| Blackson, Michael | b. November 28, 1972, Ghana Michael Blackson is an actor and comedian who featured in P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO and starred in a commercial for the Chappelle Show on Comedy Central. |
| Blackwell, Emily | b. October 8, 1826, Bristol, United Kingdom d. September 7, 1910, Maine, United States Emily Blackwell was a physician. She was important in fighting for women to be accepted in the medical field. |
| Blades, Rubén | b. July 16, 1948, Panama City, Panama Rubén Blades is a singer, songwriter, actor, musician, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in the afro-cuban, salsa, and latin jazz genres. |
| Blanda, George | b. September 17, 1927, Pennsylvania, United States d. September 27, 2010, California, United States Father: From present-day Czech Republic George Blanda was a football quarterback and placekicker who played professionally in the American Football League and National Football League. Blanda played 26 seasons of professional football, the most in the sport's history, and had scored more points than anyone in history at the time of his retirement. |
| Blatty, William Peter | b. January 7, 1928, New York, United States d. January 12, 2017, Maryland, United States Parents: From Lebanon William Peter Blatty was a writer and filmmaker who is best known for the novel and screenplay of the wildly successful film, The Exorcist. His film Ninth Configuration (1980) (based on his novel of the same name) enjoys a strong cult following to this day. |
| Blavatnik, Len | b. June 14, 1957, Odessa, Ukraine Len Blavatnik is successful billionaire who made his fortune via countless different industries and fields, including oil, the music industry, and fashion. |
| Bledel, Alexis | b. September 16, 1981, Texas, United States Father: From Argentina Alexis Bledel is an accomplished actress and model best known her role as Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. In 2017, Bledel won a Primetime Emmy Award for her work on the Hulu original series Handmaid's Tale based on the Margaret Atwood novel by the same title. |
| Bleeth, Yasmine | b. June 14, 1968, New York, United States Mother: From Algeria, Paternal Great-great-grandparents: From Germany Yasmine Bleeth is a former actress. Her television roles include Caroline Holden in the long-running series Baywatch, and LeeAnn Demerest on the soap opera One Life to Live. |
| Bloch, Ernest | b. July 24, 1880, Geneva, Switzerland d. July 15, 1959, Portland, Oregon Ernest Bloch was a master composer. He studied violin and composition at a young age and completed several orchestral, concert, chamber, and instrument pieces. |
| Bloch, Felix | b. October 23, 1905, Zurich, Switzerland d. September 10, 1983, Zurich, Switzerland Felix Bloch was a physicist who researched nuclear physics and won a Nobel Peace Prize in the same field. |
| Bloch, Konrad | b. January 21, 1912, Nysa, Poland d. October 15, 2000, Massachusetts, United States Konrad Bloch was a biochemist. Bloch received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1964 for discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. |
| Bloembergen, Nicolaas | b. March 11, 1920, Dordrecht, Netherlands d. September 5, 2017, Arizona, United States Nicolaas Bloembergen was a physicist and Nobel laureate, recognized for his work in developing driving principles behind nonlinear optics for laser spectroscopy. He was a professor at Harvard University and later at the University of Arizona. Bloembergen shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics with Arthur Schawlow. |
| Bloom, Hyman | b. August 18, 1913, present-day Bauska Municipality, present-day Latvia d. August 26, 2009, New Hampshire, United States Hyman Bloom was an expressionistic painter. His Judaic background had a heavy influence on his art, which concentrated on religious subjects such as Jewish rituals and synagogue interiors. |
| Bloomberg, Michael | b. February 14, 1942, Massachusetts, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia, Maternal Grandfather: From Belarus Michael Bloomberg is a businessman, politician and author. He is the former Mayor of New York City and the CEO, owner and founder of Bloomberg L.P., a financial services and media company. |
| Bloomingdale, Joseph B. | b. December 22, 1842, New York, United States d. November 21, 1904, New York, United States Father: From Germany Joseph B. Bloomingdale was a businessman who, with his brother, cofounded the New York department store Bloomingdale's in 1872. |
| Bloomingdale, Lyman | b. February 11, 1841, New York, United States d. October 13, 1905, New Jersey, United States Father: From Germany Lyman Bloomingdale was a businessman who, with his brother, cofounded the New York department store Bloomingdale's in 1872. |
| Blucas, Marc | b. January 11, 1972, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Poland Marc Blucas is an actor who debuted in the Whoopie Goldberg comedy Eddie. Blucas has since appeared in a number of films and television series, including Necessary Roughness. |
| Blumberg, Baruch Samuel | b. July 28, 1925, New York, United States d. April 5, 2011, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia Baruch Samuel Blumberg was a physician, geneticist, and co-recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his work on the hepatitis B virus while an investigator at the NIH. |
| Blumenthal, Joseph | b. October 4, 1897, New York, United States d. July 11, 1990, Connecticut, United States Father: From Germany Joseph Blumenthal was a typface designer and printer. He is remembered as the typographer of Robert Frosts' poetry. |
| Blumenthal, Michael | b. January 3, 1926, Oranianburg, Germany Michael Blumenthal served as the 64th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He Served from January 23, 1977 to August 4, 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. |
| Blumenthal, W. Michael | b. January 3, 1926, Oranienburg, Germany W. Michael Blumenthal is a business leader, economist and political adviser who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1979. |
| Blyleven, Bert | b. April 6, 1951, Zeist, Netherlands Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1992, and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. He is currently the color commentator for the Minnesota Twins on Fox Sports North. |
| Boas, Franz | b. July 9, 1858, Minden, Germany d. December 21, 1942, New York, United States Franz Boas was an anthropologist at Columbia University and a founder of the American Anthropological Society. |
| Bock, Laszlo | b. 1972, Romania Laszlo Bock is a businessman and former executive at Google Inc., working in People Operations. He is publically recognized for his hiring practices. |
| Boesky, Ivan | b. March 6, 1936, Michigan, United States Parents: From Russia Ivan Boesky is a former American stock trader who is notable for his prominent role in an insider trading scandal that occurred in the United States during the mid-1980s. |
| Bogaerts, Xander | b. October 1, 1992, Oranjestad, Aruba Xander Bogaerts is a shortstop for the Boston Red Sox. He was a 2016 AL All-Star and was named the AL Silver Slugger for two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016. |
| Bogdanovich, Peter | b. July 30, 1939, New York, United States Father: From present-day Syria, Mother: From Austria Peter Bogdanovich is a film historian and movie director best known for hits such as Target, The Last Picture Show, What's Up Doc?, Paper Moon and Mask. |
| Boggs, Grace Lee | b. June 27, 1915, Rhode Island, United States d. October 5, 2015, Michigan, United States Parents: From China Grace Lee Boggs was an author, social activist, philosopher and writer. She wrote on the history of revolution and political activism. |
| Boghosian, Varujan | b. June 26, 1926, Connecticut, United States Father: From Armenia Varujan Boghosian is an artist, known for his sculptures and assemblages made from found materials. Boghosian uses a variety of sources for inspiration including literature, art, history and music. He uses symbols in his work and often references cross-cultural myths and poetry. |
| Boiardi, Ettore | b. October 22, 1897, Piacenza, Italy d. June 21, 1985, Ohio, United States Ettore Boiardi was an accomplished chef, having worked at the Plaza Hotel in NYC and the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. He opened a restaurant in Cleveland in 1926 and his sauce became so popular that he began mass producing it in 1927 to be sold throughout the United States. |
| Bok, Edward William | b. October 9, 1863, Den Helder, the Netherlands d. January 9, 1930, Florida, United States Edward William Bok was an editor and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize for The Americanization of Edward Bok: The Autobiography of a Dutch Boy Fifty Years After. |
| Bol, Manute | b. October 16, 1962, Turalei, present-day South Sudan d. June 19, 2010, Virginia, United States Manute Bol was a professional basketball player who played between 1985-1995. His specialty was shot-blocking and he was tied with Gheorghe Murasan as tallest player in NBA History. He also was very politically and philanthropically active, during and after his basketball career. |
| Boleslawski, Richard | b. February 4, 1889, Dębowa Góra, Poland d. January 17, 1937, California, United States Richard Boleslawski was an actor, director, and teacher who studied under the famous teacher Konstantin Stanislavski. In the United States, The "Stanislavski technique" would later evolve into what is known today as method acting. |
| Bolm, Adolph | b. September 25, 1884, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. April 16, 1951, California, United States Adolph Bolm was a respected ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer. In 1932, Bolm founded the San Francisco Opera Ballet, which is considered the oldest ballet company in America. |
| Bolotowsky, Ilya | b. July 1, 1907, St. Petersburg, Russia d. November 22, 1981, New York, United States Ilya Bolotowsky was a painter who explored non-representational painting, preferring to engage instead with the ideas of form and color. He was heavily influenced by Piet Mondrian and adopted some of his principles of order within visual art. |
| Bolton, Michael | b. February 26, 1953, Connecticut, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia, Maternal Grandfather: From Russia, Maternal Grandmother: From the United Kingdom Michael Bolton is a singer and songwriter. His achievements include selling more than 75 million records, recording eight top 10 albums and two number one singles on the Billboard charts, as well as winning multiple American Music Awards and Grammy Awards. |
| Bomar, Mary Amelia | b. Date and year unknown, Leicester, United Kingdom Mary Amelia Bomar was the 17th Director of the United States National Park Service. She served from October 17, 2006 to January 20, 2009. |
| Bon Jovi, Jon | b. March 2, 1962, New Jersey, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Italy and Slovakia, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland Jon Bon Jovi is a singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist and actor. He is best known as the frontman of the the rock group Bon Jovi. |
| Bond, Langhorne | b. March 11, 1937, Shanghai, China Langhorne Bond was a U.S. Federal Aviation Administrator. He served from May 4, 1977 to January 20, 1981. |
| Bond, Lilian | b. January 18, 1908, London, United Kingdom d. January 25, 1991, California, United States Lilian Bond was an actress whose career spanned the 1940s to the late 1950s. |
| Bono, Sonny | b. February 16, 1935, Michigan, United States d. January 5, 1998, Nevada, United States Father: From Italy Sonny Bono was a songwriter, singer, and, at the time of his death, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. In the 1960s and 1970s, Bono rose to fame as part of the husband and wife pop music duo Sonny & Cher. |
| Boorstin, Daniel J. | b. October 1, 1914, Georgia, United States d. February 28, 2004, Washington D.C., United States Grandparents: From Russia Daniel J. Boorstin was a social historian who wrote on many subjects including American and World history. His major work was The Americans, published in three volumes: The Colonial Experience, The National Experience and The Democratic Experience. |
| Boot, Max | b. September 12, 1969, Moscow, Russia Max Boot is an author, lecturer, and military historian whose publications include War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History, 1500 to Today and The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power. |
| Bor, Hillary | b. November 22, 1989, Eldoret, Kenya Hillary Bor is a track and field athlete. He is part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and ran the 3,000 meter steeplechase in the 2016 Rio Games for team U.S.A. |
| Bordoni, Irène | b. January 16, 1885, Corsica, France d. March 19, 1953, New York, United States Irène Bordoni was a Broadway performer, film actress, and singer. Bordoni made her Hollywood debut in Warner Brothers Show of Shows (1928). |
| Borges, Maria | b. October 28, 1992, Luanda, Angola Maria Borges is a fashion model. She was named Forbes Africa Magazine's top model of 2013. |
| Boritt, Gabor | b. 1940, Budapest, Hungary Gabor Boritt is a historian and scholar on the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. |
| Borjas, George J. | b. October 15, 1950, Havana, Cuba George J. Borjas is an economist and has been described as "America's leading immigration economist". |
| Borlaug, Norman | b. March 25, 1914, Iowa, United States d. September 12, 2009, Texas, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Norway Norman Borlaug was a biologist, geneticist, and botanist who engineered pest-resistant wheat. For his work, Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. |
| Born, Sam | b. September 10, 1891, present-day Russia d. March 23, 1959, Place unknown Sam Born was an inventor and candy-maker whose company Just Born is known today as the manufacturer of such candy favorites as Mike and Ike, Peeps, and Hot Tamales. |
| Borstein, Alex | b. February 15, 1971, Illinois, United States Mother: From Hungary Alex Borstein is an actress and voice actress who is best know for her role as Lois Griffin on the animated TV series Family Guy. |
| Bosch, Johnny Yong | b. January 6, 1976, Missouri, United States Mother: From South Korea Johnny Yong Bosch is an actor, voice actor, martial artist and musician. His first major role was the portrayal of Adam Park, the second Black Power Ranger and later, the Green Zeo Ranger and first Green Turbo Ranger in the Power Rangers franchise. |
| Boschwitz, Rudy | b. November 7, 1930, Berlin, Germany Rudy Boschwitz was a United States Senator for New York. He served from 1978-1990. |
| Bose, Amar | b. November 2, 1929, Pennsylvania, United States d. July 12, 2013, Massachusetts, United States Father: From India Amar Bose was an electrical engineer and sound engineer. He was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and founder and chairman of the Bose Corporation. |
| Botero, Fernando | b. April 19, 1932, Medellín, Colombia Fernando Botero is an artist and sculptor. His best known work is his figurative painting which portrays people as voluptuous and out of proportion with large rounded faces and bodies. |
| Boulud, Daniel | b. March 25, 1955, Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, France Daniel Boulud is an internationally recognized chef/restaurateur, with thirteen restaurants throughout the United States and the world. He and his restaurants are recipients of numerous James Beard Foundation awards. |
| Bourgeois, Louise | b. December 25, 1911, Paris, France d. May 31, 2010, New York, United States Louise Bourgeois was an artist, best remembered for her large scale sculptures and installations. She explored many themes within her practice including domesticity and the family, sexuality, the body, death and the subconscious. |
| Bourland, Elizabeth | b. August 13, 1963, San Jose, Costa Rica Elizabeth Bourland is a former Olympic shooter who competed in women's air rifle. |
| Bove, Carol | b. 1971, Geneva, Switzerland Carol Bove is an artist, best known for her sculptures and installations. She explores materiality and modes of display, using materials including concrete, steel and found objects. |
| Bowes, Walter H. | b. 1882, Bradford, United Kingdom d. 1957, Washington D.C., United States Walter H. Bowes was an industrialist and sportsman. He cofounded Pitney Bowes, a company that supports shipping and mailing. |
| Boyle, Gert | b. March 6, 1924, Augsburg, Germany Gert Boyle is a businesswoman who became the president of Columbia sportswear when her father died. She turned the company into a leading global seller of outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment with annual sales of more than $1 billion. |
| Bradley, Tom | b. December 29, 1917, Texas, United States d. September 29, 1988, California, United States Parents: From Texas, United States Tom Bradley was the first and only, African-American Mayor of Los Angeles whose term lasted from 1973-1993. Bradley is also the accidental namesake for the "Bradley Effect" used in predictive election results. |
| Braga, Sônia | b. June 8, 1950, Paraná, Brazil Sônia Braga is an actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award nominated performances in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) and Moon over Parador (1988). |
| Braham, Edmund | b. October 8, 1860, London, United Kingdom d. November 21, 1921, Minnesota, United States Edmund Braham was a concert performer and composer of multiple successful ballards. |
| Braham, Randolph L. | b. December 20, 1922, Bucharest, Romania Randolph L. Braham is a historian and political scientist, specializing in comparative politics and the Holocaust. |
| Brandeis, Louis D. | b. November 13, 1856, Kentucky, United States d. October 5, 1941, Washington, D.C, United States Parents: From present-day Czech Republic Louis D. Brandeis was a lawyer who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1916. He became one of the most influential figures ever to serve on the high court. His opinions were, according to legal scholars, some of the "greatest defenses" of freedom of speech and the right to privacy ever written by a member of the Supreme Court. |
| Brandt, Lesley-Ann | b. December 2, 1981 Cape Town, South Africa Lesley-Ann Brandt is an actress. Since January 2016, she has played the role of Maze in the television series Lucifer. |
| Breakspeare, Cindy | b. October 24, 1954, Toronto, Canada Father: Jamaican Cindy Breakspeare is a jazz musician, model and won Miss World in 1976. |
| Bren, Donald | b. May 11, 1932, California, United States Maternal Great-grandfather: From Ireland Donald Bren is a businessman who is the chairman and sole owner of the Irvine Company, a US real estate investment company. |
| Brennan, William Joseph, Jr. | b. April 25, 1906, New Jersey, United States d. July 24, 1997, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Ireland William Joseph Brennan Jr. was an American judge who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990. |
| Breuer, Marcel | b. May 21, 1902, Pécs, present-day Hungary d. July 1, 1981, New York, United States Marcel Breuer was an architect and furniture designer, remembered primarily for his architectural achievements; however, his Wassily chair remains a wildly recognized piece of furniture to date. |
| Brewer, Jan | b. September 26, 1944, California, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Norway Jan Brewer was the 22nd Governor of Arizona and the fourth female Governor in the state. In 2010, Brewer signed the controversial SB1070 bill which made being an alien in Arizona a misdemeanor. |
| Brewster, Jordana | b. April 26, 1980, Panama City, Panama Father: From the United Kingdom, Mother: From Brazil Jordana Brewster is an actress and model. She is known for starring in the The Fast and the Furious series. |
| Brill, Abraham | b. October 12, 1874, Kanczuga, present-day Ukraine d. March 2, 1948, New York, United States Abraham Brill was a psychiatrist. He founded the New York Psychoanalytic Society, and translated many of Freud's books into English. |
| Brill, Yvonne | b. December 30, 1924, Manitoba, Canada d. March 27, 2013, New Jersey, United States Yvonne Brill was a propulsion engineer who researched and patened satellite propulsion systems. |
| Brimelow, Peter | b. October 13, 1947, Warrington, United Kingdom Peter Brimelow is a writer. He largely writes about politics in the United States from his self-confessed 'paleoconservative' perspective. |
| Brin, Sergey | b. August 21, 1973, Moscow, Russia Sergey Brin is a computer scientist and internet entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and Director of Special Projects at Google Inc. |
| Broad, Eli | b. June 6, 1933, New York, United States Parents: From Lithuania Eli Broad is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the only person to build two Fortune 500 companies in different industries. |
| Brock, John | b. May 6, 1948, Mississippi, United States John Brock was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. and is on the national board of advisors for the Federation of American Immigration Reform. |
| Brodeur, Martin | b. May 6, 1972, Montreal, Canada Martin Brodeur is a retired hockey player and is the current assistant manager for the St. Louis Blues. He is considered one of the best goaltenders and was the youngest goalie to win 300, then 400, and 500 NHL games. |
| Brodovitch, Alexey | b. May 1, 1898, Agolitschy, present-day Belarus d. April 15, 1971, Le Thor, France Alexey Brodovitch was a photographer, designer and instructor who is most famous for his art direction of fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar from 1934 to 1958. Brodovitch designed his own typeface in 1949. "Al-Bro." |
| Brodsky, Joseph | b. May 24, 1940, Saint Petersburg, present-day Russia d. January 28, 1996, New York, United States Joseph Brodsky was born Iosif Alexandrovich and was celebrated as the greatest Russian poet of his generation. Brodsky received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987 and served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1991 to 1992. Brodsky worked to make poetry a more central part of American culture. |
| Brody, Adrien | b. April 14, 1973, New York, United States Mother: From Hungary Adrien Brody is an actor who, at 29 years old, became the youngest person to win an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in The Pianist (2002). |
| Bronfman, Edgar, Jr. | b. May 16, 1955, New York, United States Father: From Canada Edgar Bronfman Jr. is a businessman who currently serves as a Managing Partner at Accretive LLC, a private equity firm focused on creating and investing in technology companies. |
| Bronner, Emanuel | b. February 1, 1908, Heilbronn, Germany d. March 7, 1997, California, United States Emanuel Bronner was known as the maker of Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. Bronner used product labels to promote his moral and religious ideas, including a belief in the goodness and unity of humanity. |
| Bronson, Charles | b. November 3, 1921,Pennsylvania, United States d. August 30, 2003, California, United States Father and Maternal Grandparents: From Lithuania Charles Bronson was an American actor. He starred in films such as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the Death Wish series. He was often cast in the role of a police officer, gunfighter, or vigilante in revenge-oriented plot lines. |
| Brook-Krasny, Alec | b. March 2, 1958, Moscow, Russia Alec Brook-Krasny is the first Russian-speaking candidate to become a member of New York State Assembly. Brook-Krasny served from 2006 to 2015. |
| Brooke, Heather | b. 1970, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From the United Kingdom Heather Brooke is a journalist and freedom of information campaigner. |
| Brooks, Gwendolyn | b. June 7, 1917, Kansas, United States d. December 3, 2000, Illinois, United States Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950. She went on to become the Poet Laureate of Illinois and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. |
| Brosnan, Pierce | b. May 16, 1953, Drogheda, Ireland Pierce Brosnan, whose most famous appearances were as Remington Steel and secret agent James Bond, has been acting for almost 40 years, with seven new projects in the works for 2017-2018. |
| Brother Theodore | b. November 11, 1906, Düsseldorf, present-day Germany d. April 5, 2001, New York, United States Brother Theodore was a writer, existential comedian, surreal monologuist, metaphysician, voice actor and film actor who became known thanks to his many appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. |
| Brown, Claude | b. February 23, 1937, New York, United States d. February 2, 2002, New York, United States Parents: From South Carolina, United States Claude Brown was an author. He wrote of the novel Manchild in the Promised Land which chronicles the realities of his life growing up in Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s, exposing the challenges for African-Americans who migrated to the so-called 'Promised Land' of New York. |
| Brown, Cora Mae | b. April 19, 1914, Alabama, United States d. December 17, 1972, Michigan, United States Cora Mae Brown was the first African-American woman elected to a state senate when she was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1952, representing Detroit. |
| Brown, Georg Stanford | b. June 24, 1943, Havana, Cuba Georg Stanford Brown played Tom Harvey in the television miniseries Roots and in Roots: The Next Generations. |
| Brown, Lee P. | b. October 4, 1937, Oklahoma, United States Lee P. Brown is a criminologist and politivian considered the "Father of Community Policing". He was the first African-American Chief of Police in Houston, the first African-American Commissioner of Police in New York City and the first African-American Mayor of Texas. |
| Browne, Jackson | b. October 9, 1948, Heidelberg, Germany Jackson Browne is a singer-songwriter and musician who protested against nuclear powerplants. |
| Brownjohn, Robert | b. August 8, 1925, New Jersey, United States d. August 1, 1970, London, United Kingdom Parents: From the United Kingdom Robert Brownjohn was the graphic designer responsible for the title sequences of James Bond films, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. |
| Bruguera, Tania | b. July 18, 1968, Havana, Cuba Tania Bruguera is a politically engaged installation and performance artist. Her work is about control and power. It looks at art, social movements and social change, and how these can operate together. |
| Bruna, Cindy | b. September 24, 1994, Saint-Raphaël, France Cindy Bruna is a model. She is the first model of color to ever walk exclusively for Calvin Klein. |
| Brunswick, John Moses | b. October 6, 1819, Bremgarten, Switzerland d. July 25, 1886, Place unknown John Moses Brunswick was the founder of the J.M. Brunswick Manufacturing Company, one of the enterprises that merged to form today's Brunswick Corporation. |
| Brunswik, Egon | b. March 18, 1903, Budapest, Hungary d. July 7, 1955, California, United States Egon Brunswick was a professor at Berkeley, and specialized in probabilistic functionalism. |
| Brynner, Yul | b. July 11, 1920, Vladivostok, Russia d. October 10, 1985, New York, United States Yul Brynner was an actor who is probably best remembered for his role as King Mongkut of Siam in the musical The King and I. Brynner won two Tony Awards and an Academy Award for his commanding portrayal. |
| Brzezinski, Mika | b. May 2, 1967, New York, United States Mika Brzezinski is a news presenter and author who currently co-hosts MSNBC's weekday morning broadcast show Morning Joe. She was formerly a CBS News correspondent, and was their principal "Ground Zero" reporter during the morning of the September 11, 2001 attacks. |
| Brzezinski, Zbigniew | b. March 28, 1928, Warsaw, Poland d. May 26, 2017, Virginia, United States Parents: From Poland Zbigniew Brzezinski was a diplomat and political scientist who served as a counselor to President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1966 to 1968 and was President Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor from 1977 to 1981. |
| Buck, Leslie | b. September 20, 1921, Khust, present-day Ukraine d. April 26, 2010, New York, United States Leslie Buck was the designer of the famous Anthora coffee cup, which he created for the Sherri Cup Company. |
| Buckley, William F., Jr. | b. November 24, 1925, New York, United States d. February 27, 2008, Connecticut, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Canada William F. Buckley Jr. was an author, political commentator, television personality, and politician. He was a political conservative. He was the host of the show Firing Line from 1966-1999. It was the longest-running public affairs show with a single host. |
| Buehman, Henry | b. May 15, 1851, Bremen, Germany d. December 19, 1912, Arizona, United States Henry Buehman was a photographer and politician. He operated a financially successful photography business and became the mayor of Tucson from 1895 till 1899. |
| Bühler, Charlotte | b. December 20, 1893, Berlin, Germany d. February 3, 1974, Stuttgart, Germany Charlotte Bühler was a professor at the University of Southern California, specializing in child psychology. She also helped to found the Association for Humanistic Psychology. |
| Bühler, Karl | b. May 27, 1879, Meckesheim, Germany d. October 24, 1963, California, United States Karl Bühler was a psychologist at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital and the University of Southern California with work on gestalt phenomena, child psychology, and information theory and communications. |
| Buisa, Akousa | b. December 30, 1966, Ghana Akosua Busia is an actress, film director, author and songwriter. She is best known for her role as Nettie Harris in the 1985 film The Color Purple alongside Whoopi Goldberg. |
| Bukowski, Charles | b. August 16, 1920, Andernach, present-day Germany d. March 9, 1994, California, United States Charles Bukowski was a poet, novelist and short story writer. His work addresses the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships and the drudgery of work. |
| Bulawayo, NoViolet | b. December 10, 1981, Tsholotsho, Zimbabwe NoViolet Bulawayo is the pen name of Elizabeth Zandile Tshele. She is an author, best known for the novel We Need New Names. |
| Bulosan, Carlos | b. November 24, 1913, Binalonon, Philippines d. September 11, 1956, Washington, United States Carlos Bulosan was a novelist and poet. His most popular work today is America is in the Heart. |
| Buncher, Jack | b. October 3, 1911, Pennsylvania, United States d. December 4, 2001, Florida, United States Parents: From Russia Jack Buncher was a real estate developer and industrialist. |
| Bündchen, Gisele | b. July 20, 1980, Horizontina, Brazil Gisele Bündchen is a model and actress. She is one of the highest paid models in the industry. |
| Burbidge, Margaret | b. August 12, 1919, Davenport, United Kingdom Margaret Burbidge is an astrophysicist and has contributed to over 370 articles on astronomical research. From 1979-1988, she was the first director of the Center for Astronomy and Space Sciences at the University of California San Diego, where she has worked since 1962. |
| Burckhardt, Sam | b. July 7, 1957, Sursee, Switzerland Sam Burckhardt is a blues and jazz saxophone player. IHe was a member of the Sunnyland Slim Blues Band from 1982 until Sunnyland Slim's death in 1995. Burckhardt was also a founding member of the Mighty Blue Kings, a very popular jump blues band during the mid to late 1990s. |
| Bure, Pavel | b. March 31, 1971, Moscow, Russia Pavel Bure is a former professional hockey player. He played 12 seasons in the NHL. |
| Burgess, Michael C. | b. December 23, 1950, Minnesota, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Canada Michael C. Burgess is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing Texas's 26th congressional district. |
| Burliuk, David | b. July 21, 1882, Semyrotivka, present-day Ukraine d. January 16, 1967, New York, United States David Burliuk was a futurist and neo-primitivist artist, book illustrator, publicist, and author. He is often dubbed the "father of futurism." |
| Burnett, Charles | b. April 13, 1944, Mississippi, United States Charles Burnett is a film writer-director who studied at UCLA's prestigious film school. His thesis project, Killer of Sheep, was one of the first films to be added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry and he has received grants from numerous arts foundations for his work. |
| Burnquist, Bob | b. October 10, 1976, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Bob Burnquist is a professional skateboarder. He holds over fifteen victories in national and international contests, is credited with advancing the sport to levels never thought, and is an entrepeneur within the industry. |
| Burns, Arthur F. | b. August 27, 1904, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine d. June 26, 1987, Maryland, United States Arthur F. Burns was an economic adviser to the Eisenhower administration (1953) and Chairman to the Federal Reserve (1970). |
| Burns, George | b. January 20, 1896, New York, United States d. March 9, 1996, Los Angeles, United States Father: From Austria, Mother: From Poland George Burns was a comedian, actor, singer, and writer. His career spanned vaudeville, radio, movies, and television and at age 80, he received an Academy Award. |
| Burns, Ursula | b. September 20, 1958, New York, United States Parents: From Panama Ursula Burns is a business executive and previously served as both chairman and CEO of the Xerox Corporation. |
| Burtin, Will | b. January 17, 1908, Cologne, Germany d. January 18, 1972, New York, United States Will Burtin was a graphic designer, known for interrelating design and scientific concepts within his exhibits. |
| Burton, Sala Galante | b. April 1, 1925, Bialytok, Poland d. February 7, 1987, Washington, D.C., United States Sala Galante Burton was a United States Representative for New York. She served from 1983-1987. |
| Busch, Adolphus | b. July 10, 1839, Wiesbaden, Germany d. October 10, 1913, Lindschied, Germany Adolphus Busch was a beer brewer. He co-founded the Anheuser-Busch company with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser. |
| Butler, Pierce | b. March 17, 1866, Minnesota, United States d. November 16, 1939, Washington D.C., United States Parents: From Ireland Pierce Butler was a jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1923 until his death in 1939. He is notable for being the first Justice from Minnesota, and for being a Democrat appointed by a Republican president, Warren G. Harding. |
| Butlet, Jean | b. March 14, 1971, New York, United States Mother: From Ireland Jean Butler is a dancer, choreographer, and actress. Butler is best known as a stepdancer who was the original female lead in the successful, theatrical production Riverdance. |
| Butz, Albert | b. 1849, Switzerland d. 1905, United States Albert Butz was a businessman and inventor. He cofounded Honeywell International, and invented the thermo-electric regulator, which preceded modern thermostat technology. |
C
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Caan, James | b. March 26, 1940, New York, United States Parents: From Germany James Caan is an actor and director who is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972). |
| Cabello, Camila | b. March 3, 1997, Cojímar, Cuba Camila Cabello is a singer and was a member of the pop vocal group Fifth Harmony. She announced her solo career in 2016. |
| Cabot, Susan | b. July 9, 1927, Massachusetts, United States d. December 10, 1986, California, United States Parents: From Russia Susan Cabot was a singer, stage and film actress. Cabot is known to many a cult movie aficionado for her final film, The Wasp Woman (1959). |
| Cabrera, Asdrúbal | b. November 13,1985, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela Asdrúbal Cabrera is a professional baseball player. He plays shortstop for the New York Mets and is a two-time AL All-Star. |
| Cabrera, Melky | b. August 11, 1984, Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic Melky Cabrera is professiona MLB outfielder. He has played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. |
| Cabrera, Miguel | b. April 18, 1983, Maracay, Venezuela Miguel Cabrera plays first base for the Detroit Tigers. He is a seven-time AL All-Star and was named the 2012 and 2013 AL MVP. |
| Cabrini, St. Frances Xavier | b. July 15, 1850, Lombardy, Italy d. December 22, 1917, Illinois, United States St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was a religious sister who founded Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an organization that helped Italian immigrants. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 7, 1946, making her the first United States citizen to be canonized. She is the patron saint of immigrants. |
| Cadmus, Paul | b. December 17, 1904, New York, United States d. December 12, 1999, Connecticut, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Spain, Maternal Grandmother: From Cuba Paul Cadmus was an artist who created satirical paintings commenting on social and political events, as well as depictions of all-male domestic life. Later he became better known as a representational artist for his figurative works, and also for his treatment of homosexuality. |
| Caesar, Sid | b. September 8, 1922, New York, United States d. February 12, 2014, California, United States Father: From present-day Poland, Mother: From Russia Sid Caesar was a pioneering comedian, actor, and writer. Caesar's 1950s live television comedy show, Your Show of Shows and the later Caesar's Hour, were hugely influential on many of the sketch comedy shows that followed. |
| Cafarelli, Carmela | b. 1889, Ohio, United States d. September 1, 1979, Ohio, United States Father: From Italy Carmela Cafarelli was the first harpist for the Cleveland Orchestra and studied opera singing in Italy. Upon her return, she became the driving force behind opera in Cleveland, presenting an annual opera in Masonic Auditorium for three decades. |
| Cahan, Abraham | b. July 7, 1860, Podberezhie, present-day Belarus d. August 31, 1951, New York, United States Abraham Cahan was a newspaper editor and novelist. He was the author of Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto and The Rise of David Levinsky. |
| Cain, Dean | b. July 31, 1966, Michigan, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Japan Dean Cain is an actor, best know for his role as Clark Kent in the popular 1990s TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. |
| Caldicott, Helen | b. August 7, 1938 , Melbourne, Australia Helen Caldicott is a physician and anti-nuclear activist. |
| Calleia, Joseph | b. August 4, 1897, Malta d. October 31, 1975, Malta Joseph Calleia was an character actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio, and television. Just a few of many of Calleia's noted performances are in the films The Jungle Book (1942), Gilda (1946), and Touch of Evil (1958). |
| Cameron, Donaldina | b. July 26, 1869, New Zealand d. January 4, 1968, California, United States Donaldina Cameron was a missionary who rescued more than 3,000 Chinese immigrant girls and women from servitude in San Francisco. |
| Cammermeyer, Margarethe | b. March 24, 1942, Oslo, Norway Margarethe Cammermeyer was a chief nurse of the Washington National Guard who, discharged from duty on the grounds that she was homosexual, dedicated herself to changing the military's prejudiced policy against homosexuality and fought publicly for gay rights. |
| Candy, John | b. October 31, 1950, Newmarket, Canada d. March 4, 1994, Durango, Mexico John Candy was a comedian and actor. He was in many movies, including Uncle Buck, Blues Brothers, and Spaceballs. |
| Cannavale, Bobby | b. May 3, 1970, New Jersey, United States Mother: From Cuba Bobby Cannavale is an actor known for his leading role as Bobby Caffey in the first two seasons of the crime drama series Third Watch. Cannavale also had a recurring role on the NBC comedy series Will & Grace as Will Truman's long-term boyfriend Officer Vincent "Vince" D'Angelo. |
| Cantor, B. Gerald | b. December 17, 1916, New York, United States d. July 17, 1996, California, United States Parents: From Belarus B. Gerald Cantor was the founder and chairman of securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald and an important philanthropist supporting visual arts institutions in the United States. |
| Cao, Joseph | b. March 13, 1967, Saigon, Vietnam Joseph Cao was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 2009-2010. |
| Capa, Robert | b. Ocotber 22, 1913, Budapest, Hungary d. May 25, 1954, Thai Binh, Vietnam Robert Capa was one of the great war photographers who photographed the tumultuous 1930s and the wars that followed. After World War II he helped found Magnum Photos, an international photographic agency. |
| Capra, Frank | b. May 18, 1897, Bisacquino, Italy d. September 3, 1991, California, United States Frank Capra was one of America's most influential directors in the 1930s and 1940s. His films include It Happened One Night, You Can't Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It's a Wonderful Life. |
| Cara, Irene | b. March 18, 1959, New York, United States Mother: From Cuba Irene Cara is a singer, songwriter, and actress. Cara sang and co-wrote the international hit song Flashdance... What a Feeling (from the movie Flashdance), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. |
| Carabelli, Joseph | b. April 9, 1850, Porto Ceresio, Italy d. April 19, 1911, Ohio, United States Joseph Carabelli was a stonemason, businessman, and prominent leader of Cleveland's Italian-American community. His business centered around Lake View Cemetery and contributed to the rise of Italian immigration in the area. |
| Carbonell, Nestor | b. December 1, 1967, New York, United States Parents: From Cuba Nestor Carbonell is an actor, director and screenwriter. He came to prominence for his role as Luis Rivera in the sitcom Suddenly Susan. |
| Carell, Steve | b. August 16, 1962, Massachusetts, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Italy Steve Carell is a television and film comedic actor. He is probably best known for his work in the sitcom The Office and in films such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and an Oscar-nominated role in Foxcatcher. |
| Carey, Peter | b. May 7, 1943, Victoria, Australia Peter Carey is a writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction books. He is best known for the works Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang. |
| Carley, Gracie | b. Date and year unknown, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Carley Gracie is a martial artist, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a jiu-jitsu grandmaster. He is known as the father of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. |
| Carnegie, Andrew | b. November 25, 1835, Fife, United Kingdom d. August 11, 1919, Massachusetts, United States Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist, business magnate and philanthropist. He was an influential leader in the rise of the American steel industry. |
| Caron, Leslie | b. July 1, 1931, Paris, France Leslie Caron is a dancer and actress who has worked extensively in film and television. Over the course of her illustrious career, Caron has danced with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Rudolf Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. |
| Carone, Nicolas | b. June 4, 1917, New York, United States d. July 15, 2010, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Nicolas Carone was an Abstract Expressionist artist. Some of his most admired works are the large black and white paintings that he made later in life which combined aspects of the figurative tradition with the instinctive processes of Abstract Expressionism. |
| Carrasco, Carlos | b. March 21, 1987, Barquisimeto, Venezuela Carlos Carrasco is a professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB). |
| Carrera, Barbara | b. December 31, 1945, Bluefields, Nicaragua Barbara Carrera is a film and television actress and former model. She is known for her roles as SPECTRE assassin Fatima Blush in Never Say Never Again, as Natalia Rambova in Condorman, and as Angelica Nero on the soap opera Dallas. |
| Carrey, Jim | b. January 17, 1962, Newmarket, Canada Jim Carrey is a comedian and actor best known for comedic and dramatic film roles in movies, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Truman Show. |
| Carroll, Diahann | b. July 17, 1935, New York, United States Father: From South Carolina, United States, Mother: From North Carolina, United States Diahann Caroll is a singer and stage and screen actress that made her debut in some of the first productions featuring black casts. Caroll has won both a Tony and a Golden Globe in 1962 and 1969 respectively. |
| Carroll, Leo G. | b. October 25, 1886, Weedon Bec, United Kingdom d. October 16, 1972, California, United States Leo G. Carroll was an actor who appeared in several of Alfred Hitchcock's films. Carroll is also familiar to many by his work on the TV series Topper in the 1950s and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s. |
| Carter, Forrest | b. September 24, 1925, Alabama, United States d. June 7, 1979, Texas, United States Forrest Carter was the pen name of Asa Earl Carter, a speech writer and novelist. He is best known for the works The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales and The Education of Little Tree. |
| Carter, Lynda | b. July 24, 1951, Arizona, United States Mother: From Mexico, Parernal Grandmother: From the United Kingdom Lynda Carter was the first actress to put a face to the iconic super-heroine, Wonder Woman. Carter has also excelled at music, modeling, and beauty pageants during her illustrious career. |
| Carter, Matthew | b. October 1, 1937, London, United Kingdom Matthew Carter is a renown type designer, known for creating popular fonts such as Georgia, Tahoma, and Verdana. |
| Carto, Willis | b. July 17, 1926, Indiana, United States d. October 26, 2015, Virginia, United States Willis Carto was a writer primarily known for his far right views and historical revisionism. |
| Carus, Marianne | b. June 16, 1928, Dieringhausen, Germany Marianne Carus was publisher and editor-in-chief of Cricket Books, a trade book line that published quality chapter books and middle-grade novels for children ages six to twelve. From 1990 to 1994, she was vice president of the Executive Board of the International Board on Books for Young People |
| Caserio, Marjorie | b. February 26, 1929, London, United Kingdom Marjorie Caserio is a leading physical organic chemist. In 1975, she was awarded the Garvan Medal by the American Chemical Society. |
| Cassini, Oleg | b: April 11, 1913, Paris, France d. March 17, 2006, New York, United States Oleg Cassini was a fashion designer. He became particularly well known as a designer for Jacqueline Kennedy whilst she was First Lady of the United States. The "Jackie Look" was to become highly influential and much admired. |
| Castaing, François | b. 1945, Marseille, France François Castaing is an automotive executive. During his tenure at Chrysler, Francois Castaing redesigned the Jeep Grand Cherokee and conceived the Dodge Viper. In 2010, the designer was inducted into the automotive hall of fame. |
| Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Mario | b. April 3, 1895, Florence, Italy d. March 16, 1968, California, United States Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was a leading pianist, film music composer, and teacher. Many of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's students went on to begin fruitful careers as film composers and conductors, including Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams. |
| Castillo, José Luis | b. April 19, 1968, Den Haag, Netherlands Father: From Colombia, Mother: From the Netherlands José Luis Castillo is the founder of the Colombian American Foundation in Miami and the Pan American Coalition. Castillo is active in the community fighting for the rights and liberties of his fellow Colombian-Americans. |
| Castro, Starlin | b. March 24, 1990, Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic Starlin Castro is a starting second baseman for the New York Yankees. He played for the 2017 American League All Star Team. |
| Cates, Phoebe | b. July 16, 1963, New York, United States Mother: From China Phoebe Cates is a film actress, model, and entrepreneur. She is known for her roles in the films Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. |
| Cattelan, Maurizio | b. September 21, 1960, Padua, Italy Maurizio Cattelan is an artist, known for his satirical sculptures which combine humor and the macabre. He is interested in the absurd and working outside of the usual social norms. Figures such as Hitler and the Pope have featured in his sculptures. |
| Catz, Safra | b. December 1, 1961, Holon, Israel Safra Catz is the Director and CEO of Oracle Corporation. She previously served as president of Oracle and has also served as the company's chief financial officer. |
| Cauffiel, Jessica | b. March 30, 1976, Michigan, United States Paternal Grandmother: From Poland Jessica Cauffiel is a television and film actress best known for her supporting role in the comedy film Legally Blonde and her recurring role on The Drew Carey Show. Cauffiel has also produced and written several film works. |
| Cavaglieri, Giorgio | b. August 11, 1911, Venice, Italy d. May 15, 2007, New York, United States Giorgio Cavaglieri was an architect who was a leading figure in historic preservation of architecture. He is most widely known for his work on preserving the Jefferson Market Library. |
| Cave Brown, Anthony | b. March 21, 1929, Bath, United Kingdom d. July 14, 2006, Virginia, United States Anthony Cave Brown was a journalist, writer and historian who wrote about espionage and World War II. |
| Cedeño, Matt | b. November 14, 1974, Washington, United States Father: From Cuba Matt Cedeño is a television actor and former male fashion model, best known for his roles as Brandon Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives (1999-2005), and as Alejandro Rubio in the Lifetime primetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (2013-2014). |
| Celebrezze, Anthony J., Sr. | b. September 4, 1910, Anzi, Italy d. October 29, 1998, Ohio, United States Anthony J. Celebrezze Sr. was the 49th Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1954 to 1961. Celebrezze also served as a cabinet member in both the Kennedy and Johnson adminstrations from 1962 to 1965. He was the first Italian-American to serve in a Presidential Cabinet. |
| Celmins, Vija | b. October 25, 1938, Riga, Latvia Vija Celmins is a visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and drawings of the ocean, spider webs, stars, fields, and rocks. |
| Celorio, Víctor | b. July 27, 1957, Mexico City, Mexico Víctor Celorio is an author, entrepreneur, and inventor. Celorio's most celebrated invention is the digital printing technology called InstaBook. The invention allows for a quick electronic delivery of a book in its digital form. The invention revolutionized the self-publishing market. |
| Cena, John | b. April 23, 1977, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Italy John Cena is an American professional wrestler, rapper, actor, and reality television show host. He is currently signed to WWE. |
| Cespedes, Yoenis | b. October 18, 1985, Granma, Cuba Yoenis Cespedes is an outfielder for the New York Mets. He is a two time AL-Star and won the Home Run Derby in 2013 and 2014. |
| Cessa, Luis | b. April 25, 1992 , Cordoba, Mexico Luis Cessa is a right handed pitcher for the New York Yankees. He made his Major League Baseball debut in April of 2016. |
| Cha, Derek | b. 1965, Seoul, South Korea Derek Cha is a businessman and the owner and founder of sweetFrog, a frozen yogurt chain. |
| Cha, Theresa Hak Kyung | b. March 4, 1951, Busan, South Korea d. November 5, 1982, New York, United States Theresa Hak Kyung Cha was a novelist. She is best known for Dictee, a novel which combines aesthetic innovation, theoretical sophistication and social commentary. |
| Chaliapin, Boris | b. September 22, 1904, Moscow, Russia d. October 5, 1979, New York, United States Boris Chaliapin was an artist and sculptor. From 1942 to 1970, Chaliapin was also a busy cover illustrator for Time Magazine; he created over four hundred covers for the magazine. |
| Chamillionaire | b. November 28, 1979, Washington, D.C., United States Father: From Nigeria Chamillionaire is a musician, rapper, entrepreneur, and investor. |
| Chamoun, Fady | b. 1953, Lebanon Fady Chamoun is a restaurateur. He opened his first Aladdin's Restaurant in Lakewood, Ohio in 1994. There are now approximately 30 locations of this popular restaurant in four states. |
| Chan, June | b. June 6, 1956, New York, United States Mother: From China June Chan is an activist who raises awareness for LGBT issues relating to the Asian-American community. |
| Chandler, Raymond | b. July 23, 1888, Illinois, United States d. March 26, 1959, California, United States Mother: From Ireland Raymond Chandler was a novelist and screenwriter. He largely wrote crime and detective fiction and is best known for the book The Big Sleep. |
| Chandra, Vikram | b. July 23, 1961, New Delhi, India Vikram Chandra is a novelist and short story writer whose books are about historical and contemporary life in India. |
| Chang-Díaz, Franklin | b. April 5, 1950, San José, Costa Rica Franklin Chang-Díaz is a mechanical engineer, physicist and former NASA astronaut. Chang-Díaz was one of twelve naturalized citizens to receive the inaugural Medal of Liberty presented by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. |
| Chang, Gordon H. | b. June 19, 1948, Hong Kong, China Gordon H. Chang is a historian who specializes in American history. His research interests include race, ethnicity, and trans-Pacific relations. |
| Chang, Juju | b. September 17, 1965, Seoul, South Korea Juju Chang serves as co-anchor of ABC's Nightline. She also appears regularly on that network's Good Morning America and 20/20. Chang has won three Emmy Awards and two Gracie Awards. |
| Channing, Carol | b. January 31, 1921, Washington, United States Paternal Great-Grandparents: From Germany Carol Channing is an actress, singer, dancer and comedian. Notable for starring in Broadway and film musicals. |
| Chaplin, Charlie | b. April 16, 1889, London, United, Kingdom d. December 25, 1977, Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland Charlie Chaplin was an innovative actor, acrobat, director, and composer. Chaplin is best known for his iconic character known simply as The Tramp. |
| Chaplin, Sydney | b. March 30, 1926, California, United States d. March 3, 2009, California, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Sydney Chaplin was an award-winning stage, film and televsion actor whose career spanned the 1950s to the 1970s. Chaplin's biggest successes were in musical theatre; he won a Tony Award in 1957 for his performance in Bells Are Ringing. |
| Chappell, Paul K. | b. 1980, Place unknown Mother: From Korea Paul K. Chappell is the Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and author. He lectures across the country and internationally. |
| Charo | b. January 15, 1951, Molina de Segura, Spain Charo is an accomplished flamenco guitarist, singer, dancer, and actress. Charo might be best known to many for her ubiquitous appearence on 1970s TV series and game shows. Charo is still an active, vibrant performer today. |
| Chasman, Renate | b. January 10, 1932, Berlin, Germany d. October 17, 1977, New York, United States Renate Chasman was a physicist who worked in the development of particle accelerators. |
| Chauncey, Herbert S. | b. April 16, 1887, Georgia, United States d. June 22, 1930, Ohio, United States Herbert S. Chauncey was the first African-American member of the Cleveland (Ohio) City Planning Commission. He owned and operated several businesses and societies serving the African-American community and convened the Cleveland Businessmen's Association in 1925. |
| Chavez, Cesar | b. March 31, 1927, Arizona, United States d. April 23, 1993, Arizona, United States Mother and Paternal Grandfather: From Mexico Cesar Chavez was a labor leader and civil rights activist. He co-founded the United Farm Workers Association in 1962 and fought for the rights of migrant farm workers throughout the southwest United States. Chavez is so important to the Mexican American community that his birthday is a holiday in California, Colorado, and Texas. |
| Chaviano, Daína | b. February 19, 1957, Havana, Cuba Daína Chaviano is a writer of fantasy and science fiction works, considered to be among the top writers of this genre in the Spanish language. |
| Chawla, Kalpana | b. July 1, 1961, Haryana, present-day India d. February 1, 2003, Texas, United States Kalpana Chawla was an astronaut and was the first woman of Indian origin in space. Tragically, she died in the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster in 2003. |
| Chee, Alexander | b. 1967, Rhode Island, United States Father: From Korea Alexander Chee is a fiction writer, poet and journalist, best known for Edinburgh and Queen of the Night. |
| Cheever, John | b. May 27, 1912, Massachusetts, United States d. June 18, 1982, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom John Cheever was a novelist and short story writer. His books examine the duality of human nature and nostalgia for a vanishing way of life. |
| Chekhov, Mikhail | b. August 29, 1891, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. September 30, 1955, California, United States Mikhail Chekhov was an actor, director, author, and teacher who learned acting techniques under the famous Konstantin Stanislavski. Many of Chekhov's former students went on to become famous actors, including Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, and Clint Eastwood. |
| Chelimo, Paul | b. October 27, 1990, Iten, Kenya Paul Chelimo is a 5,000 meter runner. He won silver in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Chelios, Chris | b. January 25, 1962, Illinois, United States Parents: From Greece Chris Chelios is a retired hockey player who had one of the longest careers in the National Hockey League. He also founded restaurants in the midwest. |
| Chen, Joan | b. April 29, 1961, Shanghai, China Joan Chen is an actor, writer, and director whose roles in The Last Emperor and Twin Peaks earned her both critical acclaim and a cult following among fans. |
| Chen, Steve | b. August 18, 1978, Taipei, Taiwan Steve Chen is an internet entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former Chief Technology Officer of YouTube, a video-sharing platform. |
| Cher | b. May 20, 1946, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Armenia Cher is a singer and actress. In the 60s and 70s, she rose to fame as part of the husband and wife pop music duo Sonny & Cher. Cher has won countless awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Moonstruck (1987). |
| Cherng, Andrew | b. 1948, Shanghai, China Andrew Cherng is a restaurateur who, along with his wife, cofounded Panda Express, a Chinese-inspired fast food chain. |
| Cherng, Peggy | b. 1946, present-day Myanmar Peggy Cherng is a restaurateur who, along with her husband, cofounded Panda Express, a Chinese-inspired fast food chain. |
| Cherny, Andrei | b. August 4, 1975, California, United States Parents: From present-day Czech Republic/ Slovakia Andrei Cherny is an author, historian and business consultant. His best known historical book is The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour. |
| Chertoff, Michael | b. November 28, 1953, New Jersey, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Belarus Michael Chertoff is an attorney who served as United States Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush. |
| Chess, Leonard | b. March 12, 1917, Motal, present-day Belarus d. October 16, 1969, Illinois, United States Leonard Chess was a record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll. |
| Chess, Phil | b. March 27, 1921, Motal, present-day Belarus d. October 18, 2016, Arizona, United States Phil Chess was a record producer, and co-founder, with his brother Leonard, of Chess Records, an important independent record label that specialized in blues, jazz, and soul music. |
| Chetrit, Joseph | b. December 10, 1957, Morocco Joseph Chetrit is a real estate investor and developer and founder of the Chetrit Group. |
| Chetry, Kiran | b. August 26, 1974, Patan, Nepal Kiran Chetry is a former television broadcast journalist who was a cable news anchor for CNN's American Morning. Also from 2001 to 2007 she reported - and then anchored - cable news at Fox News. |
| Chiang, Fay | b. January 27, 1952, New York City, NY d. October 20, 2017, New York City, United States Parents: From China Fay Chiang was the executive director of the Basement Workshop. She was known for her work with young people at risk, and for volunteering with groups focused on arts, economic justice, community safety, community organizing and families of people who had been killed by the police. |
| Chin, Marilyn | b. 1955, Hong Kong, China Marilyn Chin is a poet and activist. Her poetry focuses on social issues, especially those related to Asian American feminism and bi-cultural identity. |
| Ching, Cyrus S. | b. May 21, 1876, Prince Edward Island, Canada d. December 27, 1967, Washington, D.C., United States Cyrus S. Ching was an industrialist, federal civil servant, and noted labor union mediator. He was the first director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the Wage Stabilization Board. |
| Chisholm, Henry | b. April 22, 1822, Lochgelly, United Kingdom d. May 9, 1881, Ohio, United States Henry Chisholm was a businessman and steel industry executive. He was known as both a technical genius and a well-loved leader by his employees. |
| Chisholm, Shirley | b. November 30, 1924, New York, United States d. January 1, 2005, Florida, United States Father: From Guyana, Mother: From Barbados Shirley Chisholm was a politician, educator, and author. She was first black woman elected to the Congress, the first black candidate for a major party's nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. |
| Chmerkovskiy, Maksim | b. January 17, 1980, Ukraine Maksim Chmerkovskiy is a Latin ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars. |
| Chmerkovskiy, Valentin | b. March 24, 1986, Odessa, Ukraine Valentin Chmerkovskiy is a professional dancer, best known for his appearances on the U.S. version of Dancing with the Stars, which he won twice. |
| Cho, John | b. June 16, 1972, Seoul, South Korea John Cho is an actor whose breakout film role was as the star of the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Since then, he has played the iconic role of Sulu in J.J. Abrams's film versions of Star Trek and has appeared in various television series. |
| Cho, Simon | b. October 7, 1991, Seoul, South Korea Simon Cho is an Olympic short track speed skater. He won bronze in the 5,000 meter realy in 2010. |
| Choate, Pat | b. April 27, 1941, Texas, United States Pat Choate has been Director of Public Policy of Green Planet Group, Inc. since November 2009. He is on the national board of advisors for the Federation of American Immigration Reform. |
| Choi, Dan | b. February 22, 1981, California, United States Parents: From South Korea Dan Choi is an activist for gay rights. He publicly challenged America's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. |
| Choi, Roy | b. February 24, 1970, Seoul, South Korea Roy Choi is the creator of the gourmet Korean taco truck, Kogi, and is considered to be one of the founders of the food truck movement. |
| Chomsky, Noam | b. December 7, 1928, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine, Mother: From present-day Belarus Noam Chomsky is a historian, philosopher, activist, and scholar of the 21st century. He is most noted for his groundbreaking work in modern linguistics and his critiques of political systems. |
| Chotzinoff, Samuel | b. July 4, 1899, Vitebsk, present-day Belarus d. February 9, 1964, New York, United States Samuel Chotzinoff was a pianist, music consultant, TV producer and writer who, in 1936, became the director of NBC's musical department. Chotzinoff later became a television producer. |
| Chow, Liang | b. January 1, 1968, Beijing, China Liang Chow is the owner of a world-class gymnastics training facility and has trained numerous Olympic gymnasts, including gold medalists, Shawn Johnson and Ganny Douglass. |
| Chow, Tina | b. April 18, 1950, Ohio, United States d. January 24, 1992, California, United States Mother: From Japan Tina Chow was a model and jewelry designer who was considered an influential fashion icon of the 1970s and 1980s. |
| Choy, Catherine Ceniza | b. April 9, 1969, New York, United States Parents: From the Philippines Catherine Ceniza Choy is a historian whose major research interests include the presence of the United States in Asian countries, Asian migrations to the United States, and the impact of trans-Pacific migration on American and Asian societies. |
| Choy, Herbert | b. January 6, 1916, Hawaii, United States d. March 10, 2004, Hawaii, United States Parents: From South Korea Herbert Choy was the first Asian-American judge to serve in the Federal judiciary and was appointed by Richard Nixon. Choy was very active in the Korean-American community throughout his life. |
| Christians, Mady | b. January 19, 1896, Vienna, present-day Austria d. October 28, 1951, Connecticut, United States Mady Christians was a stage and film actress known for her roles in the films The Woman They Talk About (1931) and Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948). |
| Chrysler, Walter | b. April 2, 1875, Kansas, United States d. August 18, 1940, New York, United States Father: From Canada Walter Chrysler was a automotive industry executive and founder of Chrysler Corporation. |
| Chrysler, Walter, Jr. | b. May 27, 1909, Iowa, United States d. September 17, 1988, Virginia, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Canada Walter Chrysler Jr. was an art collector, museum benefactor, and collector. He is the son of Walter Chrysler, the founder of the Chrysler Corporation. |
| Chua, Amy | b. October 26, 1962, Illinois, United States Parents: From the Philippines Amy Chua is an author and attorney whose parenting memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, continues to be an inspiration (and sometimes a source of controversy) to scores of readers. |
| Chudd, Lew | b. July 11, 1911, Toronto, Canada d. June 15, 1998, California, United States Parents: From Russia Lew Chudd was the founder and owner of Imperial Records, one of the leading American independent record labels of the 20th century. Imperial was started in 1947 and recorded artists, including Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson. |
| Chun, John | b. August 3, 1928, present-day North Korea d. July 6, 2013, Minnesota, United States John Chun was a car designer. Working closely with Carroll Shelby, Chun designed the Shelby GT350, GT500 and Shelby Cobra. He is also responsible for Shelby's logo that is still used today. |
| Chung, Peter | b. April 19, 1961, Seoul, South Korea Peter Chung is an animator. He is best known for his unique style of animation and as the creator and director of Æon Flux. |
| Cikovsky, Nicolai | b. 1984, Pinsk, Poland d. 1984, Washington D.C., United States Nicolai Cikovsky was a landscape painter whose work can be found throughout the United States. His son, Nicolai Cikovsky, Jr. was the curator for the National Gallery of Art in the 1980s. |
| Cimperman, Joe | b. 1970, Ohio, United States Mother: From Slovenia Joseph Cimperman served as a Cleveland city councilman for nearly two decades. He is well known for championing the rights of immigrants and those in the LGBTQ community. He is currently the CEO of Global Cleveland. |
| Cisneros, Sandra | b. December 20, 1954, Illinois, United States Father: From Mexico Sandra Cisneros is an author, poet and short story writer whose works include The House on Mango Street and Women Hollering Creek and Other Stories. |
| Claiborne, Liz | b. March 31, 1929, Brussels, Belgium d. June 26, 2007, New York, United States Liz Claiborne is a fashion designer who founded of one of the world's most successful women's apparel manufacturing companies. She is a pioneer in designing reasonably priced, quality clothing for modern working women. Her stylish, moderately priced sportswear freed working women from plain, dark suits. |
| Clark, Kenneth | b. July 24, 1914, Panama Canal Zone, Panama d. May 1, 2005, New York, United States Father: From West Indies, Mother: From Jamaica Kenneth Clark was an educator, psychologist, and human rights activist. |
| Clark, Mamie Phipps | b. April 18, 1917, Arkansas, United States d. August 11, 1983, New York, United States Father: From present-day British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean Mamie Phipps Clark was a social psychologist who founded the Northside Center for Children in New York City. She focused on developmental psychology in the service of children. |
| Clark, Sonya | b. 1967, Washington D.C., United States Father: From Trinidad, Mother: From Jamaica Sonya Clark is an artist whose best known works reference, or directly use hair and braiding. In her practice she explores history, politics, race and class with particular reference to the United States. |
| Claude, Albert | b. August 24, 1899, Neufchâteau, Belgium d. May 22, 1983, Brussels, Belgium Albert Claude was a medical doctor and cell biologist. He made the groundbreaking discovery of the process of cell fractionation at the Rockerfeller Institute. The process consists of grinding up cells to break the membrane and release the cell's contents. |
| Claure, Marcelo | b. December 9, 1970, Guatemala Parents: From Bolivia Marcelo Claure is an entrepreneur, the cofounder of Brightstar Corporation, a mobile distributor, and CEO of Sprint, a global telecommunications company. |
| Clay, Edward Williams | b. April 17, 1799, Pennsylvania, United States d. December 31, 1857, New York, United States Edward Williams Clay was a painter, illustrator and printmaker. He was the creator of a series of cartoons called Life in Philadelphia, which contained racist and classist content. |
| Cleary, Jon | b. August 11, 1962, Kent, United Kingdom Jon Cleary is a New Orleans-based piano player. He performs regulary in New Orleans,and at festivals throughout the world with his group, The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. |
| Clement, Kenneth | b. February 20, 1920, Virginia, United States d. November 29, 1974, Ohio, United States Kenneth W. Clement was a physician and civic leader who graduated valedictorian from Cleveland Central High School and held degrees from Oberlin College and Howard University. He served in advisory roles for Carl Stokes, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. |
| Clement, Kerron | b. October 31, 1985, Port of Spain, Trinidad Kerron Clement runs the 400 meter hurdles and 400 meter sprint. He is a gold medal Olympian who holds the world record in the 400 meter sprint. |
| Cleveland, Grover | b. March 18, 1837, New Jersey, United States d. June 24, 1908, New Jersey, United States Maternal Great-grandfather: From the Channel Islands Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. |
| Clive, E. E. | b. August 28, 1879, Blaenavon, United Kingdom d. June 6, 1940, California, United States E. E. Clive was an actor and director. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s he was a familiar face to cinema-goers. Clive is known for The Invisible Man (1933) and the Bulldog Drummand series of films. |
| Clooney, Amal | b. February 3, 1978, Beirut, Lebanon Amal Clooney is a barrister and practices international and human rights law. Following years of international education she became liscenced to practice law in both the United States and the United Kingdom. |
| Coburn, James | b. August 31, 1928, Nebraska, United States d. November 18, 2002, California, United States Mother: From Sweden James Coburn was a film and television actor. His rugged mug was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances. |
| Coe, Barbara | b. December 6, 1933, South Dakota, United States d. August 31, 2013, California, United States Barbara Coe was a campaigner and advocate for immigration reform. In 1994, Coe (along with the organization she founded, the California Coalition for Immigration Reform) put forward California's controversial Proposition 187, which barred any illegal immigrants from accessing public services. |
| Coffman, Mike | b. March 19, 1955, Missouri, United States Mike Coffman is a politician, businessman, and retired member of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. He has served as the U.S. Representative for Colorado's 6th congressional district since 2009. |
| Cohen, Sasha | b. October 26, 1984, California, United States Mother: From Ukraine Sasha Cohen is a 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Championship medalist, the 2003 Grand Prix Final Champion, and the 2006 U.S. Champion. |
| Coker, Ade | b. May 19, 1954, Lagos, Nigeria Parents: From Nigeria Ade Coker is a retired soccer player who played as a striker. |
| Colbert, Claudette | b. September 13, 1903, Saint-Mandé, France d. July 30, 1996, Speightstown, Barbados Claudette Colbert is an actress of the theater and motion pictures, she won the oscar for Best Actress for It Happened One Night and was nominated on two other occasions. |
| Cole, J. | b. January 28, 1985, Frankfurt, Germany J. Cole is a hip hop recording artist and record producer. |
| Cole, Teju | b. June 27, 1975, Michigan, United States Parents: From Nigeria Teju Cole is a writer. He has published four books: Every Day is for the Thief, Open City, Known and Strange Things and Blind Spot. |
| Coles, Robert | b. October 12, 1929, Massachusetts, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Robert Coles is a child psychiatrist, former research psychiatrist for the Harvard University Health Services, and professor emeritus at Harvard University. He won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction for Children of Crisis. |
| Collins, Jackie | b. October 4, 1937, London, United Kingdom d. September 19, 2015, California, United States Jackie Collins was a best-selling writer whose books often explored the steamy, sleazy, and scandalous lives of the rich and famous in Los Angeles. |
| Collins, Phil | b. January 30, 1951, London, United Kingdom Phil Collins is an award winning musician who was a member of the group Genesis. Today, he is an actor, singer, song-writer, and producer. |
| Colman, Ronald | b. February 9, 1891, Richmond, United Kingdom d. May 19, 1958, California, United States Ronald Colman was an actor who was known for playing urbane characters. In 1947, Colman received an Acadamy Award for Best Actor for his role as the unhinged Shakespearean actor Anthony John in the film A Double Life. |
| Colmer, Roy | b. 1935, London, United Kingdom Roy Colmer is an artist, known for his conceptual photography, colorful paintings and films. His work often sat between, or played with the boundaries between media. |
| Colón, Jesús | b. January 20, 1901, Cayey, Puerto Rico d. 1974, New York, United States Jesús Colón was a writer known as the father of the Nuyorican Movement. His book A Puerto Rican in New York and other sketches was among the first works of Hispanic literature to depict the immigrant experience. |
| Coltrane, John | b. September 23, 1926, North Carolina, United States d. July 17, 1967, New York, United States Father: From North Carolina, United States, Mother: From North Carolina, United States John Coltrane was a groundbreaking and influential jazz saxophonist, "Trane" was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1965, posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1997) and a special Pulitzer Prize (2007). |
| Comaneci, Nadia | b. November 12, 1961, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, Romania Nadia Comaneci is a former gymnast who became the first woman to score a perfect 10 in an Olympic gymnastics event at the 1976 Olympic Games, at age 14. She had seven perfect scores and three gold medals, and went on to win two more gold medals in the 1980 Olympics. |
| Comerford, Cristeta | b. October 27, 1962, Manila, Philippines Cristeta Comerford since has been the White House Executive Chef since 2005. Comerford is the first woman and first person of Asian descent to hold this position. |
| Conde, Cesar | b. December 8, 1973, Florida, United States Father: From Peru, Mother: From Cuba Cesar Conde is a media executive currently serving as the chairman of NBC Universal International, Telemundo. |
| Conn, Shelley | b. September 21, 1976, London, United Kingdom Shelley Conn is an actress known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006) and How Do You Know (2010). |
| Connelly, Jennifer | b. December 12, 1970, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Ireland and Norway, Maternal Grandparents: From Poland and Russia Jennifer Connelly is a film actress who started out as a child model. Spotted by a casting director, Connelly received in a supporting role in Sergio Leone's gangster film Once Upon a Time in America. Her other notable film parts include Jim Henson's Labyrinth and an Oscar-winning performance in A Beautiful Mind. |
| Connick, Harry, Jr. | b. September 11, 1967, Louisiana, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Austria and Belarus Harry Connick Jr. is a singer, big band leader, talk show host and actor. |
| Conrad, Robert | b. March 1, 1935, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland Robert Conrad is a film and television actor, singer, and stuntman best known for his role in the 1960s TV series The Wild Wild West. |
| Conreid, Hans | b. April 15, 1917, Maryland, United States d. January 5, 1982, California, United States Father: From Austria Hans Conried was a familiar actor and voice actor. He appeared in over 100 films, but he might be best remembered for his numerous appearances (both as actor and voice actor) on television througout the 1950s to the early 1980s. |
| Contreras, Willson | b. May 13, 1992, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Willson Contreras is a catcher for the Chicago Cubs and was a member of the 2016 World Series team. |
| Conway, Dan | b. Date and year unknown, United States Parents: From Ireland Dan Conway is the co-founder, with his brother, of the Great Lakes Brewing Company |
| Conway, Jill Ker | b. October 9, 1934, New South Wales, Australia Jill Ker Conway is an author, well known for her autobiographies, in particular her first memoir, The Road from Coorain. |
| Cooke, Jerry | b. October 18, 1921, Odessa, Ukraine d. October 27, 2005, New York, United States Jerry Cooke was a renowned photojournalist from the 1940s-1990s. |
| Cooke, Sam | b. January 22, 1931, Mississippi, United States d. December 11, 1964, California, United States Sam Cooke was a singer, songwriter and musical entrepreneur. He is often referred to as the King of Soul, whose contributions to music paved the way for the popularity of the genre in popular music. |
| Cooperman, Leon G. | b. April 25, 1943, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Leon G. Cooperman is an investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. |
| Copland, Aaron | b. November 14, 1900, New York, United States d. December 2, 1990, New York, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From Lithuania Aaron Copland was a composer and conductor. Copland fashioned music in a variety of genres: ballets, classical orchestral works, operas, film scores, and more. His work Fanfare for the Common Man has been used in countless films, television programs, and commercials. |
| Copperfield, David | b. September 16, 1956, New Jersey, United States Mother: From Israel, Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Ukraine David Copperfield is a widely known illusionist. One of his most famous illusions was performed on television in 1983. Copperfield, in front of a live audience, made the Statue of Liberty disappear. |
| Corado, Ruby | b. June 9, 1970, San Salvador, El Salvador Ruby Corado is an activist who founded Casa Ruby, the only bilingual, multicultural LGBT organization in Washington, D.C. |
| Corey, Jeff | b. August 10, 1914, New York, United States d. August 16, 2002, California, United States Father: From Austria, Mother: From Russia Jeff Corey was a prolific character actor, teacher, and director. Cory appeared in over 200 film and television shows. |
| Cori, Carl | b. December 5, 1896, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. October 20, 1984, Massachusetts, United States Carl Cori was a biochemist and pharmacologist. Together with his wife Gerty Cori, he won the 1947 Nobel Prize for their discovery of how glycogen is broken down and resynthesized in the body, for use as a store and source of energy. |
| Cori, Gerty | b. August 15, 1896, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. October 26, 1957, Missouri, United States Gerty Cori was a biochemist who became the third woman, and first American woman to win a Nobel Prize in science, and was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She and her husband won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of how glycogen is broken down and then resynthesized and stored. |
| Corsi, Edward | b. December 29, 1896, Italy d. December 13, 1965, Place unknown Edward Corsi was a writer and government official who worked mainly in the areas of immigration, labor relations, and social welfare. |
| Cortez, Ricardo | b. September 19, 1900, New York, United States d. April 28, 1977, New York, United States Parents: From Austria Ricardo Cortez was an actor and director who began his career as a successor to hearthrob Rudolph Valentino, but eventually had a more varied career playing womanizers, detectives, newspaper reporters and murderers. |
| Coscarelli, Don | b. February 17, 1954, Tripoli, Lybia Don Coscarelli is a filmmaker who is best known for horror and science fiction films such as Phantasm, The Beastmaster, and Bubba Ho-Tep. |
| Costello, Lou | b. March 6, 1906, New Jersey, United States d. March 3, 1959, California, United States Father: From Italy Lou Costello was an actor and comedian who is well known for being one half of the legendary radio, television, and film comedy duo, Abbott and Costello. |
| Cotton, Tom | b. May 13, 1977, Arkansas, United States Tom Cotton is a politician serving as the junior U.S. Senator from Arkansas. He is a member of the Republican Party and a supporter of President Donald Trump. |
| Coulter, Ann | b. December 8, 1961, New York, United States Ann Coulter is a conservative social and political commentator, writer and columnist. She has written many popular books about American politics. |
| Courtney Marr, David | b. January 19, 1945, London, United Kingdom d. November, 17, 1980, Massachusetts, United States David Courtney Marr was a research scientist at MIT. He made fundamental contributions to developing computational models of visual perception. |
| Cowen, Joshua Lionel | b. August 5, 1877, New York, United States d. September 8, 1965, Florida, United States Parents: From Poland Joshua Lionel Cowen was an inventor and the co-founder of Lionel Corporation, a manufacturer of model railroads and toy trains. |
| Cox, Oliver C. | b. August 25, 1901, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago d. September 4, 1974, Michigan, United States Oliver C. Cox was a Marxist philosopher and sociologist who wrote about the history of capitalism, fascism and race. |
| Cramer Sachs, Charlotte | b. September 27, 1907, Berlin, Germany d. March 11, 2004, New York, United States Charlotte Cramer Sachs founded and operated the Cramer Products Company, which is believed to be the first company to manufacture prepared baking mixes. |
| Crenshaw, Ander | b. September 1, 1944, Florida, United States Ander Crenshaw is a banker, attorney, and politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 4th congressional district from 2001 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Crisp, Donald | b. July 27, 1882, London, United Kingdom d. May 25, 1974, California, United States Donald Crisp was an actor, writer, director, and producer who enyoyed an over fifty year career in film. Crisp, who began his career in the silents, is known for his roles in The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938), Wuthering Heights (1939), and The Man from Laramie (1955). |
| Crone, Patricia | b. March 28, 1945, Lejre, Denmark d. July 11, 2015, New Jersey, United States Patricia Crone was an author, scholar, orientalist, and historian, specializing in early Islamic history. Her contributions have challenged some of the traditionally held notions on the origins of Islam. |
| Crosser, Robert | b. June 7, 1884, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom d. June 3, 1957, Maryland, United States Robert Crosser was a United States Representative for Ohio from 1913-1955 and is the longest-serving Congress member from Ohio. |
| Crowder, Lateef | b. November 23, 1977, Salvador, Brazil Lateef Crowder is an actor, stuntman, and martial artist known for his work on The Hunger Games (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). |
| Crown, Henry | b. June 13, 1896, Illinois, United States d. August 14, 1990, Illinois, United States Parents: From Lithuania Henry Crown was an American industrialist and philanthropist. |
| Cruz, Celia | b. October 21, 1925, Havana, Cuba d. July 16, 2003, New Jersey, United States Celia Cruz was a singer who was considered one of the most popular and influential salsa singers of all time. Cruz released over seventy albums in a variety of different Latin music styles. Twenty-three of her records reached Gold record status by selling over five-hundred thousand copies each. |
| Cruz, Penélope | b. April 28, 1974, Madrid, Spain Penélope Cruz is a critically-acclaimed actress. Besides her heralded work in Hollywood, Cruz is also well know for roles in Spanish cinema. She won her first Academy Award (best actress in a supporting role) for the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). |
| Cruz, Ted | b. December 22, 1970, Calgary, Canada Father: From Cuba Ted Cruz is a politician and attorney. He has served as a junior United States Senator for Texas since 2013. |
| Crystal, Billy | b. March 14, 1948, New York, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Russia, Maternal Grandmother: From Austria Billy Crystal is an actor, voice actor, writer, producer, and director. Crystal has been a part of numerous memorable television shows, including Soap, Saturday Night Live and the Acadamy Awards, but he is likely best remembered for his roles in When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and City Slickers (1991). |
| Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly | b. September 29, 1934, Fiume, present-day Croatia Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a psychologist who founded the Quality of Life Research Center in Claremont Graduate University (CGU) in Claremont, California and continues to work at CGU. Csikszentimihalyi wrote the best-selling book The Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience in 1990. |
| Csipke, Csaba | b. September 19, 1937, Bolyok, Hungary d. October 22, 2003, California, United States Csaba Csipke was a biochemist. He joined Hyland Laboratories in 1961 in the Tissue Culture lab which became the world's largest tissue culture commercial laboratory. Csaba Csipke helped develop a number of new reagents in the laboratory. |
| Csukonyi, Zoltan | b. November 20, 1927, Budapest, Hungary d. February 7, 2012, Connecticut, United States Zoltan Csukonyi worked as engineer at Bechtel Power Company which allowed him to travel internationally and work on nuclear power plants. |
| Cuarón, Alfonso | b. November 28, 1961, Mexico City, Mexico Alfonso Cuarón is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor best known for the two critically-acclaimed films Children of Men (2006) and Gravity (2013). |
| Cudell, Frank E. | b. May 11, 1844, Herzogenarth, Germany d. October 25, 1916, Ohio, United States Frank Cudell was an architect in Cleveland that worked on plans for many public buildings in the city, including the Perry-Payne Building, Bradley Building, and the Franklin Circle Christian Church. |
| Cudjoe, Selwyn | b. December 1, 1943, Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago Selwyn Cudjoe is an academic, scholar, historian and essayist. His particular expertise is Caribbean literature and Caribbean intellectual history. |
| Cugat, Xavier | b. January 1, 1900, Girona, Spain d. October 27, 1990, Barcelona, Spain Xavier Cugat was a musician and bandleader who is know for popularizing latin music (especially the rumba) throughout the United States. |
| Culberson, John | b. August 24, 1956, Texas, United States Great-grandmother: From Sweden John Culberson is a lawyer and the U.S. Representative for Texas's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party caucus. |
| Cummings, Nathan | b. October 14, 1896, St John, Canada d. 1985, Florida, United States Nathan Cummings was the founder of Consolidated Foods, which became well known for one of its brands, Sara Lee. Consolidated Foods purchased the Sara Lee Corporation in 1956. The brand of foods proved to be so popular that, in 1985, Consolidated Foods changed its name to Sara Lee Corporation. |
| Cupido, Luca | b. November 9, 1995, Genoa, Italy Luca Cupido is an attacker for the U.S. Men's Olympic Water Polo team. He competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Curry, Ann | b. November 19, 1956, Guam, United States Territory Mother: From Japan Ann Curry is a television personality, news journalist and photojournalist. Curry has been a reporter for more than thirty years, focused on human suffering in war zones and natural disasters. |
| Curry, Tim | b. April 19, 1946, Cheshire, United Kingdom Tim Curry is a celebrated actor, singer, and voice over artist. Curry is best known for his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in cult favorite musical The Rocky Horror Show (1975). |
| Curti, Merle | b. September 15, 1897, Nebraska, United States d. March 9, 1996, Wisconsin, United States Father: From Switzerland Merle Curti was a historian, and a leader in developing the fields of social history and intellectual history. His work has a particular emphasis on America. |
| Curtis, Jamie Lee | b. November 22, 1958, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Hungary Jamie Lee Curtis is a well-known actress and children's book author. She is the daughter of Hollywood movie stars Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. |
| Curtis, Tony | b. June 3, 1925, New York, United States d. September 29, 2010, Nevada, United States Father: From Hungary, Mother: From Slovakia Tony Curtis was an actor whose career spanned well over half a century. Curtis is fondly remembered for playing three parallel roles (one of them as a woman) in the classic comedy, Some Like It Hot (1959). |
| Cusick, Henry Ian | b. April 17, 1967, Trujillo, Peru Father: From the United Kingdom, Mother: From Peru Henry Ian Cusick is an actor known for Lost (2004), The 100 (2014) and Hitman (2007). |
| Czyżewska, Elżbieta | b. May 14, 1938, Warsaw, Poland d. June 17, 2010, New York, United States Elżbieta Czyżewska was a Polish actress active in both Poland and the United States. |
D
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| D'Arcangelo, Allan | b. June 16, 1930, New York, United States d. December 17, 1998, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Allan D'Arcangelo is an artist and printmaker, known for his pictures of highways, road signs and roadblocks. His work is predominately associated with Pop Art. |
| D'Souza, Francisco | b. August 23, 1968, Nairobi, Kenya Father: From India Francisco D'Souza is a businessman and the cofounder of Cognizant, a technology consulting company. |
| Dabashi, Hamid | b. June 15, 1951, Ahvaz, Iran Hamid Dabashi is an author and scholar of Iranian studies and comparative literature. He has written several books including Iran: A People Interrupted, a volume on Iranian history. |
| Dabiri, John | b. 1980, Ohio, United States Parents: From Nigeria John Dabiri is a biophysicist, professor of aeronautics and bioengineering, currently at the Civil & Environmental Engineering department at Stanford University. |
| Daché, Lilly | b. October 10, 1898, Beigles, France d. December 31, 1989, Louvecienne, France Lilly Daché was a milliner who established a flourishing hat business in the United States with made-to-order creations. |
| Dae Kim, Daniel | b. August 4, 1968, Busan, South Korea Daniel Dae Kim is known for his roles as Jin-Soo Kwon in Lost, and Chin Ho Kelly in Hawaii Five-0. Kim is currently producing the TV series The Good Doctor. |
| Dahm, Werner | b. February 16, 1917, Cologne, present-day Germany d. January 17, 2008, Alabama, United States Werner Dahm was an early spaceflight scientist. He became the Marshall Space Flight Center Chief Aerodynamicist. |
| Dahm, Werner J. A. | b. 1957, Alabama, United States Parents: From Germany Werner J. A. Dahm is a Professor of the Security and Defense Systems Initiative at Arizona State University. |
| Dale, Dick | b. May 4, 1937, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Lebanon Dick Dale is a surf rock guitarist, known as "The King of the Surf Guitar". He pioneered the surf music style, drawing on Middle-Eastern music scales and experimenting with reverberation. |
| Dalhausser, Phil | b. January 26, 1980, Baden, Switzerland Phil Dalhausser is a three-time Olympic beach volleyball player. He took gold in the 2008 Beijing Games. |
| Dalí, Salvador | b. May 11, 1904, Figueres, Spain d. January 23, 1989, Figueres, Spain Salvador Dalí was an artist and one of the most famous Surrealists. Although he worked in a veriety of media, he is best remembered for his paintings, in particular his most famous work The Persistence of Memory, which depicts melting clocks. |
| Dall, Andrew | b. March 30, 1850, Markinch, United Kingdom d. February 4, 1923, Ohio, United States Andrew Dall was a prominent building contractor in Cleveland during its Gilded Age years of growth. His firm had a part in building some of the famous mansions of Euclid Avenue and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Cleveland's Public Square. |
| Danaher, Kevin | b. March 7, 1950, New Jersey, United States Father: From Ireland Kevin Danaher ia an anti-globalization activist. He has been critical and vocal about the invasion of Iraq. |
| Dandridge, Danske | b. November 19, 1854, Copenhagen, Denmark d. June 3, 1914, West Virginia, United States Danske Dandridge was the pseudonym of Caroline Dandridge. She was a poet, garden writer and historian whose books include American Prisoners of the Revolution. |
| Dane, Karl | b. October 12, 1886, Copenhagen, Denmark d. April 14, 1934, California, United States Karl Dane was an actor who was known for his comedy films during the silent era. When films transitioned to sound, his rough Danish accent made it more difficult to find work and as a result he took his own life. |
| Dangerfield, George | b. October 28, 1904, Berkshire, United Kingdom d. December 27, 1986, California, United States George Dangerfield was a journalist and historian, known for The Strange Death of Liberal England and The Era of Good Feelings. |
| Danko, Rick | b. December 29, 1942, Ontario, Canada d. December 10, 1999, New York, United States Rick Danko was the bass player and singer with The Band. He also had a solo career and formed collaborations with other musicians, such as Paul Butterfield. Years of substance abuse contributed to his death at the age of 55. |
| Dannenberg, Konrad | b. August 5, 1912, Weißenfels, present-day Germany d. February 16, 2009, Alabama, United States Konrad Dannenberg was a rocket pioneer. He began working in the U.S. Army developing and testing missile systems. By the 1960s he was working with NASA as the Deputy Director of the Saturn program. |
| Danticat, Edwidge | b. January 19, 1969, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Edwidge Danticat is a novelist and short story writer. The prominent themes in her work include national identity, mother-daughter relationships and diasporic politics. |
| Dantine, Helmut | b. October 7, 1918, Vienna, present-day Austria d. May 2, 1982, California, United States Helmut Dantine was an actor and director known for his work in the fillms Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Dantine was a strong anti-Nazi activist, but, ironically, he was known for playing Nazis in films. |
| Dash, Dar | b. Date and year unknown, Virginia, United States Mother: From Cuba Dar Dash is an actor whose notable films include The Counselor (2013) and Florence Foster Jenkins (2016). |
| Dassin, Jules | b. December 18, 1911, Connecticut, United States d. March 31, 2008, Athens, Greece Parents: From Russia Jules Dassin was a critically-acclaimed director whose career in the United States was sadly cut short due to the Hollywood blacklist of the McCarthy era. |
| Davey, John | b. June 6, 1846, Somerset, United Kingdom d. November 8, 1923, Ohio United States John Davey was a skilled orator, author, publisher and inventor. He is considered the father of the science of tree surgery, and wrote the book The Tree Doctor to teach others how to care for their trees. |
| Davi, Robert | b. June 26, 1951, New York, United States Father: From Italy Robert Davi is a film and TV actor, critically acclaimed Sinatra-esque singer, political commentator, and talk show host. Davi is well known for playing heavies, drug lords, murderers, and law enforcers. |
| Davido | b. November 21, 1992, Georgia, United States Father: From Nigeria Davido is a singer, songwriter and record producer. He has his own music label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW). |
| Davidson, Jo | b. March 30, 1883, New York, United States d. January 2, 1952, Tours, France Parents: From Russia Jo Davidson was an acclaimed sculptor who was known for his vibrant, intense, and rugged bronze or clay busts, many of which are on display in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. |
| Davis, Jacob W. | b. 1831, Riga, present-day Latvia d. 1908, Place unknown Jacob W. Davis was a tailor who partnered with Levi Strauss to patent his riveted pants invention. Davis' rivited pants and his now signature double row stitching on the back pockets became what would be known as the Levi 501 brand of jeans. |
| Davis, James John | b. October 27, 1873, Tredegar, United Kingdom d. November 22, 1947, Maryland, United States James John Davis was the second United States Secretary of Labor. He served from March 5, 1921 to November 30, 1930 under presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. |
| Davis, Miles | b. May 26, 1926, Illinois, United States d. September 28, 1991, California, United States Father: From Arkansas, United States Miles Davis is widely considered one the most influential people in jazz. As a musician, composer and bandleader, Davis won numerous Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. |
| Davuluri, Nina | b. April 20, 1989, New York, United States Parents: From India Nina Davuluri was the first contestant of Indian descent to win the Miss America Competition. |
| Dawson, Richard | b. November 20, 1932, Hampshire, United Kingdom d. June 2, 2012, California, United States Richard Dawson was an actor, comedian, and game show host and panelist. Dawson was well known for playing Corporal Peter Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes. |
| Dawson, William F. | b. April 26, 1886, Georgia, United States d. November 9, 1970, Illinois, United States William L. Dawson was an African-American politician who represented Chicago for over 27 years in the House of Representatives and was the first African-American to chair a committee in the United States Congress. |
| de Kooning, Willem | b. April 24, 1904, Rotterdam, Netherlands d. March 19, 1997, New York, United States Willem de Kooning was an Abstract Expressionist artist who experimented with abstraction and figuration through different phases in his career. |
| De La Luz Galindo, Maria | b. February 17, 1919, Illinois, United States d. May 20, 2016, Ohio, United States Parents: From Mexico Maria De La Luz Galindo was a restaurateur. She opened the first of several Luchitas restaurants in 1981 at the age of 62. Luchita's flagship restaurant is still open on Cleveland's west side. |
| de la Parra, Fito | b. February 8, 1946, Mexico City, Mexico Fito de la Parra is a rock and blues drummer. He has been recording with and touring with Canned Heat since 1967. |
| de la Renta, Oscar | b. July 22, 1932, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic d. October 20, 2014, Connecticut, United States Oscar de la Renta was one of the most successful and respected designers in the industry. He designed clothing for First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and modern starlets, such as Ann Hathaway and Liv Tyler. |
| de la Vega, Ralph | b. 1951, Cuba Ralph de la Vega is a businessman who previously served as vice chairman of AT&T. He is also the author of a book which offers career and life advice to young professionals. |
| De Laurentiis, Giada | b. August 22, 1970, Rome, Italy Giada De Laurentiis is a chef, best-selling author, and TV personaility. She is best known for her cooking shows Giada at Home and Everyday Italian. |
| de Lempicka, Tamara | b. May 16, 1898, Warsaw, Poland d. March 18, 1980, Cuernavaca, Mexico Parents: From Poland Tamara de Lempicka was a Polish painter active in the 1920s and 1930s, who spent her working life in France and the United States. |
| de Ravin, Emilie | b. December 27, 1981, Mount Eliza, Australia Parents: From Australia Emilie de Ravin played Claire Littleton on the ABC drama Lost. In 2012, she guest-starred as Belle French on the ABC drama Once Upon a Time. |
| de Rothschild, David René | b. December 15, 1942, New York, United States Father: From France David René de Rothschild is a banker. Since May 2013, de Rothschild has been the chairman of the Governing Board of the World Jewish Congress. |
| De Sousa, Melissa | b. September 25, 1967, New York, United States Parents: From Panama Melissa De Sousa is as actress, known for Miss Congeniality (2000), Valley of the Dolls (1994) and The Best Man Holiday (2013). |
| DeBakey, Michael | b. September 7, 1908, Louisiana, United States d. July 11, 2008, Texas, United States Parents: From Lebanon Michael Ellis DeBakey was a cardiac surgeon, scientist, and medical educator. He worked on the treatment of heart patients, and played a role in the development of the mobile army surgical hospital. |
| Debus, Kurt H. | b. November 29, 1908, Frankfurt, Germany d. October 10, 1983, Florida, United States Kurt H. Debus was a rocket scientist. He became the first director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 1962, and directed the design, development and construction of NASA's Saturn launch facilities at the north end of Cape Canaveral and adjacent Merritt Island. |
| DeHann, Christel | b. October 20, 1942, Nördlingen, Germany Christel DeHaan is a businesswoman and philanthropist, who co-founded the timeshare company Resort Condominiums International. |
| Del Bianco, Luigi | b. May 8, 1892, La Havre, France d. January 20, 1969, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Luigi Del Bianco was chief stone carver on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Luigi's job was to carve the "refinement of expression" or detail in the faces. |
| del Toro, Guillermo | b. October 9, 1964, Guadalajara, Mexico Guillermo del Toro is an esteemed filmmaker, screenwriter, and novelist who specializes in films of the fantastic, featuring artful, fairy-tale-like monsters, gothic ghosts, and comic-book heroes. |
| Delerue, Georges | b. March 12, 1925, Roubaix, France d. March 20, 1992, California, United States Georges Delerue was a pianist and film composer who is best known for the films Silkwood (1983) and Platoon (1986). Delerue also wrote music for ballets and operas. |
| Delfino, Majandra | b. February 20, 1981, Caracas, Venezuela Mother: From Cuba Majandra Delfino is an actress and singer best known for her role as Maria DeLuca on Roswell. |
| DeLillo, Don | b. November 20, 1936, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Don DeLillo is a novelist, playwright and essayist. Prolific and wide-ranging, he has published ten major novels that rework a variety of narrative genres and cover diverse subjects. |
| Dell'Orefice, Carmen | b. June 3, 1931, New York, United States Father: From Italy, Mother: From Hungary Carmen Dell'Orefice is a model and actress. She is known within the fashion industry for being the world's oldest working model. |
| Delvecchio, Alex | b. December 4, 1931, Ontario, Canada Alex Delvecchio is former HOF hockey player who spent his entire career playing and working for the Detroit Redwings. He is considered one of the one -hundred greatest hockey players. |
| Demens, Peter | b. May 13, 1850, Tver Oblast, Russia d. January 21, 1919, California, United States Peter Demens was an aristocrat and railroad magnate who is remembered today as one of the founders of the city St. Petersburg in Florida. |
| DeMint, Jim | b. September 2, 1951, South Carolina, United States Jim DeMint is a writer and politician who was a U.S. Senator from South Carolina from 2005 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leading figure in the Tea Party movement. |
| Deng, Wendi | b. December 8, 1968, Jinan, China Wendi Deng is a film producer, media director and investor. She was involved in strategy for companies which licensed and ran Myspace. |
| DePree, D. J. | b. July 31, 1891, Michigan, United States d. December 10, 1990, Michigan, United States Grandparents: From the Netherlands De Pree was a furniture designer responsible for turning the Herman Miller brand to one of America's foremost furniture companies. |
| DePrince, Michaela | b. January 6, 1995, Sierra Leone Michaela DePrince is a ballet dancer. She attended the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre. |
| Deren, Maya | b. April 29, 1917, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. October 13, 1961, New York, United States Maya Deren was a filmmaker and one of the most important American experimental filmmakers and entrepreneurial promoters of the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. |
| Derounian, Steven Boghos | b. April 6, 1918, Sofia, Bulgaria d. April 17, 2007, Texas, United States Steven Boghos Derounian was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 1953-1965. |
| Desai, Anita | b. June 24, 1937, Mussoorie, present-day India Mother: From Germany Anita Desai is a novelist and short story writer who focuses her work upon the personal struggles of her often Indian characters, particularly their family relationships. |
| Desai, Kiran | b. September 3, 1971, New Delhi, India Maternal Grandmother: From Germany Kiran Desai is an author, best known for The Inheritance of Loss and Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. |
| DeSylva, Buddy | b. January 27, 1895, New York, United States d. July 11, 1950, California, United States Father: From Portugal Buddy DeSylva wrote a lavish number of songs for the stage and screen, including Look for the Silver Lining and California, Here I Come. DeSylva was also a movie producer and record executive. He co-founded Capitol Records in 1942. |
| Deutsch, Adolph | b. October 20, 1897, London, United Kingdom d. January 1, 1980, California, United States Adolph Deutsch was a film composer and conductor who is familiar to movie-goers for his scores for Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960). Deutsch won three Oscars. |
| Deutsch, Helene | b. October 9, 1884, Przemysl, present-day Poland d. March 29, 1982, Massachusetts, United States Helene Deutsch was a psychoanalyst and colleague of Sigmund Freud. She practiced psychiatry at Massachusetts General and wrote extensively. |
| Deutsch, Karl | b. July 21, 1912, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. November 1, 1992, Massachusetts, United States Karl Deutsch was a social and political scientist from Prague. His work focused on the study of war and peace, nationalism, co-operation, and communication. He is one of the best known social scientists of the 20th century. |
| Deutschmann, Milton | b. Date and year unknown, London, United Kingdom d. Date and place unknown Milton Deutschmann and his brother, Theodore, in 1921, opened, Radio Shack, a Boston-based retail and mail-order business which provided equipment for ham radio hobbyists. For a time, the company, as part of the Tandy Corporation, was the largest electronics chain in the world. |
| Deutschmann, Theodore | b. Date and year unknown, London, United Kingdom d. Date and place unknown Theodore Deutschmann and his brother, Milton, in 1921, opened, Radio Shack, a Boston-based retail and mail-order business which provided equipment for ham radio hobbyists. For a time, the company, as part of the Tandy Corporation, was the largest electronics chain in the world. |
| Devers, Rafael | b. October 24, 1996, Sanchez, Dominican Republic Rafael Devers is a third baseman for the Boston Red Sox and was named the 2016 Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year during his minor league career. |
| Dew, Thomas Roderick | b. December 5, 1802, Virginia, United States d. August 6, 1846, Paris, France Thomas Roderick Dew was a writer. He wrote largely about politics and is known in particular for his works supporting slavery and opposing protective tariffs. |
| DeWitt-Morette, Cécile | b. December 12, 1922, Paris, France d. May 8, 2017, Place unknown Cécile DeWitt-Morette was a mathematician and physicist. She was a pioneer in showing the interplay between physics and mathematics. She founded a summer school at Les Houches in the French Alps. |
| Dexter, Brad | b. April 9, 1917, Nevada, United States d. December 12, 2002, California, United States Parents: From present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina Brad Dexter was an actor who starred as Harry Luck in the blockbuster film Magnificant Seven. While filming in Hawaii he is credited with saving Frank Sinatra from drowning. |
| Dham, Vinod | b. 1950, Pune, India Vinod Dham is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur and engineer who built the Pentium processer during his time at Intel. |
| Dhillon, Kartar | b. April 30, 1915, California, United States d. June 15, 2008, California, United States Parents: From India Kartar Dhillon was an activist who supported unions, the Black Panther Party, farm workers, political prisoners, and the Korean reunification movement. |
| Di Donato, Pietro | b. April 3, 1911, New Jersey, United States d. January 19, 1992, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Pietro di Donato was a writer, best known for Christ in Concrete, which portrays a family of Italian immigrants. |
| Diamond, Jared | b. September 10, 1937, Massachusetts, United States Father: From present-day Moldova Jared Diamond is an ecologist, geographer, biologist, anthropologist and author best known for his popular science books The Third Chimpanzee; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and The World Until Yesterday. |
| Diamond, Neil | b. January 24, 1941, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Neil Diamond is a successful singer, songwriter, and actor. Diamond's song America, from the Jazz Singer soundtrack, was written for his grandparents. |
| Diaz Meyer, Cheryl | b. February 25, 1968, Quezon City, Philippines Cheryl Diaz Meyer is one of the few female photographers to cover the beginnings of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For her photographs of the war in Iraq, she won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. She also won acclaim for her documentation of the adversity facing women around the world. |
| Díaz-Balart, José | b. November 7, 1960, Florida, United States Parents: From Cuba José Díaz-Balart is a journalist and television anchorman. He was named field anchor of CBS News This Morning in April 1997. |
| Diaz-Balart, Lincoln | b. August 13, 1954, Havana, Cuba Lincoln Diaz-Balart was a United States Representative for Florida. He served from 1993-2011. |
| Diaz, Cameron | b. August 30, 1972, California, United States Paternal Great Grandparents: From Cuba Cameron Diaz is an actress, producer, and model. She starred in the films There's Something About Mary and In Her Shoes. |
| Díaz, Junot | b. December 31, 1968, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Junot Díaz is a writer whose work focuses on the immigrant experience. He is best known for the short story collections Drown and This is How You Lost Her, and the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. |
| Diaz, Paulo | b. January 17, 1976, Guatemala Paulo Diaz is a highly influential professional skateboarder. He is credited as an innovator of streetstyle skateboarding and recognized for contributions of his own art and music to the skating culture. |
| DiCaprio, George | b. October 2, 1943, New York, United States Mother: From Germany, Paternal Grandparents: From Italy George DiCaprio is a writer, editor, publisher, distributor, and former performance artist, known for his work in the realm of underground comix. |
| DiCaprio, Leonardo | b. November 11, 1974, California, United States Mother: From Germany Leonardo DiCaprio is a well-known actor who is familiar to many for his roles in the films This Boy's Life (1993), Titanic (1997), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and for his Acadamy Award-winning performance in the film, The Revenant (2015). |
| Dietrich, Marlene | b. December 27, 1901, Berlin, Germany d. May 6, 1992, Paris, France Marlene Dietrich was an iconic actress and singer. Dietrich and the director who discovered her, Josef von Sternberg, brought their cutting-edge talent and image to Hollywood in the early 30s and the rest is classic Hollywood film history. |
| Dimon, Jamie | b. March 13, 1956, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Greece Jamie Dimon is a business executive who served as President and CEO of JP Morgan Chase & Company, CEO of Bank One and co-CEO of Citigroup. |
| Dinh, Viet D. | b. February 22, 1968, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Viet D. Dinh is a repected legal scholar. Dinh was United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy under President George W. Bush. |
| Dinkins, David | b. July 10, 1927, New Jersey, United States Father: From Virginia, United States David Dinkins was first elected to office in 1965 as a New York State Assemblyman, rising to New York City clerk, borough president and eventually Mayor of New York City in 1989. |
| Diogu, Ike | b. September 11, 1983, New York, United States Parents: From Nigeria Ike Diogu is a professional basketball player. |
| Dirac, Paul | b. August 8, 1902, Bristol, United Kingdom d. October 20, 1984, Florida, United States Paul Dirac was a leading theoretical physicist who helped develop quantum physics. |
| Disney, Walt | b. December 5, 1901, Illinois, United States d. December 15, 1966, California, United States Father: From Canada, Paternal Grandparents: From Ireland Walt Disney was an animator, film producer and entrepreneur. He gained his success as the creator of Mickey Mouse, but he is now remembered as one of the main figures in the American animation industry. |
| Ditka, Mike | b. October 18, 1939, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland and Ukraine Mike Ditka is a former professional football player and coach. As a player, Ditka was voted All Pro five times. As a coach, he was voted Coach of the Year twice and led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl in 1986. Ditka was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. |
| Ditko, Steve | b. November 2, 1927, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Slovakia Steve Ditko is a renowned American comic book artist and writer best known as the co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. |
| Divac, Vlade | b. February 3, 1968, Prijepolje, Serbia Vlade Divac is a retired NBA player and currently general manager of Sacramento Kings. |
| Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee | b. July 29, 1956, Calcutta, India Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a poet, novelist and short story writer whose work includes portrayals of immigrant Indian women. |
| DJ Kool Herc | b. April 16, 1955, Kingston, Jamaica DJ Kool Herc is a DJ who is credited with helping originate hip hop music in the early 1970s in The Bronx, New York City. |
| Djerassi, Carl | b. October 29, 1923, Vienna, Austria d. January 30, 2015, California, United States Carl Djerassi was chemist, playwright, and writer. Djerassi is best known as "the Father of the Pill" for his development of oral contraceptives. |
| Djobadze, Wachtang | b. March 8, 1917, Georgia, United States d. February 10, 2007, California, United States Wachtang Djobadze was an art historian who is known for his work describing the ruins of medieval Georgian churches and monasteries in Turkey. |
| Dlagnev, Tervel | b. November 19, 1985, Sofia, Bulgaria Tervel Dlagnev is a two-time Olympic freestyle wrestler and serves as the headcoach of the Ohio RTC. |
| Dmytryk, Edward | b. September 4, 1908, British Columbia, Canada d. July 1, 1999, California, United States Parents: From Ukraine Edward Dmytryk was a film director, known for his 1940s film noirs. He received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for Crossfire. |
| Dobriansky, Lev | b. November 9, 1918, New York, United States d. January 30, 2008, Viriginia, United States Parents: From Ukraine Lev Dobriansky was an ambassador to the Bahamas, a professor of economics at Georgetown University and an anti- communist activist. He was active in Central and Eastern European ethnic communities in the United States, especially the Ukrainian American community. |
| Dobriansky, Paula | b. September 14, 1955, Virigina, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Ukraine Paula Dobriansky is a foreign policy expert who has served in key roles as a diplomat and policy maker in the administrations of five U.S. presidents, both Democrat and Republican. |
| Dobson, John | b. September 14, 1915, Beijing, China. d. January 15, 2014, California, United States John Dobsonn was an amateur astronomer who, thanks to his invention of the portable, affordable Dobsonian telescope, is known for inspiring generations of amateur astonomers. Dobson worked tirelessly to promote amateur astronomy through lectures and telescope making workshops. |
| Doby, Larry | b. December 31, 1923, South Carolina, United States d. June 18, 2003, New Jersey, United States Larry Doby was a baseball player who began his career playing 2nd base for the Negro Leagues Newark Eagles. Doby became the second player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he was joined the Cleveland Indian in July 1947. |
| Dobzhansky, Theodosius | b. January 24, 1900, Ukraine d. December 18, 1975, California, United States Theodosius Dobzhansky was a prominent geneticist and evolutionary biologist, and a central figure in the field of evolutionary biology for his work in shaping the modern synthesis. |
| Doi, Isami | b. May 12, 1903, Hawaii, United States d. November 29, 1965, Hawaii, United States Parents: From Japan Isami Doi was a printmaker and painter. His work was highly influential and can be seen at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. |
| Dokoudovsky, Vladimir | b. May 31, 1920, Monte Carlo, Monaco d. December 1998, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Vladimir Dokoudovsky was a principal dancer with the Ballets Russes troupes of the 1930s and 1940s and an influential teacher in New York. |
| Dole, Emily | b. September 28, 1957, California, United States Parents: From Samoa Emily Dole was an athlete, actress and professional wrestler who is better known as "Mt. Fiji" from the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling TV show. She qualified for two Olympic trials before finding stardom as a wrestler. Dole never lost a match while wrestling with GLOW and was never knocked off her feet. |
| Dollar, Robert | b. 1844, Falkirk, United Kingdom d. May 16, 1932, California, United States Robert Dollar learned the lumber business in his youth and applied the knowledge to create a successful lumber business. He started the Dollar Steamship Company, developing trade between the United States and China. A generous benefactor, he donated land for an orphanage and a park in California.. |
| Domińczyk, Dagmara | b. July 17, 1976, Kielce, Poland Dagmara Domińczyk is an actress and author. She has appeared in the films including Rock Star, The Count of Monte Cristo, Kinsey, Trust the Man, Lonely Hearts, Running with Scissors, Higher Ground, and The Letter. |
| Domińczyk, Marika | b. July 7, 1980, Kielce, Poland Marika Domińczyk is a Polish American actress appearing as Dr. Eliza Minnick on Grey's Anatomy. |
| Doráti, Antal | b. April 9, 1906, Budapest, Hungary d. November 13, 1988, Gerzensee, Switzerland Antal Doráti's was a conductor and composer. His total number of recordings reached nearly six hundred. Many of them won international prizes including thirty-two "Grand Prix." His most important recording project was the complete recording of the one-hundred and seven Haydn symphonies and eight of the composer's operas. |
| Dorfman, Ariel | b. May 6, 1942, Buenos Aires, Argentina Ariel Dorfman is a novelist, short story writer, poet, essayist, lecturer, critic, and dramatist. A lot of his work deals with the horrors of tyranny and the experience of exile. |
| Douglas, Aaron | b. May 26, 1899, Kansas, United States d. February 2, 1979, Tennessee, United States Aaron Douglas was a painter, designer and teacher of the arts. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance and addressed social issues around race and segregation by using African imagery. |
| Douglas, Donald | b. August 24, 1905, Kinleyside, United Kingdom d. December 31, 1945, California, United States Donald Douglas was a character actor known for playing villians. He appeared in over one hundred films in his sixteen year career. |
| Douglas, Kirk | b. December 9, 1916, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Belarus Kirk Douglas is a legendary actor, author, director, and producer. In 1996, to honor Douglas' 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community, Douglas was awarded an honorary Oscar. |
| Douglas, Melvyn | b. April 5, 1901, Georgia, United States d. August 4, 1981, New York, United States Father: From Latvia Melvyn Douglas was an Acadamy Award-winning actor. He came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man. |
| Douglas, Michael | b. September 25, 1944, New Jersey, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Belarus Micheal Douglas is an actor and producer. In 1988, he won the Best Actor Acadamy Award for his performance in the film Wall Street. |
| Dragnich, Alex | b. February 22, 1912, Washington, United States d. August 9, 2009, Maryland, United States Parents: From Serbia Alex Dragnich was chairman of Political Science Department of Vanderbilt University. Dragnich arose from humble beginnings to become a well-known writer of history and political science books. |
| Drake | b. October 24, 1986, Toronto, Canada Drake gained recognition as an actor on tv series Degrassi. He is is a rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. |
| Draper, Hal | b. September 19, 1914, New York, United States d. January 26, 1990, California, United States Parents: From Ukraine Hal Draper was a socialist activist and author who played a significant role in the Berkeley, California Free Speech Movement. |
| Draper, John William | b. May 5, 1811, St Helens, United Kingdom d. January 4, 1882, New York, United States John William Draper was a scientist, philosopher, physician, chemist, historian and photographer. He was the first person to photograph the moon, introducing astronomical photography. He is also the author of History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science. |
| Dreiser, Theodore | b. August 27, 1871, Indiana, United States d. December 28, 1945, California, United States Father: From Germany Theodore Dreiser was a novelist and journalist. His works include honest portrayals of American life and the vagaries of human nature. They commonly show people succeeding, despite their lack of a strong moral code. |
| Drexel, Anthony Joseph, Sr. | b. September 13, 1826, Pennsylvania, United States d. June 30, 1893, Karlovy Vary, present-day Czech Republic Father: From Austria Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. was a banker who founded Drexel, Morgan & Co., presently known as J.P. Morgan & Co., and Drexel University. |
| Droga, David | b. July 27, 1968, Perisher Valley, Australia David Droga is an advertising executive and the founder and chairman of Droga5, an advertising agency headquartered in New York City. |
| Dropo, Walter | b. January 30, 1923, Connecticut, United States d. December 17, 2010, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Serbia Walter Dropo was a college baseball standout who spent 13 years playing in the Major Leagues. |
| Du Bois, W. E. B. | b. February 23, 1868, Massachusetts, United States d. August 27, 1963, Accra, Ghana Father: From Haiti W. E. B. Du Bois was an author, writer, historian, activist and editor at the vanguard of the civil rights movement. He wrote novels, non-fiction books and autobiographies and is best known for the The Souls of Black Folk and Black Reconstruction, a book which challenged views about black involvement in the Reconstruction Era. |
| du Plessix Gray, Francine | b. September 25, 1930, Warsaw, Poland Francine du Plessix Gray is an esteemed biographer, writer and literary critic. In 2006, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for her autobiography, Them: A Memoir of Parents. |
| Dubin, Al | b. June 10, 1891, Zürich, Switzerland d. February 11, 1945, New York, United States Al Dubin was a popular lyricist. He wrote many hits for Broadway productions and won an Academy Award in 1936 for Best Original Song for Lullaby on Broadway. |
| Dubin, Glenn | b. April 13, 1957, New York, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From Austria Glenn Dubin is the Principal of Dubin & Co. LP, a private investment company managing a diversified portfolio of operating businesses and other investments across a broad range of industries and asset classes. |
| Dubinsky, David | b. February 22, 1892, Brest, Belarus d. September 17, 1982, New York, United States David Dubinsky was a labor leader. He was the head of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union from 1932 to 1966. |
| Duchamp, Marcel | b. July 28, 1887, Blainville-Crevon, France d. October 2, 1968, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France Marcel Duchamp was a painter and sculptor who is widely considered as one of the leading pioneers of Conceptual art. His 'readymades' were everyday objects which were elevated to the state of high art through his careful selection. |
| Duchovny, David | b. August 7, 1960, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom, Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Ukraine, Paternal Grandmother: From Poland David Duchovny is an actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for playing FBI Agent Fox Mulder on the television series The X-Files and Hank Moody on the television series Californication, both of which have earned him Golden Globe awards. |
| Duckworth, Tammy | b. March 12, 1968, Bangkok, Thailand Tammy Duckworth is an Iraqi War veteran who is currently serving as a United States Senator for Illinois. She is the first female double amputee from the Iraqi War and the first disabled person to serve in Congress. |
| Dudycz, Walter | b. March 11, 1950, Illinois, United States Parents: From Ukraine Walter Dudycz was a former senior senator from Illinois. |
| Dunayevskaya, Raya | b. May 1, 1910, Vinnytsia Oblast, present-day Ukraine d. June 9, 1987, Illinois, United States Raya Dunayevskaya was a Marxist theorist and contemporary historian. She wrote several books including Marxism and Freedom: From 1776 Until Today and Philosophy and Revolution: from Hegel to Sartre and from Marx to Mao. |
| Duncan, Jeff | b. January 7, 1966, South Carolina, United States Jeff Duncan is a politician who has been the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district since 2011. |
| Dunst, Kirsten | b. April 30, 1982, New Jersey, United States Father: From Germany Kirsten Dunst is popular, award-winning movie actress. She made her film debut in Woody Allen's short film Oedipus Wrecks. |
| Durant, Ariel | b. May 10, 1898, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine d. October 25, 1981, California, United States Ariel Durant was a researcher and writer and the co-author of The Story of Civilization with her husband Will Durant. |
| Durant, Will | b. November 5, 1885, Massachusetts, United States d. November 7, 1981, California, United States Parents: From Canada Will Durant was a writer and a historian, noted for producing, in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant, an eleven volume collection called The Story of Civilization. |
| Durst, Douglas | b. December 19, 1944, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Poland Douglas Durst is a real estate investor and developer. |
| Dutton, Phillip | b. September 13, 1963, Nyngan, Australia Phillip Dutton is six-time Olympic equestrian and three-time medalist. |
| Dwan, Allan | b. April 3, 1885, Toronto, Canada d. December 28, 1981, California, United States Allan Dwan was a screenwriter, director, and producer who enjoyed a fifty year career in the film industry. Dwan helmed films starring some of the biggest names in the field, including Shirley Temple, John Wayne, Bela Lugosi, and Anne Bancroft. |
| Dylan, Bob | b. May 24, 1941, Minnesota, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Ukraine Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century whose career began in the early 1960s with songs that chronicled social and political issues. |
| Dymally, Mervyn | b. May 12, 1926, Cedros, present-day Trinidad and Tobago d. October 7, 2012, California, United States Mervyn Dymally was a United States Representative for California. He served from 1967-1975 and 1981-1993. |
| Dynlacht, Brian David | b. September 3, 1965, New York, United States Father: From Poland Brian David Dynlacht is a biochemist and professor in the Department of Pathology of New York University School of Medicine. |
| Dzama, Marcel | b. 1974, Winnipeg, Canada Marcel Dzama is an artist best known for his illustrations which mix numerous influences including Surrealism and Dada. His illustrations often characterize humans, animals and hybrids in humorous yet sinister scenes. |
| Dzundza, George | b. July 19, 1945, Rosenheim, Germany George Dzundza is a television and film actor. He had his own 1981 sitcom series Open All Night, about the owner of a "Store 364" convenience store in Inglewood, California. |
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| Name | Details |
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| Easton, Sheena | b. April 27, 1959, Bellshill, United Kingdom Sheena Easton is a singer and actress. She has sold over 20 million records worldwide, received two Grammys, and was the first - and still is the only - artist to have top five records on five major Billboard charts. In addition to her recording success, Sheena is a top concert attraction around the world. |
| Eaton, Charles Aubrey | b. March 29, 1868, Pugwash, Canada d. January 23 1953, Washington, D.C., United States Charles Aubrey Eaton was a clergyman and United States Representative for New Jersey. He served from 1925-1953 and helped to create the United Nations. |
| Eaton, Cyrus S. | b. December 27, 1883, Pugwash, Canada d. May 9, 1979, Ohio, United States Cyrus S. Eaton was an industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the Republic Steel Corporation. |
| Ebert, Roger | b. May 1, 1911, Illinois, United States d. June 1, 1987, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Germany Roger Ebert was a film critic and historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. A film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times until his death, Ebert was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. |
| Ebrahim, Zak | b. March 24, 1983, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Egypt Zak Ebrahim is a peace campaigner and author of The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice which won an American Library Association award in 2015. |
| Edelman, Daniel | b. July 3, 1920, Place unknown d. January 15, 2013, Illinois, United States Father: From Russia Daniel Edelman was an American public relations executive who founded the world's largest public relations firm, Edelman. |
| Edelsohn, Becky | b. 1892, Odessa, Ukraine d. 1973, United States Becky Edelsohn was an anarchist and hunger striker who helped to lead anti-Rockefeller demonstrations in Tarrytown, New York. |
| Edison, Thomas | b. February 11, 1847, Ohio, United States d. October 18, 1931, New Jersey, United States Father: From Canada Thomas Edison was an inventor and businessman. After creating his most well-known invention, the light bulb, he set up the Edison Illuminating Company as a utility to compete with the existing gas lighting utilities. |
| Edu, Maurice | b. April 18, 1986, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Maurice Edu ia a soccer player. A highly touted prospect, Edu was the first overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. |
| Efron, Zac | b. October 18, 1987, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland Zac Efron is a film and television actor who gained fame in the Disney Channel movie, High School Musical. He's starred in a number of films, including Hairspray. |
| Eggar, Samantha | b. March 5, 1939, United Kingdom Samantha Eggar is an actress known for roles in films such as The Collector and The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, plays such as The Lonely Road and The Seagull, and television series like Anna and the King and All My Children. |
| Eglevsky, André | b. December 21, 1917, Moscow, Russia d. December 4, 1977, New York, United States André Eglevsky was a teacher and accomplished ballet dancer who is often recalled as one of the greatest ballet dancers of his time. |
| Egolf, Tristan | b. December 19, 1971, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain d. May 7, 2005, United States Tristan Egolf was an author and political activist. He was part of the "Smoketown Six." |
| Ehricke, Krafft | b. March 24, 1917, Berlin, Germany d. December 11, 1984, California, United States Krafft Arnold Ehricke was a rocket-propulsion engineer and advocate for space colonization. He wrote a two-volume work entitled Space Flight that is perhaps the most complete and surely the most useful introduction to this complex subject ever written at the time. |
| Eichengreen, Barry | b. July 1, 1952, United States Mother: From Germany Barry Eichengreen is an economist who holds the title of George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1987. |
| Eidlitz, Leopold | b. March 10, 1823, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. 1908, New York, United States Leopold Eidlitz was a prominent New York architect best known for his work on the New York State Capitol in Albany, NY, as well as P.T. Barnum's house "Iranistan" in Bridgeport, Connecticut. |
| Einstein, Albert | b. March 14, 1879, Ulm, Germany d. April 18, 1955, New Jersey, United States Albert Einstein was a physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. |
| Eisenberg, Jesse | b. October 5, 1983, New York, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Poland, Russia and Ukraine Jesse Eisenberg is a stage and film actor and playwright perhaps best known for his Academy Award nominated performance in The Social Network. |
| Eisenstadt, Benjamin | b. December 7, 1906, New York, United States d. April 8, 1996, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Benjamin Eisenstadt was the designer of the modern sugar packet and developer of Sweet'N Low. He was the founder of the Cumberland Packing Corporation and a notable philanthropist. |
| Eisenstaedt, Alfred | b. December 6, 1898, present-day Tczew, Poland d. August 23, 1995, Massachusetts, United States Alfred Eisenstaedt was a photographer and photojournalist. He began his career in pre-World War II Germany and after moving to the U.S., achieved prominence as a staff photographer for Life Magazine, which featured more than 90 of his pictures on its covers with over 2,500 photo stories published. |
| Ejigu, Kitaw | b. February 25, 1948, Bonga, Kaffa, Ethiopia d. January 13, 2006, Texas, United States Kitaw Ejigu was a scientist who worked for NASA as Chief of Spacecraft and Satellite Systems engineer. He was also a political leader. |
| Ejogo, Carmen | b. October 22, 1973, London, United Kingdom Carmen Ejogo is an actress. She appeared as civil rights activist Coretta Scott King in Selma. |
| El-Baz, Farouk | b. January 2, 1938, Mansoura, Egypt Farouk El-Baz is a scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography. |
| Elghanayan, Henry | b. August 2, 1940, Iran Henry Elghanayan is a real estate developer who co-founded and is the current chairman the Rockrose Development Corporation. |
| Elias, Rosalind | b. March 13, 1929, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Lebanon Rosalind Elias was a mezzo-soprano. Her first appearance at the New York Metropolitan Opera on February 23, 1954, began a string of 54 roles and 687 appreances. |
| Elion, Gertrude B. | b. January 23, 1918, New York, United States d. February 21, 1999, North Carolina, United States Father: From Lithuania, Mother: From Poland Gertrude B. Elion was a biochemist and pharmacologist who helped to develop cancer-fighting drugs. |
| Eliot, T. S. | b. September 26, 1888, Missouri, United States d. January 4, 1965, London, United Kingdom T. S. Eliot was an essayist, playwright, poet and literary critic. His most famous work is The Waste Land, although much of his work was incredibly influential, both within his lifetime and since. |
| Ellington, Duke | b. April 29, 1899, Washington D.C., United States d. May 24, 1975, New York, United States Father: From North Carolina, United States, Mother: From Washington, D.C., United States Duke Ellington was an influential piano player, composer and band leader whose works continue to purist into the 21st century. Ellington has a tremendous jazz legacy including 14 Grammy Awards and numerous other honors. |
| Elliott, Sumner Locke | b. October 17, 1917, Sydney, Australia d. June 24, 1991, New York, United States Sumner Locke Elliott was a novelist and playwright, known for the book Careful, He Might Hear You. |
| Ellison, Ralph | b. March 1, 1913, Oklahoma, United States d. April 16, 1994, New York, United States Ralph Ellison was a novelist, critic and scholar. During the Great Depression he began working as a researcher and editor for the New York Federal Writers Program, he joined the Merchant Marines during WWII and after the war published his National Book Award-winning novel The Invisible Man (1953). |
| Elo, Arpad | b. August 25, 1903, Egyhazadkeso, Hungary d. November 5, 1992, Wisconsin, United States Arpad Elo created the Elo Rating System for two-player games such as chess. Mr Elo was a chess master, who won the Wisconsin Chess Championship eight times. |
| Emmerich, Roland | b. November 10, 1955, Stuttgart, Germany Roland Emmerich is a movie director who works primarily in the science fiction genre. Emmerich is known for the films Independence Day (1996) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). |
| Emond, Linda | b. May 22, 1959, New Jersey, United States Paternal Great-grandfather: From Canada. Linda Emond is a television, film and stage actress renowned for her Tony Award nominated Broadway roles in Life x 3 and Cabaret. |
| Encarnación, Edwin | b. January 7, 1983, La Romana, Dominican Republic Edwin Encarnación is a first baseman and designated hitter for the Cleveland Indians. |
| Englander, Israel | b. 1948, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Israel Englander is an investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. In 1989, he founded his hedge fund, Millennium Management, with Ronald Shear. |
| Enoch, Kurt | b. November 22, 1895, Hamburg, Germany d. February 15, 1982, Puerto Rico Kurt Enoch was a publisher who co-founded Albatross Books in Germany, and Penguin Books Inc. and New American Library in the United States, bringing high-quality paperback fiction and non-fiction to the mass market in those countries. |
| Enrique, Luis | b. September 28, 1962, Nicaragua Luis Enrique was one of the leading pioneers that led to the salsa romantica movement in the 1980s. |
| Epshteyn, Boris | b. August 14, 1982, Moscow, present-day Russia Boris Epshteyn is a Republican political strategist, investment banker, and attorney. |
| Epstein, Fritz T. | b. 1898, Sarreguemines, present-day France d. December 6, 1979, Lüneburg, Germany Fritz T. Epstein was a scholar and historian with a particular interest in Eastern European history, and the history of Russia and the Soviet Union. |
| Equi, Marie | b. April 7, 1872, Massachusetts, United States d. July 13, 1952, Oregon, United States Father: From Italy, Mother: From Ireland Marie Equi was a medical doctor who was devoted to providing care to working-class and poor patients. She regularly provided birth control information and abortions at a time when both were illegal. She became a political activist and advocated civic and economic reforms, including women's right to vote and an eight-hour workday. |
| Erdely, Andrew J. | b. March 16, 1914, Budapest, Hungary d. May 10, 2005, California, United States Andrew J. Erdely worked at North American Aviation, then, at McDonald Douglas until retirement. He was Congressional Candidate in 1978 and published biographical book "Struggle for Human Rights." |
| Erdős, Paul | b. March 26, 1913, Budapest, present-day Hungary d. September 20, 1996, Warsaw, Poland Paul Erdős was considered one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century. Erdős published approximately 1,500 papers during his lifetime, a figure that to this day remains unique. |
| Erhart, Charles F. | b. 1821, Ludwigsburg, Germany d. 1891, Place unknown Charles F. Erhart was a chemist who, with his cousin, founded the pharmaceutical company today known as Pfizer. |
| Erickson, Charlotte | b. October 22, 1923, Illinois, United States d. July 9, 2008, Cambridge, United Kingdom Father: From Sweden Charlotte Erickson was a historian whose work concentrated on migration. She wrote several books including Invisible Immigrants: Adaptation of English and Scottish Immigrants in 19th-century America and Leaving England: Essays on British Emigration in the Nineteenth Century. |
| Erikson, Erik | b. June 15, 1902, Frankfurt, Germany d. May 12, 1994, Massachusetts, United States Parents: from Denmark Erik Erikson was a professor at Harvard and focused on ego psychology and development over the whole life cycle. |
| Erlanger, Joseph | b. January 5, 1874, California, United States d. December 5, 1965, Missouri, United States Parents: From Germany Joseph Erlanger was a physiologist who is best known for his contributions to the field of neuroscience. |
| Ertegun, Ahmet | b. July 31, 1923, Istanbul, Turkey d. December 14, 2006, New York, United States Ahmet Ertegun was a businessman, song-writer and philanthropist. He was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. Ertegun wrote several successful R & B songs, including Chains of Love and Sweet Sixteen. He also served as chairperson for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. |
| Ertegun, Nesuhi | b. November 26, 1917, Istanbul, Turkey d. April 15, 1989, New York, United States Nesuhi Ertegun was a record producer and executive at Atlantic Records. He produced rhythm and blues artists such as Ray Charles and the Drifters, but specialized in producing many of the jazz artists, including John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman |
| Escalante, Jaime | b. December 31, 1930, La Paz, Bolivia d. March 30, 2010, California, United States Jaime Escalante was an educator whose ability to turn out high-achieving calculus students from a poor Hispanic neighborhood in East Los Angeles inspired the 1988 film Stand and Deliver. |
| Escobar, Eduardo | b. January 5, 1989, Villa de Cura, Venezuela Eduardo Escobar is in infielder for the Minnesosta Twins. He was the 2016 recipient of the Twins Carl R. Pohlad Award. |
| Escobar, Marisol | b. May 22, 1930, Paris, France d. April 30, 2016, New York, United States Parents: From Venezuela Marisol Escobar was a sculptor, best known for her assemblage sculptures which feature the use of commonplace materials such as photographs, wire, and old clothing. |
| Escobar, Yunel | b. November 2, 1982, Havana, Cuba Yunel Escobar has played in the MLB since 2007. His former teams include the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, and, most recently, the Los Angeles Angels. |
| Esmond, Carl | b. June 14, 1902, present day Vienna, Austria d. December 4, 2004, California, United States Carl Esmond was a busy film and television character actor who enjoyed an over fifty year career in film. |
| Esparza, Raúl | b. October 24, 1970, Delaware, United States Mother: From Cuba Raúl Esparza is a stage and television actor, singer, and voice artist, best known for his role as Rafael Barba in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. |
| Esposito, Giancarlo | b. April 26, 1958, Copenhagen, Denmark Father: From Italy Giancarlo Esposito is an actor who is well known for his roles in Spike Lee films, such as Do the Right Thing, School Daze, and Mo' Better Blues. Other notable films include Fresh, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, The Usual Suspects and King of New York. |
| Esposito, Phil | b. February 20, 1942, Sault Ste. Marie, Canada Phil Esposito is a retired HOF hockey player who played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers and is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game. He co-founded the Tampa Bay Lightening. |
| Esposito, Tony | b. April 23, 1943, Sault Ste. Marie, Canada Tony Esposito is a retired hockey player who played for the Chicago Blackhawks and was a pioneer of the butterfly style of goaltending. |
| Esslinger, Hartmut | b. June 5, 1944, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Esslinger is a prominent industrial designer who founded Frog Design, Inc. |
| Estefan, Emilio | b. March 4, 1953, Santiaga de Cuba, Cuba Emilio Estefan is a musician and producer and has won nineteen Grammy Awards. He first came to prominance as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. |
| Estefan, Gloria | b. September 1, 1957, Havana, Cuba Gloria Estefan is a songwriter, singer, and actress. She has won seven Grammy Awards and is the recepient of the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be given to an American naturalized citizen. |
| Estevez, Emilio | b. May 12, 1962, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Spain, Paternal Grandmother: From Ireland Emilio Estevez is an actor who is known for his roles in The Outsiders (1983), Repo Man (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985) and The Mighty Ducks film series. |
| Estrada, Diego | b. December 19, 1989, Michoacán, Mexico Diego Estrada is a 10,000 meter Olympic runner. After some confusion about his eligibility after becoming a U.S. citizen, he was excluded from the U.S. Olympic trials even though it was later known that Estrada was misinformed on his eligibility possibilities. |
| Eszterhas, Joe | b. November 23, 1944, Csákánydoroszló, Hungary Joe Eszterhas is a writer known for his screenplays and autobiographical novels. Collectivelly, his work for the films Flashdance, Blue Thunder, Basic Instinct and others have grossed over a billion dollars. |
| Eugenides, Jeffrey | b. March 8, 1960, Michigan, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Greece Jeffrey Eugenides is a novelist and short story writer. He has written numerous short stories and essays, as well as three novels: The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex, and The Marriage Plot. |
| Evigan, Briana | b. October 23, 1986, California, United States Maternal Great-Grandparents: From Italy Briana Evigan is an actress and dancer who is well-known for her performances in the Step Up film series as well as many horror films and thrillers. |
| Ezeli, Festus | b. October 21, 1989, Benin City, Nigeria Festus Ezeli is a professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for Vanderbilt before being selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. |
| Ezerioha, Bisi | b. January 6, 1972, United States Parents: From Nigeria Bisi Ezerioha is a professional race car driver, engine builder, engineer, and industrialist. |
F
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Fabuluje, Tayo | b. July 17, 1991, Lagos, Nigeria Tayo Fabuluje is an American football tackle for the Baltimore Brigade of the Arena Football League. He played college football for TCU. Fabuluje was drafted by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. |
| Factor, Max, Sr. | b. September 15, 1872 , Zduńska Wola, present-day Poland d. August 30, 1938, California, United States Max Factor Sr. was a businessman, entrepreneur and inventor. Founder of the cosmetics giant Max Factor & Company, he largely developed the modern cosmetics industry. |
| Falk, Peter | b. September 16, 1927, New York, United States d. June 23, 2011, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia, Maternal Grandfather: From Hungary, Maternal Grandmother: From Poland Peter Falk was an actor who is probably most famous for his portrayal of television's dishevelled detective Columbo, but he appeared in over 100 television shows and films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and The In-Laws (1979). |
| Faludi, Susan | b. April 18, 1959, New York, United States Father: From Hungary Susan Faludi is a feminist journalist and author. She won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1991, for a report on the leveraged buyout of Safeway Stores, Inc., a report that the Pulitzer Prize committee commended for depicting the "human costs of high finance". |
| Far, Sui Sin | b. March 15, 1865, Macclesfield, United Kingdom Mother: From China Sui Sin Far is the pen name of Edith Maude Eaton. She was an author who wrote about Chinese people in North America and the Chinese American experience. |
| Farenthold, Blake | b. December 12, 1961, Texas, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Belgium Blake Farenthold is a politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 27th congressional district since 2011. |
| Farid, Tariq | b. 1969, Pakistan Tariq Farid is an entrepreneur and the founder of Edible Arrangements, a fruit basket arrangement franchise. |
| Farkas, Tibor, Jr. | b. July 11, 1940, Nagykanizsa, Hungary Tibor Farkas Jr. is a single point of contact between NASA and Boeing. He holds three patents for space application, is a founding member of the US West Coast Hungarian Scientist Club, and a recipient of the prestigious Astronaut Snoopy Award. |
| Farrow, John | b. February 10, 1904, Sydney, Australia d. January 28, 1963, California, United States John Farrow was an acclaimed screenwriter and director. Farrow married Maureen O'Sullivan in 1936 and they had seven children; two of their children became well-known actresses: Mia and Tisa Farrow. |
| Farrow, Mia | b. February 9, 1945, California, United States Father: From Australia, Mother: From Ireland Mia Farrow is an actress best know for her role in the film Rosemary's Baby (1968). In 1965 she won a Golden Globe for New Star Of The Year. |
| Farrow, Tisa | b. July 22, 1951, California, United States Father: From Australia, Mother: From Ireland Tisa Farrow is an actress but has not appeared in a film since 1980. She starred in an impressive selection of now, highly-regarded cult films, including Fingers (1978) and Zombie (1979). |
| Fat Tony | b. March 24, 1988, Texas, United States Father: From Nigeria Fat Tony is a rapper. He has won the Houston Press Music Awards' Best Underground Hip Hop award several times and was listed in URB's 'Next 1000', a list of emerging new artists anticipated to become well known. |
| Fears, Tom | b. December 2, 1922, Guadalajara, Mexico d. January 4, 2000, California, United States Tom Fears starred as a split end for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL and has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. |
| Feder, Don | b. Date and year unknown, New York, United States Don Feder is a media consultant and freelance writer. He is also World Congress of Families Communications Director. Feder operates Don Feder Associates, a communications firm for non-profits with a message. He is on the national board of advisors for the Federation of American Immigration Reform. |
| Federman, Irwin | b. 1936, Place unknown Father: From Russia Irwin Federman is a businessman, philanthropist and General Partner of U.S. Venture Partners. |
| Fedorov, Anthony | b. May 4, 1985, Yalta, present-day Ukraine Anthony Fedorov is a singer and actor who is former lead singer for the Chicago band 7th Heaven. He rose to fame as the fourth place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. |
| Fehr, Oded | b. November 23, 1970, Tel Aviv, Israel Oded Fehr is an actor, known for The Mummy (1999), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) and The Mummy Returns (2001). |
| Feis, Herbert | b. June 7, 1893, New York, United States d. March 2, 1972, Florida, United States Parents: From France Herbert Feis was a historian and economist. He authored several books, most notably Between War and Peace: The Potsdam Conference, based on the Potsdam Conference and the causes of the Cold War. |
| Feldberg, Max | b. 1897, Russia d. 1988, Massachusetts, United States Max Feldberg was a businessman and the cofounder of Zayre Corporation, which during the majority of the 20th century oversaw thousands of chain retail stores and outlets, including TJ Maxx. |
| Feldman, Morton | b. January 12, 1926, New York, United States d. September 3, 1987, New York, United States Father: From Ukraine, Mother: From Belarus Morton Feldman was an experimental composer who was a trailblazer in the composition method known as indeterminacy. Feldman's often long, minimal compositions are marked by the use of dissonance, repetition, atonalities, vast space between notes, and an otherworldy quietness. |
| Felt, Irving Mitchell | b. January 25, 1910, New York, United States d. September 22, 1994, Place unknown Paternal Grandfather: From Belarus Irving Mitchell Felt was a businessman who led the drive in the 1960s to build a new Madison Square Garden. |
| Feng, Yijun | b. February 12, 1997, Nanjing, China Yijun Feng is the 2016 mixed doubles table tennis champion and a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team. |
| Fenton, Leslie | b. March 12, 1902, Liverpool, United Kingdom d. March 25, 1978, California, United States Leslie Fenton was an actor and film director who appeared in over 60 films. |
| Feraru, Leon | b. 1887, Brăila, Romania d. circa 1961, New York, United States Leon Feraru was a poet and literary historian. He was particularly interested in proletarian literature and work produced during the Symbolist movement in Romania. |
| Ferber, Edna | b. August 15, 1885, Michigan, United States d. April 16, 1968, New York, United States Father: From Hungary Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included So Big, Show Boat, Cimarron and Giant. |
| Ferdowsi, Arash | b. October 7, 1985, Kansas, United States Parents: From Iran Arash Ferdowsi is an entrepreneur and cofounder of Dropbox, an online file hosting platform, which he created at MIT in 2007. |
| Ferguson, Craig | b. May 17, 1962, Glasgow, United Kingdom Craig Ferguson is a television host, comedian, and actor. He is the host of Celebrity Name Game, and the former host of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. |
| Fermi, Enrico | b. September 29, 1901, Rome, Italy d. November 28, 1954, Illinois, United States Enrico Fermi was a physicist and built the prototype of a nuclear reactor. He also worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bomb. |
| Ferrer, Mel | b. August 25, 1917, New Jersey, United States d. June 2, 2008, California, United States Father: From Cuba Mel Ferrer was an actor, director, and producer. Towards the end of his career, he appeared in many European films and American television series. |
| Ferro, Pablo | b. January 15, 1935, Antilla, Cuba Pablo Ferro is a graphic designer. He has created many recognizable film title sequences, including the handwritten work at the opening of Dr. Strangelove. |
| Fey, Charles | b. 1862, Vohringen, present-day Germany d. November 4, 1944, California, United States Charles Fey was a mechanic. He is best known for creating the first slot machines which changed the gaming industry. |
| Feyne, Buddy | b. June 9, 1912, New York, United States d. December 10, 1998, California, United States Parents: From Russia Buddy Feyne was a composer and lyricist whose career spanned half a century. Feyne co-wrote hit songs with Milton Berle and his compositions have been performed by countless artists, including Sarah Vaughan, Joe Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Autry, and Nat King Cole. |
| Fierro de Bright, Josefina | b. 1914, Baja California, Mexico d. February 2, 1998, United States Josefina Fierro de Bright was an activist for Hispanic/Latino rights. Her major contribution was her part in the creation of the acitivist group known as El Congreso de Pueblo de Habla Española. |
| Fillion, Nathan | b. March 27, 1971, Edmonton, Canada Nathan Fillion is best known for his role as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle, as well as his earlier portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity. |
| Fils-Aimé, Reggie | b. March 25, 1961, New York, United States Parents: From Haiti Reggie Fils-Aimé is a businessman and the current president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America. |
| Fincher, Stephen | b. February 7, 1973, Tennessee, United States Stephen Fincher is a politician who was the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 8th congressional district from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Finger, Bill | b. February 8, 1914, Colorado, United States d. January 18, 1974, New York, United States Father: From Austria Bill Finger is a comic book writer and creator, most notable for co-creating Batman. |
| Finland, Maxwell | b. March 15, 1902, Zhashkiv, Ukraine d. October 25, 1987, Massachusetts, United States Maxwell Finland was a George Richard Minot professor emeritus of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He spent more than 50 years at Harvard and at Boston City Hospital as head of its department of medicine, and had taught many of the nation's leaders in his field. |
| Firkušný, Rudolf | b. February 11, 1912, Napajedla, present-day Czech Republic d. July 19, 1994, New York, United States Rudolf Firkušný was a classical pianist. He also taught at the Juilliard School in New York, and in Aspen, Colorado as well as in the Berkshire Music Centre in Tanglewood. He received a number of honours and was made a member of the Order of Tomas Masaryk. |
| Fischbacher, Siegfried | b. June 13, 1939, Rosenheim, Germany Siegfried Fischbacher formed one half of the magician due Siegfried & Roy. The pair put together a magic act and made it to Las Vegas, where the performed for more than 30 years. |
| Fischer, Bobby | b. March 9, 1943, Illinois, United States d. January 17, 2008, Reykjavík, Iceland Father: From Germany, Mother: From Switzerland Bobby Fischer was a chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. Many consider him to be the greatest chess player of all time. |
| Fischer, Edmond H. | b. April 6, 1920, Shanghai, present-day China Edmond H. Fischer is a biochemist. He and his collaborator Edwin G. Krebs were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1992 for describing how reversible phosphorylation works as a switch to activate proteins and regulate various cellular processes. |
| Fischer, Urs | b. May 2, 1973, Zürich, Switzerland Urs Fischer is an artist, known for his subversive sculptures and large-scale installations. He uses traditional subject matter such as portraits, landscapes, nudes and still lifes, but reimagines these in a form that can be both witty and dark. |
| Fisher, Frances | b. May 11, 1952, Hampshire, United Kingdom Frances Fisher is an actress who has portrayed strong women on film and TV since the early 1980s. In film, she is best known for her roles in Unforgiven, Titanic, True Crime, House of Sand and Fog, Laws of Attraction, The Kingdom, In the Valley of Elah, Jolene, The Lincoln Lawyer and The Host. |
| Fisher, Max M. | b. July 15, 1908, Pennsylvania, United States d. March 3, 2005, Michigan, United States Parents: From Russia Max M. Fisher was a businessman, activist and philantrophist. Fisher was a benefactor and alumnus of the Fisher College of Bussiness at The Ohio State University. |
| Fitzgerald, Ella | b. April 25, 1917, Virginia, United States d. June 15, 1996, California, United States Mother: From North Carolina, United States Ella Fitzgerald was a renowned singer known as the "Queen of Jazz" for her impeccable tone and improvisational vocal abilities. Fitzgerald was a trailblazer for her time and her genre, receiving 13 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as dozens of other honors. |
| Fitzgerald, F. Scott | b. September 24, 1896, Minnesota, United States d. December 21, 1940, California, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Ireland F. Scott Fitzgerald was a novelist and short story writer whose works illustrate the jazz age. He is best known for the book The Great Gatsby. |
| Flagg, Josh | b. August 20, 1985, California, United States Maternal Great-grandfather: From Russia Josh Flagg is an American real estate agent, author and television personality as an original cast member on the show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles on the Bravo television network. |
| Flanagan, Edward J. | b. July 13, 1886, Leabeg, Ireland d. May 15, 1948, Berlin, Germany Edward J. Flanagan was a priest who is remembered today for founding the orphanage known as Boys Town in Boys Town, Nebraska. |
| Flea | b. October 16, 1962, Victoria, Australia Flea is the stage name of Michael Peter Balzary who is one of the founders and the bass player in the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. |
| Fles, Barthold | b. February 7, 1902, Amsterdam, Netherlands d. December 19, 1989, Laren, Netherlands Barthold Fles was a literary agent, author, translator, editor and publisher. Among his many clients were Elias Canetti, Raymond Loewy, Heinrich Mann, Joseph Roth, Felix Salten, Ignazio Silone, Bruno Walter and Arnold Zweig. |
| Flexner, James Thomas | b. January 13, 1908, New York, United States d. February 13, 2003, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Czech Republic, Paternal Grandmother: From Germany James Thomas Flexner was a historian and biographer best known for the four-volume biography of George Washington that earned him a National Book Award in Biography, and a special Pulitzer Prize. |
| Flexner, Simon | b. March 25, 1863, Kentucky, United States d. May 2, 1946, New York, United States Father: From present-day Czech Republic, Mother: From Germany Simon Flexner was the first director of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, and a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. He was also a friend and adviser to John D. Rockefeller Jr. |
| Flizikowski, John | b. April 19, 1868, Starogard Gdański, Poland d. July 15, 1934, Illinois, United States John Flizikowski was a notable Chicago architect of residential, church and commercial buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He initially worked as a draftsman in Chicago for eight months before going into business as an architect in 1894. |
| Flügge-Lotz, Irmgard | b. July 16, 1903, Hameln, Germany d. May 22, 1974, California, United States Irmgard Flügge-Lotz was a mathematician, aerospace engineer, and researched automatic control theory. |
| Fokine, Michel | b. April 23, 1880, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. August 22, 1942, New York, United States Michel Fokine was a trail-blazing dancer and choreographer. Fokine greatly influenced the repertoire of modern ballet choreography. |
| Foley, Sue | b. March 29, 1968, Ottawa, Canada Sue Foley is a blues singer and guitarist. Her first release was Young Girl Blues. |
| Foner, Eric | b. February 7, 1943, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia Eric Foner is a historian who writes extensively on American history. His contributions focus on the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, the history of freedom and the early history of the Republican Party. |
| Foner, Jack D. | b. December 14, 1910, New York, United States d. December 10, 1999, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Jack D. Foner was an American historian best known for his work on the civil rights and labor movements. He established one of the first university-level programs in black studies in the United States. |
| Foner, Naomi | b. March 15, 1946, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Latvia Naomi Foner is screenwriter and producer who is known for her work on the 1970s children's television show The Electric Company. Foner wrote the screenplay for the film Running on Empty (1988), and was nominated for an Academy Award. |
| Foote, Shelby | b. November 17, 1916, Mississippi, United States d. June 27, 2005, Tennessee, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Austria Shelby Foote was a writer and historian who wrote The Civil War: A Narrative, a three-volume anthology of the American Civil War. |
| Foray, June | b. September 18, 1917, Massachusetts, United States d. July 26, 2017, California, United States Father: From Russia June Foray voiced countless cartoon characters, but she is best remembered for lending her bottomless vocal talents to the characters of Rocky, the flying squirrel, and Natasha |
| Ford Coppola, Francis | b. April 7, 1939, Michigan, United States Grandfather: from Italy Francis Ford Coppola is a respected filmmaker and screenwriter. Coppola is best known for The Godfather film series. |
| Ford, Harrison | b. July 13, 1942, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Ireland, Paternal Grandmother: From Germany, Maternal Grandparents: From present-day Belarus Harrison Ford is a world famous actor who is probably best known for his star making performance as Han Solo in the Star Wars series of films. |
| Ford, Henry | b. July 30, 1863, Michigan, United States d. April 7, 1947, Michigan, United States Henry Ford was an industrialist, business magnate and the founder of Ford Motor Company. He is associated with the development of the assembly line technique for mass production. |
| Ford, Melyssa | b. November 7, 1976, Toronto, Canada Father: From Barbados, Mother: From Russia Melyssa Ford is a hip hop model and actress. She appeared on the Bravo Network television series Blood, Sweat & Heels, documenting her social life against the background of her struggles of becoming a realtor in New York. |
| Forman, Milos | b. February 18, 1932, Čáslav, Czech Republic Milos Forman is an Acadamy Award-winning director and producer. Forman won the Academy Award for Best Director twice: once in 1976 for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and again in 1985 for Amadeus. |
| Fowler, Mark S. | b. October 6, 1941, Toronto, Canada Mark S. Fowler was a chairman of the United States Federal Communications Comission. He served from May 18, 1981 to April 17, 1987. |
| Fox, Michael J. | b. June 9, 1961, Edmonton, Canada Michael J. Fox is a writer, activist and an award-winning TV, film, and, voice-over actor. In 1991, after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Fox became a strong advocate for research devoted to finding a cure for the disease. |
| Frampton, Peter | b. April 22, 1950, Beckenham, United Kingdom Peter Frampton is a singer-songwiter whose 1976 album, Frampton Comes Alive, sold over 10 million copies. |
| Frances, Dovi | b. November 20, 1978, Tel Aviv, Israel Dovi Frances is an international financier, an entrepreneur, and managing partner of SGVC. |
| Franck, James | b. August 26, 1882, Hamburg, Germany d. May 21, 1964, Gottingen, Germany James Franck was a physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project and contributed to quantum theory. |
| Franco, James | b. April 19, 1978, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Portugal and Sweden, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia James Franco is a TV and film actor who is known for the TV series Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) and the Spider Man franchise. Franco is also a busy filmmaker with over 30 short and feature length films to his credit. |
| Franco, Julio | b. August 23, 1958, Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic Julio Franco is a former professional baseball player. He had a lengthy, solid career, and was a three time All-Star. He holds the distinction of being the oldest regular playing non-pitcher in Major League history at the age of 48. |
| Frank, Joachim | b. September 12, 1940, Siegen, Germany Joachim Frank won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 along with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson for their groundbreaking work on imaging biomolecules (Cryo-Electron Microscopy). Frank is a professor at Columbia University. |
| Frank, Konstantin | b. July 4, 1899, Ukraine d. 1985, New York, United States Konstantin Frank was a viticulturist and winemaker who ignited the "Vinifera Revolution," a movement that forever changed the course of wine growing in the Finger Lakes and the United States. |
| Frank, Robert | b. November 9, 1924, Zurich, Switzerland Robert Frank is photographer and documentary filmmaker who is known for his film Pull My Daisy (1959) which featured Beat writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Gregory Corso and the infamous documentary of the Rolling Stones on tour Cocksucker Blues (1972). |
| Frankel, John | b. 1961, London, United Kingdom John Frankel is a venture capitalist, author and speaker. He is the founding partner at ff Venture Capital, a seed stage investment firm. |
| Frankenthaler, Helen | b. December 12, 1928, New York, United States d. December 27, 2011, Connecticut, United States Mother: From Germany Helen Frankenthaler was an Abstract Expressionist painter who worked in many styles throughout her career. She often used the 'soak stain' method to produce work which meant painting onto unprimed canvas with oil paints heavily diluted with turpentine. |
| Frankfurter, Felix | b. November 15, 1882, Vienna, Austria d. February 22, 1965, Washington, D.C., United States Felix Frankfurter was a lawyer, professor, and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was known for his advocay regarding judicial restraint in the judgments of the Court. |
| Frankl, Paul T. | b. October 14, 1886, Vienna, Austria d. March 21, 1958, California, United States Paul T. Frankl was a furniture designer working in the Art Deco style. He designed pieces that mimicked skyscrapers in their forms. |
| Franklin, Aretha | b. March 25, 1942, Tennessee, United States Parents: From Mississippi, United States Aretha Franklin is a singer whose career has spanned decades and defied genres. Her voice is among the most important in pop music. Franklin has recorded over 20 number one R&B hits and sang My Country tis of Thee at the inauguration of Barack Obama. |
| Freed, Alan | b. December 15, 1921, Pennsylvania, United States d. January 20, 1965, California, United States Father: From Russia Alan Freed was a disc jockey. He is known for promoting the mix of blues, country, and rhythm and blues music on the radio under the name of rock and roll. |
| Freeman, Morgan | b. June 1, 1937, Tennessee, United States Morgan Freeman is an actor whose voice is one of the most recognizable and respected in the entertainment world. He got his start in acting on Broadway and has gone on to a celebrated career, receiving multiple Tony and Oscar Nominations and winning a Golden Globe lifetime achievement award. |
| Frenkel-Brunswik, Else | b. August 18, 1908, Lemberg, Austria d. March 31, 1958, California, United States Else Frenkel-Brunswik was a professor at Berkeley, and focused on the study of prejudice, ehtnocentrism, and authoritarianism. |
| Frenkel, Jacob A. | b. February 8, 1943, Tel Aviv, Israel Jacob A. Frenkel is an economist and the Chairman of JPMorgan Chase International. |
| Freund, Karl | b. January 16, 1890, Dvůr Králové nad Labem, present-day Czech Republic d. May 3, 1969, California, United States Karl Freund was an innovative cinematographer (he shot the legendary German expressionist film, Metropolis (1927)) and film director. Later in his career, Freund moved his technically innovative camera work to television where he was the cinematographer 150 episodes of the I Love Lucy show. |
| Frid, Tage | b. May 30, 1915, Denmark d. May 6, 2004, Rhode Island, United States Tage Frid was a furniture designer who worked in the Danish style. He placed a high importance on construction and function, deeming style less important. |
| Friedkin, William | b. August 29, 1935, Illinois, United States Parents: From Ukraine William Friedkin an Acadamy Award-winning filmmaker who is best known for his films The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973). |
| Friedman, David D. | b. February 12, 1945, Place unknown Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Ukraine David D. Friedman is an economist, physicist, legal scholar, and libertarian theorist. |
| Friml, Rudolf | b. December 7, 1879, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. November 12, 1972, California, United States Rudolf Friml was a composer of operettas, musicals, songs and piano pieces, as well as a pianist. His best-known works are Rose-Marie and The Vagabond King, each of which enjoyed success on Broadway and in London and were adapted for film. |
| Frisby, Edgar | b. May 22, 1837, Leicestershire, United Kingdom d. 1927, Washington, D.C. United States Edgar Frisby was an astronomer for the United States Naval Observatory and professor of mathematics at Northwestern University. |
| Fuchs, Daniel | b. June 25, 1909, New York, United States d. July 26, 1993, California, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From Poland Daniel Fuchs was a screenwriter, fiction writer and essayist, best known for Summer in Williamsburg. |
| Fuchs, Henry | b. January 20, 1948, Tokaj, Hungary Henry Fuchs is a computer graphics researcher at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Since the 1970s he has been involved in software design. |
| Fujikawa, Gyo | b. November 3, 1908, California, United States d. November 26, 1998, New York, United States Parents: From Japan Gyo Fujikawa was a children's book author and illustrator. She is also remembered for her stamp designs that incorporated the Japanese Cherry Trees along the National Mall. |
| Fujita, Jun | b. December 13, 1888, Hiroshima, Japan d. July 12, 1963, Illinois, United States Jun Fujita was a photojournalist, photographer, silent film actor, and a published poet in the United States. He was the first Japanese-American photojournalist. |
| Fukuyama, Francis | b. October 27, 1952, Illinois, United States Mother and Paternal Grandfather: From Japan Francis Fukuyama is a political scientist, political economist and author, best known for his book the The End of History and the Last Man. He has also written about the history of the Soviet Union and Iraq since the 60s. |
| Fuldheim, Dorothy | b. June 26, 1893, New Jersey, United States d. November 3, 1989, Ohio, United States Father: From Germany Dorothy Fuldheim was the nation's first anchorwoman as a member of a news team. At 54, she was an anchorwoman on News Channel 5 in Cleveland, starting her television career after retiring from elementary school teaching. She enyoyed a thirty seven year career in broadcasting. |
| Funk, Casimir | b. February 23, 1884, Warsaw, Poland d. November 19, 1967, New York, United States Casimir Funk was a biochemist, generally credited with being among the first to formulate the concept of vitamins, which he called "vital amines" or "vitamines." |
| Furnish, Timothy R. | b. 1960, Place unknown Timothy R. Furnish is a historian of the Islamic world and its religion, culture and politics. |
| Furse, Elizabeth | b. October 13, 1936, Nairobi, Kenya Elizabeth Furse is a small business owner and former faculty member of Portland State University. She was a United States Representative for Oregon from 1993-1999. |
| Futey, Bohdan A. | b. June 28, 1939, Buchach, Ukraine Bohdan A. Futey is a retired attorney and judge who served with the United States Court of Federal Claims from 1987 to 2002. |
G
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Gabor, Eva | b. February 11, 1919, Budapest, Hungary d. July 4, 1995, California, United States Eva Gabor was an actress best known for her role in the television series Green Acres. |
| Gabor, Zsa Zsa | b. February 6, 1917, Budapest, present-day Hungary d. December 18, 2016, California, United States Zsa Zsa Gabor was an actress whose career spanned nearly 50 years. Gabor might be remembered for her colorful social life (nine marriages, luxurious self-indulgences, slapping a police officer, etc.) more than her long career in film and television. |
| Gado, Samkon | b. November 13, 1982, Taraba State, Nigeria Samkon Gado is an otolaryngologist and former American football running back. He played college football at Liberty. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2005. |
| Gadot, Gal | b. April 30, 1985, Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel Gal Gadot is primarily known for her role as Wonder Woman in the 2017 film. She will reprise the role in the new film The Justice League. |
| Gaines, Joanna | b. April 19, 1978, Kansas, United States Mother: From Korea Joanna Gaines is a co-host of HGTV's Fixer Upper. |
| Galamb, József | b. February 3, 1881, Makó, Hungary d. December 5, 1955, Michigan, United States Jozsef Galamb was a mechanical engineer who designed the Ford Model T. |
| Galdikas, Biruté | b. May 10, 1946, Wiesbaden, Germany Biruté Galdikas is an anthropologist, primatologist, conservationist, ethologist, and author. She is currently a Professor at Simon Fraser University. Well known in the field of primatology, Galdikas is recognized as a leading authority on orangutans. |
| Gale, Kelly | b. 14 May, 1995, Gothenburg, Sweden Father: From Australia, Mother: From India Kelly Gale is a model. Gale's first big fashion show was Chanel in 2012. |
| Gallatin, Albert | b. January 29, 1761, Geneva, Switzerland d. August 12, 1849, New York, United States Albert Gallatin was a Swiss-American Politician and Ethnologist who served in various federal elected and appointed positions over four decades. |
| Gamble, James | b. April 3, 1803, County Fermanagh, present-day United Kingdom d. April 29, 1891, Ohio, United States James Gamble was a soap maker and industrialist. He was cofounder of Procter & Gamble, a consumer goods corporation. |
| Gamow, George | b. March 4, 1904, Odessa, present-day Ukraine d. August 20, 1968, Colorado, United States George Gamow was a nuclear physicist and cosmologist who was one of the foremost advocates of the big-bang theory. In addition, his work on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) made a basic contribution to the modern genetics theory. |
| Gandhi, Ravin | b. 1973, Illinois, United States Parents: From India Ravin Gandhi is a businessman. He was an executive with Coatings and Chemicals Corporation before founding Glenborn Partners, a private equity firm, and GMM Nonstick Coatings. |
| Garbo, Greta | b. September 18, 1905, Stockholm, Sweden d. April 15, 1990, New York, United States Greta Garbo was a legendary actress who, despite her early retirement from film in the 40s, remains an icon of classic Hollywood to this day. Garbo was know for her mystique (she shunned the public and prefered the company of close friends) and her powerful screen presence. |
| García, Andy | b. April 12, 1956, Havana, Cuba Andy García is an actor and director who became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman. |
| García, Avisaíl | b. June 12, 1991, Anzoategui, Venezuela Avisaíl García is a professional baseball player. He plays right field for the Chicago White Sox. He previously played for the Detroit Tigers and was a member of the 2017 AL All-Star Team. |
| García, Cristina | b. July 4, 1958, Havana, Cuba Cristina García is a journalist and novelist whose work represents the experiences and issues of a generation of Cuban-born children who immigrated with their families to the United States. |
| Garcia, Jorge | b. April 28, 1973, Nebraska, United States Father: From Chile, Mother: From Cuba Jorge Garcia played Hector Lopez on the television show Becker and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in the television series Lost. He stars as Jerry Ortega on Hawaii Five-0. |
| García, Leury | b. March 18, 1991, Santiago, Dominican Republic Leury García is a utility player for the Chicago White Sox. He previously played for the Texas Rangers. |
| Garcia, Mike | b. November 17, 1923, California, United States d. January 3, 1986, Ohio, United States Father: From Mexico Mike Garcia was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball and played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1940s. |
| Gardner, Howard | b. July 11, 1943, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Germany Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist. He is currently the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. |
| Garfield, John | b. March 4, 1913, New York, United States d. May 21, 1952, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine John Garfield was an actor who died at the age of 39. Despite his early death, John Garfield's powerful, commanding performances in the films Four Daughters (1938), Humoresque (1946), Body and Soul (1947), Force of Evil (1948) and more left an indelible mark on the history of film. |
| Garvey, Marcus | b. August 17, 1887, Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica d. June 10, 1940, London, United Kingdom Marcus Garvey was a civil rights activist who championed Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism, which created a global movement called Garveyism. Garvey was hugely influential to the Rastafarian movement; he is referred to in many songs by seminal bands, including Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, and Culture. |
| Gates, Bill | b. October 28, 1955, Washington, United States Paternal Great Grandparents: From the United Kingdom and Germany Bill Gates is a co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation and is an business magnate, investor, author and philanthropist. |
| Gathegi, Edi | b. March 10, 1979, Nairobi, Kenya Edi Gathegi is an actor and producer, known for X-Men: First Class (2011), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and Criminal Activities (2015). |
| Gechtoff, Sonia | b. September 25, 1926, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Ukraine Sonia Gechtoff is an Abstract Expressionist who makes paintings, prints and drawings. She makes bold and bright paintings on large canvases and many of her works are abstract self portraits. |
| Geffen, David | b. February 21, 1943, New York, United States Father: From Lithuania, Mother: From Moldova David Geffen is an American business magnate, producer, film studio executive, and philanthropist. |
| Gehry, Frank | b. February 28, 1929, Toronto, Canada Mother: From Poland, Paternal Grandparents: From Russia Frank Gehry wild, experimental, seemingly-impossible-to-design buildings have become famous attractions. One such building is the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management building housed in the Peter B. Lewis Building, which was completed in 2002. |
| Geiringer, Hilda | b. September 28, 1893, Vienna, Austria d. March 22, 1973, California, United States Hilda Geiringer was a mathematician and a pioneer in applied mathematics. |
| Gejdenson, Sam | b. May 20, 1948, Eschwege, Germany Father: From Belarus, Mother: From Lithuania Sam Gejdenson was a United States Representative for Connecticut. He served from 1981-2001. |
| Gell-Mann, Murray | b. September 15, 1929, New York, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine Murray Gell-Mann is a theoretical physicist who received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. |
| Genovese, Eugene D. | b. May 19, 1930, New York, United States d. September 26, 2012, Georgia, United States Grandparents: From Italy Eugene D. Genovese was a historian of the American South and slavery in America, bringing a Marxist perspective into the study of relations between plantation owners and slaves. |
| Gentry, Herbert | b. July 17, 1919, Pennsylvania, United States d. September 8, 2003, Stockholm, Sweden Mother: From Jamaica Herbert Gentry was an Abstract Expressionist painter. His bold and colorful paintings depict human and animal faces through a tangle of lines |
| Geoffrion, Bernie | b. February 16, 1931, Quebec, Canada d. March 11, 2006, Georgia, United States Bernie Geoffrion is a retired hockey player who was an innovator of the slapshot. He is currently listed as one of the 100 greatest hockey players. |
| Gernreich, Rudi | b. August 8, 1922, Vienna, Austria d. April 21, 1985, California, United States Rudi Gernreich was a mid-century avant-garde designer who is best known for the monokini. |
| Gershwin, George | b. September 26, 1898, New York, United States d. July 11, 1937, California, United States Parents: From George Gershwin was a composer and pianist. Gershwin was adept at creating in a variety of musical forms: classical, jazz, blues, and popular music. |
| Gershwin, Ira | b. December 6, 1896, New York, United States d. August 17, 1983, California, Unites States Parents: From Russia Ira Gershwin was a lyricist whose musical collaborations with his brother, George, are now considered American jazz and pop standards. In 1932, Gershwin (along with George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind) was awarded the first ever Pulitzer Prize for songwriting for the musical comedy, Of Thee I Sing. |
| Getty, Estelle | b. July 25, 1923, New York, United States d. July 22, 2008, California, United States Parents: From Poland Estelle Getty, best known as Sophia on Golden Girls is an Emmy award-winning actress that appeared in dozens of films and television series. Her credits include Mask, Mannequin, and Golden Palace. |
| Ghaffari, Matt | b. November 11, 1961, Tehran, Iran Matt Ghaffari is a two time Olympic wrestler and won the silver medal in 1996. He is the most decorated Greco-Roman wrestler in U.S. history. |
| Ghauri, Yasmeen | b. March 23, 1971, Montreal, Canada Father: From Pakistan, Mother: From Germany Yasmeen Ghauri was an internationally known former model. One of her early appearances was in the music video for the Elton John song Sacrifice. |
| Ghosh, Amitav | b. July 11, 1956, Calcutta, India Amitav Ghosh is a leading postcolonial writer and the author of many books including The Shadow Lines, The Calcutta Chromosome, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies. |
| Giannini, A. P. | b. May 6, 1870, California, United States d. June 3, 1949, California, United States Parents: From Italy A. P. Giannini was a banker who helped found the Bank of America. He is credited as having invented many modern banking practices. |
| Gibran, Khalil | b. January 6, 1883, Bsharri, present-day Lebanon d. 10 April 1931, New York, United States Kahlil Gibran was a poet and writer. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. |
| Gibson, Althea | b. August 25, 1927, South Carolina, United States d. September 28, 2003, New Jersey, United States Althea Gibson broke the color barrier in tennis after winning the Grand Slam in 1956. She went on to hold numerous titles in tennis and professional golf and was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the year in 1957 and 1958 respectively. |
| Gibson, Mel | b. January 3, 1956, New York, United States Mother: From Ireland Mel Gibson is an actor and filmmaker best known as an action hero, for roles such as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon buddy cop film series, and Max Rockatansky in the first three films in the Mad Max post-apocalyptic action series. |
| Gillespie, Dizzy | b. October 21, 1917, South Carolina, United States d. January 6, 1993, New Jersey, United States Dizzy Gillespie was an iconic jazz musician known for his bent trumpet, harmonic pairings and impeccable improvisation. Gillespie influenced numerous musicians in his time including Miles Davis and Chuck Mangione. |
| Gilrod, Louis | b. September 10, 1879, Ruizna, Ukraine d. March 12, 1930, New York, United States Louis Gilrod was a famous composer of Yiddish theater music. He contributed to Yiddish vaudville theater, collaborating with Czar Nicholas and Charlie Chaplin in the skit Tsar nikolay un tsharli tshaplin. |
| Gilsig, Jessalyn | b. November 30, 1971, Quebec, Canada Jessalyn Gilsig is an actress known for her roles in television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck, Glee and the History Channel series Vikings. |
| Gingrich, Newt | b. June 17, 1943, Pennsylvania, United States Newt Gingrich is a politician and author who trained as a historian. He has written several books about American politics. |
| Giovanni, Nikki | b. June 7, 1943, Tennessee, United States Nikki Giovanni is an African-American poet, writer and activist. Internationally recognized, she has won numerous awards including the Langston Hughes Medal. |
| Giovannitti, Arturo | b. January 7, 1884, Molise, Italy d. 1959, New York, United States Arturo Giovannitti was a socialist political activist, and poet. He is best remembered as one of the principal organizers of the 1912 Lawrence textile strike. |
| Gittings, Barbara | b. July 31, 1932, Vienna, Austria d. February 18, 2007, Pennsylvania, United States Barbara Gittings was an activist for LGBT equality. She organized the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). |
| Glaser, Milton | b. June 26, 1929, New York, United States Parents: From Hungary Milton Glaser is a graphic designers. He has been the creative force behind the I heart New York logo, the branding for Brooklyn Brewery and the artwork for the 1984 Winter Olympics. He remains the only graphic designer to have been awarded the National Medal of the Arts. |
| Gliniak, Bartek | b. 1973, Przemyśl, Poland Bartek Gliniak is film music composer who has scored over thirty films, documentaries and television programs. |
| Gluck, Alma | b. May 11, 1884, Iași, Romania d. October 27, 1938, New York City Alma Gluck was one of the most famous sopranos of all time. Known for Carry Me Back to Ol' Virginny and being a pop star in 1916. She was also a co-founder of the American Woman's Association. |
| Goboczy, Zoltan K. | b. May 1, 1897, Fraukinchen, Austria d. May 18, 1982, California, United States Zoltan K. Goboczy worked at Cleveland Dow Chemical, wrote articles for the local Hungarian journals, was a radio announcer for Bocskay Hungarian Radio, and was speaker at meetings of Hungarian Fighters Association, 56er Freedom Fighter Association. |
| Godunov, Alexander | b. November 28, 1949, Sakhalin, Russia d. May 18, 1995, California, United States Alexander Godunov was a dancer and actor whose high-profile defection to the United States in 1979 created an international drama, which later became the basis for a Russian film called Flight 222 (1986). |
| Goff, Ivan | b. April 17, 1910, Perth, Australia d. September 23, 1999, California, United States Ivan Goff was a screenwriter and producer who penned more than a few classic films, but he is probably best known as the co-creator of the TV series Charlie's Angels. |
| Gohmert, Louise | b. August 18, 1953, Texas, United States Louie Gohmert is a Republican Party U.S. Representative from Texas' 1st congressional district who is part of the Tea Party movement. |
| Gold, Ernest | b. July 13, 1921, Vienna, Austria d. March 17, 1999, California, United States Ernest Gold was a film composer and conductor who scored nearly 100 hundred films and television shows. Gold won an Oscar for his stirring soundtrack composed for the film Exodus (1960). |
| Goldblum, Jeff | b. October 22, 1952, Pennsylvania, United States Maternal Grandfather: From present-day Ukraine Jeff Goldblum is a versatile stage, film, and television actor. Goldblum is probably best known for his roles in the films The Big Chill (1983) and the first two Jurassic Park films (1993 and 1997). Goldblum is also an accomplished pianist. |
| Goldenweiser, Alexander | b. January 29, 1880, Kiev, Russia d. July 6, 1940, Oregon, United States Alexander Goldenweiser was an anthropologist who studied under Frank Boas. A prolific author of books, articles and reviews on anthropology he also served as a lecturer for several colleges and universities. |
| Goldman, Arnold J. | b. Date and place unknown Parents: From Israel Arnold J. Goldman is the Founder of BrightSource Energy, Inc., which he founded in 2004 and has been its Chairman Emeritus since September 2010. |
| Goldman, Marcus | b. December 9, 1821, Trappstadt, Germany d. July 20, 1904, New Jersey, United States Marcus Goldman was an investment banker, financier and businessman, best known as the founder of Goldman Sachs, a global financial services company. |
| Goldmark, Peter Carl | b. December 2, 1906, Budapest, Hungary d. December 7, 1977, New York, United States Peter Carl Goldmark was an engineer who developed the first-sequential color technology for color television while at CBS and developed the LP record. |
| Goldrich, Jona | b. September 11, 1927, Lviv, present-day Ukraine d. June 26, 2016, California, United States Jona Goldrich was a real estate developer and philanthropist. |
| Goldstein, Kurt | b. November 6, 1978, Kattowitz, Germany d. September 19, 1965, New York, United States Kurt Goldstein was a professor at Brandeis, and focused on holistic-orgaismic theory, and brain injuries. |
| Goldwyn, Samuel | b. August 17, 1879, Warsaw, Poland d. January 31, 1974, California, United States Samuel Goldwyn was a film producer. He was most well known for being the founding contributor and executive of several motion picture studios in Hollywood. |
| Golijov, Osvaldo | b. December 5, 1960, La Plata, Argentina Osvaldo Golijov is a composer whose collection of chamber music released by EMI in 2002, Yiddishbbuk, was nominated for a Grammy award. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the Vilcek Prize among other awards, and continues to release new works, merging a wide range of musical traditions. |
| Gomes, Yan | b. July 19, 1987, São Paulo, Brazil Yan Gomes is a professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. |
| Gomez, José H. | b. December 26, 1951, Monterrey, Mexico José H. Gomez is a prelate of the Catholic Church in the United States. He has been the Archbishop of Los Angeles since March 1, 2011. |
| Gomez, Selena | b. July 22, 1992, Texas, United States Father: From Mexico Selena Gomez is a prolific, award-winning actress who started out as a Disney star. Gomez was numerous music awards, including a MTV Music Video Award. |
| Gompers, Samuel | b. January 27, 1850, London, United Kingdom d. December 13, 1924, Texas, United States Samuel Gompers was a union leader and one of the most influential labor organizers during the late 19th century. He founded the American Federation of Labor and served as its president for many years. |
| Gong, Louie | b. August 8, 1974, British Columbia, Canada Louie Gong is an activist who focusses on social and political issues affecting Native and mixed race people. |
| Gonzales, Alberto | b. August 4, 1955 Texas, United States Grandparents: From Mexico Alberto Gonzales is a lawyer who served as the 80th United States Attorney General. He was appointed in February 2005 by President George W. Bush, becoming the highest-ranking Hispanic American in executive government to date. |
| Gonzales, Pancho | b. May 9, 1928, California, United States d. July 3, 1995, Nevada, United States Parents: From Mexico Pancho Gonzales was a tennis player who has been described as one of the best tennis players ever seen. He was ranked number 1 in the world for eight years. |
| González Iñárritu, Alejandro | b. August 15, 1963, Mexico City, Mexico Alejandro González Iñárritu is a director, producer, and screenwriter. He won the Acadamy Award for Best Director for The Revenant in 2015, becoming the first Mexican director (and the third director in the history of the award) to win back-to-back Oscars. |
| Gonzalez-Torres, Felix | b. November 26, 1957, Guáimaro, Cuba d. January 9, 1996, Florida, United States Felix Gonzalez-Torres was a conceptual artist. He is known for his minimal work, his engagement with political causes and his interest in the overlap of public and private life. |
| González, Carlos | b. October 17, 1985, Maracaibo, Venezuela Carlos González is a professional baseball player. He was a right fielder for the Colorado Rockies and the Oakland Athletics. He is a three-time NL All-Star |
| Gonzalez, Marwin | b. March 14, 1989, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela Marwin Gonzalez is a shortstop and utility player for the Houston Astros. He has appeared at every position except for pitcher and catcher for the Astros. |
| González, Rigoberto | b. July 18, 1970, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Rigoberto González is a writer and critic. He is an editor and author of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and bilingual children's books. He self-identifies in his writing as a gay Chicano. |
| Goode, Wilson | b. August 19, 1938, North Carolina, United States Wilson Goode is a community activist and politician. He was the first African-American to lead the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission and served as the first African-American mayor of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1984-1992). |
| Goodman, Bennett | b. April 4, 1957, United States Bennett Goodman is a co-founder of GSO Capital Partners and Senior Managing Director of Blackstone. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Blackstone and sits on the firm's Management Committee. |
| Goodman, Benny | b. May 30, 1909, Illinois, United States d. June 13, 1986, New York, United States Father: From present-day Poland, Mother: From present-day Lithuania Benny Goodman was the first celebrated bandleader of the Swing Era, dubbed "The King of Swing". He was an accomplished clarinetist whose distinctive playing gave an identity both to his big band and to the smaller units he led simultaneously. |
| Goodman, Paulette | b. Date and year unknown, Paris, France Paulette Goodman was the president of Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) from 1988 to 1992. She led the campaign to get PFLAG ads displayed on DC Metro buses. |
| Goodwin, Doris Kearns | b. January 4, 1943, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Ireland Doris Kearns Goodwin is a historian, biographer and political commentator. She has authored biographies of several American Presidents. |
| Gordy, Berry | b. November 28, 1929, Michigan, United States Parents: From Georgia, United States Berry Gordy was a record producer and songwriter. He began producing records 1957 and formed the Motown Record Company in 1960. Gordy built an iconic stable of recording artists at Motown, including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5. |
| Gores, Sam | b. 1954, Nazareth, Israel Sam Gores is the Chairman of Paradigm Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, California and has been ranked among the top agents in Hollywood. |
| Gorka, Sebastian | b. October 22, 1970, London, United Kingdom Parents: From Hungary Sebastian Gorka is a military and intelligence analyst, who was a deputy assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017. He is an internationally recognized authority on issues of national security, irregular warfare, terrorism and democratization, having worked in government and the private and NGO sectors in Europe and the United States. |
| Gorky, Arshile | b. April 15, 1904, Khorkom, present-day Turkey d. July 21, 1948, Connecticut, United States Arshile Gorky was a painter whose work is recognized as having had an important influence on Abstract Expressionism. He was influenced by various movements at different times in his practice including Impressionism early in his career and Surrealism later. |
| Gorman, James P. | b. July 14, 1958, Melbourne, Australia James P. Gorman is a financier. He is the CEO and Chairman of Morgan Stanley, a finance and investment services firm. |
| Gorski, Hedwig | b. July 18, 1949, New Jersey, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Hedwig Gorski is a performance poet known for "performance poetry." Gorski's avante-garde performance poetry paved the way for what now is known as slam poetry. |
| Gorski, Martin | b. October 30, 1886, Poland d. December 4, 1949, Illinois, United States Martin Gorski was a United States Representative for Illinois. He served from 1943-1949. |
| Gottlieb, Alex | b. December 21, 1906, present-day Zhytomyr, Ukraine d. October 9, 1988, California, United States Alex Gottlieb was a screenwriter, playwright, movie and television producer who is known today for producing the second Abbott and Costello feature film Buck Privates (1941). Gottlieb produced nine more films featuring the legendary duo. |
| Goudsmit, Samuel | b. July 11, 1902, The Hague, Netherlands d. December 4, 1978, Nevada, United States Samuel Goudsmit was a physicist famous for jointly proposing the concept of electron spin with George Eugene Uhlenbeck in 1925. |
| Gould, Elliott | b. August 29, 1938, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: Romania, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Elliott Gould is a venerated stage and screen actor. For his performance in the comedy, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Gould received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. |
| Gouré, Leon | b. November 1, 1922, Moscow, Russia d. March 16, 2007, Virginia, United States Leon Gouré was an analyst for the RAND Corporation in the 1950s, being a key figure in their research in how to win the war in Vietnam. |
| Grace, Charles Manuel | b. January 25, 1881, Brava, Cape Verde d. January 12, 1960, California, United States Charles Manuel Grace, known as Sweet Daddy Grace by his followers, was a bishop and the founder of the United House of Prayer for All People, an evangelical Christian group. |
| Graetz, Friedrich | b. circa 1940, Austria d. circa 1913, Place unknown Friedrich Graetz was a political cartoonist. His work depicted current events of the time and sometimes included anti-immigration sentiments and caricatures aimed against people from certain countries or races. |
| Graham, Bill | b. January 8, 1931, Berlin, Germany d. October 25, 1991, California, United States Bill Graham was an influential concert promoter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he helped foster an exciting musical scene in San Francisco through rock concerts at the famous Fillmore and Winterland Ballroom venues. |
| Graham, Kat | b.September 5, 1989, Geneva, Switzerland Father: From Liberia, Mother: From Russia Kat Graham is a singer and actress who is known to many for her role as Bonnie Bennett in the popularTV series, The Vampire Diaries. |
| Graney, Jack | b. June 10, 1886, St. Thomas, Canada d. April 20, 1978, Missouri, United States Jack Graney was a left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians. |
| Grant, Cary | b. January 18, 1904, Bristol, United Kingdom d. November 29, 1986, Iowa, United States Cary Grant was an actor who had a long career playing everything from bumbling nebbishes in screwball comedies to dashing, romantic leads. Grant's career began in the early days of Vaudeville and lasted until his death in the late 60s. |
| Grant, Deborah | b. 1968, Toronto, Canada Deborah Grant is an artist who combines personal narratives with historical accounts and fables in her paintings and collages. Her work is largely figurative, though this is regularly expressed through silhouettes and simplified forms. |
| Grant, Madison | b. November 19, 1865, New York, United States d. May 30, 1937, New York, United States Madison Grant was a lawyer, writer, and zoologist. He is credited with saving many different species of animals and founding many different environmental and philanthropic organizations. |
| Grant, Robert J. | b. 1862, Nova Scotia, Canada d. November 24, 1950, Place unknown Robert J. Grant served as the director of the U.S. Mint. He served from November 1923 to May 1933. |
| Grau, Dieter | b. April 24, 1913, Berlin, Germany d. December 17, 2014, Alabama, United States Dieter Grau was an aerospace engineer and member of the "von Braun rocket group", at Peenemünde (1939-1945) working on the V-2 rockets in World War II. He immigrated to the US under Operation Paperclip after World War II. |
| Gray, Gilda | b. October 24, 1901, Krakow, Poland d. December 22, 1959, California, United States Gilda Gray was an actress and dancer known as the creator of "the Shimmy" which became fashionable in 1920s films and theater productions. |
| Gray, Hanna Holborn | b. October 25, 1930, Heidelberg, Germany Hanna Holborn Gray is a historian of Renaissance and Reformation political thought. She has had a distinguished academic career serving as the president of both Yale and the University of Chicago. |
| Greenberg, Arnold | b. September 2, 1932, New York, United States d. October 26, 2012, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Arnold Greenberg was a businessman who co-founded Snapple, a brand of tea and juice drinks, in the 1970s with Leonard Marsh, his former high school classmate, and Hyman Golden, who was Marsh's brother-in-law. |
| Greenspan, Alan | b. March 6, 1926, New York, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Alan Greenspan is an economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. |
| Greenwood, Ernest | b. November 25, 1884, Yorkshire, United Kingdom d. June 15, 1955, New York, United States Ernest Greenwood was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 1951-1953. |
| Gregorius, Didi | b. February 18, 1990, Amsterdam, Netherlands Didi Gregorius is professional baseball player. He is a shortstop for the New York Yankees. He previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. |
| Greiner, Helen | b. December 6, 1967, London, United Kingdom Father: From Hungary Helen Greiner is an engineer and businesswoman. She is cofounder of iRobot and the current CEO of CyPhy Works, a drone designing company. |
| Gretzky, Wayne | b. January 26, 1961, Brantford, Canada Wayne Gretzky is a former professional ice hockey player and former head coach often called "The Great One" because he is considered by many a hockey aficionado to be the greatest player to ever skate upon the ice. Gretzky is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. |
| Groening, Matt | b. February 15, 1954, Oregon, United States Father: From Canada, Maternal Grandparents: From Norway Matt Groening is a cartoonist, animator, writer and producer, best known as the creator of the animations The Simpsons and Futurama and the comic strip Life in Hell. |
| Grojsman, Sophia | b. March 8, 1945, Ljubcha, Belarus Sophia Grojsman is the creator of many of the world's most successful fragrances, such as Calvin Klein's Eternity and Yves Saint Laurent's Paris. Her honors include the American Society of Perfumers Living Legend Award and the Perfumer of the Year Lifetime Achievement award by The Fragrance Foundation. |
| Gromek, Steve | b. January 15, 1920, Michigan, United States d. March 12, 2002, Michigan, United States Parents: From Poland Steve Gromek was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. |
| Gropius, Walter | b. May 18, 1883, Berlin, Germany d. July 5, 1969, Massachusetts, United States Walter Gropius was a key architect of the Bauhaus movement. He began teaching at Harvard in 1937. |
| Gross-Bettelheim, Jolan | b. 1900, Hungary d. 1972, Budapest, Hungary Jolan Gross-Bettelheim lived and worked in the United States in the 1930s-1950s. She worked in the graphics art division of the Works Progress Administration before returning to Hungary in the late 1950s. |
| Gross, Chaim | b. March 17, 1904, Kolomyia, Austria d. May 5, 1991, Manhattan, New York, United States Chaim Gross was a sculptor who joined the Public Works of Art Project in 1933 and contributed art to the Federal Trade Commission building, among other locations. In 1974 his work was included in a Smithsonian exhibit in the American Museum of Art. |
| Grosz, George | b. July 26, 1893, Berlin, Germany d. July 6, 1959, present-day Berlin, present-day Germany George Grosz was an artist, best known for his paintings of Berlin life and his caricature-like portraits. He was a social critic in the visual arts field, commenting on issues surrounding capitalism and post-war society in the early 1900s. |
| Grotjahn, Mark | b. 1968, California, United States Father: From Germany Mark Grotjahn is an abstract painter who uses geometric shapes, lines and bold colors. He is interested in perspective and vanishing points and how these can be used in abstract works. |
| Grove, Andrew | b. September 2, 1936, Budapest, Hungary d. March 21, 2016, California, United States Andrew Grove is a businessman, engineer, author and a pioneer in the semiconductor industry. He was one of the founders and the CEO of Intel Corporation, helping transform the company into the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors. |
| Grove, Andy | b. September 2, 1936, Budapest, Hungary d. March 21, 2016, California, United States Andy Grove was a businessman and engineer. He was the cofounder and CEO of Intel and a pioneering figure in the semiconductor industry. |
| Grüning, Ilka | b. September 4, 1876, Vienna, present-day Austria d. November 11, 1964, California, United States Ilka Grüning was a film actress who did not begin her acting career until her early 40s. Grüning appeared in over 100 films and television shows. |
| Grynberg, Jack | b. 1932, Brest, Belarus Jack Grynberg is a businessman. He is a Denver-based oil and gas developer who has amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune in the oil and natural gas sector. |
| Guericke, Konstantin | b. September 19, 1967, Hamburg, Germany Konstantin Guericke is an entrepreneur and cofounder of LinkedIn, a social media website marketed for professional networking. |
| Guerra, Vida | b. March 19, 1974, Havana, Cuba Parents: From Cuba Vida Guerra is an actress, glamour and hip hop model known for her appearences on Chappelle's Show. |
| Guggenheim, Meyer | b. February 1, 1828, Aargau, Switzerland d. March 15, 1905, Florida, United States Meyer Guggenheim was an industrialist and businessman, mainly involved in the mining industry. |
| Guglielmi, O. Louis | b. April 9, 1906, Cairo, Egypt d. September 3, 1956, New York, United States Parents: From Italy O. Louis Guglielmi was a painter and one of the principal practitioners of Social Surrealism. Many of his works highlighted issues of social injustice, although in later years he turned away from societal matters, focusing on more formal concerns. |
| Guilaroff, Sydney | b. November 2, 1907, London, United Kingdom d. May 28, 1997, California, United States Sydney Guilaroff was known for styling the hair of many a Hollywood star in films such as The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Butterfield 8 (1960), and The Graduate (1967). Guilaroff created the signature hairstyles of Louise Brooks and Claudette Colbert and he was the first hair stylist to be listed in the credits of a film. |
| Guiliano, Mireille | b. April 14, 1946, Moyeuvre-Grande, France Mireille Guiliano is a best-selling author and a long time spokesperson for Champagne Veuve Clicquot. She is also the former President and CEO of Clicquot, Inc. |
| Gulari, Bora | b. October 22, 1975, Istanbul, Turkey Bora Gulari is an Olympic sailor competing in the Narca 17. He took eighth in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Gupta, Sanjay | b. October 23, 1969, Michigan, United States Parents: From India Sanjay Gupta is the multiple Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. |
| Gurriel, Yuli | b. June 9, 1984, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba Yuli Gurriel is a first baseman for the Houston Astros. He won AL Rookie of the Month in July of 2017. |
| Gurung, Prabal | b. March 31, 1979, Singapore Parents: From Nepal Prabal Gurung has designed dresses for many celebrities including Kate Middleton, Oprah Winfrey, Michele Obama and other |
| Guston, Philip | b. June 27, 1913, Quebec, Canada d. June 7, 1980, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Philip Guston was a painter and printmaker, known for his figurative and abstract works. Guston's work abandoned pure abstraction in favor of more representational, cartoon-like impressions of situations, symbols and objects. |
| Gutierrez, Carlos | b. November, 4, 1953, Havana, Cuba Carlos Gutierrez was the thirty-fifth United States Secretary of Commerce. He was in office from February 7, 2005 to January 20, 2009 under President George W. Bush. |
| Gyasi, Yaa | b. 1989, Mampong, Ghana Yaa Gyasi is a writer, best known for her debut novel Homegoing. |
| Gyllenhaal, Maggie | b. November 16, 1977, New York, United States Paternal Great-grandmother: From Canada, Maternal Great-grandparents: From present-day Latvia and Poland Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress who is well known for her roles in Secretary (2002) and The Dark Knight (2008). |
H
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Haacke, Gottfried | b. November 27, 1930, Lausick, Germany Gottfried Haacke holds many patents expecially related to ultraviolet light. |
| Haagen-Smit, Arie Jan | b. December 22, 1900, Utrect, Netherlands d. March 17, 1977, California, United States Arie Jan Haagen-Smit was a chemist. He is known as the "father of air pollution control " for linking smog to automobile emissions. |
| Haas, Albert B. | b. October 27, 1911, Zalalövő, Hungary d. August 12, 1997, New York, United States Albert B. Haas was a renowned doctor specialising in pulmonary diseases. He was imprisoned in Dachau during WWII, where he saved many lives. |
| Haber, Edgar | b. February 1, 1932, Berlin, Germany d. October 13, 1997, Massachusetts, United States Edgar Haber was a research physician specializing in cardiology, immunology, and molecular biology. |
| Habermann, A. Nico | b. June 26, 1932, Groningen, Netherlands d. August 8, 1993, Pennsylvania, United States A. Nico Habermann was a computer scientist. His research included programming languages, operating systems, and development of large software systems. |
| Haddad, Emile | b. 1958, Beirut, Lebanon Emile Haddad is a businessman and the CEO of FivePoint, a real estate management company based in California. |
| Haddad, Wassim Michael | b. July 14, 1961, Athens, Greece Father: From Lebanon, Mother: From Greece Wassim Michael Haddad is an applied mathematician, scientist, and engineer who has written over 550 journal and conference articles. Haddad has researched linear and nonlinear dynamical systems and control. |
| Hadid, Zaha | b. October 31, 1950, Baghdad, Iraq d. March 31, 2016, Florida, United States Zaha Hadid was an architect whose soaring structures left a mark on skylines and imaginations. |
| Haeff, Andrew V. | b. January 12, 1905, Moscow, Russia d. November 16, 1990, California, United States Andrew V. Haeff was an electrical engineer. He developed the microwave amplifier and the theory which lead to the computer monitor. |
| Haeussermann, Walter | b. March 2, 1914, Künzelsau, Germany d. December 8, 2010, Alabama, United States Walter Haeussermann was an aerospace engineer and member of the "von Braun rocket group". He worked at NASA where he led electrical, computer systems, guidance, and navigation systems for the Saturn V. |
| Hagedorn, Jessica | b. 1949, Manila, Philippines Jessica Hagedorn is a writer, playwright and poet. She is widely respected as a postcolonial author whose works grapple with issues of power and identity in Filipino society and among Filipino American immigrants. |
| Hajiro, Barney F. | b. September 16, 1916, Hawaii, United States d. January 21, 2011, Hawaii, United States Parents: From Japan Barney F. Hajiro was a veteran of World War II who single-handedly wiped out two German machine gun nests and killed two snipers. He is a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest U. S. military award for valor. |
| Halaby, Najeeb | b. November 19, 1915, Texas, United States d. July 2, 2003, Virginia, United States Father: From Syria Najeeb Halaby was a businessman, government official, celebrated aviator, and the father of Queen Noor of Jordan. |
| Halas, George | b. February 2, 1895, Illinois, United States d. October 31, 1983, Illinois, United States Parents: From present-day Czech Republic George Halas was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears. Halas revolutionized American football strategy in the late 1930s when he revived the T formation. |
| Haley, Nikki | b. January 20, 1972, South Carolina, United Sates Parents: From India Nikki Haley was elected as the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina in the State House, she was elected Governor of South Carolina in 2010 and was considered a vice-presidential condiaidate in 2012. |
| Hall, Monty | b. August 25, 1921, Manitoba, Canada d. September 30, 2017, California, United States Monty Hall was a game show host, producer, and philanthropist. Hall was widely known as the long-running host of Let's Make a Deal and for the puzzle named after him, the Monty Hall Problem. |
| Halmos, Paul | b. March 3, 1916, Budapest, Hungary d. October 2, 2016, California, United States Paul Halmos was a mathematician who made fundamental advances in the areas of mathematical logic, probability theory, statistics, operator theory, ergodic theory, and functional analysis. |
| Halsman, Philippe | b. May 2, 1906, Riga, Latvia d. June 25, 1979, New York, United States Philippe Halsman was a portrait photographer who is known for his collaboration with Salvador Dali and his surrealist photographs. |
| Hambro, Leonid | b. June 26, 1920, Illinois, United States d. October 23, 2006, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Lithuania Leonid Hambro was a composer and pianist who played straight man to comic pianist Victor Borge's musical hi-jinx throughout the 1960s. |
| Hamlisch, Marvin | b. June 2, 1944, New York, United States d. August 6, 2012, California, United States Parents: From Austria Marvin Hamlisch was a composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only twelve people who won all four of the most prestigious performing arts awards: an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony Award. He also was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his score for the musical A Chorus Line. |
| Hammer, Armand | b. May 21, 1898, New York, United States d. December 10, 1990, California, United States Father: from present-day Ukraine Armand Hammer was an entrepreneur who made his fortune in part because of his good relationship with high-ranking officials in the Soviet Union. He was also an avid art collector. In 1990, he created the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center in Los Angeles to house his copious collection. |
| Hammer, Victor | b. September 9, 1882, Vienna, Austria d. October 7, 1967, Kentucky, United States Victor Hammer designed fonts including American Uncial and Hammer Unzicale. |
| Hampton, Lionel | b. April 20, 1908, Kentucky, United States d. August 31, 2002, New York, United States Lionel Hampton was a jazz vibraphonist, percussionist and actor. He is most widely known for working with artists such as Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich. In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. |
| Handler, Chelsea | b. February 25, 1975, New Jersey, United States Mother: From Germany Chelsea Handler is an American comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer. She hosted the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately from 2007 to 2014. |
| Handler, Ruth | b. November 4, 1916, Colorado, United States d. April 27, 2002, California, United States Parents: From Poland Ruth Handler was a businesswoman and inventor who created the Barbie doll and cofounded the toy company Mattel. |
| Handlin, Oscar | b. September 29, 1915, New York, United States d. September 20, 2011, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Russia Oscar Handlin was a historian who helped promote social and ethnic history, virtually inventing the field of immigration history in the 1950s. He is best remembered for the book The Uprooted. |
| Hanna-Attisha, Mona | b. 1976, Sheffield, United Kingdom Parents: From Iraq Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician and public health advocate who exposed the Flint Water Crisis. Her research found evidence that the children of Flint, Michigan were exposed to large amounts of lead |
| Hansberry, Lorraine | b. May 19, 1930, Illinois, United States d. January 12, 1965, New York, United States Father: From Mississippi, United States, Mother: From Tennessee, United States Lorraine Hansberry was a playwright, among the most important of the 20th century, and became the first African-American woman to produce a play on Broadway with A Raisin in the Sun. The play ran over 500 times and garnered Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. |
| Hansen, Gunnar | b. March 4, 1947, Reykjavík, Iceland d. November 7, 2015, Maine, United States Gunnar Hansen was an actor best know for playing horror film icon, Leatherface, in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). |
| Hansen, Marcus Lee | b. December 8, 1892, Wisconsin, United States d. May 11, 1938, California, United States Father: From Denmark, Mother: From Norway Marcus Lee Hansen was a historian who focused on the history of immigration to America. His most renowned work is The Atlantic Migration, 1607-1860. |
| Haraszthy, Agoston | b. August 30, 1812, Pest, Hungary d. July 6, 1869, Corinto, Nicaragua Agoston Haraszthy was a nobleman, adventurer, traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California. He is often called the "Father of Modern Winemaking in California." He is also remembered as the founder of the oldest incorporated village in the state of Wisconsin. |
| Haraszty, Eszter | b. 1920, Hungary d. November 30, 1994, California, United States Eszter Haraszty was the head of Knoll textiles. Her works can be found in major musumes including MoMA. |
| Harbor, Jean | b. September 19, 1965, Lagos, Nigeria Jean Harbor is a former soccer forward. He earned fifteen caps with the US national team. |
| Harding, Vincent | b. July 25, 1931, New York, United States d. May 19, 2014, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Barbados Vincent Harding was a historian, author and activist whose work focused on American religion, race and social transformation. He is best known for his writing on Dr. Martin Luther King. |
| Hargitay, Mariska | b. January 23, 1964, California, United States Father: from Hungary Mariska Hargitay is an Emmy Award-winning film and TV actress best known for her role as Olivia Benson on the TV series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. |
| Hargitay, Mickey | b. January 6, 1926, Budapest, Hungary d. September 14, 2006, California, United States Mickey Hargitay was probably best known as the husband of Jayne Mansfield and the father of Mariska Hargitay, but he was also a bodybuilder (he was Mr. Universe in 1955) and actor. Hargitay appeared in a handful of now cult films, including four with Jayne Mansfield. |
| Hargittay, Bela Gyula | b. May 27, 1944, Budapest, Hungary d. February 4, 2013, California, United States Bela Gyula Hargittay was a scientist and mechanical enigineer. He worked on numerous projects that helped to elevate the U.S. military technology. He was the mechanical engineering team leader on several programs within the Hughes and Raytheon companies. He worked on missile systems still in use today. |
| Harnad, Stevan | b. June 2, 1945, Budapest, Hungary Stevan Harnad is a cognitive scientist known for open access. |
| Harris Jones, Mary | b. Date and year unknown, County Cork, Ireland d. November 30, 1930, Maryland, United States Mary Harris Jones was a labor activist, schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent organized labor representative and community organizer. |
| Harris, Kamala | b. October 20, 1964, California, United States Father: From Jamaica, Mother: From India Kamala Harris is an attorney and politician. As a member of the Democratic Party, she currently serves as the junior senator from California. She previously served as the 32nd Attorney General of California. |
| Harrison, Harry | b. March 12, 1925, Connecticut, United States d. August 15, 2012, Brighton, United Kingdom Mother: From Russia, Paternal Grandmother: From Ireland Harry Harrison was a science fiction writer who best known for his Stainless Steel Rat series of novels. Harrison began his career as an artist and illustrator. He often worked with legendary cartoonist Wally Wood. |
| Harrison, Hubert | b. April 27, 1883, St. Croix, present-day U.S. Virgin Islands d. December 17, 1927, New York, United States Hubert Harrison was a critic, philosopher, political activist and writer. He lectured and wrote about history, social progressivism and class consciousness. |
| Harsanyi, John | b. May 29, 1920, Budapest, Hungary d. August 9, 2000, California, United States John Harsanyi was an economist. He was known for his contributions to game theory, Bayesian games and won the Nobel Prize in 1994. |
| Hart, Oliver | b. October 9, 1948, London, United Kingdom Oliver Hart is an American economist at Harvard University. He and Bengt Holmström were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for their groundbreaking work on contracts design that discourages corruption and abuse. |
| Hartman, Phil | b. September 24, 1948, Brantford, Canada d. May 28, 1998, California, United States Phil Hartman was an actor, voice actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic artist. He is best known for his comedic roles on the late-night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. He also helped Paul Reubens create the character Pee-wee Herman and co-wrote the screenplay for the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure. |
| Hartzler, Vicky | b. October 13, 1960, Missouri, United States Vicky Hartzler is a politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 4th congressional district. |
| Haryanto, Halim | b. September 23, 1976, Bandung, Indonesia Halim Haryanto is an Olympic men's doubles and mixed doubles badminton player. He took gold in men's doubles in the 2001 World Championship. |
| Haskins, James | b. September 19, 1941, Alabama, United States d. July 6, 2005, New York, United States James Haskins was a non-fiction writer. His work catered to adults and children, focusing on subjects such as the history and culture of Africa and people such as Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. He has won numerous awards. |
| Hatch, Annia | b. June 14, 1978, Guantánamo, Cuba Annia Hatch is a world-class Olympic gymnast. She took silver in team and vault in the 2004 Summer Games. |
| Hauptman, Andrew | b. 1969, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Hungary Andrew Hauptman is a businessman, co-founder of the investment firm Andell Inc., and owner of the Major League Soccer team, the Chicago Fire. |
| Havlicek, John | b. April 8, 1940, Ohio, United States Father: From present-day Czech Republic, Mother: From present-day Croatia John Havlicek is a retired professional basketball player who competed for sixteen seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons. |
| Hawthorne, Lowell | b. May 1, 1960, Border, Jamaica Lowell Hawthorne is the President and CEO of the Golden Caribbean Bakery & Grill. |
| Hawthorne, Nathaniel | b. July 4, 1804, Massachusetts, United States d. May 19, 1864, New Hampshire, United States Nathaniel Hawthorne was a novelist and short story writer. Many of his works feature moral messages and the sins of humanity. His fiction works are considered to be part of the Romantic movement. |
| Hay, Harry | b. April 7, 1912, Sussex, United Kingdom d. October 24, 2002, California, United States Harry Hay was a gay rights activist and Native American civil rights campaigner. |
| Hayakawa, S. I. | b. July 18, 1906, Vancouver, Canada d. February 27, 1992, California, United States S. I. Hayakawa was a United States Senator for California. He served from 1977-1983. |
| Hayden, Palmer | b. January 15, 1890, Virginia, United States d. February 18, 1973, United States Palmer Hayden, born Peyton Cole Hedgeman, was an African-American painter who worked with oils and watercolors to depict African-American life, landscapes and African influences on American culture. He was closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance. |
| Haydn, Richard | b. March 10, 1905, London, United Kingdom b. April 25, 1985, California, United States Richard Haydn was an actor and voice actor. Best known for work in the film The Sound of Music (1965), Haydn was also a comic novelist. His only novel, The Journal of Edwin Carp (1954), was re-published in 2016. |
| Hayek, Salma | b. September 2, 1966, Coatzacoalcos, Mexico Salma Hayek is a critically-acclaimed actress and producer. Hayek is also well known for her charitable work, which includes fighting discrimation against immigrants and violence against women. |
| Haymes, Dick | b. September 13, 1918, Buenos Aires, Argentina d. March 28, 1980, California, United States Dick Haymes was an actor and singer. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. |
| Hays, Kaufman | b. March 9, 1835, Storndorf, Germany d. April 12, 1918, Ohio, United States Kaufman Hays was a prominent merchant and banker in 19th and early 20th century in Cleveland. He helped establish and run local banks, grew the Cleveland Worsted Mills to national prominence, served in Cleveland City Council, and established the Hebrew Benevolent Society of Cleveland. |
| Hayslip, Le Ly | b. December 19, 1949, Da Nang, Vietnam Le Ly Hayslip is a writer. She has written two memoirs which relate to events from her childhood and adolescence in Vietnam, and her later life in the United States. |
| Hayward, Louis | b. March 19, 1909, Johannesburg, South Africa d. February 21, 1985, California, United States Louis Hayward was a motion picture and television star who served three years in the Marine Corps during World War II, winning the Bronze Star for filming the battle of Tarawa under fire. |
| Hayworth, Rita | b. October 17, 1918, New York, United States d. May 14, 1987, New York, United States Father: From Spain Rita Hayworth, known as the glamorous "love goddess," was an actress who appeared in 61 films in her long career. Hayworth was one of the most popular pin-ups in World War II. |
| Head, Edith | b. October 28, 1897, California, United States d. October 21, 1981, California, United States Father: From Germany, Maternal Grandfather: From Austria, Maternal Grandmother: From present-day Germany Edith Head was a renowned costume designer for classic Hollywood films, famous for her work in Hitchcock films. She won eight Academy awards, the most for any costume designer. |
| Healey, Dorothy Ray | b. September 22, 1914, Colorado, United States d. August 6, 2006, Maryland, United States Parents: From Hungary Dorothy Ray Healey was an activist in the Communist Party USA, from the late 1920s to the 1970s. In the 1930s, she was one of the first union leaders to advocate for the rights of Chicanos and blacks as factory and field workers. |
| Healy, William | b. January 20, 1869, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom d. March 15, 1963, Florida, United States William Healy was a child psychiatrist and criminologist who founded the Chicago Juvenile Psycopathic Institute, and was a pioneer in juvenile delinquency studies. |
| Heath, Jeff | b. April 1, 1915, Fort William, Ontario d. December 9, 1975, Washington, United States Jeff Heath was a left fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Cleveland Indians. |
| Hecht, Ben | b. February 28, 1894, New York, United States d. April 18, 1964, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Ben Hecht was screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, talk show host and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his critically acclaimed Broadway plays and screenplays, including The Front Page (1928), Scarface (1932), The Scoundrel (1935), and Angels Over Broadway (1940). |
| Hecht, Selig | b. February 8, 1892, Glogau, Germany d. September 18, 1947, New York, United States Selig Hecht was an important contributor to modern vision theory. |
| Heida, Anton | b. November 30, 1878, Prague, Czech Republic d. Date and place unknown Anton Heida was a gymnast who won six medals in the 1904 Olympics for Team USA, five of which were gold. |
| Heidbreder, Edna | b. May 1, 1890, Illinois, United States d. February 19, 1985, Massachusetts, United States Parents: from Germany Edna Heidreder was a psychologist and one of the developers of the Minnesota Mechanical Abilities Tests. She also made major contributions in the areas of systematic psychology and concept formation. |
| Heider, Fritz | b. February 19, 1896, Vienna, Austria d. January 2, 1988, Kansas, United States Fritz Heider was a professor at the University of Kansas, specializing in interpersonal relations. |
| Heinz, Henry J. | b. October 11, 1844, Pennsylvania, United States d. May 14, 1919, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Germany Henry J. Heinz was an entrepreneur who founded the food manufacturing company currently known as Heinz, which notably produces many best selling products including ketchup. |
| Heller, Joseph | b. May 1, 1923, New York, United States d. December 12, 1999, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Joseph Heller was a novelist, short story writer and playwright. He is best known for his novel Catch-22 which is a satire on war and bureaucracy. |
| Hemon, Aleksandar | b. September 9, 1964, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Hemon is a fiction writer and essayist, best known for his novels including Nowhere Man and The Lazarus Project. |
| Henderson, D. A. | b. September 7, 1928, Ohio, United States d. August 19, 2016, Maryland, United States Parents: From Canada D. A. Henderson was a medical doctor, educator, and epidemiologist. He is heralded for guiding efforts (1967 to 1977) to eradicate small pox globally. Henderson is also known for spearheading national programs for public health preparedness and responsiveness following biological attacks and disasters. |
| Henderson, Fletcher | b. December 18, 1897, Georgia, United States d. December 29, 1952, New York, United States Fletcher Henderson was an African-American musician, bandleader and composer who helped bridge the gap between the Dixieland and swing eras. He is considered one of the most influential arrangers in jazz music. |
| Hendricks, Ted | b. November 1, 1947, Guatemala City, Guatemala Ted Hendricks is a former NFL linebacker who starred for the Baltimore Colts and Oakland Raiders during a 15 year career. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. |
| Henle, Mary | b. July 14, 1913, Ohio, United States d. November 17, 2007, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Germany Mary Henle was a professor at the New School for Social Research, where she worked on Gestalt psychology. |
| Henning, Doug | b. May 3, 1947, Canada d. February 7, 2000, California, United States Doug Henning was a magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician. He was credited with updating an old-fashioned vaudevillian entertainment, mesmerizing audiences on Broadway. Henning's television shows won him an Emmy and seven Emmy nominations. |
| Hentoff, Nat | b. June 10, 1925, Massachusetts, United States d. January 7, 2017, New York, United States Parents: From Belarus Nat Hentoff was a historian who held socially conservative positions such as opposition to abortion and voluntary euthanasia. He was a free speech, anti-death penalty and anti-abortion advocate. |
| Hepburn, Audrey | b. May 4, 1929, Ixelles, Belgium d. January 20, 1993, Tolochenaz, Switzerland Audrey Hepburn is a fondly remembered actress and fashion icon. Beyond her grace and abundant talent, Hepburn was known for her philanthropic work with disenfranchised children throughout the globe. |
| Hernández, José | b. August 7, 1962, California, United States Parents: From Mexico José Hernández was part of the team that developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. He would go on to serve onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on one of its missions to complete construction of the International Space Station. |
| Herrera, Carmen | b. May 31, 1915, Havana, Cuba Carmen Herrera is an abstract minimalist painter whose work includes geometric forms and often, bright colors. Her work is simple in form, exact and demonstrates a striking sense of color. |
| Herrera, Carolina | b. January 8, 1939, Caracas, Venezuela Carolina Herrera is a fashion designer known for her dresses that have been worn my many U.S. First Ladies. |
| Herrera, Juan Felipe | b. December 27, 1948, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Juan Felipe Herrera was named the first Chicano poet laureate in 2015. Herrera has published numerous multilingual works of poetry and children's literature. |
| Herrera, Paloma | b. December 21, 1975, Buenos Aires, Argentina Paloma Herrera was a soloist and principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. |
| Herrmann, Bernard | b. June 29, 1911, New York, United States d. December 24, 1975, California, United States Father: From Ukraine Bernard Herrmann was an influential film score composer and conductor. Herrmann composed seven scores for Alfred Hitchcock, including the instantly recognizable, terrifying violins of Psycho (1960). |
| Hersholt, Jean | b. July 12, 1886, Coppenhagen, Denmark d. June 2, 1956, California, United States Jean Hersholt was an actor and radio star. He has 140 films to his credit that include silent films and talkies. He is known for his roles in early Hollywood films like Greed (1924) and The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932). |
| Herter, Christian | b. 1839, Stuttgart, Germany d. 1883, United States Christian Herter was a co-founder of Hertler Brothers, one of the first furniture companies in the United States. The firm received many prestigious commissions including the White House and homes for American business moguls including Jay Gould and William Henry Vanderbilt. |
| Herter, Gustave | b. 1830, Stuttgart, Germany d. 1898, United States Gustave Herter was a co-founder of Hertler Brothers, one of the first furniture companies in the United States. The firm received many prestigious commissions including the White House and homes for American business moguls including Jay Gould and William Henry Vanderbilt. |
| Hess, Leon | b. March 13, 1914, New Jersey, United States d. May 7, 1999, New York, United States Father: From Lithuania Leon Hess was a businessman who created what is now known as the Hess Corporation, an oil company, for which he acted as CEO until his death. He also owned the New York Jets. |
| Hess, Otto | b. October 10, 1878, Bern, Switzerland d. February 25, 1926, Arizona, United States Otto Hess was a pitcher for the Cleveland Bronchos/Cleveland and Boston Braves. |
| Hesse, Eva | b. January 11, 1936, Hamburg, Germany d. May 29, 1970, New York, United States Eva Hesse was an artist, best remembered for her sculptures that explore disquieting, hanging modular forms. She was heavily influenced by Abstract Expressionism but later became associated with Post-Minimalism. |
| Hijuelos, Oscar | b. August 24, 1951, New York, United States d. October 12, 2013, New York, United States Parents: From Cuba Oscar Hijuelos was a novelist and the most well-known of an increasing group of American Hispanic writers to reach a broad American audience. He wrote The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. |
| Hilberg, Raul | b. June 2, 1926, Vienna, Austria d. August 4, 2007, Vermont, United States Raul Hilberg was a political scientist and historian. He was a scholar of the Holocaust, best remembered for The Destruction of the European Jews, a study of the Nazi's Final Solution. |
| Hill, Joe | b. October 7, 1879, Gävle, Sweden d. November 19, 1915, Utah, United States Joe Hill was a legendary labor activist, writer, political cartoonist, and songwriter (dubbed "troubadour of discontent") who is still today eulogized and revered by forward thinking musicians and artists, including Billy Bragg, Wayne Horvitz, and Mickey Hart. |
| Hillaire, Marcel | b. April 23, 1908, Cologne, Germany d. January 1, 1988, California, United States Marcel Hillaire was a character actor known for his memorable roles in film and television, including the films Sabrina (1954) and Take the Money and Run (1969). |
| Hillman, Sidney | b. March 23, 1887, Žagarė, Lithuania d. July 10, 1946, New York, United States Sidney Hillman was labor organizer who, in the early 1900s, formed the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Hillman's idea of "constructive cooperation" (working with workers and firms to maintain profits for the firm and raising standards for workers) set the precedent for modern-day trade unionism. |
| Hilton, Peter | b. April 7, 1923, London, United Kingdom d. November 6, 2010, New York, United States Peter Hilton was a codebreaker whose work aided the Allied victory in WW2. |
| Hines, Gerald D. | b. 1925, Indiana, United States Parents: From Canada Gerald D. Hines is the founder and chairman of Hines, a privately held real estate firm. |
| Hinojosa, Maria | b. July 2, 1961, Mexico City, Mexico Maria Hinojosa was the first Latina correspondent on NPR in the mid-1980s. She launched The Futuro Media Group to give a "critical voice to the voiceless." She is the anchor and executive producer of the long-running and Peabody Award-winning weekly NPR show Latino USA. |
| Hirabayashi, Gordon | b. April 23, 1918, Washington, United States d. January 2, 2012, Alberta, Canada Parents: From Japan Gordon Hirabayashi was a sociologist, best known for his principled resistance to the Japanese American internment during World War II. |
| Hirono, Mazie | b. November 3, 1947, Koori, Japan Mazie Hirono is a United States Senator for Hawaii. She is the first Asian-American woman to serve in the senate. |
| Hitchcock, Alfred | b. August 13, 1899, London, United Kingdom d. April 29, 1980, California, United States Alfred Hitchcock was a filmmaker and producer who is often called the "Master of Suspense" because of his utter skill and command of the suspense film genre. The word "Hitchcockian" refers to a film steeped in tension and psychological thrills. |
| Hitti, Philip Khuri | b. June 22, 1886, Shemlon, Lebanon d. December 24, 1978, New Jersey, United States Philip Khuri Hitti was a professor and scholar at Princeton and Harvard University, and authority on Arab and Middle Eastern history, Islam, and Semitic languages. |
| Hlavatý, Václav | b. January 27, 1894, Louny, present-day Czech Republic d. January 11, 1969, Indiana, United States Václav Hlavatý was a noted mathematician, who wrote on the theory of relativity. He solved some very difficult equations relating to Einstein's unified field theory. |
| Ho, David | b. November 3, 1952, Taichung, Taiwan David Ho is a medical doctor and HIV/AIDS researcher who has made many innovative state of the art scientific contributions to the understanding and technological treatment of HIV infection. |
| Hodur, Franciszek | b. April 2, 1866, Zarki, Poland d. February 16, 1953, Pennsylvania, United States Franciszek Hodur was the founder and long-lasting bishop of the first Polish National Catholic Church. |
| Hoekstra, Pete | b. October 30, 1953, Groningen, the Netherlands Peter Hoekstra is currently the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands. He served as United States Representative for Michigan from 1993-2011. |
| Hoelzer, Margaret | b. March 30, 1983, Alabama, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Germany Margaret Hoelzer is the granddaughter of german scientist Helmut Holzer. She has competed in the 2004 and 2008 olympic. |
| Hoffman, Dustin | b. August 8, 1937, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Ukraine, Maternal Grandfather: From Poland, Maternal Grandmother: From Romania Dustin Hoffman is an acclaimed actor, producer, and director. Hoffman has been nominated for an Acadamy Award for Best Actor five times and has won it twice for his performances in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988). |
| Hofmann, Hans | b. March 21, 1880, Weißenburg, Germany d. February 17, 1966, New York, United States Hans Hofmann was an Abstract Expressionist painter whose work is characterized by its concern with color, structure and spatial illusion. He argued for the importance of a link to the world of objects, even in entirely abstract work. |
| Hofmann, Josef | b. January 20, 1876, Kraków, Poland d. February 16, 1957, California, United States Josef Hofmann was a pianist, composer, music teacher, and inventor. As a composer, Hofmann published over one hundred works, many of those under the pseudonym Michel Dvorsky, including two piano concertos and ballet music. |
| Hofstadter, Richard | b. August 6, 1916, New York, United States d. October 24, 1970, New York, United States Father: From Poland Richard Hofstadter was a historian who wrote about the political, social, and intellectual trends in American history. Although he originally approached history from the left, he later became a 'consensus historian', rejecting the idea there were fundamental divisions in American society. |
| Hogan, Hulk | b. August 11, 1953, Georgia, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Italy Hulk Hogan is a former professional wrestler, actor and television personality. He is one of the most famous wrestlers in the world and has starred in films, including Mr Nanny. |
| Holder, Eric | b. January 21, 1951, New York, United States Father: From Barbados Eric Holder was Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015. He served as both the first African-American Deputy Attorney General and the first African-American Attorney General. |
| Holder, Geoffrey Lamont | b. August 1, 1930, Port of Spain, present-day Trinidad and Tobago d. October 5, 2014, New York, United States Geoffrey Lamont Holder was an actor, voice actor, dancer, choreographer, singer, director and painter. He is known for his role as the villain Baron Samedi in the 1973 Bond movie Live and Let Die and for his 7 Up commercials of the 1970s and 1980s. |
| Holly, John Oliver, Jr. | b. December 3, 1903, Alabama, United States d. December 20, 1974, Ohio, United States John Oliver Holly Jr. was Director of the Future Outlook League and organized business boycotts and fights with unions to break segregation. He was appointed to head the (Cleveland) Fair Rent Committee, founded the state-wide Federation of County Democrats, and sat on the executive board of the Cleveland (Ohio) NAACP. |
| Holt, Lester | b. March 8, 1959, California, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Jamaica Lester Holt is a journalist who anchors the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News. |
| Holtzclaw, Robert Fulton | b. April 10, 1903, Mississippi, United States d. November 11, 1992, California, United States Robert Fulton Holtzclaw was an educator for much of his life, teaching in Utica, MS and Cleveland, OH from 1925 to 1973. Upon retirement, he began writing and publishing books about African-American education and religious life. |
| Hölzer, Helmut | b. February 27, 1912, Bad Liebenstein, Germany d. October 12, 1996, Alabama, United States Helmut Hölzer was a rocket enginee who was part of a team that designed an electronic simulator for the V-2 rocket control system. He also invented the first fully electronic analog computer. |
| Hooper, Mary-Louise | b. June 12, 1907, Massachusetts, United States d. August 14, 1987, Oregon, United States Mother: From Canada Mary-Louise Hooper was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement and anti-apartheid movement. |
| Hoover, Herbert | b. August 10, 1874, Iowa, United States d. October 20, 1964, New York, United States Mother: From Canada Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States between 1929 and 1933 who was best known for his inability to get the country out of the Great Depression. After his presidency and in his later years, he was recoginized as a great elder statesman. |
| Hope, Bob | b. May 29, 1903, Eltham, United Kingdom d. July 27, 2003, California, United States Bob Hope was a comedian and actor whose beginnings extend to the early days of vaudeville. Hope is probably best know for the series of "road" films he did with Bing Crosby in the 40s and 50s, but Hope remained a ubiquitous entertainer long into the 1990s. |
| Hopkins, Anthony | b. December 31, 1937, Margam, United Kingdom Anthony Hopkins is an actor, well known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Since 2016, he has starred in the critically acclaimed HBO television series Westworld. Along with his Academy Award, Hopkins has won three BAFTA Awards, two Emmys, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. |
| Horn, Roy | b. October 3, 1944, Nordenham, Germany Roy Horn formed one half of the magician duo Siegfried & Roy with his partner Siegfried Fischbacher. From 1990, until Roy's career-ending tiger injury in 2003, the duo were regarded as the most-visited show in Las Vegas. |
| Horn, Zoia | b. March 14, 1918, Odessa, Ukraine d. July 12, 2014, California, United States Zoia Horn was the first United States librarian to be jailed for refusing to share information as a matter of conscience and worked at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in the early 1970s. |
| Horney, Karen | b. September 16, 1885, Hamburg, Germany d. December 4, 1952, New York, United States Karen Horney was a pioneer in feminine psychology, and developed theories of defence mechanisms, self-actualization, and self-awareness in therepeutic relationships. |
| Horowitz, Ben | b. June 3, 1966, London, United Kingdom Ben Horowitz is a businessman, investor, blogger, and author. He is a high technology entrepreneur and co-founder and general partner along with Marc Andreessen of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. |
| Horowitz, Vladimir | b. October 1, 1903 Kiev, Ukraine d. November 5, 1989, New York, United States Vladimir Horowitz was a composer and classical pianist. He was acclaimed for his virtuoso technique, his tone color, and the excitement engendered by his playing. |
| Horváth, Csaba | b. January 25, 1930, Szolnok, Hungary Csaba Horváth was a chemical engineer. He is noted for building the first high-performance liquid chromatograph. |
| Horvath, Helen | b. January 21, 1872, Hungary d. July 15, 1943, United States Helen Horvath was a famous social activist who dedicated her life to helping new immigrants make the transition to life in America. In 1901, Horvath opened a school for new Hungarian Americans to help them learn English and American culture. |
| Horvitz, H. Robert | b. May 8, 1947, Illinois, United States Maternal Grandfather: From present-day Ukraine, Maternal Grandmother: From present-day Poland H. Robert Horvitz is a biologist best known for his research on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, for which he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Sydney Brenner and John E. Sulston. |
| Hosseini, Khaled | b. March 4, 1965, Kabul, Afghanistan Khaled Hosseini is a novelist. His books include The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns and And the Mountains Echoed. |
| Houdini, Harry | b. March 24, 1874, Budapest, Hungary d. October 31, 1926, Michigan, United States Harry Houdini was a world famous illusionist, escape artist, and stunt performer. |
| Hounsou, Djimon | b. April 24, 1964, Cotonou, Benin Djimon Hounsou is in actor who came to international attention in 1997 when he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Cinque in Spielberg's Amistad. Since then, Hounsou has appeared in other major films and was nominated twice for an Oscar for his roles in In America and Blood Diamond. |
| Hovnanian, Kevork | b. 1923, Kirkuk, present-day Iraq d. September 24, 2009, New York, United States Kevork Hovnanian was a businessman and home builder who founded a New Jersey based real estate firm called Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. |
| Howard, Curly | b. October 22, 1903, New York, United States d. January 18, 1952, California, United States Father: From Lithuania Curly Howard was a comedian and vaudevillian actor. He was best known as a member of the American farce comedy team, the Three Stooges. |
| Howe, Gordie | b. March 31, 1928, Floral, Canada d. June 10, 2016, Ohio, United States Gordie Howe was a Hall of Fame hockey player and is considered to be one of the most complete players to ever play the game. The term for a goal, assist, and fight within a hockey game was named after him - the Gordie Howe Hat trick. |
| Howe, James Wong | b. August 28, 1899, Guangdong, China d. July 12, 1976, California, United States James Wong Howe was a cinematographer that pioneered techniques still being used in films today. He worked on over 130 films. Of those films, 10 were nominated for an Oscar of which he won two. |
| Howlett, Virginia | b. 1951, Edmonton, Canada Virginia Howlett designed the Windows 95 user interface and the Verdana typeface. |
| Hrdlička, Aleš | b. March 29, 1869, Humpolec, Czechoslovakia d. September 5, 1943, Washington, D.C., United States Alena Vrzáňová was an Anthropologist interested in the origin of the human beings and a critic of hominid evolution. |
| Hsieh, Tehching | b. December 31, 1950, Pingtung, Taiwan Tehching Hsieh is a performance artist who undertakes durational work. His notable works include punching a time clock every hour for a year, living in a wooden cage for a year and spending one year outside, not entering any building or structures. |
| Hsieh, Tony | b. December 12, 1973, Illinois, United States Parents: From Taiwan Tony Hsieh is a venture capitalist and the current CEO of Zappos.com, an online shoe retailer. |
| Huang, Alice S. | b. March 22, 1939, Nanchang, China Alice S. Huang researches how viruses function. She is senior Faculty Associate in Biology at the California Institute of Technology. She was previously Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School, and subsequently Dean for Science at New York University. |
| Huang, Eddie | b. March 1, 1982, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Taiwan Eddie Huang is a chef, author, and television host most widely known for his restaurant BaoHaus, his book Fresh Off the Boat, and his television show Huang's World. |
| Huber, Liezel | b. August 21, 1976, Durban, South Africa Liezel Huber is a doubles and mixed doubles tennis player and three-time Olympian. |
| Hudson, Garth | b. August 2, 1937, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Garth Hudson was a member of The Band. He is a multi-instrumentalist, known for adding a distinct sound to The Band's music through his organ and accordion work. He is still performing today at 80 years of age. |
| Hudson, Julien | b. January 9, 1811, Louisiana, United States d. 1844, Louisiana, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Julien Hudson was a painter and art teacher. He is known as the first professional African-American portraitist in the South of the United States and the first African-American by whom a self-portrait has been found. |
| Huelskamp, Tim | b. November 11, 1968, Kansas, United States Tim Huelskamp is the president of The Heartland Institute. A former American politician, he was a member of the Republican Party who was the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2017. |
| Huerta, Dolores | b. April 10, 1930, New Mexico, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Mexico Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Union and helped lead the Delano Grape Strike in 1965. Huerta's rallying cry of "Si se puede" was later was the inspiration for Barack Obama's "Yes we can!" campaign slogan. |
| Huffington, Arianna | b. July 15, 1950, Athens, Greece Arianna Huffington is a writer, radio host, and the cofounder of the news website the Huffington Post. |
| Hughes, Langston | b. February 1, 1902, Missouri, United States d. May 22, 1967, New York, United States Father: From Indiana, United States, Mother: From Kansas, United States Langston Hughes spearheaded the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s and popularized the concept of 'jazz poetry' throughout his career. Hughes wrote numerous books of poetry, plays and novels and was the recipient of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. |
| Hughes, Madison | b. October 26, 1992, London, United Kingdom Madison Hughes is an Olympic rugby player and captain of the United States national rugby sevens team. He plays half scrum. |
| Hunczak, Taras | b. March 13, 1932, Ukraine Taras Hunczak is a historian and professor emeritus at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. |
| Huntington, John | b. March 8, 1832, Preston, United Kingdom d. January 10, 1893, London, United Kingdom John Huntington was an industrialist and philanthropist who derived much of his wealth through his involvement with the Standard Oil Company. He helped plan civic improvements in Cleveland and his gifts to the Cleveland Museum of Art helped create and maintain its status as a world class institution. |
| Huntington, Samuel P. | b. April 18, 1927, New York, United States d. December 24, 2008, Massachusetts, United States Samuel P. Huntington was a political scientist, adviser, and academic. He spent more than half a century at Harvard University, where he was director of Harvard's Centre for International Affairs. |
| Hurok, Sol | b. April 9, 1888, Kharkiv, Ukraine d. March 5, 1974, New York, United States Sol Hurok was a 20th-century impresario. He brought distinguished foreign virtuosos and ensembles to American audiences, and did much to inspire interest in classical music and, particularly, in ballet. |
| Hurston, Zora Neale | b. January 7, 1891, Alabama, United States d. January 28, 1960, Florida, United States Father: From Alabama, United States Zora Neale Hurston was an influential novelist and folklorist best known for her novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Hurston was posthumously honored with educational institutions and awards being named in her honor. |
| Husa, Karel | b. August 7, 1921, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. December 14, 2016, North Carolina, United States Karel Husa was a classical composer and conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Music and winner of the 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. |
| Hussey, Olivia | b. April 17, 1951, Buenos Aires, Argentina Olivia Hussey is an actress known for her roles in the films Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Black Christmas (1974). |
| Huston, Anjelica | b. July 8, 1951, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Canada, Maternal Great Grandparents: From Italy Anjelica Huston is an Acadamy Award-winning actress. Huston won an Acadamy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Maerose Prizzi in the film Prizzi's Honor (1985). John Huston, her father, directed the film. |
| Huston, John | b. August 5, 1906, Missouri, United States d. August 28, 1987, Rhode Island, United States Father: From Canada John Huston was a well-know Academy Award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor. |
| Huston, Walter | b. April 5, 1883, Toronto, Canada d. April 7, 1950, California, United States Walter Huston was a highly regarded actor. Huston won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Howard in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). The film was directed by his son John Huston. |
| Hustvedt, Siri | b. February 19, 1955, Minnesota, United States Mother: From Norway Siri Hustvedt is a novelist, essayist and poet. Her work poses questions about identity and perception. |
| Huxley, Aldous | b. July 26, 1894, Surrey, United Kingdom d. November 22, 1963, California, United States Aldous Huxley was a writer, novelist and philosopher. His works include Brave New World and The Doors of Perception. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Ibekwe, Ekene | b. July 19, 1985, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Ekene Ibekwe is a professional basketball player for Châlons-Reims of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the University of Maryland at College Park. |
| Ichioka, Yuji | b. June 23, 1936, California, United States d. September 1, 2002, California, United States Parents: From Japan Yuji Ichioka was a historian and civil rights activist. He coined the term 'Asian American' and was regarded for his research in the field of Asian American studies and Japanese American history. |
| Idonije, Israel | b. November 17, 1980, Lagos, Nigeria Israel Idonije is a retired defensive end NFL player, and actor. Idonije was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Browns out of the University of Manitoba. |
| Ifill, Gwen | b. September 29, 1955, New York, United States d. November 14, 2016, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Panama Gwen Ifill was a journalist and broadcaster best known for her work on PBS NewsHour and Washington Week, where she became the first African American woman to host a nationally broadcast public affairs program. |
| Iglesias, Enrique | b. May 8, 1975, Madrid, Spain Enrique Iglesias is a singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He began his career in the English language market in the late 1990s and is widely regarded as the King of Latin Pop. |
| Iglesias, José | b. January 5, 1990, Havana, Cuba José Iglesias is a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers and was a reserve for the American League 2015 All-Star Game. |
| Ignatiev, Noel | b. 1940, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Russia Noel Ignatiev is an author and historian, best known for his work on race and social class. |
| Iguodala, Andre | b. January 28, 1984, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia Andre Iguodala is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. |
| Igwe, Amaechi | b. May 20, 1988, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Amaechi Igwe is a retired professional soccer player who played as a defender. |
| Ihedigbo, James | b. December 3, 1983, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Nigeria James Ihedigbo is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. |
| Ilacoin | b. July 15, 1973, New York, United States Parents: From Nigeria Ilacoin is an American rapper and producer. |
| Ilgauskas, Zydrunas | b. June 5, 1974, Kaunas, Lithuania Zydrunas Ilgauskas was a first round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He starred in the NBA for 13 seasons. |
| Iman | b. July 25, 1955, Mogadishu, Somalia Iman is an internationally known professional model and innovator in the fields of cosmetics, home decor, and fashion. |
| Impellitteri, Vincent R. | b. February 4, 1900, Isnello, Italy d. January 29, 1987, Connecticut, United States Vincent R. Impellitteri rose from humble beginnings to become the Mayor of New York from 1950 to 1953. |
| Ina, Kyoko | b. October 11, 1972, Tokyo, Japan Kyoko Ina is an Olympic pairs figure skater. She skated with Jason Dungjen. |
| Inada, Lawson Fusao | b. May 26, 1938, California, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Japan Lawson Fusao Inada is a poet, writer and educator who was the fifth poet laureate of the state of Oregon. |
| Inciarte, Ender | b. October 29, 1990, Maracaibo, Venezuela Ender Inciarte is an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. He was a 2017 NL All-Star and is a two-time winner of the Rawlings NL Gold Glove. |
| Indenbirken, Irmelin | b. February 15, 1945, Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany Irmelin Indenbirken is a movie producer and actress. She is the mother of actor Leonardo DiCaprio. |
| Ingraham, Laura | b. June 19, 1963, Connecticut, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Poland Laura Ingraham is a TV and radio talk show host, author, and conservative political commentator. She hosts the nationally syndicated radio show, The Laura Ingraham Show, is the editor-in-chief of LifeZette and a long time Fox News Channel contributor. |
| Inouye, Daniel K. | b. September 7, 1924, Hawaii, United States d. December 17, 2012, Maryland, United States Father and Maternal Grandparents: From Japan Daniel Ken Inouye was a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1963 to 2012. He was the highest-ranking Japanese American politician in U.S. history. |
| Ipson, Jay M. | b. June 5, 1935, Kaunas, Lithuania Jay M. Ipson is a holocaust survivor and co-founder of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. |
| Irabu, Hideki | b. May 5, 1969, Hirara, Japan d. July 27, 2011, California, United States Hideki Irabu was a professional baseball player. He was a pitcher who played for professionally for the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers. |
| Iraheta, Allison | b April 27, 1992, California, United States Parents: From El Salvador Allison Iraheta is a singer. She was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. |
| Irving, Kyrie | b. March 23, 1992, Melbourne, Australia Kyrie Irving is a point guard for the Boston Celtics. He was on the 2016 Olympic USA men's basketball team and was a former Cleveland Cavalier. |
| Ishigaki, Ayako | b. September 21, 1903, Tokyo, Japan d. 1996, Place unknown Ayako Ishigaki was a journalist. She used the pen name Haru Matsui to publish Restless Wave, one of the first English-language books written by an Asian-American woman. |
| Iweala, Uzodinma | b. November 5, 1982, Washington D.C., United States Parents: From Nigeria Uzodinma Iweala is a writer. His most popular book is Beasts of No Nation, a novel developed from his thesis which tells the story of a child soldier in an unnamed African country. |
| Iwuh, Brian | b. March 8, 1984, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Brian Iwuh is a former American football linebacker who played for six seasons in the National Football League. |
| Iwuji, Jesse | b. August 12, 1987, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Jesse Iwuji is a professional stock car racing driver and officer in the United States Navy Reserve. |
| Iwuoma, Chidi | b. February 19, 1978, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Chidi Iwuoma is a former American football cornerback who is currently a scout for BLESTO. |
| Izsák, Imre | b. February 21, 1929, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary d. April 21, 1965, Paris, France Imre Izsák was a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and celestial mechanician. He found that the shape of the equator was not a precise circle, but deviated from one by about 400 meters. This result was better than any previous approximation. When he officially announced his computations he was made chief scientist at NASA. |
J
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Jaar, Alfredo | b. February 5, 1956, Santiago, Chile Alfredo Jaar is an artist, architect and filmmaker. His best known works are installations tackling social and political topics, in particular The Rwanda Project, a work that took six years to make and focuses on the genocide in Rwanda. |
| Jaber, Phil | b. circa 1967, Palestine Phil Jaber is an entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Philz Coffee, a California-based chain of coffee shops. |
| Jackson, Frank G. | b. October 4, 1946, Ohio, United States Maternal Grandparents From Italy Frank Jackson is the 56th mayor of Cleveland and was elected for a fourth term November 2017. |
| Jackson, Mahalia | b. October 26, 1911, Louisiana, United States d. January 27, 1972, Illinois, United States Mahalia Jackson was known as "The Queen of Gospel". She recorded 30+ albums, including 12 gold (million-selling) singles. She lent her voice to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, including a performance at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 March on Washington. |
| Jackson, Michael | b. August 29, 1958, Indiana, United States d. June 25, 2009, California, United States Father: From Arkansas, United States, Mother: From Alabama, United States Michael Jackson, known as "The King of Pop", was a singer who began performing with his brothers at age 5 in the Jackson 5. he went solo at age 13. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album in history, generating seven top-10 hits, spending 37 weeks at number 1. |
| Jacobi, Lotte | b. August 17, 1896, Toruń, present-day Poland d. May 6, 1990, New Hampshire, United States Lotte Jacobi is best known for her photographic portraits, which act as a "chronicle of an era." The list of her subjects includes W. H. Auden, Marc Chagall, W. E. B. Du Bois, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, Käthe Kollwitz, Thomas Mann, Eleanor Roosevelt and J.D. Salinger, to name but a few. |
| Jacobs, Jospeh | b. August 29, 1854, Sydney, Australia d. January 30, 1916, New York, United States Joseph Jacobs was a folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. |
| Jaffe, Norman | b. April 3, 1932, Illinois, United States d. August 19, 1993, New York, United States Parents: From Poland and Latvia Norman Jaffe was an architect widely noted for his contemporary residential architecture, and his "strikingly sculptural beach houses" on Eastern Long Island, in southeastern New York. |
| Jaffe, Sam | b. March 10, 1891, New York, United States d. March 24, 1984, California, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From Ukraine Sam Jaffe was a busy character actor of the stage and screen. In 1951, Jaffe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Erwin Riedenschneider the brains behind the heist in the classic film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950). |
| Jaffee, Al | b. March 13, 1921, Georgia, United States Parents: From Lithuania Al Jaffee is a cartoonist for the humor magazine, Mad. As of 2017, according to the Guinness World Record, Jaffee is the oldest working cartoonist. Jaffee's famous Fold-In sight gag has been a part of Mad Magazine for twenty-five years. |
| Jaffee, Irving | b. September 15, 1906, New York, United States d. March 20, 1981, California, United States Parents: From Russia Irving Jaffee was an olympic speed skater who won two gold medals at the 1932 Winter Olympics. Jaffee, because of his life-long commitment and contribution to speed skating, was inducted into the United States Skating Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. |
| Jagger, Bianca | b. 2 May 1945, Managua, Nicaragua Bianca Jagger is a social and human rights advocate and a former actress. She currently serves as a Council of Europe goodwill ambassador, founder and chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation and as a member of the Executive Director's Leadership Council of Amnesty International USA. |
| Jahoda, Marie | b. January 26, 1907, Vienna, Austria d. April 28, 2001, Sussex, United Kingdom Marie Jahoda was a social psychologist who research ed poverty, unemployment and discimination. |
| Jako, Dr. Geza | b. August 9, 1930, Budapest, Hungary d. November 1, 2015, Massachusetts, United States Dr. Geza Jako was Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at Boston University. He was the inventor of soft tissue microsurgery, laser surgery, modern techniques of minimally invasive surgery, and a White House Advisor for Cancer to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. |
| Jalal, Ayesha | b. Date and year unknown, Lahore, Pakistan Ayesha Jalal is a historian, specializing in the history of Pakistan, Muslim identity and South Asian history. |
| James, Aurora | b. Date and year unknown, Toronto, Canada Aurora James is the fashion designer behind Brother Vellies, a sustainable shoe brand that utilizes traditional African shoemaking. |
| James, C. L. R. | b. January 4, 1901, Tunapuna, present-day Trinidad and Tobago d. May 31, 1989, London, United Kingdom C. L. R. James was a playwright, novelist, cultural historian and political activist who was a leading proponent of the Pan-African movement. |
| James, Charles | b. July 18, 1906, Surrey, United Kingdom d. September 23, 1978, New York, United States Charles James was a famous couturier in the United States in the mid-20th century. He was the subject of a recent Costume Institute exhibition in 2014. |
| James, Lennie | b. October 11, 1965, Nottingham, United Kingdom Lennie James is an actor, screenwriter, and playwright. He has appeared in many films, including Les Misérables (1998), Snatch (2000), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). He is also known for his portrayal of Morgan Jones in the popular AMC series The Walking Dead. |
| Jarre, Maurice | b. September 13, 1924, Lyon, France d. March 28, 2009, California, United States Maurice Jarre was a conductor and composer who is known for his film scores. Jarre was nominated for nine Acadamy Awards and won three. |
| Jastrow, Joseph | b. January 30, 1863, Warsaw, Poland d. January 8, 1944, Massachusetts, United States Joseph Jastrow was a psychologist, noted for inventions in experimental psychology, design of experiments, and psychophysics. |
| Jayapal, Pramila | b. September 21, 1965, Chennai, India Pramila Jayapal is a politician and activist from the State of Washington who currently serves as the U.S. Representative from Washington's 7th congressional district. |
| Jean-Raymond, Kerby | b. Date and year unknown, New York, United States Father: From Haiti Kerby Jean-Raymond is the designer behind clothing brand, Pyer Moss, and uses his clothes to protest police brutality and economic inequality. |
| Jean, Wyclef | b. October 17, 1969, Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti Wyclef Jean is best known for being member of the hip hop music group Fugees. |
| Jebreal, Rula | b. April 24, 1973, Haifa, Israel Rula Jebreal is a foreign policy analyst, journalist, novelist and screenwriter. She was a commentator for MSNBC. |
| Jemison, Mae | b. October 17, 1956, Alabama, United States Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to travel in space as a Mission Specialist on STS-47 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour from September 12-20, 1992. |
| Jen, Gish | b. August 12, 1955, New York, United States Parents: From China Gish Jen is a writer of short stories, novels and non-fiction books. She is best known for Typical American and Mona in the Promised Land. |
| Jencks, Christopher | b. October 22, 1936, Maryland, United States Christopher Jencks is a social scientist. He is currently the Malcom Wiener Professor of Social Policy in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. |
| Jenkins, Lynn | b. June 10, 1963, Kansas, United States Lynn Jenkins is a politician and member of the Republican Party who serves as the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district. |
| Jennings, Peter | b. July 29, 1938, Toronto, Canada d. August 7, 2005, New York, United States Peter Jennings was a journalist who served as the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight for 22 years from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005. |
| Jericho, Chris | b. November 9, 1970, New York, United States Father: From Canada Chris Jericho is a professional wrestler, musician, media personality, actor, author, podcaster, and businessman signed to WWE on the SmackDown brand. |
| Jeritza, Maria | b. October 6, 1887, Brno, present-day Czech Republic d. July 10, 1982, New Jersey, United States Maria Jeritza was a soprano opera singer. She had long associated with the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Her rapid rise to fame, beauty and personality earned her the nickname "The Moravian Thunderbolt." |
| Jewell, Sally | b. February 21, 1956, London, United Kingdom Sally Jewell was the 51st United States Secretary of the Interior. She searved from April 12, 2013 to January 20, 2017 under president Barack Obama. |
| Ji, Yun-Fei | b. 1963, Beijing, China Yun-Fei Ji is a painter who uses the traditional materials of Chinese painting to depict contemporary events, and Chinese historical and political themes. |
| Jicha, Joseph W. | b. August 30, 1901, Place unknown d. August 30, 1960, Ohio, United States Joseph W. Jicha was commisioned by the The Cleveland Community Fund in 1928 to design a poster for its campaign. In 1929, Jicha won the international Frank Logan Medal at the Chicago Art Institute for painting. |
| Jidenna | b. May 4, 1985, Wisconsin, United States Father: From Nigeria Jidenna is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. |
| Jin, Ha | b. February 21, 1956, Jinzhou, China Ha Jin is the pen name of Xuefei Jin. He is a novelist, short story writer and poet, and many of his works are set in China. He is best known for the books Waiting and War Trash. |
| Joachim Sabath, Adolph | b. April 4, 1866, Záboří, present-day Czech Republic d. November 6, 1952, Maryland, United States Adolph Joachim Sabath was a politician who served as a United States Representative for Illinois. He served from 1907-1952. |
| Jobim, Antônio Carlos | b. January 25, 1927, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil d. December 8, 1994, New York, United States Antônio Carlos Jobim was an influential pianist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Jobim is credited with making the bossa nova style of music an international sensation. |
| Jobrani, Maz | b. February 26, 1972, Tehran, Iran Maz Jobrani is a comedian and actor. His comedic styles are observational comedy and satire. |
| Jobs, Steve | b. February 24, 1955, California, United States d. October 5, 2011, California, United States Biological Father: From Syria, Adoptive Maternal Grandparents: From Armenia Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur, businessman, inventor, and industrial designer who revolutionized the role of technology in everyday life. He was cofounder of Apple Inc. |
| Jochelson, Vladimir | b. June 14, 1855, Vilnius, Lithuania d. November 1, 1937, New York, United States Vladimir Jochelson was an ethnographer and researched the indigenous peoples of the Russian North. |
| Jock, Charles | b. November 23, 1989, Ethiopia Charles Jock is an Olympic track and field runner. He competes in the 800-meter. |
| Joel, Billy | b. May 9, 1949, New York, United States Father: From Germany Billy Joel is an award-winning songwriter, singer, and pianist. Joel has sold over one hundred and fifty million records worldwide. |
| Jogia, Avan | b. February 9, 1992, Vancouver, Canada Avan Jogia is an actor. He got his first break in the teen TV series Victorious and went on to star in Twisted. |
| Johann, Zita | b. July 14, 1904, Timișoara, present-day Romania d. September 20, 1993, New York, United States Zita Johann had a short, but memorable career in film. She is best known for her role as the alluring Princess Ankh-es-en-amon in The Mummy (1932). |
| Johansson, Scarlett | b. November 22, 1984, New York, United States Father: From Denmark, Maternal Grandparents: From Belarus Scarlett Johansson is an actress and singer. In 2003, she was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. |
| Johnson, Andrew | b. December 29, 1808, North Carolina, United States d. July 31, 1875, Tennessee, United States Paternal Great-grandmother: From Germany, Maternal Great-grandfather: From the United Kingdom Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States. |
| Johnson, Barbara Piasecka | b. February 25, 1937, Staniewicze, present-day Belarus d. April 1, 2013, Sobotka, Poland Barbara Piasecka Johnson was a humanitarian, philanthropist, art connoisseur and collector. She married in to the Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid and baby powder family fortune. |
| Johnson, Dwayne | b. May 2, 1972, California, United States Father: From Canada Dwayne Johnson also known by his ring name The Rock, is an actor, producer and professional wrestler. |
| Johnson, James Weldon | b. June 17, 1871, Florida, United States d. June 26, 1938, Maine, United States Maternal Grandfather: From present-day Haiti James Weldon Johnson was a writer, known during the Harlem Renaissance for his novels, poems and anthologies of collected poems and spirituals which celebrated the power of black expressive culture. |
| Johnson, John H. | b. January 19, 1918, Arkansas, United States d. August 8, 2005, Illinois, United States John H. Johnson was a businessman and publisher who founded Johnson Publishing Company and was the first African-American to appear on the Forbes 400 list. He is credited with founding Ebony magazine. |
| Johnson, Sargent Claude | b. October 7, 1888, Massachusetts, United States d. October 10, 1967, California, United States Father: From Sweden Sargent Claude Johnson was a painter, ceramicist, printmaker, graphic artist and sculptor working in the Abstract Figurative style. He was initially concerned with simplicity, however later became more interested in stylization of form. |
| Johnson, William | b. March 18, 1901, South Carolina, United States d. April 13, 1970, New York, United States William Johnson was an African-American painter whose style was most closely associated with the folk movement. He was an instructor for the WPA Federal Art Project and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. |
| Jolson, Al | b. May 26, 1886, present day Seredzius, Lithuania d. October 23, 1950, California, United States Al Jolson was a singer, comedian and actor. He starred in multiple musicals and, at the peak of his career, he was known as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." |
| Jones, Bill T. | b. February 15, 1952, Florida, United States Bill T. Jones is the Co-Founder/Choreographer of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and Artistic Director of New York Live Arts. The company has performed in over 200 cities in 40 countries and is recognized as one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the dance-theater world. |
| Jones, Claudia | b. February 21, 1915, Port of Spain, Trinidad d. 24 December, 1964, London, United Kingdom Claudia Jones was a journalist, activist and black nationalist through Communism. |
| Jones, Grace | b. May 19, 1948, Spanish Town, Jamaica Grace Jones is a singer and actress who is best known for her 1985 album Slave to the Rhythm. |
| Jones, James Earl | b. January 17, 1931, Mississippi, United States Father: From Mississippi, United States James Earl Jones was an actor best known for his deep, resonant voice. His iconic voice became that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars filmography and King Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King. During his 60+ year career, he has acted in and voiced dozens of movies, television shows and animated features. |
| Jones, Mother | b. 1837, Cork, Ireland d. November 30, 1930, Maryland, United States Mother Jones was a school teacher and dressmaker who was very involved in the struggle for workers' rights. She organized countless, massive strikes and helped found the Industrial Workers of the World labor union. |
| Jones, Norah | b. March 30, 1979, New York, United States Father: From India Norah Jones is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is the daughter of Ravi Shankar and producer Sue Jones. Jones' debut recording, Come Away with Me garnered five Grammy Awards. Jones has sold over 50 million records worldwide. |
| Jordan, Claudia | b. April 12, 1973, Rhode Island, United States Mother: From Italy Claudia Jordan is an actress, model, reality television and radio personality. She is known for appearing as a model on the U.S. version of Deal or No Deal and The Price Is Right, and for competing on seasons two and six of Celebrity Apprentice. |
| Joseph, Moritz | b. September 9, 1834, Gauersheim, Germany d. June 7, 1917, Ohio, United States Moritz Joseph was responsible for building the Joseph and Feiss Company into one of the largest clothing manufacturers in the United States. |
| Joseph, Rajiv | b. June 16, 1974, Ohio, United States Father: From India Rajiv Joseph is a playwright and writer for television. Joseph's play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama. |
| Josephson, Barney | b. 1902, New Jersey, United States d. 1988, New York, United States Parents: From Latvia Barney Josephson was a nightclub proprietor who founded and managed Café Society in Greenwich Village, New York's first integrated nightclub. |
| Joshi, S. T. | b. June 22, 1958, Pune, India S. T. Joshi is one of the leading figures in the critical study of H.P. Lovecraft and many other weird and fantastic fiction writers. Joshi is also an extensive bibliographer, having compiled the works of Ray Bradbury, Lovecraft and many others. |
| Joss, Addie | b. April 12, 1880, Wisconsin, United States d. April 14, 1911, Ohio, United States Father: From Switzerland Addie Joss was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Cleveland Bronchos, later known as the Naps, between 1902 and 1910. |
| Jovanovich, William | b. February 6, 1920, Colorado, United States d. December 4, 2001, California, United States Father: From present-day Montenegro, Mother: From Poland William Jovanovich was a publisher, author and businessman, credited with many innovations in the publishing industry. He was director of the publishing firm Harcourt, Brace and World, most recently known as Harcourt. |
| Jovovich, Milla | b. December 17, 1975, Kiev, Ukraine Milla Jovovich is a model, fashion designer, singer, and actress. |
| Joyner, Marjorie | b. October 24, 1896, Virginia, United States d. December 27, 1994, Illinois, United States Marjorie Joyner was an African-American businesswoman and inventor of the Permanent Hair-Wave Machine, which could apply curls and waves to hair as well as straightening it. |
| Judd, Charles Hubbard | b. February 23, 1873, Bareilly, India d. July 18, 1946, California, United States Charles Judd was a professor at Yale University, and he specialized in psychology of education. |
| Judd, Cris | b. August 15, 1969, Texas, United States Father: From Portugal, Mother: From the Philippines Cris Judd is an actor and choreographer. He was briefly married to Jennifer Lopez. |
| Julian, Rupert | b. January 25, 1879, Whangaroa, New Zealand d. December 27, 1943, California, United States Rupert Julian was a film director and actor who is best known for directing the now classic silent film The Phantom of the Opera (1925) with Lon Chaney. |
| Jung, Andrea | b. 1958, Toronto, Canada Parents: From China Andrea Jung is an executive who was the CEO of Avon Products, Inc. for over a decade, and is currently the CEO of Grameen America, a microfinance company. |
| Juste, Viter | b. December 15, 1924, La Gonâve, Haiti d. November 19, 2012, Florida, United States Viter Juste was a community activist and the founder of Haitian-American Community Association of Dade, which was one of the first social service organizations founded specifically to cater to the needs of the Haitian community in Miami. |
| Juszkiewicz, Henry | b. March 3, 1953, San Nicolas de los Arroyos, Argentina Parents: From Poland Henry Juszkiewicz is chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands, Inc. (formerly, Gibson Guitar Corp.). |
K
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Ka'ahumanu, Lani | b. October 5, 1943, Edmonton, Canada Lani Ka'ahumanu is a writer and feminist who co-founded BiPOL, the first feminist bisexual political action group to "educate, advocate, agitate" in the USA. She was instrumental in organizing what would become BiNet USA, the first national bisexual rights organization. |
| Kaczmarek, Jan A. P. | b. April 29, 1953, Konin, Poland Jan A. P. Kaczmarek is an Academy Award-winning composer who has scored over 60 movies and documentaries in his career. |
| Kaczorowski, Nina | b. June 6, 1975, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Poland Nina Kaczorowski is an American actress, stunt woman, model and dancer. |
| Kadi, Nicholas | b. September 22, 1952, Istanbul, Turkey Nicholas Kadi is an actor who has appeared in numerous television sitcoms and series, such as JAG, Sleeper Cell, Alias, 24, ER, The Young and the Restless and The Wayans Bros. |
| Kaesviharn, Kevin | b. August 29, 1976, California, United States Father: From Thailand Kevin Kaesviharn is a former American football safety. He played as a member of the San Francisco Demons, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, and Carolina Panthers. |
| Kagan, Donald | b. May 1, 1932, Kuršėnai, Lithuania Donald Kagan is a historian and classicist, specializing in ancient Greece. His most notable work is a history of the Peloponnesian War. |
| Kahn, Albert | b. March 21, 1869, Rhaunen, Germany d. December 8, 1942, Michigan, United States Albert Kahn was an industrial architect who is sometimes called the "architect of Detroit". In 1943, the Franklin Institute awarded him the Frank P. Brown Medal posthumously. |
| Kahn, Gus | b. November 6, 1886, Koblenz, Germany d. October 8, 1941, California, United States Gus Kahn wrote songs for vaudeville and films. Some hits include I'll See You in My Dreams, It Had to Be You, and Dream a Little Dream of Me. |
| Kahn, Irving | b. December 19, 1905, New York, United States d. February 24, 2015, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Irving Kahn was an investor and philanthropist. He was the oldest living active investor. |
| Kahn, Philippe | b. March 16, 1952, Paris, France Philippe Kahn is a mathematician, technology innovator, entrepreneur and founder of four technology companies: Fullpower Technologies, LightSurf Technologies, Starfish Software and Borland. |
| Kahneman, Daniel | b. March 5, 1934, Tel Aviv, Israel Daniel Kahneman is a psychologist notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision making, as well as behavioral economics, for which he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. |
| Kahraman, Hayv | b. 1981, Baghdad, Iraq Hayv Kahraman is an artist, best known for her paintings. Her works explore the experiences of being a refugee, in particular a female refugee, as well as political issues in Iraq. |
| Kaihatsu, Tim | b. December 23, 1945, Minnesota, United States d. April 7, 2014, California, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Japan Tim Kaihatsu was a blues guitarist. He recorded and toured with some of the biggest names in blues, including Robert Cray, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Charlie Musselwhite. |
| Kaiser, George | b. July 29, 1942, Oklahoma, United States Parents: From Germany George Kaiser is a businessman. He is the chairman of BOK Financial Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| Kakutani, Michiko | b. January 9, 1955, Connecticut, United States Father: From Japan, Maternal Grandparents: From Japan Michiko Kakutani is an American literary critic and former chief book critic for The New York Times. Kakutani won the 1998 Putlitzer Prize for Criticism. |
| Kalbasi, Sheema | b. 20 November, 1972, Tehran, Iran Sheema Kalbasi is an activist for social justice, women's rights, minorities' rights, children's rights, human rights and refugees' rights. |
| Kalish, Max | b. March 1, 1891, Valozin, Lithuania d. March 18, 1945, New York, United States Max Kalish was a sculptor who studied his art at the Cleveland Institute of Art and in New York and Paris. He assisted with reconstructive surgery on soldiers during World War I and became renowned for his lifelike depictions of industrial workers. |
| Kalman, Tibor | b. July 6, 1949, Budapest, Hungary d. May 2, 1999, San Juan, Puerto Rico Tibor Kalman was a graphic designer who would go on to become the editor-and-cheif of Colors magazine |
| Kamiński, Janusz | b. June 27, 1959, Ziebice, Poland Janusz Kamiński is a cinematographer and film director. He has established a partnership with Steven Spielberg, and has worked as a cinematographer on his movies since 1993. |
| Kandel, Eric R. | b. November 7, 1929, Vienna, Austria Eric R. Kandel is a neuroscientist and a University Professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. |
| Kane, Bob | b. October 24, 1915, New York, United States d. November 3, 1998, California, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Bob Kane is known for co-creating the comic superhero Batman in May 1939, along with the writer Bill Finger who went uncredited in his role of co-creator until 2015. |
| Kane, Carol | b. June 18, 1952, Ohio, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandfathers: From Russia, Maternal Grandmother: From Austria Carol Kane is an Emmy Award-winning TV, movie, and stage actress and comedian. She became known in the 1970s in films such as Hester Street and Annie Hall. |
| Kano, Alisa | b. November 7, 1994, Tokyo, Japan Alisa Kano is an Olympic rhythmic gymnast. She represented the United States at the 2015 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. As a member of the American group rhythmic gymnastics team, she won a gold and two silver medals at the 2015 Pan American Games and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics. |
| Kapany, Narinder Singh | b. October 31, 1926, Moga, India Narinder Singh Kapany is a physicist who is often called "The Father of Fiber Optics." He is credited with over 120 patents. |
| Kaper, Bronisław | b. February 5, 1902, Warsaw, Poland d. April 26, 1983, California, United States Bronisław Kaper was a busy film music composer, conductor, and songwriter. Kaper wrote songs for the Marx Brothers, scored over 100 films, and his themes for the films Green Dolphin Street (1947) and Invitation (1952) have become jazz standards. |
| Kaplan, Kid | b. October 15, 1901, Kiev, Ukraine d. October 26, 1970, Connecticut, United States Kid Kaplan was a professional featherweight boxer. Kaplan was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003. |
| Karanja, K. K. | b. November 23, 1973, New York, United States Parents: From Kenya K. K. Karanja, in the 1980s, was an upcoming the star of the American chess scene. He went on to great academic and athletic success. |
| Karasz, Ilonka | b. July 13, 1896, Budapest, Hungary d. May 26, 1981, New York, United States Ilonka Karasz was designer and illustrator most remembered for her New Yorker magazine covers |
| Karem, Abraham | b. June 27, 1937, Baghdad, Iraq Abraham Karem is an aerospace engineer who is a pioneer in Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology. |
| Karen O | b. November 22, 1978, Busan, South Korea Karen O is a singer and musician. She is the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and produces soundtracks for major motion pictures. |
| Karinska, Barbara | b. October 3, 1886 present-day Kharkiv, Ukraine d. October 19, 1983, New York, United States Barbara Karinska was a costumer of the New York City Ballet. She was the first costumer ever to win the Capezio Dance Award, for costumes "of visual beauty for the spectator and complete delight for the dancer." She won the 1948 Oscar for the costumes of Joan of Arc. |
| Karnow, Stanley | b. February 4, 1925, New York, United States d. January 27, 2013, Maryland, United States Mother: From Hungary Stanley Karnow was a journalist and historian whose writing and reporting focused on South East Asia, the Vietnam War and the Philippines during periods of change and conflict. |
| Károlyi, Márta | b. August 29, 1942, Odorheiu Secuiesc, present-day Romania Márta Károlyi is the national team coordinator for U.S.A Gymnastics and has trained countless U.S. champions, including Mary Lout Retton and Romanian Nadia Comaneci. |
| Kasem, Casey | b. April 27, 1932, Michigan, United States d. June 15, 2014, Washington, United States Parents: From Lebanon Casey Kasem was a radio personality whose popular syndicated music countdown shows, American Top 40 and Casey's Top 40, ran from 1970 to his retirement in 2009. Also, Kasem was an actor and voice over artist. He is best known for voicing the character, Shaggy, in the Scooby Doo cartoon series. |
| Kashama, Hakeem | b. February 22, 1978, Zaire, present-day Democratic Republic of Congo Hakeem Kashama is a former football defensive end who most notably played for the Cleveland Browns. |
| Kashiwagi, Arisu | b. Date and year unknown, Japan Arisu Kashiwagi is an Emmy nominated title designer who has worked on the title seqences for Stranger Things, The Pacific and Boardwalk Empire. |
| Kashper, Eugene | b. 1969, Leningrad, present-day Russia Eugene Kashper is a beer entrepreneur and current chairman of Pabst Brewing Company. |
| Kasich, John | b. May 13, 1952, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Czech Republic, Maternal Grandparents: From Croatia John Kasich is a politician and former news host. He served as the 66th Governor of Ohio. |
| Kasznar, Kurt | b. August 13, 1913, Vienna, Austria d. August 6, 1979, California, United States Kurt Kasznar was an actor who made his mark on the Broadway stage and later films and television. During his time serving in the U.S. Army, Kasznar trained as a cinematographer; he was one of the first to capture the ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on film. |
| Katic, Stana | b. April 26, 1978, Ontario, Canada Parents: From Serbia Stana Katic is an actress who is best known for her role in ABC's Castle television crime drama. |
| Katz, Alex | b. July 24, 1927, New York, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From present-day Poland Alex Katz is a figurative artist, recognized for his simplified portraits and landscapes made up of flat planes of color and clean lines. |
| Kaufman, Bel | b. May 10, 1911, Berlin, Germany d. July 25, 2014, New York, United States Bel Kaufman was a writer and educator who is known for her 1964 top-selling novel Up the Down Staircase. The novel was adapted for film in 1967 and later, in 1977, a successful play. |
| Kawara, On | b. December 24, 1932, Aichi, Japan d. June 27, 2014, New York, United States On Kawara was a conceptual artist, whose practice focused on the broad themes of continuity and time. His best known works are from his Today series. These are paintings of just the date, with each date corresponding to the date he made that specific work. |
| Kazan, Elia | b. September 7, 1909, Istanbul, Turkey Parents: From Greece Elia Kazan was a director, producer, writer and actor. Kazan is described by The New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". |
| Kazin, Alfred | b. June 5, 1915, New York, United States d. June 5, 1998, New York, United States Father: From present-day Belarus, Mother: From present-day Poland Alfred Kazin was a writer and literary critic who wrote three highly-praised autobiographical works: A Walker in the City, Starting Out in the Thirties and New York Jew. |
| Kearney, Denis | b. 1847, County Cork, present-day Ireland d. 1907, California, United States Denis Kearney was a labor organizer and an outspoken nativist who was called a "demagogue of extraordinary power." Kearney was one of the most outspoken voices in the California labor movement against Chinese immigrants because he believed they flooded the market with cheap labor. |
| Keeler, Ruby | b. August 25, 1909, Dartmouth, Canada d. February 28, 1993, California, United States Ruby Keeler was an actress and dancer who lit up the silver screen in almost a dozen musicals, including Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) and Footlight Parade (1933). Keele was a favorite of legendary choreographer/director Busby Berkeley. |
| Keene, Laura | b. July 20, 1826, Winchester, United Kingdom d. November 4, 1873, New Jersey, United States Laura Keene was a stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became know as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in the play Our American Cousin, attended by President Abraham Lincoln on the evening of his assassination. |
| Keflezighi, Meb | b. May 5, 1975, Asmara, Eritrea Meb Keflezighi is a four-time Olympian, silver medalist, and Boston marathon winner. He is considered to be one of the greatest runners of our time. |
| Keitel, Harvey | b. May 13, 1939, New York, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: From Romania Harvey Keitel is an actor, producer and Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominee. He started his career in the mid-1960s when he collaborated with young director, Martin Scorsese. |
| Kekessy, George | b. August 7, 1935, Tiszafured, Hungary George Kekessy was the director and founder of the Karpatok Hungarian Dance Group which recently celebrated 50 years of its existance. Kekessy opens his home to celebrities and foreign visitors, and the Hungarian Scouts camp on his property. |
| Kelada, Asaad | b. November 20, 1942, Cairo, Egypt Asaad Kelada is a director of popular American television shows including Family Ties and Who's the Boss? |
| Kellen, Konrad | b. 1913, Berlin, Germany d. April 8, 2007, California, United States Konrad Kellen was a political scientist, intelligence analyst and author. Kellen was an analyst for the RAND Corporation during the Vietnam war, ultimately urging the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and later became an expert in anti-terrorism strategies. |
| Keller, Evelyn Fox | b. March 20, 1936, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Evelyn Fox Keller is a physicist and author whose work focuses on the history and philosophy of modern biology, and on gender and science. |
| Keller, George Frederick | b. 1846, present-day Germany/Poland/Russia/Lithuania d. Date and place unknown George Frederick Keller was a lithographer and political cartoonist. His work often tapped into the fear and prejudice of people at the time and especially focused on anti-Chinese feeling. |
| Keller, Nora Okja | b. December 22, 1965, Seoul, South Korea Nora Okja Keller is an author best known for Comfort Woman and Fox Girl, both of which focus on the Korean women used by Japanese troops as sex slaves during World War II. |
| Kelly, John F. | b. May 11, 1950, Massachusetts, United States John F. Kelly is a government official and retired general serving as the current White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump, previously serving as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in the same administration. |
| Kelsen, Hans | b. October 11, 1881, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. April 19, 1973, California, United States Hans Kelsen was a jurist, legal philosopher and political philosopher. Kelsen was a young colleague of Sigmund Freud and wrote on the subject of social psychology and sociology. |
| Kemeny, John | b. May 31, 1926, Budapest, Hungary d. December 26, 1992, New Hampshire, United States John Kemeny was a mathematician, computer scientist, and educator best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language in 1964 with Thomas E. Kurtz. |
| Kennan, George F. | b. February 16, 1904, Wisconsin, United States d. March 17, 2005, New Jersey, United States George F. Kennan was a diplomat and historian. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histories of the relations between the USSR and the United States. |
| Kennedy, John F. | b. May 29, 1917, Massachusetts, United States d. November 22, 1963, Texas, United States Maternal and Paternal Great Grandparents: From Ireland John F. Kennedy was an American statesman who served as the thirty-fifth President of the United States. Kennedy's time in office was marked by high tensions with Communist states in the Cold War. |
| Kennedy, Robert | b. November 20, 1925, Massachusetts, United States d. June 6, 1968, California, United States Paternal and Maternal Great-grandparents: From Ireland Robert Kennedy was an American politician and lawyer who served as a junior senator from New York and was the 64th U.S. Attorney General. |
| Kent, Muhtar | b. October 31, 1952, New York, United States Father: From present-day Turkey Muhtar Kent is a business executive and the chairman and former CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. |
| Kenworthy, Gus | b. October 1, 1991, Chelmsford, United Kingdom Gus Kenworthy is an Omlypiac freestyle skier. He took silver in slopstyle at the 2014 Sochi Games. |
| Kerkorian, Kirk | b. June 6, 1917, California, United States d. June 15, 2015, California, United States Parents: From Armenia Kirk Kerkorian was a businessman, investor and philanthropoist. He is known as one of the most important figures in the shaping of Las Vegas. He built three of the world's largest hotels in Las Vegas: the International Hotel, the MGM Grand Hotel, and the MGM Grand. |
| Kerouac, Jack | b. March 12, 1922, Massachusetts, United States d. October 21, 1969, Florida, United States Parents: From Canada Jack Kerouac was a novelist and poet. He was the author of On the Road, the novel that is considered to be the quintessential statement of the 1950s literary movement known as the Beat Generation. |
| Kerry, Teresa Heinz | b. October 5, 1938 , Maputo, Mozambique Teresa Heinz Kerry is a businessperson and philanthropist. She is the wife of former U.S. Secretary of State, long-time Senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry. |
| Kertész, André | b. July 2, 1894, Budapest, present-day Hungary d. September 28, 1985, New York, United States André Kertész was a photographer who often worked with small hand-held cameras, catching specific moments and happenings. He is known as a pioneer of the photo essay and admired for his compositions and then-unusual camera angles. |
| Khakpour, Porochista | b. January 17, 1978, Tehran, Iran Porochista Khakpour is an essayist and writer. She is the author of the novels Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion. |
| Khalil, Christel | b. November 30, 1987, California, United States Father: From Pakistan Christel Khalil is an actress, best known for her portrayal as Lily Winters Ashby on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. At the 39th Daytime Emmy Awards she won award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. To date, she is the only minority actress in Daytime Emmy history to do so. |
| Khan, Daisy | b. 1958, Jammu and Kashmir, India Daisy Khan is a muslim campaigner and reformer who is the Executive Director of the Women's Islamic Initiative for Spirituality and Equality (WISE), activist for religion freedom. |
| Khan, Himayun | b. September 9, 1976, Dubai, United Arab Emirates d. June 8, 2004, Baqubah, Iraq Parents: From Pakistan Humayun Khan was a captain in the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War. He was killed in a suicide attack and was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. |
| Khan, Naeem | b. May 21, 1958, Mumbai, India Naeem Khan is a womenswear designer, known for his red carpet gowns. |
| Khannouchi, Khalid | b. December 22, 1971, Meknes, Morocco Khalid Khannouchi is an accomplished marathon runner. He is one of only five men to break the marathon world record more than once, and one of only four to break their own marathon world record. |
| Khorana, Har Gobind | b. January 9, 1922, Raipur, present-day Pakistan d. November 9, 2011, Massachussetts, United States Har Gobind Khorana was a biochemist who shared the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for research that showed how the order of nucleotides in nucleic acids control the cell's synthesis of proteins. |
| Khosla, Vinod | b. January 28, 1955, Delhi, India Vinod Khosla is an engineer and businessman. He cofounded Sun Microsystems, and is involved in a number of venture capitalist and microfinance endeavors. |
| Khurana, Rakesh | b. November 22, 1967, Punjab, India Rakesh Khurana is the Dean of Harvard College and the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership and Development in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School as well as a professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. |
| Kidder, Margot | b. October 17, 1948, Yellowknife, Canada Margot Kidder is an actress and activist. She rose to fame in 1978 for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman film series, opposite Christopher Reeve. |
| Kidwell, Margaret | b. August 17, 1933, Askham, United Kingdom Margaret Kidwell is an evolutionary biologist, famous for her research on the fruit fly. Kidwell was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1992 and the following year, she was elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. |
| Kilbane, Johnny | b. April 9, 1889, Ohio, United States d. May, 1957, Ohio, United States Father: From Ireland Johnny Kilbane was a featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the World Featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, which was the longest record to that point. |
| Killilea, Marie | b. June 28, 1913, United States d. October 23, 1991, New York, United States Father: From the United Kingdom, Mother: From Canada Marie Killilea was an author, activist, and lobbyist for the rights of people with cerebral palsy. |
| Kim, Byron | b. 1961, California, United States Parents: From present-day North Korea/South Korea Byron Kim is an artist who creates minimal paintings, through which he explores identity. He is best known for creating works made up of hundreds of small monochrome panels, each of which represents the skin color of a friend or relative. |
| Kim, Chloe | b. April 23, 2000, Long Beach, United States Parents: From South Korea Chloe Kim is an elite competitive snowboarder. She has won two X Game titles and is the first woman to score a perfect one-hundred point run. |
| Kim, Jay C. | b. March 27, 1939, Seoul, South Korea Jay C. Kim is a former United States Representative for California. He served from 1993-1999. |
| Kim, Jeong H. | b. August 13, 1960, Seoul, South Korea Jeong H. Kim is a businessman, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded a successful telecommunications company called Yurie Systems, and has since pursued a number of business and philanthropy endeavors. |
| Kim, Ronyoung | b. March 28, 1926, California, United States d. February 1987, Place unknown Parents: From present-day North Korea/South Korea Kim Ronyoung is the pen name of Gloria Hahn. She wrote Clay Walls, a novel about a Korean family that leaves Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1910s to live in the United States. |
| Kim, Yunjin | b. November 7, 1973, Seoul, South Korea Yunjin Kim is an actress, known for Lost (2004), Mistresses (2013) and Swiri (1999). |
| Kincaid, Jamaica | b. May 25, 1949, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda Jamaica Kincaid is a novelist, essayist and gardening writer. Kincaid explores social issues within the realm of the domestic and the personal, and is known for novels such as Annie John and Lucy. |
| King, Edward | b. June 14, 1989, Kempton Park, South Africa Edward King is lightweight four rower and competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| King, Steve | b. May 28, 1949, Iowa, United States Steve King is a politician serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 4th congressional district. |
| Kingston, Maxine Hong | b. October 27, 1940, California, United States Parents: From China Maxine Hong Kingston is an author of novels and non-fiction works which explore the experience of Chinese Americans. |
| Kinski, Nastassja | b. January 24, 1961, Berlin, Germany Nastassja Kinski is an actress known for her roles in the films Tess (1979), Cat People (1982), and Paris, Texas (1984). |
| Kipchirchir, Shadrack | b. February 22, 1989, Eldoret, Kenya Shadrack Kipchirchir is an Olympic 10,000 meter runner and competes via the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. |
| Kirby, Jack | b. August 28, 1917, New York, United States d. February 6, 1994, California, United States Parents: From Austria Jack Kirby was a comic book artist, writer, and editor. His creations included Captain America, Thor, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, Silver Surfer, Doctor Doom, and the X-Men. |
| Kirzner, Israel Meir | b. February 13, 1930, London, United Kingdom Israel Kirzner is an economist. He is emeritus professor of economics at New York University and a leading authority on Ludwig von Mises's thinking and methodology in economics. |
| Kissinger, Henry A. | b. May 27, 1923, Fürth, Germany Henry Kissinger was a political scientist, diplomat and geopolitical consultant who served as the 56th Secretary of State. He was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian award) in 1977, and the Medal of Liberty in 1986. |
| Kistiakowsky, George | b. November 18, 1900, Ukraine d. December 7, 1982, Massachusetts, United States George Kistiakowsky was a physical chemistry professor at Harvard who participated in the Manhattan Project and later served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Science Advisor. |
| Kitaj, R. B. | b. October 29, 1932, Ohio, United States d. October 21, 2007, California, United States Father: From Hungary R. B. Kitaj was an artist who had a significant influence on pop art with his figurative paintings featuring areas of bright colour, economic use of line and overlapping planes. |
| Klawe, Maria | b. 1951, Toronto, Canada Maria Klawe is a computer scientist and current president of Harvey Mudd College. |
| Klein, Allen | b. December 18, 1931, New Jersey, United States d. July 4, 2009, New York, United States Father: From Hungary Allen Klein was a businessman, music publisher, writers' representative, filmmaker and record label executive, most noted for his tough persona and aggressive negotiation tactics, many of which established higher industry standards for compensating recording artists. |
| Klein, Calvin | b. November 19, 1942, New York, United States Father: From Hungary Calvin Klein created the world famous fashion house and brand Calvin Klein Inc. and was placed on the International Best Dressed List in 1983. |
| Klein, Gerda Weissmann | b. May 8, 1924, Bielsko, Poland Gerda Weissmann Klein was a writer and human rights activist. She wrote the the highly praised memoir All But My Life, published in 1957. Klein also founded the civic engagement organization Citizenship Counts and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. |
| Klemperer, Werner | b. March 22, 1920, Cologne, Germany d. December 6, 2000, New York, United States Werner Klemperer was an acclaimed dramatic actor, but he is best known for playing the inept Colonel Wilhelm Klink in the television series Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971). |
| Kligman, Albert | b. March 17, 1916, Pennsylvania, United States d. February 9, 2010, Pennsylvania, United States Albert Kligman was a dermatologist who co-invented Retin-A, the popular acne medication, with James Fulton in 1969. |
| Kline, Franz | b. May 23, 1910, Pennsylvania, United States d. May 13, 1962, New York, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From the United Kingdom Franz Kline was a painter, best known for his black and white nonrepresentational works. He was associated with Abstract Expressionism but, although his work explored the same innovations as this group, his work is often seen as distinct. |
| Klineberg, Otto | b. November 2, 1899, Quebec City, Canada d. March 6, 1992, Maryland, United States Otto Klineberg was a psychologist who helped to found the World Federation for Mental Health. He specialized in social psychology and especially cross-cultural differences. |
| Kluge, John | b. September 21, 1914, Chemnitz, Germany d. September 8, 2010, Virginia, United States John Kluge was an entrepreneur who was, for a time, the richest man in the United States. Kluge is best known as a media mogul for his ownership of the Metromedia TV empire. |
| Klugman, Jack | b. April 27, 1922, Pennsylvania, United States d. December 24, 2012, California, United States Parents: From Russia Jack Klugman was a multiple Emmy Award winning television, stage, and film actor. Klugman is best know for his roles as Oscar Madison on the 1970s TV series The Odd Couple (1970) and as Dr. R. Quincy, Medical Examiner on the 1970s-80s TV series Quincy M.E. |
| Klum, Heidi | b. June 1, 1973, Bergisch, Germany Heidi Klum is an international model. She is also a well-known as an actress, tv producer, and businesswoman. |
| Klüver, Heinrich | b. May 25, 1897, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany d. February 8, 1979, Illinois, United States Heinrich Klüver was a professor at the University of Chicago, where he focused on neuropsychology. |
| Knight, Ted | b. December 7, 1923, Conneticut, United States d. August 26, 1986, California, United States Parents: From Poland Ted Knight was an actor and voice artist known for his roale as Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He appeared in the film as Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack. |
| Kobach, Kris | b. March 26, 1966, Wisconsin, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Germany, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Norway Kris Kobach is a politician and the Secretary of State of Kansas. He is one of the leading proponents of the anti-immigration movement in the United States. |
| Kochiyama, Yuri | b. May 19, 1921, California, United States d. June 1, 2014, California, United States Parents: From Japan Yuri Kochiyama advocated for many causes, including black separatism, the anti-war movement, Maoist revolution, and reparations for Japanese-American internees. |
| Kodje, Boris | b. March 8, 1973, Vienna, Austria Boris Kodjoe is an actor and former fashion model. He is curently best known for films and television, notably, reality TV shows, as himself. |
| Koelle, Heinz-Hermann | b. July 22, 1925, Danzig, Germany d. February 20, 2011, Berlin, Germany Heinz-Hermann Koelle was an aeronautical engineer. He was a member of the von Braun team at Huntsville Alabama, eventually heading the influential Advanced Projects Office. He was a key decision maker in source selection of propulsion for the Saturn vehicles. |
| Koenig, Walter | b. September 14, 1936, Illinois, United States Parents: From Russia Walter Koenig is an actor who is famous for his role as Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek TV series. |
| Koeppel, Alfred J. | b. September 14, 1932, Place unknown d. January 19, 2001, New York, United States Parental Grandfather: From Germany Alfred J. Koeppel was an executive in one of the oldest real estate families in New York, and a board chairman at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut. |
| Koffka, Kurt | b. March 18, 1886, Berlin, Germany d. November 22, 1941, Massachusetts, United States Kurt Koffka was a professor at Smith College, and one of the founders of Gestalt psychology. |
| Kogan, Belle | b. June 26, 1902, Ilyashevka, present-day Ukraine d. 2000, Israel Belle Kogan was a profilic industrial designers. She was the first woman in her field to own her own design firm. |
| Koh, Amanda | b. Date and year unknown, Singapore Amanda Koh is a designer of title sequences for both film and television. Her work includes the title sequence for the Entourage and Wonder Woman. |
| Kohl, Herb | b. February 7, 1935, Wisconsin, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: From Russia Herb Kohl is a businessman and politician. He is a former US Senator, the owner of the basketball team the Milwaukee Bucks and former President of Kohl's, his father's department store chain. |
| Kohl, Maxwell | b. May 12, 1901, Poland d. December 14, 1981, Wisconsin, United States Maxwell Kohl founded the successful department store Kohls. |
| Köhler, Wolfgang | b. January 22, 1887, Tallinn, present-day Estonia d. June 11, 1967, New Hampshire, United States Wolfgang Köhler was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology. |
| Kolko, Gabriel | b. August 17, 1932, New Jersey, United States d. May 19, 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands Father: From Poland Gabriel Kolko was a historian and author. His research interests included American capitalism and political history, the Progressive Era, and US foreign policy in the 20th century. |
| Koller, Karl | b. December 3, 1857, Schüttenhofen, present-day Czech Republic d. March 21, 1944, New York, United States Karl Koller was an ophthalmologist who began his medical career as a surgeon at the Vienna General Hospital and was a colleague of Sigmund Freud. Koller is best known for using cocaine as a local anaesthetic for eye surgeries. |
| Koltanowski, George | b. September 17, 1903, Antwerp, Belgium d. February 5, 2000, California, United States George Koltanowski was a leading chess writer and advocate. He played two games as a member of the U.S. team in the 10th Chess Olympiad (Helsinki, 1952); he drew with Soviet Grandmaster Alexander Kotov, one of the strongest players in the world and drew with Hungarian International Master, Tibor Florian. |
| Koner, Pauline | b. June 26, 1912, New York, United States d. February 8, 2001, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Pauline Koner was a contemporary dancer and choreographer. Koner was known for incorporating Spanish and Asian dance forms into her own work. |
| Konnyu, Ernest L. | b. May 17, 1937, Tamási, Hungary Ernest L. Konnyu is a former United States Representative for California. He served from 1980-1989. |
| Koopmans, Tjalling | b. August 28, 1910, 's-Graveland, Netherlands d. February 26, 1985, Connecticut, United States Tjalling Koopmans was a mathematician and economist. He was the joint winner with Leonid Kantorovich of the 1975 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on the theory of the optimum allocation of resources. |
| Korda, Zoltan | b. June 3, 1895, Túrkeve, present-day Hungary d. October 13, 1961, California, United States Zoltan Korda was a director, producer and writer. Korda's partnership with his brother yielded a bevy of now classic films, including Jungle Book (1942). |
| Korematsu, Fred | b. January 30, 1919, California, United States d. March 30, 2005, California, United States Parents: From Japan Fred Korematsu was a civil rights activist who objected to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. |
| Korff, Baruch | b. July 4, 1914, Novograd-Volynsk, Ukraine d. July 26, 1995, Rhode Island, United States Baruch Korff was a community activist active in the anti-Nazi movement prior to and during World War II. |
| Korir, Leonard | b. December 10, 1986, Iten, Kenya Leonard Korir is a two-time NCAA champion. He is part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Korjus, Miliza | b. August 18, 1909, Warsaw, Poland d. August 26, 1980, California, United States Miliza Korjus was an actress and opera singer. In 1938, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in her first film The Great Waltz. |
| Kornberg, Arthur | b. March 3, 1918, New York, United States d. October 26, 2007, California, United States Parents: From Poland Arthur Kornberg was a biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1959 for his discovery of "the mechanisms in the biological synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid" together with Dr. Severo Ochoa of New York University. |
| Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | b. May 29, 1897, Brno, present-day Czech Republic d. November 29, 1957, California, United States Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a composer, best known as one of the originators of the genre of grand film music. He was also noted for his operas, especially for The Dead City, which earned him an international reputation. |
| Koroleva, Mariya | b. April 10, 1990, Yaroslavl, Russia Mariya Koroleva is a synchronized swimmer who competed in the 2012 summer Olympic games. She swam for Stanford University. |
| Koshetz, Nina | b. December 30, 1891, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. May 14, 1965, California, United States Nina Koshetz was a renowned opera singer and actress. Koshetz's film appearences include The Chase (1946) and It's a Small World (1950). |
| Kosiński, Jerzy | b. June 14, 1933, Łódź, Poland d. May 3, 1991, New York, United States Jerzy Kosiński was a novelist, best known for his controversial early novel The Painted Bird and his later equally successful books Steps and Being There. |
| Kosleck, Martin | b. March 24, 1904, Barkocin, present-day Poland d. January 15, 1994, California, United States Martin Kosleck was a character actor who made a career of playing a variety of fiends and evil-doers in film and television. Kosleck was also an Impressionist-style portrait-painter. |
| Kosloff, Theodore | b. January 22, 1882, Moscow, Russia d. November 22, 1956, California, United States Theodore Kosloff was a dancer, choreographer, and stage and film actor. Kosloff was a favorite of director Cecil B. De Mille, but due to his heavy Russian accent his career as an film actor suffered with the advent of sound, but he continued on as a ballet dancer for most of his life. |
| Koster, Henry | b. May 1, 1905, Berlin, Germany d. September 21, 1988, California, United States Henry Koster was a filmmaker and painter whose career spanned the 1930s to the 1960s. Today, Koster might be best known for his James Stewart-starring comedy Harvey (1950). |
| Kosterlitz, Michael | b. June 22, 1943, Aberdeen, United Kingdom Michael Kosterlitz is a professor of physics at Brown University, was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in physics along with David Thouless and Duncan Haldane for work on condensed matter physics. |
| Kosuth, Joseph | b. January 31, 1945, Ohio, United States Father: From Hungary Joseph Kosuth is an artist associated with the Conceptual art movement. His works use text and language in the context of installations, and often question our use of language in relation to meaning. |
| Kotb, Hoda | b. August 9, 1964, Norman, Oklahoma Parents: From Egypt Hoda Kotb is a television news anchor and TV host known as the co-host of NBC's Today Show's fourth hour with Kathie Lee Gifford. |
| Kotero, Apollonia | b. August 2, 1959, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Apollonia Kotero is an actress, singer, model, and talent manager. Kotero is known to many for her role in Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain. |
| Kotto, Yaphet | b. November 15, 1939, New York, United States Father: From Cameroon Yaphet Kotto is a character actor. He known for his memorable roles in the films Live and Let Die (1973), Alien (1979), Blue Collar (1978), and the TV series, Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-2000). |
| Koum, Jan | b. February 24, 1976, Kiev, Ukraine Jan Koum is an internet inventor and computer programmer. He is the CEO and founder of WhatsApp, an online messenger application used worldwide. |
| Kournikova, Anna | b. June 7, 1981, Moscow, Russia Anna Kournikova is known for her talents as a tennis player at age five and into adulthood. She also briefly pursued acting in movies and reality television. |
| Koussevitzky, Serge | b. July 26, 1874, Vyshny Volochyok, Russia d. June 4, 1951, Massachusetts, United States Serge Koussevitzky was a conductor and composer who is known for his prominent role in establishing the renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra. He served as the Orchestra's director from 1924 to 1949. |
| Kovach, Nora | b. June 13, 1931, Hungary d. January 18, 2009, Florida, United States Nora Kovach was the first Eastern bloc ballerina to defect to the West, causing a sensation on both sides of the Iron Curtain in 1953, only weeks after Stalin's death. |
| Kovacs, Ernie | b. January 23, 1919, New Jersey, United States d. January 13, 1962, California, United States Father: From Hungary Ernie Kovacs was a writer, comedian, and actor. In the early 1950s, Kovacs' TV show, The Ernie Kovacs Show, influenced generations to follow with its innovative, surreal, and experimental comedy skits. |
| Kovács, László | b. May 14, 1933, Cece, Hungary d. July 22, 2007, California, United States László Kovács was a cinematographer who worked as the director of photography for the influential film Easy Rider in 1969. He earned 2nd place Cinematographer Golden Laurel at the 1970 Laurel Awards. Kovács had a long, respected career behind the camera. |
| Kovalskys, Guido | b. circa 1969, Argentina Mother: From Italy, Paternal Grandparents: From Lithuania and Poland Guido Kovalskys is an entrepreneur who has founded a number of companies throughout Europe and North and South America. His most recent endeavor is Nearpod, an education technology startup. |
| Kovner, Saul | b. January 14, 1904, Russia d. March 13, 1981, California, United States Saul Kovner was a painter and printmaker with the Federal Art Project, part of the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). He trained at the National Academy of Design, and his pieces can be found throughout the United States. |
| Kozlov, Vladimir | b. April 27, 1979, Kiev, Ukraine Vladimir Kozlov is an actor and former professional wrestler. He spent the bulk of his career in the WWE. |
| Kraft, James L. | b. December 11, 1874, Ontario, Canada d. February 16, 1953, Illinois, United States James L. Kraft was the founder of Kraft Foods. He developed a process of cheese pasteurization that meant cheese would keep for longer so it could be shipped longer distances. |
| Krasinski, John | b. October 20, 1979, Massachusetts, United States Paternal Great-Grandfathers: From Poland, Maternal Great-Grandmother: From Ireland John Krasinski is an actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role as Jim Halpert on the sitcom The Office. |
| Krasner, Lee | b. October 27, 1908, New York, United States d. June 19, 1984, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Lee Krasner was known as an Abstract Expressionist painter, although her style evolved many times throughout her career. Her first mature works were influenced by Cubism, however she later moved towards creating 'all-over' canvases using grid techniques inspired by Piet Mondrian. |
| Krassovska, Nathalie | b. June 1, 1918, Petrograd, Russia d. February 8, 2005, Texas, United States Nathalie Krassovska was a ballerina known for such roles as Giselle during her 15 years with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She founded the Ballet Jeunesse of Dallas to teach and choreograph ballet for youngsters. |
| Kravis, Henry | b. January 6, 1944, Oklahoma, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Russia Henry Kravis is a businessman and the cofounder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a private equity and investment banking firm. |
| Kravitz, Lenny | b. May 26, 1964, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Lithuania, Maternal Grandfather: From the Bahamas Lenny Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, breaking the record for most wins in that category as well as setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a male. |
| Krebs, John Hans | b. December 17, 1926, Berlin, Germany d. November 10, 2014, California, United States John Hans Krebs was a United States Representative for California. He served from 1975-1979. |
| Krech, David | b. March 27, 1909, Svenchanka, Belarus d. July 14, 1977, California, United States David Krech was a professor at Berkeley, where he researched animal learning. |
| Krenov, James | b. October 31, 1920, Uelen, Russia d. September 9, 2009, California, United States James Krenov was a world-renowned furniture designer who started the woodworking program at College of the Redwoods. |
| Krige, Alice | b. June 28, 1954, Upington, South Africa Alice Krige is an actress and producer. In 1980, Alice made her feature film debut as Sybil Gordon in the Academy Award winning Best Picture, Chariots of Fire (1981). |
| Krikorian, Mark | b. Date and year unknown, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Armenia Mark Krikorian has been the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies since 1995. He is credited with popularizing the concept of illegal immigrant self-deportation. |
| Krim, Mathilde | b. July 9, 1926, Como, Italy d. January 15, 2018, New York, United States Mathilde Krim was a medical researcher and the founding chairwoman of amfAR, American Foundation for AIDS Research. She is also known for researching interferon as related to cancer. |
| Kris, Ernst | b. April 26, 1900, Vienna, Austria d. February 27, 1957, New York, United States Ernst Kris was a psychoanalyst who initiated the Child Study Center at Yale, and specialized in ego psychology. |
| Kristof, Nicholas | b. April 27, 1959, Illinois, United States Father: From present-day Romania Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times. |
| Kroc, Ray | b. October 5, 1902, Illinois, United States d. January 14, 1984, California, United States Parents: From present-day Czech Republic Ray Kroc was a salesman and entrepreneur who revolutionized the food industry by developing McDonalds, a fast food chain, into a global franchise. |
| Kroger, Bernard | b. January 24, 1860, Ohio, United States d. July, 21, 1938, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From present-day Germany Bernard Kroger was a door-to-door salesman and invested his life savings of $372 in the great Western Tea Compnay, in Cincinnati, in 1883. His window displays were an innovation for the time and contributed to the store's success, today know as The Kroger Company. |
| Krueger, Otto | b. September 7, 1890, Volinia, Russia d. June 6, 1963, California, United States Otto Krueger was a United States Representative for North Dakota. He served from 1953-1959. |
| Krug, Laszlo A. | b. January 1, 1931, Herend, Hungary Laszlo A. Krug was an engineer who worked at General Electric, New Jersey where he had several innovative patents. In 1981, his Beechcraft single engine V-35 Bonanza with Krug and Zsigmond Nemeth, flew from Newfoundland to Ferihegy Airport in Budapest, in 17 hours. |
| Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth | b. July 8, 1926, Zurich, Switzerland d. August 24, 2004, Arizona, United States Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a psychiatrist who investigated the process of dying. She wrote the famous book On Death and Dying. |
| Kubrick, Stanley | b. July 26, 1928, New York, United States d. March 7, 1999, Harpenden, United Kingdom Maternal Grandfather: From Austria, Maternal Grandmother: From Russia Stanley Kubrick was a film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, and photographer. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinematic history. |
| Kudla, Denis | b. August 17, 1992, Kiev, Ukraine Denis Kudla is an Olympic singles tennis player. He competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf, Doris | b. February 15, 1922, Bremen, Germany d. March 25, 2010, Virginia, United States Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf was a metallurgist. Her research was primarily in metallurgy and materials science (with her expertise in tribology), known for her design of electrical metalfiber brushes used as sliding electrical contacts. |
| Kuhn, Walt | b. October 27, 1877, New York, United States d. July 13, 1949, New York, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From Germany or Spain Walt Kuhn was a painter, known for his modernist paintings of showgirls and circus performers. He was also an organizer of the famous Armory Show of 1913, which was America's first large-scale introduction to avant-garde European art. |
| Kundtz, Theodor | b. July 1, 1852, Metzenseifen, Hungary d. September 14, 1937, Ohio, United States Theodor Kundtz was a businessman. He owned a cabinetmaking business in Cleveland and at the peak of his business, more than 90% of his 2500 employees were Hungarian immigrants. |
| Kunis, Mila | b. August 14, 1983, Chernivtsi, Ukraine Mila Kunis is a familiar TV and film actress. Kunis is also a voice-over artist, lending her talents to the animated TV shows Family Guy and Robot Chicken. |
| Kuniyoshi, Yasuo | b. September 1, 1889, Okayama, Japan d. May 14, 1953, New York, United States Yasuo Kuniyoshi was a Modernist painter, photographer and printmaker. His early works were humorous and included unusual proportioning, scale and space. Later on his work became moodier and he focused on still lifes and portraits of women. |
| Kurşunoğlu, Behram | b. March 14, 1922, Caykara, Turkey d. October 25, 2003, Miami, United States Behram Kurşunoğlu was a physicist who founded and directed the Center for Theoretical Studies at the University of Miami. He is best known for his work in unified field theory. |
| Kurti, Nicholas | b. May 14, 1908, Budapest, Hungary d. November 24, 1998, Oxford, United Kingdom Nicholas Kurti was a physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. Kurti was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. |
| Kurtzman, Harvey | b. October 3, 1924, New York, United States d. February 21, 1993, New York, United States Parents: From Ukraine Harvey Kurtzman was an American cartoonist and editor. |
| Kusama, Yayoi | b. March 22, 1929, Matsumoto, Japan Yayoi Kusama is an artist who works in a variety of media and is best known for her use of bright colors and patterns, in particular polka dots. She often creates immersive environments within her work. |
| Kushner, Charles | b. May 16, 1954, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Belarus Charles Kushner is a real estate developer. He founded Kushner Companies in 1985. |
| Kushner, Jared | b. January 10, 1981, New Jersey, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Belarus Jared Kushner is a senior White House advisor to the Trump administration. He was formally the CEO of Kushner Companies and the publisher of the New York Observer. |
| Kushner, Joshua | b. June 12, 1985, New Jersey, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Belarus Joshua Kushner is a businessman and investor. He is the founder of Thrive Capital, a venture capitalist firm, and cofounder of Oscar Health, a health insurance agency. |
| Kuzmak, Lubomyr | b. August 2, 1929, Baligród, present-day Poland d. October 12, 2006, New Jersey, United States Lubomyr Kuzmak was a pioneer within the bariatric surgical community inventing the adjustable silicone band. |
| Kuznets, Simon | b. April 30, 1901, Pinsk, Belarus d. July 8, 1985, Massachusetts, United States Simon Kuznets was an economist and educator who is known for his work regarding national income and its components. In 1971, Kuznets was awarded The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. |
| Kwan, Michelle | b. July 7, 1980, California, United States Parents: From China Michelle Kwan is a retired figure skater. She has won five World Championships, one Silver Olympic Medal, one Bronze Olympic Medal, and 12 consecutive U.S. Medals with eight U.S. Champioships. |
| Kwok, Jean | b. circa 1968, Hong Kong, China Jean Kwok is an author, best known for the two novels Mambo in Chinatown and Girl in Translation. |
| Kwolek, Stephanie | b. July 31, 1923, Pennsylvania, United States d. June 18, 2014, Delaware, United States Parents: From Poland Stephanie Kwolek was a chemist, whose career at the DuPont company spanned over forty years. |
L
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| La Farge, John | b. March 31, 1835, New York, United States d. November 14, 1910, Rhode Island, United States Parents: From France John La Farge was a painter, muralist, stained glass window maker, decorator and writer. Some of La Farge's most enduring contributions to American art and public life can be seen in his building murals and stained glass windows, most of which he executed between 1880 and 1890. |
| La Guardia, Fiorello H. | b. December 11, 1882, New York, United States d. September 20, 1947, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Fiorello H. La Guardia worked as a language interpreter on Ellis Island and later in his career held the office of Mayor of New York for three terms. |
| La Riva, Gloria | b. August 13, 1954, New Mexico, United States Mother: From Mexico Gloria La Riva is a political activist and anti-war activist. |
| Laber, Jeri | b. 1931, New York, United States Father: From Belarus Jeri Laber is one of the founders of Human Rights Watch. |
| Lachaise, Gaston | b. March 19, 1882, Paris, France d. October 18, 1935, New York, United States Gaston Lachaise was a sculptor. He is most noted for his depictions of mature, full-figured women and was admired for his technical ability. Standing Woman is one of his best known works. |
| Lachey, Vanessa | b. November 9, 1980, Angeles City, Philippines Vanessa Lachey is a television personality, beauty queen, fashion model, television host and actress. |
| Lagares, Juan | b. March 17, 1989, Constanza, Dominican Republic Juan Lagares is a shortstop for the New Yorks Mets. Since his 2013 debut, he was named the 2013 Wilson Team Defensive Player of the Year and received the 2014 NL Rawlings Gold Glove. |
| Lagasse, Emeril | b. October 15, 1959, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Canada, Mother: From Portugal Emeril Lagasse is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. |
| Lagat, Bernard | b. December 12, 1974, Kapsabet, Kenya Bernard Lagat is is a five-time Olympian and a thirteen-time medalist in World Championships and Olympics. He is the second fastest 1500m runner of all time. |
| Lahiri, Jhumpa | b. July 11, 1967, London, United Kingdom Parents: From India Jhumpa Lahiri is an author. Her notable works include her novel, The Namesake, and Interpreter of Maladies, a short story collection. |
| Lai, Him Mark | b. November 11, 1925, California, United States d. May 21, 2009, California, United States Parents: From China Him Mark Lai was an activist and historian concerned with Chinese American representation. He was a master archivist who collected and preserved historical sources in both Chinese and English. |
| Lajoie, Nap | b. September 5, 1884, Rhode Island, United States d. February 7, 1959, Florida, United States Father: From Canada Nap Lajoie was a professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played for Cleveland from 1902-1914. |
| Lak, Tibor | b. 1945, Budapest, Hungary Tibor Lak worked in the aerospace industry for 45 years, on the Apollo Lunar program and the Space Shuttle. |
| Lakshmi, Padma | b. September 1, 1970, Chennai, India Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy Award-winning actress, writer, model, and ambassador for the ACLU. Lakshmi is a judge and executive producer of the TV cooking show Top Chef. In 2016, she received NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. |
| Lalami, Laila | b. February 24, 1968, Rabat, Morocco Laila Lalami is a novelist and essayist. She is the author of the novels Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Secret Son and The Moor's Account. |
| Lamarr, Hedy | b. November 9, 1914, Vienna, present-day Austria d. January 19, 2000, Florida, United States Hedy Lamarr was an actress whose career spanned from the 1930s to the late 1950s. She was also a self-taught inventor. During World War II, Lamarr co-created an invention that made it difficult for German subs to interfere with Allied radio transmissions. Her invention is used today in Wi-Fi, GPS, and cellphone technologies. |
| Lamb, Michael | b. 1953, Lusaka, Zambia Michael Lamb is a professor of social and developmental psychology. He studies child abuse, domestic violence, child care, and the reliability of children as witnesses. Lamb was the head of the social and emotional development section of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for seventeen years. |
| Lamb, Ursula | b. January 15, 1914, Essen, Germany d. August 8, 1996, Arizona, United States Ursula Lamb was historian of Latin America. Her interdisciplinary writing explored globalization, the age of exploration and the history of science. |
| Lambert, Gavin | b. July 23, 1924, East Grinstead, United Kingdom d. July 17, 2005, California, United States Gavin Lambert was a novelist, director, biographer, and screenwriter who is known for his 1963 novel Inside Daisy Clover (Lambert wrote the screenplay for the subsequent film) and his later novel The Goodbye People (1971). Lambert's work is known for its focus on the highs and lows of life in Hollywood. |
| Lamborn, Doug | b. May 24, 1954, Kansas, United States Douglas L. Lamborn is the U.S. Representative for Colorado's 5th congressional district, in office since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. His district is based in Colorado Springs. |
| Lamm, Richard | b. August 3, 1955, Wisconsin, United States Richard Lamm is a politician, writer, certified public accountant, college professor, and lawyer. He served three terms as 38th Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975-1987) and ran for the Reform Party's nomination for President of the United States in 1996. He is on the national board of advisors for the Federation of American Immigration Reform. |
| Lamont, Molly | b. May 22, 1910, Boksburg, South Africa d. July 7, 2001, California, United States Molly Lamont was a busy actress whose career spanned the 1930s to the early 1950s, including the now classic screwball comedy The Awful Truth (1937). |
| Lanczos, Cornelios | b. February 2, 1893, Szekesfehervar, Hungary d. June 25, 1974, Budapest, Hungary Cornelius Lanczos served as an assistant to Albert Einstein during 1928 to 1929. Lanczos was known for theoretical physics. Lanczos' resampling is widely used in video up-sampling for digital zoom applications. |
| Landsteiner, Karl | b. June 14, 1868, Vienna, present-day Austria d. June 26, 1943, New York, United States Karl Landsteiner was a biologist, physician, and immunologist whose scientific work led to the discovery of various blood groups and won him the Noble Prize in 1930. |
| Lane, Franklin Knight | b. July 15, 1864, Prince Edward Island, present-day Canada d. May 18, 1921, Minnesota, United States Franklin Knight Lane was the 26th United States Secretary of the Interior. He served from March 6, 1913 to March 1, 1920 under president Woodrow Wilson. |
| Lane, Kris | b. April 7, 1967, Kootenays, Canada Kris Lane is a historian and author whose work focuses on colonial Latin American history. He has written and edited research on piracy, slavery, gold mining, headhunting, and witchcraft in colonial Ecuador and Colombia. |
| Lang, Fritz | b. December 5, 1890, Vienna, Austria d. August 2, 1976, California, United States Fritz Lang was a film director who had a successful career in Hollywood. He made a succession of still highly regarded crime films. |
| Lange, Dorothea | b. May 26, 1895, New Jersey, United States d. October 11, 1965, California, United States Paternal Grandparents and Maternal Grandmother: From Germany Dorothea Lange was a photographer. She created insightful photographs that have been influencial on the development of modern documentary photography. Lange's concern for people, her appreciation of the ordinary, and the striking empathy she showed for her subjects make her unique among photographers of her day. |
| Langley, Noel | b. December 25, 1911, Durban, South Africa d. November 4, 1980, California, United States Noel Langley was a screenwriter, director, and producer who is probably best known for adapting L. Frank Baum's novel, The Wizard of Oz, to the big screen. |
| Lannuier, Charles-Honoré | b. June 27, 1779, Chantilly, France d. 1819, New York, United States Charles-Honoré Lannuier was a cabinetmaker and furniture designer who pioneered the Late Federal style in the early nineteenth century. |
| Lansbury, Angela | b. October 16, 1925, London, United Kingdom Angela Lansbury is an actress. She acted in her first film role in Gaslight in 1944. She is most famous for her roles in Mame (1966) on Broadway and on television's Murder She Wrote (1984-1996). She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth in 2014 for her services to drama, charitable work, and philanthropy. |
| Lansky, Meyer | b. July 4, 1902, Grodno, Belarus d. January 15, 1983, Florida, United States Meyer Lansky, throughout the 1930s to the late 1950s, was the accounting genius behind organized crime in the United States. |
| Lantos, Tom | b. Febuary 1, 1928, Budapest, Hungary d. Febuary 11, 2008, Maryland, United States Tom Lantos was a United States Representative for California. He served from 1993-2008. |
| Lantz, Walter | b. April 27, 1899, New York, United States d. March 22, 1994, California, United States Parents: From Italy Walter Lantz was a cartoonist, animator and producer. He is best remembered as the creator of Woody Woodpecker and the founder of Walter Lantz Productions. |
| Larrazolo, Octaviano | b. December 7, 1859, Valle de Allende, Mexico d. April 7, 1930, New Mexico, United States Octaviano Larrazolo was the fourth Governor of New Mexico and the first Mexican American to become a United States Senator. Larrazolo advocated for latino/a civil rights and pushed for egualitarian legislation in New Mexico. |
| Larsen, Nella | b. April 13, 1891, Illinois, United States d. March 30, 1964, New York, United States Nella Larsen was a novelist of the Harlem Renaissance. She has earned a reputation as an important Afro-American novelist on the basis of two books, Quicksand and Passing. |
| Lash, Joseph P. | b. December 2, 1909, New York, United States d. August 22, 1987, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Poland Joseph P. Lash was a political activist and author. He wrote a biography of Eleonor and Franklin Roosevelt. |
| Lasker, Albert | b. May 1, 1880, Freiberg, Germany d. May 30, 1952, New York, United States Albert Lasker was a businessman who played a major role in shaping modern advertising. |
| Lassaw, Ibram | b. May 4, 1913, Alexandria, Egypt d. December 30, 2003, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Ibram Lassaw was a sculptor, known for his abstract, often cage-like, open-space creations made of bronze, silver, copper and steel. Welding was an important technique to him and he learnt that by liquefying his sculptures, he could create works that were highly textured. |
| Laszlo, Alexander | b. November 22, 1895, Budapest, present-day Hungary d. November 17, 1970, California, United States Alexander Laszlo was a busy pianist, film music composer, producer, and conductor. Laszlo composed music for many now cult b-movies, including Scared Stiff (1945), Night of the Blood Beast (1958), and Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959). |
| Laszlo, Erno | b. July 11, 1897, present-day Hungary d. March 1973, Switzerland Erno Laszlo founded the Erno Laszlo Institute which specialized in beauty treatments and cosmetics. |
| Laszlo, Paul | b. February 6, 1900, Debrecen, Hungary d. March 27, 1993, California, United States Paul Laszlo designed many of the casinos and showrooms in the Howard Hughes-owed hotels in Las Vegas. Laszlo achieved further fame with his elegant bomb shelter designed for John D. Hertz in conjunction with the United State Air Force. He also conceived "Atomville", a futuristic underground city. |
| Lateef, Yusef | b. October 9, 1920, Tennessee, United States d. December 23, 2013, Massachusetts, United States Yusef Lateef was a multi-instrumental jazz musician and composer whose primary instruments were tenor saxophone and flute. Known for innovative blending of jazz and music from around the world, his New York Times obituary stated that he "played world music before world music had a name." |
| Lauder, Estée | b. July 1, 1908, New York, United States d. April 24, 2004, New York, United States Father: From present-day Slovakia, Mother: From Hungary Estée Lauder was a businesswoman and the founder of Estée Lauder, a cosmetics company. |
| Laufer, Berthold | b. October 11, 1874, Cologne, Germany d. September 13, 1934, Illinois, United States Berthold Laufer was an anthropologist and an expert on East Asian languages. He worked at the Field Museum in Chicago and served as the President of the History of Science Society. |
| Laughton, Charles | b. July 1, 1899, Scarborough, United Kingdom d. December 15, 1962, California, United States Charles Laughton was an accomplished character actor, screenwriter, and director. |
| Laurel, Stan | b. June 16, 1890, Ulverston, United Kingdom d. February 23, 1965, California, United States Stan Laurel was an actor, writer and filmmaker who was one part of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Laurel (along with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy) appeared in over 100 films and short features. |
| Lauren, Ralph | b. October 14, 1939, New York, United States Father: From Belarus Ralph Lauren is a fashion designer and the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of his namesake global retail brand, Ralph Lauren Corporation. |
| Lawal, Gani | b. November 7, 1988, Georgia, United States Parents: From Nigeria Gani Lawal is a professional basketball player for Petrochimi Bandar Imam |
| Lawless, Lucy | b. March 29, 1968, Auckland, New Zealand Lucy Lawless is an actress who is best known for her role as Xena in the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess. |
| Lawrence, Jacob | b. September 7, 1917, New Jersey, United States d. June 9, 2000, Washington, United States Father: From South Carolina, United States, Mother: From Virginia, United States Jacob Lawrence referred to his painting styles as "dynamic cubism" reflecting the colors and shapes of life in Harlem. He gained national recognition at age 25 with his 60-panel Migration Series depicting the migration of African-Americans from the rural south to the urban north. |
| Lax, Martin | b. 1925, Caraseu, Romania d. May 13, 2012, Ohio, United States Martin Lax was a Cleveland-based hotel and property devepoler and restaurateur. He developed legendary properties, such as Marty's Turfside. |
| Lax, Peter | b. May 1, 1926, Budapest, Hungary Peter Lax is known for pure and applied mathematics. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1986, the Wolf Prize in 1987, the Abel Prize in 2005, the Lomonosov Gold Medal in 2013, and in 2012 became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. |
| Lazarsfeld, Paul Felix | b. February 13, 1901, Vienna, Austria d. August 30, 1976, New Jersey, United States Paul Felix Lazarsfeld was a sociologist, who was known, not only for his research, but also for his contributions to the techniques and organization of social research. |
| Lazowski, Yurek | b. October 29, 1914, Warsaw, Poland d. July 6, 1980, California, United States Yurek Lazowski was lead dancer and stage director of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and has worked in ballets for Nijinska, Fokine, Massine, Ballanchine, Robbins, DeMille and more. He has taught at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, Juilliard, American Ballet Theater, and Ballet Repertory. |
| Le Borg, Reginald | b. December 11, 1902, Vienna, present-day Austria d. March 25, 1989, California, United States Reginald Le Borg was a film director who helmed a bevy of respected cult films, including a handful of the Inner Sanctum Mystery films of the 1940s, a few Bowery Boys films, and Bela Lugosi's last film The Black Sleep (1956). |
| Le Gallienne, Eva | b. January 11, 1899, London, United Kingdom d. June 3, 1991, Connecticut, United States Eva Le Gallienne was a a stage and film actress, producer, director, writer, translator, lecturer, and educator. From 1926 to 1936, Le Gallienne, as director of the Civic Repertory Theatre Company, introduced audiences in the United States to Chekhov, Ibsen, and Molière. |
| Leab, Daniel J. | b. August 29, 1936, Berlin, Germany d. November 15, 2016, Connecticut, United States Daniel J. Leab was a historian of the 20th century, particularly the American labor unions, history in film and the cultural conflicts of the Cold War. |
| Leal, Sharon | b. October 17, 1972, Arizona, United States Mother: From the Philippines Sharon Leal is an actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as Dreamgirls, This Christmas, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and for her roles on the television shows Legacy, Guiding Light, and Boston Public. |
| Leary, Denis | b. August 18, 1957, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Ireland Denis Leary is an actor, writer, producer, singer and comedian. He was the star and co-creator of Rescue Me, which ended its seventh and final season in 2011. |
| Lebrun, Rico | b. December 10, 1900, Naples, Italy d. May 9, 1964, California, United States Rico Lebrun was a painter, muralist, and sculptor. He established himself as an expressionist painter and became known for his oil and wash drawings. Many of his murals and paintings address issues that deal with the human condition. |
| Lederer, Emil | b. July 22, 1882, Pilsen, present-day Czech Republic d. May 29, 1939, New York, United States Emil Lederer was an economist and sociologist. He helped establish the "University in Exile" at the New School in New York City. |
| Lee, Aileen | b. 1970, New York, United States Parents: From China Aileen Lee is an investor and the founder of the venture capitalist firm Cowboy Ventures. |
| Lee, Brandon | b. Februrary 1, 1965, California, United States d. March 31, 1993, North Carolina, United States Paternal Grandfather: From China Brandon Lee was an actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial artist and film actor Bruce Lee and was poised to become a breakout star himself. His most notable movie is The Crow. |
| Lee, Bruce | b. November 27, 1940, California, United States d. July 20, 1970, Hong Kong, China Father: From China Bruce Lee was a martial artist and actor. He popularized martial arts in the United States and created his own style called Jeet Kun Do. |
| Lee, Chang-Rae | b. June 29, 1965, Seoul, South Korea Chang-Rae Lee is a novelist. His books include Native Speaker, A Gesture Life and The Surrendered. |
| Lee, Chuen-Gun | b. October 26, 1980, Seoul, South Korea Chuen-Gun Lee is a former Olympic ice dancer, who competed with partner Kate Slattery. |
| Lee, Eva | b. August 7, 1986, Hong Kong, China Eva Lee is a world-renowned badminton player. She competed in the 2008 Beijing Games. |
| Lee, Jim | b. August 11, 1964, Seoul, South Korea Jim Lee is a comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher that has worked for Marvel, DC. With several other artists, he formed a publishing company, Image Comics, to publish their creator-owned titles. |
| Lee, Michelle K. | b. 1965, California, United States Father: From China Michelle K. Lee served as the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from January 2014 to June 2017. Before joining the USPTO, she served as Deputy General Counsel and Head of Patents and Patent Strategy for Google from 2003-2012. |
| Lee, Ming Cho | b. October 3, 1930, Shanghai, China Ming Cho Lee is a prominent theater set designer as well as a professor at Yale School of Drama. |
| Lee, Spike | b. March 20, 1957, Georgia, United States Spike Lee, born Shelton Jackson Lee, is a filmmaker, writer, producer and actor. His film company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced his iconic and sometimes controversial films which examine issues such as race, racism and poverty, including Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X and Chi-Raq. |
| Lee, Stan | b. December 28, 1922, New York, United States Parents: From Romania Stan Lee is a comic-book writer, editor, and publisher, who was formerly executive vice president and publisher of Marvel Comics. Lee co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Thor, the X-Men, and many other fictional characters. |
| Lee, Tommy | b. October 3, 1962, Athens, Greece Tommy Lee is a musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has persued solo musical projects. |
| Lee, Tsung-Dao | b. November 24, 1926, Shanghai, China Tsung-Dao Lee, among his other achievements, attracted praise for his work studying elementary particles, solving several long-standing scientific problems. He became the youngest full professor in Columbia University's history at age 29, and was the second-youngest scientist to win the Nobel Prize, at age 31. |
| Lee, Wen Ho | b. December 21, 1939, Taiwan, China Wen Ho Lee is a former nuclear engineer who created simulations of nuclear explosions for the purposes of scientific inquiry, as well as for improving the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. |
| Lefèvre, Fabien | b. June 18, 1982, Pau, France Fabien Lefèvre is an Olympic conoeist competing in canoe slalom. |
| Lefkowitz, Robert | b. April 15, 1943, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Robert Lefkowitz is a physician and biochemist. He is best known for his groundbreaking discoveries, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. |
| Leguizamo, John | b. July 22, 1964, Bogotá, Colombia John Leguizamo is an actor, voice artist, stand-up comedian, film producer, playwright and screenwriter. He came to prominance with a co-starring role in the action/comedy Super Mario Bros. (1993) as Luigi. |
| Lemieux, Mario | b. October 5, 1965, Quebec, Canada Mario Lemieux is a retired ice hockey player and current owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is the only person to have his name on the Stanley cup as a player and owner. |
| Lemlich, Clara | b. March 28, 1886, Gorodok, Ukraine d. July 12, 1982, California, United States Clara Lemlich was the leader of the Uprising of 20,000, and the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in New York's garment industry in 1909. |
| Lendl, Ivan | b. March 7, 1960, Ostrava, Czech Republic Ivan Lendl is a former professional tennis player who is considered one of the greatest tennis players of the 1980s. |
| Leni, Paul | b. July 8, 1885, Stuttgart, Germany d. September 2, 1929, California, United States Paul Leni was a film director who became a primary architect of Expressionist cinema. Leni had success in Hollywood with the films such as The Cat and the Canary (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928). |
| Lenneberg, Eric Heinz | b. September 19, 1921, Düsseldorf, Germany d. June 2, 1975, New York, United States Eric Heinz Lenneberg was a professor at Cornell University who studied the biological foundations of language. |
| Lennon, John | b. October 9, 1940, Liverpool, United Kingdom d. December 8, 1980, New York, United States John Lennon was former band member of best-selling music group The Beatles. Lennon, before his tragic death, went on to have a successful solo and musical partnership with his wife Yoko Ono. |
| Lennon, Sean | b October 9, 1975, New York, United States Father: From the United Kingdom, Mother: From Japan Sean Lennon is a musican, singer, and actor. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. |
| Lenski, Lois | b. October 14, 1893, Ohio, United States d. September 11, 1974, Florida, United States Father: From present-day Germany Lois Lenski was a Newbery Medal-winning author and illustrator of picture books and children's literature. |
| Leon, Sandy | b. March 13, 1989, Maracaibo, Venezuela Sandy Leon plays catcher for the Boston Red Sox. He previously played for the Washington Nationals. |
| Leontief, Wassily | b. August 5, 1905, Munich, Germany d. February 5, 1999, New York, United States Wassily Leontief was an economist who won the Nobel Committee's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1973 for his work on input-output analysis. |
| Leontovich, Eugenie | b. March 21, 1900, Moscow, Russia d. April 3, 1993, New York, United States Eugenie Leontovich was a playwright, teacher, and stage and film actress. Appearing in only a few films and television shows throughout her career, Leontovich's legend was made upon the Broadway stage, most notably in 1932 in Ben Hecht's Twentieth Century. |
| Lepert, Marion | b. September 18, 1995, La Tronche, France Marion Lepert is an Olmypic RS:X sailor. She competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Leuba, James H. | b. April 9, 1868, Neuchatel, Switzerland d. December 8, 1946, Florida, United States James H. Leuba was a psychologist best known for his contributions to the psychology of religion. |
| Leutze, Emanuel | b. May 24, 1816, present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany d. July 18, 1868, Washington D.C., United States Emanuel Leutze was a painter associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. He painted large, historical canvases based on United States history, including Washington Crossing the Delaware, an iconic American work. |
| Levchin, Max Rafael | b. July 11, 1975, Kiev, Ukraine Max Rafael Levchin is a computer scientist and cofounder of PayPal, an online payment platform. He was also involved in the creation of Yelp, an online crowdsourced review system. |
| Leventhal, Alan | b. 1953, Place unknown Paternal Grandfather: From Russia, Paternal Grandmother: From Lithuania Alan Leventhal is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Capital Partners. |
| Levertov, Denise | b. October, 24 1923, Essex, United Kingdom d. December 20, 1997, Washington, United States Denise Levertov was a poet who wrote and published twenty-four books of poetry, and also criticism and translations. She also edited several anthologies. She received the Shelley Memorial Award, the Robert Frost Medal, the Lenore Marshall Prize and the Lannan Award. |
| Levitt, Alfred | b. August 15, 1894, Starodub, present-day Ukraine d. May 25, 2000, New York, United States Alfred Levitt was a painter and photographer. Levitt was a realist painter who helped introduce cubism to the United States. |
| Levy, Morris | b. August 27, 1927, New York, United States d. May 21, 1990, New York, United States Father: From Russia, Mother: From Belarus Morris Levy was an influential figure in American music. He ran the legendary Birdland Jazz Club and later founded Roulette Records. He was allegedly involved with the Mob, and was convicted of extortion in 1990. He passed away shortly before he was scheduled to report to prison. |
| Levy, William | b. August 29, 1980, Cojimar, Cuba William Levy is actor and model. He appeared on the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars. |
| Lewin, Kurt | b. September 9, 1890, Mogilno, present-day Germany d. February 12, 1947, Massachusetts, United States Kurt Lewin was a psychologist who applied Gestalt concepts of fields and field forces to behavior in general. |
| Lewis, Bernard | b. May 31, 1916, London, United Kingdom Bernard Lewis is a historian specializing in oriental studies. He is also known as a public intellectual and political commentator. |
| Lewis, Eddie | b. May 30, 1937, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 30, 2006, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Hungary Eddie Lewis was a businessman and philanthropist. Among his business accomplishments, Lewis is credited for developing the first two-story enclosed shopping mall in the United States, |
| Lewis, Jerry | b. March 16, 1926, New Jersey, United States d. August 20, 2017, Nevada, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Jerry Lewis was an actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. Lewis is well known for his solo films (many of which he directed, wrote, and starred in) and the comedy partnership that made him famous in the 1950s: (Dean) Martin and Lewis. |
| Lewis, Salim L. | b. October 5, 1908, Massachusetts, United States d. April 28, 1978, New York, United States Fathern: From Russia or Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Germany Salim L. Lewis was the Managing Partner of Bear, Stearns & Company, running the company from 1949 until shortly before his death in 1978. |
| LeWitt, Sol | b. September 9, 1928, Connecticut, United States d. April 8, 2007, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Sol LeWitt was a minimalist and conceptual artist, best known for his wall drawings and 'structures'. His works often contain rules for their construction and are made by others to his instructions. |
| Leyva, Danell | b. October 30, 1991, Cárdenas, Cuba Danell Leyva is a two-time Olympic gymanst and three-time Olympic medalist, earning two silver medals at the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Lhuillier, Monique | b. September 15, 1971, Cebu City, Philippines Monique Lhuillier is the designer behind her eponymous womenswear and bridal fashion label. |
| Liberace | b. May 16, 1919, Wisconsin, United States d. February 4, 1987, California, United States Father: From Italy Liberace was a flamboyant pianist who twice had his own TV show and frequently performed in Las Vegas. |
| Libeskind, Daniel | b. May 12, 1946, Łódź, Poland Daniel Libeskind is an architect, artist, professor and set designer. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect. He designed the new One World Trade Center. |
| Licko, Zuzana | b. 1961, Bratislava, Slovakia Zuzana Licko was a typeface designer who created several fonts and, with her husband Rudy Vanderlans, published the typeface magazine Emigre. |
| Lieberson, Goddard | b. April 5, 1911, Staffordshire, United Kingdom d. May 29, 1977, New York, United States Goddard Lieberson was the president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971, and again from 1973 to 1975. |
| Liebowitz, Jack | b. October 10, 1900, Proskurov, present-day Ukraine d. December 11, 2000, New York, United States Jack Liebowitz was an accountant and publisher, known primarily as the co-owner with Harry Donenfeld of National Allied Publications. |
| Lieu, Ted | b. March 29, 1969, Taipei, Taiwan Ted Lieu is a United States Representative for California. Prior to running for office, he was a colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves. |
| Lifeson, Alex | b. August 27, 1953, British Columbia, Canada Parents: From Serbia Alex Lifeson is a musician. He was born Alexandar Zivojinovich and uses the stage name Alex Lifeson which literally translates the meaning of his Serbian surname. He is a founding member of progressive rock group Rush. |
| Lightner, Candy | b. May 30, 1946, California Mother: From Lebanon Candy Lightner founded one of the country's largest activist organizations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, after her daughter died in a drunk driving accident. Lightner also served as president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee from October 1994 to March 1995. |
| Lil' O | b. November 22, 1977, Lagos, Nigeria Lil' O is a rapper who was an original member of DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click. |
| Lim, Phillip | b. September 16, 1973, Thailand Phillip Lim is the fashion designer behind the label 3.1 Phillip Lim. In 2007, he was the recipient of the CFDA award for emerging talent, and he won another CFDA award for menswear five years later. |
| Lima, Adriana | b. June 12, 1981, Salvador, Brazil Adriana Lima is a model most commonly known for her work with Victoria's Secret. Her career began in her teenage years and she is now one of the highest payed models, according to Forbes. |
| Limón, José | b. January 12, 1908, Culiacan, Mexico d. December 2, 2972, New Jersey, United States José Limón was a dancer and choreographer who developed what is now known as "Limón technique". In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company, and in 1968, he created the José Limón Foundation to carry on his work. |
| Lin, Maya | b. October 5, 1959, Ohio, United States Parents: From China Maya Lin is a respected artist and designer. In 1981, when she was an undergraduate at Yale, Lin's design was chosen for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. |
| Lin, Tao | b. July 2, 1983, Virginia, United States Parents: From Taiwan Tao Lin is a writer and poet. His novels include Eeeee Eee Eeee and Richard Yates. |
| Lindbergh, Charles | b. February 4, 1902, Michigan, United States d. August 26, 1974, Hawaii, United States Father: From Sweden Charles Lindbergh was an aviator, military officer, author, inventor, explorer, and environmental activist. |
| Lindenthal, Gustav | b. May 21, 1850, Brno, Czech Republic d. July 31, 1935, New Jersey, United States Gustav Lindenthal was a civil engineer known for designing Hell Gate Bridge across New York City's East River. |
| Lindo, Delroy | b. November 18, 1952, London, United Kingdom Delroy Lindo is an actor and theater director. Lindo has been nominated for Tony and Screen Actors Guild awards and has won a Satellite Award. |
| Lindroth, Helen | b. December 3, 1874, Sweden d. October 5, 1956, Massachusetts, United States Helen Lindroth was a screen and stage actress. Lindroth has ninety-six screen credits beginning with a role in the Battle of Pottsburg Bridge in 1912. |
| Lindsay, Gilbert W. | b. November 29, 1900, Mississippi, United States d. December 28, 1990, California, United States Gilbert W. Lindsay began working in Los Angeles as a janitor and over the course of three decades worked his way up to become LA's first African-American City Councilman. Lindsay served on Council for 25 years and was instrumental in shaping downtown Los Angeles' emergence as a cultural and commercial center. |
| Linkletter, Art | b. July 17, 1912, Moose Jaw, Canada d. May 26, 2010, California, United States Art Linkletter was a radio and television personality. He is famously known for partnering with John Guedal to create the radio production, "House Party" and "People Are Funny." |
| Lion, Alfred | b. April 21, 1908, Berlin, Germany d. February 2, 1987, California, United States Alfred Lion was co-founder of the Blue Note Record Label in 1939. Blue Note recorded many of the most important jazz artists of the 20th century. |
| Lipchitz, Jacques | b. August 22, 1891, Druskininkai, present-day Lithuania d. May 16, 1973, Capri, Italy Jacques Lipchitz was a Cubist sculptor. His early work was figurative but he soon started working more abstractly, focusing on building up sculptures through often geometric planes and forms. |
| Lipinski, Tara | b. June 10, 1982, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal and Maternal Great-grandparents: From Poland Tara Lipinski was a top amateur figure skater. She won the gold medal in the women's singles competition in the 1998 Winter Olympics. |
| Lipmann, Fritz | b. June 12, 1899, Königsberg, Germany d. July 24, 1986, New York, United States Fritz Lipmann was a biochemist and a co-discoverer in 1945 of coenzyme A. |
| Lipstadt, Deborah | b. March 18, 1947, New York, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From Canada Deborah Lipstadt is a historian notable for her scholarship on the Holocaust, which includes disproving the theories of Holocaust deniers. |
| Litherland, Jay | b. August 24, 1995, Osaka, Japan Jay Litherland is an Olympic swimmer competing in the 400 meter medley. He came in fifth in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Lithgow, John | b. October 19, 1945, New York, United States Father: From Dominican Republic John Lithgow is an actor who was born into a family of theatre performers. Lithgow attended Harvard, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before starting his professional theatre career. He began film acting in 1982. |
| Litvak, Anatole | b. May 21, 1902, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. December 15, 1974, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France Anatole Litvak was a filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in various countries and languages. Litvak was notable for directing little-known foreign actors to early fame, often winning them Academy Awards. |
| Litwack, Leon F. | b. December 2, 1929, California, United States Parents: From Russia Leon F. Litwack is a historian whose scholarship examines the Reconstruction Era of the United States and slavery, and both their consequences. His most renowned book is Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery. |
| Liukin, Nastia | b. October 30, 1989, Moscow, Russia Nastia Liukin is a former artistic gymnast and a five-time Olympic medalist. In the 2008 Games, she won gold in the women's all-around, silver medals in the women's team, women's balance beam, and women's uneven bars, and bronze in women's floor exercise. |
| Lloyd, Rachel | b. 1975, Stalbridge, United Kingdom Rachel Lloyd is an anti-trafficking advocate, author and the founder of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services. She is an activist on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. |
| Loeb, Carl Morris | b. September 28, 1875, Frankfurt, Germany d. January 4, 1955, New York, United States Carl Morris Loeb was a businessman who was the President of the American Metal Company and founder of his own investment firm Loeb, Rhoades & Co. |
| Loew, Marcus | b. May 7, 1870, New York, United States d. September 5, 1927, New York, United States Father: From Austria, Mother: From Germany Marcus Loew started his business empire with the purchase of a penny arcade. Over time he and his partners opened Loew's Theaters, a chain of vaudeville and movies theaters. He later founded MGM Studios by purchasing two movie studios and later adding Louis B. Matyer's holdings and name to the company. |
| Loewy, Raymond | b. November 5, 1893, Paris, France d. July 14, 1986, Monte Carlo, Monaco Father: From Austria Raymond Loewy worked as both a graphic and industrial designer. His portfolio includes the U.S. Cost Guard and Air Force One liveries. |
| Logevall, Fredrik | b. 1963, Stockholm, Sweden Fredrik Logevall is a historian who specializes in foreign affairs, United States foreign policy and the Vietnam Wars. |
| Lomong, Lopez | b. January 5, 1985, Kimotong, Sudan Lopez Lomong is an Olympic 1,500 and 5,000 meter runner and was the flag bearer for the United States during the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony. |
| London, Jack | b. January 12, 1896, California, United States d. November 22, 1916, California, United States Jack London was a novelist and journalist. Some of his most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang. |
| Longet, Claudine | b. January 29, 1942, Paris, France Claudine Longet is a singer, actress, dancer and recording artist who was popular during the 1960s and 1970s. |
| Loomis, Bernard | b. July 4, 1923, New York, United States d. June 2, 2003, Florida, United States Father: From Russia Bernard Loomis was a toy developer and marketer. He is credited with making Mattel and then Kenner the largest toy manufacturers in the world. He secured the license for Stars Wars with demand so great that he was able to sell 500,000 empty boxes at Christmas time with the promise of filling them at a later date. |
| Lopez, Mario | b. October 10, 1973, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Mario Lopez is a well-known actor and television host best known for his work on Saved by the Bell and Dancing With the Stars. Lopez has also written three non-fiction books and made his Broadway debut in 2008. |
| Loranth, Alice N. | b. 1933, Hungary d. August 18, 1998, Ohio, United States Alice N. Loranth was a librarian. She worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art Library for 10 years before taking a position and Cleveland Public Library. In her memory, the Alice N. Loranth Special Collection of Medieval Romance Literature was established at the Cleveland Public Library. |
| Lorde, Audre | b. February 18, 1934, New York, United States d. November 17, 1992, Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands Father: From Barbados, Mother: From Grenada Audre Lorde was a writer whose work explored the experience of being a black woman in America. Her work confronted some of the most important issues in American society including racism, homophobia and relations between the sexes. |
| Lorig, Khatuna | b. January 1, 1974, Tbilisi, Georgia Khatuna Lorig is an accomplished Olympic archer and was chosen to be the flag bearer in the closing ceremonies for the 2008 Olympic Games. |
| Lorre, Peter | b. June 26, 1904, Ružomberok, present-day Slovakia d. March 23, 1964, California, United States Peter Lorre was an actor who was famous for playing devious villians, detectives, and madmen in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. |
| Losch, Tilly | b. November 15, 1903, Vienna, present-day Austria d. December 24, 1975, New York, United States Tilly Losch was an actress and artist whose film career spanned the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1920s and 1930s, Losch was an internationally known exotic dancer. |
| Louis, Joe | b. May 13, 1914, Alabama, United States d. April 12, 1981, Nevada, United States Joe Louis was the world heavyweight boxing champion from June 22, 1937, to March 1, 1949, the longest reign of any fighter in any weight class. Louis' most memorable fight may have been against Max Schmeling of Germany. |
| Love, Mia | b. December 6, 1975, New York, United States Parents: From Haiti Mia Love is the United States Representative from Utah's 4th congressional district. She is the first black female Republican Party member in the U.S. Congress. |
| Lovecraft, H. P. | b. August 20, 1890, Rhode Island, United States d. March 15, 1937, Rhode Island, United States H. P. Lovecraft was a writer who achieved posthumous fame for his influential works of horror fiction. He is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th century authors in his genre. |
| Lovell, Jim | b. March 25, 1928, Ohio, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Czech Republic Jim Lovell is an astronaut, and one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon, the first of only three people to fly to the Moon twice, and the only one to have flown there twice without making a landing. Lovell was also the first person to fly in space four times. |
| Lovell, Whitfield | b. October 2, 1959, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Barbados Whitfield Lovell is an artist known for his drawings of anonymous African-Americans. The drawings are done from vintage photographs of people from between the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil Rights Movement. |
| Lovsky, Celia | b. February 21, 1897, Vienna, present-day Austria d. October 12, 1979, California, United States Celia Lovsky was a character actress who enjoyed nearly a fifty year career in film and television. She was married to Peter Lorre from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s. |
| Low, Abraham | b. February 28, 1891, Baranów Sandomierski, Poland d. November 17, 1954, Minnesota, United States Abraham Low was a neuropsychiatrist noted for his work establishing self-help programs for the mentally ill, and criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis. |
| Lowie, Robert | b. June 12, 1883, Vienna, Austria d. September 21, 1957, California, United States Robert Lowie was an anthropologist whose area of expertise was North American Indians and who was instrumental in the development of modern anthropology. |
| Lozano, Florencia | b. December 16, 1969, New Jersey, United States Mother: From Argentina Florencia Lozano is an actress. She has starred as Téa Delgado on the daytime series One Life to Live. |
| Lozowick, Louis | b. December 10, 1892, Ludvinovka, present-day Ukraine d. September 9, 1973, New Jersey, United States Louis Lozowick was a famous painter in the art deco and precisionist styles. He was an executive board member of the Marxist magazine New Masses. |
| Lubetzky, Daniel | b. 1968, Mexico City, Mexico Daniel Lubetzky is an entrepreneur, author and activist, and founder and CEO of snack company Kind LLC. |
| Lubinsky, Herman | b. August 30, 1896, Connecticut, United States d. March 16, 1974, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Russia Herman Lubinsky was the owner of Savoy Records, one of the leading independent labels of the 1940's and 1950's. Savoy specialized in blues, gospel, and R&B, and recorded artists such as Johnny Otis, Big Maybelle, and Little Jimmie Scott |
| Lubitsch, Ernst | b. January 29, 1892, Berlin, Germany d. November 30, 1947, California, United States Ernst Lubitsch was an actor, filmmaker and producer whose career in film began in Germany in the early 20th century. The "Lubitsch Touch" was marked with playful sexual innuendos and a lampooning of social conventions of the day. |
| Ludwig, Edward | b. October 7, 1899, Balta, present-day Ukraine d. August 20, 1982, California, United States Edward Ludwig was a film and television director who is acclaimed for his prowess at directing action films, including Swiss Family Robinson (1940) and Big Jim McLain (1952). |
| Luetkemeyer, Blaine | b. May 7, 1952, Missouri, United States Blaine Luetkemeyer is a politician currently serving as the incumbent U.S. Representative for Missouri's 3rd congressional district, a seat he has held since 2009. |
| Lugosi, Bela | b. October 20, 1882, Lugoj, Romania d. August 16, 1956 California, United States Bela Lugosi is an actor best known for his portrayal of Dracula in the 1931 film. Lugosi had a long career in film playing various monsters, villians, and mad scientists. His last film was The Black Sleep (1956). |
| Lukacs, John | b. January 31, 1924, Budapest, Hungary John Lukacs is a historian who has written more than thirty books, including Five Days in London, May 1940 and A New Republic. |
| Lund, Zoë | b. February 9, 1962, New York, United States d. April 16, 1999, Paris, France Father: From Romania, Mother: From Sweden Zoë Lund was an accomplished actress, screenwriter and political activist. She wrote the screenplay for the cult film Bad Lieutenant and appeared in the films Ms. 45 and Special Effects. |
| Lupino, Ida | b. February 4, 1918, London, United Kingdom d. August 3, 1995, California, United States Ida Lupino was a renowned actress whose career spanned the 1930s to the 1970s. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Lupino was also a trailblazing screenwriter, producer, and director of film and television shows. |
| Lurie, Ranan | b. May 26, 1932, Port Said, Egypt Ranan Lurie is among the world's most renowned political cartoonists. He has worked for magazines including Life, Newsweek, and Time, and his cartoons have been syndicated in more than a thousand publications globally. |
| Lushington, Augustus Nathaniel | b. August 1, 1869, Trinidad, British West Indies d. 1939, Place unknown Augustus Nathaniel Lushington was the first African-American to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He practiced in the highly segregated town of Lynchburg, Virginia and earned a well respected reputation for his work. |
| Ly, Andrew | b. 1949, Vietnam Andrew Ly is a co-founder and CEO of Sugar Bowl Bakery. He was the recipient of AIISF's Immigrant Heritage Award in 2011. |
| Lynch, Becky | b. January 30, 1987, Dublin, Ireland Becky Lynch is a professional wrestler, known for her work on WWE Smackdown!, WWE Raw and WWE NXT competing in the female wrestling division. |
| Lyubomirsky, Sonja | b. 1967, Russia Sonja Lyubomirsky is professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Her 2008 book, The How of Happiness has been translated into 19 languages. |
M
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| M.I.A | b. July 18, 1975, Hounslow, United Kingdom Parents: From Sri Lanka M.I.A. is a rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and activist. She has been nominated for an Academy Award, three Grammy Awards and the Mercury Prize. |
| Ma, Yo-Yo | b. October 7, 1955, Paris, France Yo-Yo Ma is a world-renowned cellist. Yo-Yo Ma has won numerous prestigious awards, including 18 Grammys. |
| Maazel, Lorin | b. March 30, 1930, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France d. July 13, 2014, Virginia, United States Lorin Maazel was violinist and conductor who made his debut as conductor at the age of eight. Maazel was director of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1972 to 1982. |
| Machado, China | b. December 25, 1929, Shanghai, China d. December 18, 2016, New York, United States Father: From Portugal China Machado was a pioneering model, TV producer, and fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar. Machado broke the fashion world's color and age barrier. In the late 1950s, she was one of the first women of color to appear on the cover of a magazine (Harper's Bazaar) and she was still modeling at the age of eighty-one. |
| Machado, Dixon | b. February 22, 1992, San Cristobal-Tachira, Venezuela Dixon Machado is a professional baseball player. He is a righthanded shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. |
| Machan, Tibor | b. March 18, 1935, Budapest, Hungary d. March 24, 2016, California, United States Tibor Machan was the author of more than 100 scholarly papers and 40 books, one of which is Why is everyone else wrong? |
| Machrowicz, Thaddeus M. | b. August 21, 1899, Gostyn, Poland d. February 17, 1970, Michigan, United States Thaddeus M. Machrowicz was a United States Representative for Michigan. He served from 1951-1961. |
| Mack, John J. | b. November 17, 1944, North Carolina, United States Father: From Lebanon John J. Mack is a businessman. He is senior advisor and former CEO of Morgan Stanley, a finance and investment services firm. |
| Mackie, John C. | b. June 1, 1920, Toronto, Canada d. March 5, 2008, Virginia, United States John C. Mackie was a United States Representative for Michigan. He served from 1965-1967. |
| MacLeish, Archibald | b. May 7, 1892, Illinois, United States d. April 20, 1982, Massachusetts, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Archibald MacLeish was a poet and writer. For five years MacLeish was Librarian of Congress, a post he accepted at the urging of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. |
| Maddon, Joe | b. February 8, 1954, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Italy, Mother: From Poland Joe Maddon is a major league baseball manager who coached the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series win in 108 years. A former minor league catcher, Maddon also managed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. |
| Magdon-Ismail, Iqram | b. July 22, 1983, Zimbabwe Iqram Magdon-Ismail is an entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former president of Venmo, an online money transfer platform. |
| Maggie Q | b. May 22, 1979, Hawaii, United States Mother: From Vietnam Maggie Q is an actress who is famous for her role in the TV series Nikita. |
| Mah, Adeline Yen | b. November 30, 1937, Tianjin, China Adeline Yen Mah is an author, most notable for her autobiography Falling Leaves: A True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter. |
| Mahal, Jinder | b. July 19, 1986, Alberta, Canada Parents: From India Jinder Mahal is a professional wrestler signed to WWE. He was a WWE Champion in his first reign. |
| Mahal, Taj | b. May 17, 1942, New York, United States Paternal Grandmother: From St. Kitts Taj Mahal is an internationally recognized musican. His first album came out in 1968. He is a renowned multi-instrumentalist, who blends many genres of music, including blues, world music, Hawaiian music, and rhythm and blues. |
| Mahan, Alfred Thayer | b. September 27, 1840, New York, United States d. December 1, 1914, Washington D.C., United States Paternal Grandparents: From Ireland Alfred Thayer Mahan was a naval historian, military strategist and the author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 and The Influence of Sea Power Upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793-1812. |
| Maier, Vivian | b. February 1, 1926, New York, United States d. April 21, 1999, Illinois, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Austria Vivian Maier was a street photographer. During her lifetime, Maier's photographs were unknown and unpublished; many of her negatives were never printed. Her work was found at an estate sale in 2008, and her work has since then exploded in popularity. |
| Makarova, Natalia | b. November 21, 1940, Saint Petersburg, Russia Natalia Makarova is a ballarina who is regarded as one of the finest classical dancers in the world. In 2012, she was honored by the Kennedy Center for her lifetime contributions to American art and culture. |
| Mako | b. December 10, 1933, Kobe, Japan d. July 21, 2006, California, United States Mako was an actor and voice actor who enjoyed a career in films that lasted nearly fifty years. |
| Malamud, Bernard | b. April 26, 1914, New York, United States d. March 18, 1986, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Bernard Malamud was a novelist and short story writer. His most famous novel was The Fixer. |
| Malcolm X | b. May 19, 1925, Nebraska, United States d. February 21, 1965, New York, United States Mother: From Grenada Malcolm X was an activist who worked to further the cause of civil rights for African Americans. He was introduced to the Nation of Islam while in prison and became the public face of the organization that he would eventually break ties with. |
| Malden, Karl | b. March 22, 1912, Illinois, United States d. July 1, 2009, California, United States Father: From Serbia, Mother: From Czech Republic Karl Malden was a character actor. Early in his career, he had major supporting roles in now classic films, such as A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. In his later years, he starred in television series such as Streets of San Francisco, Skag and the mini-series Fatal Vision. |
| Malek, Rami | b. May 12, 1981, California, United States Parents: From Egypt Rami Malek is an award-winning actor best known for his role as Elliot Alderson in USA Network's Mr. Robot. |
| Malick, Wendie | b. December 13, 1950, New York, United States Pateral Grandfather: From Egypt Wendie Malick is an actress, voice actress, comedienne and former fashion model. |
| Malinowski, Bronisław | b. April 7, 1884, Kraków, Poland d. May 16, 1942, Connecticut, United States Bronislaw Malinowski was an anthropologist famous for his fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands, and for challenging the universality of some of Freud's psychology. |
| Maloof, Adrienne | b. September 4, 1961, New Mexico, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Lebanon Adrienne Maloof is a businesswoman, television personality, shoe designer and co-owner of the various business holdings of Maloof Companies. |
| Maloof, George J., Jr. | b. September 2, 1964, New Mexico, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Lebanon George J. Maloof Jr. is an entrepreneur and businessman. He part owns the Palms Casino Resort with his siblings and used to own Sacramento Kings and Sacramento Monarchs. |
| Maloof, Sam | b. January 24, 1916, California, United States d. May 28, 2009, California, United States Parents: From Lebanon Sam Maloof was a furniture designer and woodworker whose innovative work earned him a MacArthur "Genius Grant." |
| Mandefro, Mehret Ayalew | b. July 5, 1976, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Mehret Ayalew Mandefro is a physician and HIV prevention researcher. She founded the nonprofit TruthAIDS which is focused on health literacy efforts among vulnerable populations. Her ethnographic work about HIV-positive women's lives in the South Bronx and Ethiopia is the subject of the documentary All of Us. |
| Mandvi, Aasif | b. March 5, 1966, Mumbai, India Aasif Mandvi is well known for his recurring role on The Daily Show, but also has over eighty television and film credits to his name since 1988. He wrote and starred in a one-man play called Sakina's Restaurant which became something of an Off-Broadway sensation, winning Mandvi an Obie Award in 1999. |
| Mangaoang, Ernesto | b. 1902, Philippines d. 1968, Place unknown Ernesto Mangaoang was a labor activist and longtime leader of immigrant Filipino laborers. |
| Mankiw, N. Gregory | b. February 3, 1958, New Jersey, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Ukraine N. Gregory Mankiw is a macroeconomist and the Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Mankiw is best known in academia for his work on New Keynesian economics. |
| Mann, Thomas | b. June 6, 1875, Lubeck, present-day Germany d. August 12, 1955, Zurich, Switzerland Thomas Mann was a novelist, short story writer and essayist. His work is characterized by its insight into the psychology of the artist and intellectual. |
| Manners, David | b. April 30, 1901, Halifax, Canada d. December 23, 1998, California, United States David Manners was an actor who is known today for co-starring (usually as the romantic lead) in a host of classic Universal horror films, notably Dracula (1931), The Mummy (1932), and The Black Cat (1934). |
| Manoogian, Alex | b. June 28, 1901, present-day İzmir, present-day Turkey d. July 10, 1996, Michigan, United States Alex Manoogian was an engineer, businessman and entrepreneur who founded Masco Screw Products Company, a manufacturer of the now ubiquitous screw ball faucet joint. |
| Manuel, Richard | b. April 3, 1943, Ontario, Canada d. March 4, 1986, Florida, United States Richard Manuel was a composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who was also a member of The Band. |
| Manzano, Leo | b. September 12, 1984, Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico Leo Manzano took the silver medal in the 1,500 meter final at the 2012 London Olympic Games and was the first American to win a medal of any kind in the event since 1968. |
| Manzarek, Ray | b. February 12, 1939, Illinois, United States d. May 20, 2013, Rosenheim, Germany Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Poland Ray Manzarek was a musician, singer, producer, film director, and author. He was the architect of musical group The Doors' intoxicating sound. His keyboard playing fused rock, jazz, blues, classical and an array of other styles into something utterly new. |
| Maravich, Pete | b. June 22, 1947, Pennsylvania, United States d. Janurary 5, 1988, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Serbia Pete Maravich was a basketball player who played for the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics. Always a prolific scorer, Maravich holds nearly every NCAA scoring record and is regarded as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. |
| Maravich, Press | b. August 29, 1915, Pennsylvania, United States d. April 15, 1987, Louisiana, United States Parents: From present-day Serbia Press Maravich was a college and professional basketball player and college coach. He is credited with developing the free-flowing game played today. He was the head coach of North Carolina State, Clemson, Louisiana State and Appilcian State. |
| Marca-Relli, Conrad | b. June 5, 1913, Massachusetts, United States d. August 29, 2000, Parma, Italy Parents: From Italy Conrad Marca-Relli was a pioneering artist of the collage style, known for his works with cut-out shapes of painted canvas and expressive patterns and outlines. |
| Marchant, Kenny | b. February 23, 1951, Texas, United States Kenny Marchant is the U.S. Representative for Texas's 24th congressional district, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Marcil, Vanessa | b. October 15, 1968, California, United States Father: From Mexico Vanessa Marcil is an actress. She is best known for her television roles as Brenda Barrett on General Hospital, Gina Kincaid on Beverly Hills, 90210, and Sam Marquez on Las Vegas. |
| Marcus, Bernie | b. May 12, 1929, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Russia Bernie Marcus is a businessman and the cofounder and CEO of Home Depot, a home improvement retail chain. |
| Marin, Cheech | b. July 14, 1946, California, United States Paternal Grandparents and Maternal Grandfather: From Mexico Cheech Marin is best known for being one half of the dynamic "Cheech & Chong" duo from a series of character films in the 1980s. Marin has also released two award-winning, bilingual children's albums, and is beloved for his voice depiction of Ramone in Disney's Cars franchise. |
| Marinaro, Hector | b. December 6, 1964, Toronto, Ontario Father: From Argentina Hector Marinaro is a former professional indoor soccer player for the Cleveland Force. He is considered the greatest indoor soccer player of all time and the leagues' MVP award is named after him. |
| Markin, Morris | b. July 15, 1893, Smolensk, Russia d. July 8, 1970, Michigan, United States Morris Markin founded the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company (which would later become the Checker Motors Corporation). |
| Marley, Bob | b. February 6, 1945, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica d. May 11, 1981, Florida, United States Bob Marley was a singer-songwriter who became an international musical and cultural icon, blending mostly reggae, ska and rocksteady in his compositions. |
| Marrack, Philippa | b. June 28, 1945, Ewell, United Kingdom Philippa Marrack is a biologist who is best known for her research of the body's immune system and T cells. |
| Marshall, Paule | b. April 9, 1929, New York, United States Parents: From Barbados Paule Marshall is an author whose novels emphasized the need for black Americans to reclaim their heritage. She is best known for the novel Brown Girl Brownstones. |
| Martin, Boyd | b. August 20, 1979, Sydney, Australia Boyd Martin is a two-time Olympic individual and team equestrian. He competed in the Rio and London Games for Team USA. |
| Martin, Dean | b. June 7, 1917, Ohio, United States d. December 25, 1995, California, United States Father: From Italy Dean Martin was a singer renowned for his calm charisma and his polished personality. Rising to fame in the 50s as part of the comedy team, Martin and (Jerry) Lewis, Dean Martin enjoyed a long career as a singer and actor in everything from serious dramas to light romantic comedies. |
| Martin, Ross | b. March 22, 1920, Horodok, Ukraine d. July 3, 1981, California, United States Ross Martin was a radio, voice, stage, film and television actor. Martin was known for portraying Artemus Gordon on the CBS' Western series The Wild Wild West, which aired from 1965 to 1969. |
| Martinek, Joseph | b. March 23, 1889, Podebrady, Czech Republic d. March 21, 1980, Arizona, United States Joseph Martinek was a newspaper editor, labor activist, and poet in Cleveland. He devoted much of his life to working for an independent Czechoslovakia and promoting democracy in Europe, publishing poetry and writing scripts for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. |
| Martínez Celaya, Enrique | b. June 9, 1964, Nueva Paz, Cuba Enrique Martínez Celaya is an artist and author. His work examines the experiences of individuals in relation to their circumstances, time and nature, and his work is influenced by philosophy and literature. |
| Martínez, Elizabeth | b. December 12, 1925, Washington D.C., United States Father: From Mexico Elizabeth Martínez is Chicana feminist and a long-time community organizer, activist, author, and educator. She is active in the Civil Rights Movement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). |
| Martinez, Mel | b. October 23, 1946, Sagua La Grande, Cuba Mel Martinez was a United States Representative for Florida. He served from 2005-2009. |
| Martinez, Olivier | b. January 12, 1966, Paris, France Olivier Martinez is an actor. He has also appeared in Hollywood-produced features, including the drama Before Night Falls (2000), Unfaithful (2002) and playing the role of a French drug lord in the action-crime-thriller S.W.A.T. (2003). |
| Martínez, Victor | b. February 23, 1978, Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela Víctor Martínez is a designated hitter and first baseman for the Detroit Tigers. He is a seven-time AL All-Star and two-time AL Silver Slugger award recipient and has played in the MLB for over 15 years. |
| Marx, Chico | b. March 22, 1887, New York, United States d. October 11, 1961, California, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Germany Chico Marx was a vaudevillian performer, comedian, stage and film actor, and pianist. He is remembered for his role as the wise-cracking pianist in the comedy team The Marx Brothers. In 1942, Chico Marx formed the fleeting Chico Marx Orchestra. |
| Marx, Groucho | b. October 2, 1890, New York, United States d. August 19, 1977, California, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Germany Groucho Marx was a vaudevillian performer, comedian, stage and film actor, writer, and game show host. Groucho Marx, he of the cigar, grease paint moustache, and rolling eyes, will forever be remembered as member of the legendary, iconoclastic comedy team The Marx Brothers. |
| Marx, Gummo | b. October 23, 1893, New York, United States d. April 21, 1977, California, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Germany Gummo Marx was a businessman, vaudevillian performer, and actor. He was a member of the comedy team, The Marx Brothers. Later in life, after a stint in the army and a successful career in business, Marx became an agent representing his brother Groucho and other big names in the entertainment industry. |
| Marx, Harpo | b. November 23, 1888, New York, United States d. September 28, 1964, California, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Germany Harpo Marx was a vaudevillian performer, comedian, mime, stage and film actor, and self-taught harpist. As a member of the comedy team The Marx Brothers, Harpo Marx, who never spoke a word in the Marx Brothers films, is remembered for his pantomimed comedic performances. |
| Marx, Zeppo | b. February 25, 1901, New York, United States d. November 30, 1979, California, United States Father: From France, Mother: From Germany Zeppo Marx was an engineer, businessperson, vaudevillian performer, and actor who is remembered for his role as the straight man in the comedy team The Marx Brothers. Only appearing in the team's first five films, Marx left to pursue a successful career in engineering. |
| Maslow, Abraham | b. April 1, 1908, New York, United States d. June 8, 1970, California, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Abraham Maslow, a professor at Brandeis, was one of the founders of humanistic psychology and the hierarchy of needs. |
| Maslow, Will | b. September 27, 1907, Kiev, Ukraine d. February 23, 2007, New York, United States Will Maslow was the former executive director of the American Jewish Congress who fought discrimination against African-Americans as well as Jews. |
| Mason, Noah Morgan | b. July, 19, 1882, Glamorganshire, United Kingdom d. March 29, 1965, Illinois, United States Noah Morgan Mason was a United States Representative for Illinois. He served from 1937-1963. |
| Massey. Raymond | b. August 30, 1896, Toronto, Canada d. July 29, 1983, California, United States Raymond Massey was a stage, screen, and television actor who was known for his resounding voice. |
| Masters, Oksana | b. June 19, 1989, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine Oksana Masters is a paralympic rower and skier and a three-time paralympic medalist. |
| Masterson, Bat | b. November 26, 1853, Quebec, Canada d. October 21, 1921, New York, United States Bat Masterson was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist. Theodore Roosevelt appointed Masterson Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York in 1905. |
| Matassa, Cosimo | b. April 13, 1926, Louisiana, United States d. September 11, 2014, Louisiana, United States Parents: From Italy Cosimo Matassa was a recording engineer and record producer. His studios produced the vast majority of recordings that came out of New Orleans from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He recorded many artists including Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Dr. John. |
| Mathabane, Mark | b. October 18, 1960, Alexandra, South Africa Mark Mathabane is a South African author, lecturer, and a former collegiate tennis player and college professor. His most famous book is Taffir Boy. |
| Mattei, Janet Akyüz | b. January 2, 1943, Bodrum, Turkey d. March 22, 2004, Massachusetts, United States Janet Akyüz Mattei was an astronomer who was the director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) from 1973-2004. |
| Matter, Herbert | b. April 25, 1907, Engelberg, Switzerland d. May 8, 1984, New York, United States Herbert Matter was a photographer and graphic designer known for his pioneering use of photomontage in commercial art. The designer's innovative and experimental work helped shape the vocabulary of 20th-century graphic design |
| Matthau, Walter | b. October 1, 1920, New York, United States d. July 1, 2000, California, United States Father: From Ukraine, Mother: From Lithuania Walter Matthau was an actor and comedian, best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple. |
| Matthews, Dave | b. January 9, 1967, Johannesburg, South Africa Dave Matthews is a singer-songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. |
| Matzen, Herman N. | b. July 15, 1861, Denmark d. April 22, 1938, Ohio, United States Herman N. Matzen was a sculptor. His most widely known works include the Haserot Angel, the Tom L. Johnson Monument in Cleveland Public Square, and the War and Peace Group at the Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument. |
| May, David | b. June 10, 1848, Kaiserlautern, Germany d. July 22, 1927, Michigan, United States David May was a businessman who founded the May Company, which was one of the largest department store chains in the United States. |
| May, Joe | b. November 7, 1880, Vienna, present-day Austria d. April 29, 1954, California, United States Joe May was a filmmaker who was one of the innovators of early German cinema. May's career in Hollywood was spent mainly helming low budget films. |
| Mayer, Arno J. | b. June 19, 1926, Luxembourg Arno J. Mayer is a historian who specializes in modern Europe, diplomatic history, and the Holocaust |
| Mayer, Goeppert María | b. June 28, 1906, Katowice, present-day Poland d. February 20, 1972, California, United States Maria Goeppert Mayer was a theoretical physicist, and Nobel laureate in Physics for proposing the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus. She was the second woman to win a Nobel Prize in physics, after Marie Curie. |
| Mayo, Clara | b. September 13, 1931, Linz, Austria d. November 21, 1981, Place unknown Clara Mayo, a professor at Boston University, was a social psychologist exploring prejudice and stereotyping. |
| Mayowa, Benson | b. August 3, 1991, California, United States Parents: From Nigeria Benson Mayowa is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Idaho. |
| Mayr, Ernst | b. July 5, 1904, Kempten, Germany d. February 3, 2005, Massachusetts, United States Ernst Mayr was one of the worlds leading biologists of the 21st century. He garnered many medals for biology and passed away at the age of 100. |
| Mazurki, Mike | b. December 25, 1907, Kupchyntsi, Ukraine d. December 9, 1990, California, United States Mike Mazurki, a professional wrestler who later turned to acting, has over 100 film credits to his name. Because of his height and tough face he usually played the roles of thugs, strong men, and gangsters. |
| McCammon, Helen Mary | b. August 16, 1933, Manitoba, Canada Helen Mary McCammon is an advocate for advancement of women in geological sciences. |
| McCann, Colum | b. February 28, 1965, Dublin, Ireland Colum McCann is a writer of literary fiction and has written novels and books of short stories including TransAtlantic, Let the Great World Spin and Thirteen Ways of Looking. |
| McCarthy, Jenny | b. November 1, 1972, Illinois, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Ireland, Maternal Grandmother: From the United Kingdom Jenny McCarthy is an actress, model, television host, author, screenwriter, and anti-vaccine activist. |
| McClatchy, James | b. 1824, Ireland James McClatchy was a journalist and newspaper editor. He was an editor of the Sacramento Bee which grew into The McClatchy Company. |
| McClatchy, Valentine S. | b. August 29, 1857, California, United States d. May 15, 1938, California, United States Father: From Ireland Valentine S. McClatchy was a newspaper publisher and journalist. He was part of what is now known as The McClatchy Company, a newspaper conglomerate that exists to this day. |
| McClintock, Tom | b. July 10, 1956, New York, United States Tom McClintock is a politician who is the U.S. Representative for California's 4th congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| McConnell, David H. | b. July 18, 1858, New York, United States d. January 20, 1937, New York, United States Parents: From Ireland David H. McConnell was the Founder and President of the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon Products. |
| McConnell, Mitch | b. Febuary 20, 1942, Alabama, United States Mitch McConnell is a politician and has been the senior United States Senator from Kentucky since 1985. He is a member of the Republican Party and has been the Majority Leader of the Senate since 2015. |
| McCormack, Eric | b. April 18, 1963, Toronto, Canada Eric McCormack is an actor best known for his role as Will Truman in the sitcom Will & Grace and most recently as Grant MacLaren in the Netflix series Travelers. |
| McCourt, Frank | b. August 19, 1930, New York, United States d. July 19, 2009, New York, United States Father: From the United Kingdom, Mother: From Ireland Frank McCourt was a writer, most famous for his book Angela's Ashes, a tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood. |
| McCunn, Ruthanne Lum | b. February 21, 1946, California, United States Mother: From China Ruthanne Lum McCunn is a novelist and historical biographer. Her books are based on Chinese and Chinese American stories |
| McDonald, Audra | b. July 3, 1970, West Berlin, Germany Audra McDonald is a tony award winning singer and actress. She has a long list of solo recordings and featured songs from operas and other productions. |
| McDonald, Maurice | b. November 26, 1902, New Hampshire, United States d. December 11, 1971, California, United States Parents: From Ireland Maurice McDonald was one of the founders of the original McDonald's restaurant, along with his brother Richard. They opened their first McDonald's restaurant in 1940, a hot dog stand that catered to families looking for a cheap meal. |
| McDonald, Richard | b. February 16, 1909, New Hampshire, United States d. July 14, 1998, New Hampshire, United States Parents: From Ireland Richard McDonald and his brother Maurice were founders of the original McDonald's restaurant. They opened their first McDonald's restaurant in 1940, a hot dog stand that catered to families looking for a cheap meal. |
| McDougall, William | b. June 22, 1871, Oldham, United Kingdom d. November 28, 1938, North Carolina, United States William McDougall was an early 20th century psychologist. He was a professor at Duke University, participated in many areas of psychology and adapted information from other fields into psychology. |
| McDowall, Roddy | b. September 17, 1928, Herne Hill, United Kingdom d. October 3, 1998, California, United States Roddy McDowall was a well-known actor who began his film career at the age of ten. McDowall had a 60 year career in film. |
| McFarlane, Todd | b. March 16, 1961, Calgary, Canada Todd McFarlane is a comic book creator and entrepreneur, best known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man and the horror-fantasy series Spawn. |
| McGhee, Norman | b. November 20, 1897, Georgia, United States d. July 20, 1979, Ohio, United States Norman McGhee was the first African-American licensed stock-dealer in the Midwest and founded the country's first black-owned brokerage firm. He was the first editor of the Cleveland Call & Post and a trustee for Wilberforce University and St. James AME Church in Cleveland. |
| McGovern, George | b. July 19, 1922, South Dakota, United States d. October 21, 2012, South Dakota, United States Mother: From Canada, Paternal Grandfather: From Ireland George McGovern was a historian and politician known for his liberal views. |
| McGuire, George Alexander | b. March 28, 1866, Swetes, Antigua d. November 10, 1934, New York, United States George Alexander McGuire was a bishop and founder of the African Orthodox Church, as well as chaplain-general of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). |
| McHarg, Ian | b. November 20, 1920, West Dunbartonshire, United Kingdom d. March 5, 2001, Pennsylvania, United States Ian McHarg was a landscape architect who focused on regional ecological planning in his designs. |
| McKay, Claude | b. September 15, 1889, Sunnyvale, Jamaica d. May 22, 1948, Illinois, United States Claude McKay was a writer and poet, and a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a prominent literary movement of the 1920s. He is best remembered for Home to Harlem. |
| McKenna, Joseph | b. August 10, 1843, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 21, 1926, Washington, D.C., United States Father: From Ireland Joseph McKenna was an American politician who served in all three branches of the U.S. federal government, as a member of Congress, as U.S. Attorney General and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. |
| McKinley, David | b. March 28, 1947, West Virginia, United States David McKinley is a businessman and politician who has been the U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 1st congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| McLaglen, Andrew V. | b. July 28, 1920, London, United Kingdom d. August 30, 2014, Washington, United States Andrew V. McLaglen was a filmmaker who worked in both film and television. Mclaglen had a talent for working within the western genre; he is one of the few directors who worked with both John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. |
| McLaughlin, Andrew C. | b. February 14, 1861, Illinois, United States d. September 24, 1947, Place unknown Parents: From the United Kingdom Andrew C. McLaughlin was a historian and authority on constitutional history who wrote A Constitutional History of the United States. |
| McNeill, John T. | b. July 28, 1885, Prince Edwards Island, Canada d. February 2, 1975, Ilinois, United States John T. McNeill was a theologist and a scholar of religious history, with a particular focus on the history of the Christianity. |
| McNeill, William H. | b. October 31, 1917, Vancouver, Canada d. July 8, 2016, Connecticut, United States William H. McNeill was a historian and author who wrote on Western civilization. His most successful book is The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community. |
| Mda, Zakes | b. October 6, 1948, Eastern Cape, South Africa Zakes Mda is a novelist, poet and playwright. Many of his works confront issues facing modern Africans including bigotry, regular violence, poverty and the disassociation that characterized (and characterizes) the lives of black South Africans. |
| Mead, Hassan | b. June 28, 1991, Borama, Somalia Hassan Mead is an Olympic 5,000 meter runner. He took 11th in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Mehmet, Oz | b. June 11, 1960, Ohio, United States Parents: From Turkey Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, Columbia University professor, author, and television personality. |
| Mehrabian, Robert | b. July 31, 1941, Tehran, Iran Robert Mehrabian is a materials scientist, former President of Carnegie Mellon University, and the Chair, President, and CEO of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated. |
| Mehretu, Julie | b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Julie Mehretu is an artist who creates large-scale paintings that are built up in layers. Her style is gestural and she is inspired by urban landscapes and geography. |
| Mehrotra, Sanjay | b. June 27, 1958, Kanpur, India Sanjay Mehrotra is a businessman and the cofounder of SanDisk, a flash memory product manufacturer. He is currently president and CEO of Micron Technology Inc. |
| Mehta, Ved | b. March 21, 1934, Lahore, present-day Pakistan Ved Mehta is a writer. His work is often set in India, making this country his backdrop whether his account is political or personal. His work explores the conflict between East and West in Indian culture. |
| Mellon, Andrew W. | b. March 24, 1855, Pennsylvania, United States d. August 26, 1937, New York, United States Father: From present-day the United Kingdom Andrew W. Mellon was a banker, businessman and politician. He was the United States Secretary of the Treasury for twelve years and made a personal fortune investing in American industry. |
| Mellon, Thomas | b. February 3, 1813, County Tyrone, present-day United Kingdom d. February 3, 1908, Pennsylvania, United States Thomas Mellon was an entrepreneur, lawyer and judge. He invested in real estate, founded a law firm and founded a bank, originally known as T. Mellon & Sons' Bank. |
| Mendelsohn, Erich | b. March 21, 1887, in Olsztyn, present-day Poland d. September 15, 1953, California, United States Parents: From Germany Erich Mendelsohn was an architect. From 1941 until his death, he taught at the University of California, Berkeley. |
| Mendelson, Avner | b. Date and year unknown, Israel Avner Mendelson has been with the Leumi Group since 2007 and was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Leumi - US in September 2013. |
| Mendes, Eva | b. March 5, 1974, Miami, Florida Parents: From Cuba Eva Mendes is an actress. She is known for appearing in the films Training Day, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Hitch. |
| Méndez, Rebeca | b. 1962, Mexico City, Mexico Rebeca Méndez is an AIGA award winning graphic desinger. Her clients include the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Getty Museum. |
| Mendieta, Ana | b. November 18, 1948, Havana, Cuba d. September 8, 1985, New York, United States Ana Mendieta was a multidisciplinary artist, best known for her performance, photography and video art. Her work was largely autobiographical and focused on the body, identity and her experience of being a woman. |
| Mendik, Bernard Hyman | b. May 29, 1929, Glasgow, United Kingdom d. May 28, 2001, New York, United States Bernard Hyman Mendik was a real estate developer, founder of the Mendik Company, and chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York. |
| Mengers, Sue | b. September 2, 1932, Hamburg, Germany d. October 15, 2011, California, United States Sue Mengers was a popular Hollywood talent who helped shape Hollywood's vibrant revival in the 1970s. |
| Mengestu, Dinaw | b. June 30, 1978, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Dinaw Mengestu is a novelist and journalist whose books include The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears and How to Read the Air. |
| Mengiste, Maaza | b. 1971, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Maaza Mengiste is a writer, best known for her novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze. |
| Mensah, Peter | b. August 27, 1959, Accra, Ghana Peter Mensah is an actor best known for his roles in Tears of the Sun, Hidalgo, 300, and Dead Space, and more recently on the Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and Spartacus: Vengeance. |
| Merage, Paul | b. 1934, Tehran, Iran Paul Merage co-founded Chef America in 1977, a start up frozen food company that became one of the largest and most profitable privately held food companies in the United States, best known for Hot Pockets. Chef America was sold to Nestle in 2002 for $2.6 billion. |
| Meredith, Burgess | b. November 16, 1907, Ohio, United States d. September 9, 1997, California, United States Father: From Canada Burgess Meredith was an award-winning actor, producer, and writer. With a career spanning over six decades, Burgess is best remembered for his role as the Penguin in the 60s TV show Batman and his Oscar-nominated performance in the film, Rocky (1976). |
| Meriwether, Nana | b. May 24, 1985, Johannesburg, South Africa Nana Meriwether is a two-time NCAA All-American UCLA volleyball player and Miss USA 2012. She represented Maryland at Miss USA 2012 and finished as first runner-up. |
| Merkin, J. Ezra | b. April 19, 1953, New York, United States Parents: From Germany J. Ezra Merkin is an investor, hedge fund manager and philanthropist. |
| Merrick, Myra | b. 1825, Hinkley, United Kingdom d. November 11, 1899, Ohio, United States Myra Merrick was the first female physician in Ohio, receiving her M.D. in 1852. She developed a thriving practice among Cleveland's elite, opened Cleveland Homeopathic Hospital College for Women in 1867, and co-founded Women's & Children's Free Medical & Surgical Dispensary in 1878. |
| Metaxas, Eric | b. January 1, 1963, New York, United States Father: From Greece, Mother: From Germany Eric Metaxas is an author and speaker who has written biographies of historical figures including William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. |
| Metzl, Ervine | b. May 28, 1899, Illinois, United States d. November 22, 1963, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Czech Republic Ervine Metzl was a graphic designer remembered for his posters and stamp designs |
| Meyer, Adolf | b. September 13, 1866, Niederweningen, Switzerland d. March 17, 1950, Maryland, United States Adolf Meyer, a psychiatrist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, was the "dean of American psychiatry," and his Phipps Clinic became the leading training center for English-speaking psychiatrists in the world. |
| Meyer, Frederick | b. November 6, 1872, Hamelin, Germany d. January 6, 1961, California, United States Frederick Meyer was a furniture designer and proponenent of the Arts and Crafts movement. He founded the the School of the California Guild of Arts and Crafts. |
| Meyer, Max Freidrich | b. June 15, 1873, Danzig, present-day Poland d. March 14, 1967, Florida, United States Max Freidrich Meyer, a professor at the University of Miami, was a behaviorist who focused on hearing and musical acoustics. |
| Michelson, Albert A. | b. December 19, 1852, Strzelno, Poland d. May 9, 1931, California, United States Albert A. Michelson was a physicist known for his work on measuring the speed of light and especially for the Michelson-Morley experiment. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in Physics, 1907. |
| Mielziner, Jo | b. March 19, 1901, Paris, France d. March 15, 1976, New York, United States Jo Mielziner was a Tony award winning set designer during the Golden Age of Broadway. |
| Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig | b. March 27, 1886, Aachen, present-day Germany d. August 17, 1969, Illinois, United States Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a Bauhaus designer, who worked both an architect and furniture designer. His Barcelona chair has become an icon of midcentury design. |
| Mikita, Stan | b. May 20, 1940, Sokolce, Slovakia Stan Mikita is a retired hall of fame hockey player who played for the Chicago Blackhawks. He is the only player to win the Hart, Art Ross and Lady Byng trophies in the same season. |
| Miko, Izabella | b. January 21, 1981, Łódź, Poland Izabella Miko is an actress, dancer, producer, and environmental activist. Miko is known for her breakout role in Coyote Ugly (2000). |
| Mikula, Patrycja | b. May 28, 1983, Rzeszów, Poland Patrycja Mikula is a model and Playboy Cybergirl. |
| Milan, Cesar | b. August 27, 1969, Culiacán, Mexico Cesar Milan is an animal behaviorist specializing in dog behavior and training. He has made a career in television and publishing about dog behavior. |
| Milev, Emil | b. May 2, 1968, Sofia, Bulgaria Emil Milev is a six-time Olympic pistol shooter. He has been a part of Team USA for two Olympics and took silver in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Milian, Christina | b. September 26, 1981, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Cuba Christina Milian is a singer, songwriter and actress. |
| Miller, Stephen | b. August 23, 1985, California, United States Stephen Miller is a far-right political activist who serves as a senior advisor for policy for President Donald Trump. He was previously the communications director for then-Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. |
| Miller, Wentworth | b. June 2, 1972, Chipping Norton, United Kingdom Wentworth Miller is an actor, model, and screenwriter. Miller is best known for his role in the TV series Prison Break. |
| Milstein, Adam | b. 1952, Heifa, Israel Adam Milstein is a real estate investor and philanthropist, and a managing partner of Hager Pacific Properties. In 2000, Milstein and his wife Gila founded the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation. |
| Milstein, Daniel | b. November 8, 1975, Kiev, Ukraine Daniel Milstein is the founder and CEO of the Gold Star Family of Companies, operating in over forty offices worldwide, specializing in financial services, sports management, publishing and film production. |
| Min, Anchee | b. January 14, 1957, Shanghai, China Anchee Min is an author of memoirs and historical novels. Her most popular book is Red Azalea. |
| Minaj, Nicki | b. December 8, 1982, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Nicki Minaj is a rapper and singer songwriter. She first found gained public recognition around 2008 and her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents. |
| Ming-Na | b. November, 1963, Macau, China Ming-Na is the fist Asian-American actress to play a role on a daytime soap. She is best known for her role in the medical drama ER. |
| Ming, Jenny | b. 1955, Guangzhou, present-day China Jenny Ming is a businesswoman who served as president of the clothing chain Old Navy, overseeing all aspects of the company and its 900 retail locations. Under her leadership, Old Navy became the fastest growing apparel retail startup in U.S. history. |
| Miñoso, Minnie | b. November 29, 1925, Perico, Cuba d. March 1, 2015, Illinois, United States Minnie Miñoso was a Major League Baseball player. He played for the Cleveland Indians in 1948. |
| Minsky, Hyman | b. September 23, 1919, Illinois, United States d. October 24, 1996, New York, United States Father: From Russia Hyman Minskyy was an economist, a professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis, and a distinguished scholar at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. |
| Mintz-Plasse, Christopher | b. June 20, 1989, California, United States Paternal Great-Grandparents: From Poland Christopher Mintz-Plasse is an actor best known for his performances in Superbad (2007) and Kick Ass (2010). |
| Minuchin, Salvador | b. October 13, 1921, San Salvador, Argentina d. October 30, 2017, Florida, United States Salvador Minuchin was a psychotherapist who developed Structural Family Therapy. His pioneering work with teenagers shifted the focus from their individual symptoms to their family relationships. |
| Miranda, Carmen | b. February 9, 1909, Lisbon, Portugal d. August 5, 1955 California, United States Carmen Miranda was a Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress, and film star who was popular from the 1930s to the 1950s. |
| Mitchell, Arthur W. | b. December 22, 1883, Alabama, United States d. May 9, 1968, Virginia, United States Arthur Mitchell was a politician who was the first African-American to be elected to Congress as a Democrat. He introduced a number of new bills including banning lynching. |
| Mitchell, Joni | b. November 7, 1943, Fort Macleod, Canada Joni Mitchell was a successeful singer and songwriter of the 1960s and 1970s. She has received many accolades, including nine Grammy Awards. |
| Moceanu, Dominique | b. September 30, 1981, California, United States Parents From Romania Dominique Moceanu is an author and retired gymnast. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning United States women's gymnastics team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. |
| Modigliani, Franco | b. June 18, 1918, Rome, Italy d. September 25, 2003, Massachusetts, United States Franco Modigliani was an economist, a professor at UIUC, Carnegie Mellon University and MIT, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1985. |
| Modotti, Tina | b. August 17, 1896, Udine, Italy d. January 5, 1942, Mexico City, Mexico Tina Modotti was an actress, known for The Tiger's Coat (1920), Riding with Death (1921) and I Can Explain (1922). She became a famous photographer and took part in struggles for defense of the rights of poor Mexican peones. |
| Moghbeli, Jasmin | b. June 24, 1983, Bad Nauheim, Germany Jasmin Moghbeli is a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps and is the first astronaut candidate with Middle Eastern heritage since 1959. |
| Moholy-Nagy, László | b. July 20, 1895, Bácsborsód, present-day Hungary d. November 24, 1946, Illinois, United States László Moholy-Nagy was a painter and photographer. He was highly influenced by constructivism and a strong believer in the integration of technology and industry into the arts. |
| Moinian, Joseph | b. February 25, 1954, Tehran, Iran Joseph Moinian is the Founder and CEO of the Moinian Group. |
| Molina, Mario | b. March 19, 1943, Mexico City, Mexico Mario Molina is a chemist who is recognized for his important role in the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer above the arctic. |
| Monaghan, Dominic | b. December 8, 1976, Berlin, Germany Parents: From the United Kingdom Dominic Monaghan played Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck in Lord of the Rings. He also played the role of Charlie Pace on the television show Lost, and Chris Bradley in superhero film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. |
| Moncada, Yoan | b. May 27, 1995, Abreus, Cuba Yoan Moncada is an MLB infielder. He currently plays second base for the Chicago White Sox. |
| Monk, Thelonious | b. October 10, 1917, North Carolina, United States d. February 17, 1982, New Jersey, United States Thelonious Monk was an African-American musician. He is the second most recorded jazz musician and was known for his unique and unorthodox improvisational style. |
| Montalbán, Ricardo | b. November 25, 1920, Mexico City, Mexico d. January 14, 2009, California, United States Ricardo Montalbán was an actor who had a seven decade long film career. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the villian, Khan Noonien Singh, in the 1967 Star Trek TV series and the feature length film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). |
| Montana, French | b. November 9, 1984, Rabat, Morocco French Montana is a hip hop artist and songwriter. He is also the founder of Coke Boys Records, and its predecessor Cocaine City Records. |
| Montez, Maria | b. June 6, 1912, Barahona, Dominican Republic d. September 7, 1951, Suresnes, France Maria Montez, known for playing powerful women in films set in exotic locales, appeared in only 27 films before her untimely death at the age of 39. In her hometown of Barahona in the Dominican Republic, there is an international airport that sports her name and her films are still popular even today. |
| Moore, Jerry J. | b. 1927, Texas, United States d. November 23, 2008, United States Parents: From Poland Jerry J. Moore was a real estate developer and by 1989, he was the largest shopping-center developer in the United States. |
| Moore, Juanita | b. October 19, 1914, Mississippi, United States d. January 1, 2014, California, United States Juanita Moore was the fifth African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award. She is most widely known for her role in Imitation of Life. |
| Moore, Owen | b. December 12, 1886, Meath, Ireland d. June 9, 1939, California, United States Owen Moore was an actor who appeared in more than 250 movies and was married to major starlet Mary Pickford. |
| Morales-Rhodes, Natalie | b. June 6, 1972, Taipei, Taiwan Mother: From Brazil Natalie Morales-Rhodes is a journalist. She is Billy Bush's replacement as host of Access Hollywood and Access Hollywood Live, while continuing as a correspondent for Dateline. |
| Morales, Natalie | b. June 10, 1985, Florida, United States Mother: From Cuba Natalie Morales is an actress who is well known for her work in television on The Middlemen (2008) and Parks and Recreation (2009-2015). |
| Moranis, Rick | b. April 18, 1953, Toronto, Canada Rick Moranis is a comedian, actor, and writer. He wrote for and starred in SCTV, and has been in a number of movies, including Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Little Shop of Horrors. |
| Morawetz, Cathleen | b. May 5, 1923, Toronto, Canada d. August 8, 2017, New York, United States Cathleen Morawetz researched applied mathematics. She was professor emerita at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at the New York University, where she had also served as director from 1984 to 1988. She was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1998. |
| Moreno, Antonio | b. September 26, 1887, Madrid, Spain d. February 15, 1967, California, United States Antonio Moreno was an actor who had a forty year long career span. He played the male love interest opposite to many silent film era leading ladies as a "latin lover" type. |
| Moreno, Arturo | b. August 14, 1946, Arizona, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Mexico Arturo Moreno is a businessman who became the first Mexican-American to own a major sports team in the United States when he purchased the Anaheim Angels baseball team from the Walt Disney Company. |
| Moreno, Jacob Levy | b. May 6, 1889, Bucharest, Romania d. May 15, 1974, New York, United States Jacob Levy Moreno was a psychiatrist, psychosociologist, and educator. He was the founder of the Beacon Hill Sanitorium, and introduced the therapeutic technique known as the psychodrama. He also developed sociometry. |
| Morimoto, Masaharu | b. May 26, 1955, Hiroshima, Japan Masaharu Morimoto is one of the stars of TV's Iron Chef America. He opened his own restaurant, Morimoto, in Philadelphia in 2002. |
| Morissette, Alanis | b. June 1, 1974, Ottawa, Canada Alanis Morissette is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Morissette is best known for her internationally successful 1995 release Jagged Little Pill. Morissette has sold more than sixty million albums worldwide. |
| Moritsugu, Kenneth P. | b. March 5, 1945, Hawaii, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Japan Kenneth P. Moritsugu is a physician and public health administrator. Mortisugu was a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, who served as acting United States Surgeon General 2006-2007. |
| Morphy, Paul | b. June 22, 1837, Louisiana, United States d. July 10, 1884, Louisiana, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Ireland Paul Morphy was one of the greatest American chess players of the 19th century. |
| Morris, Effie Lee | b. April 20, 1921, Virginia, United States d. November 9, 2009, California, United States Effie Lee Morris began her career as a librarian at the Cleveland Public Library in 1946 and established the first African-American History Week for children at CPL. She went on to work in Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco, earning accolades along the way for her work in service to children. |
| Morris, Nigel | b. circa 1956, Billericay, United Kingdom Nigel Morris is an investor and a cofounder of Capital One Financial services. |
| Morrison, Temuera | b. December 26, 1960, North Island, New Zealand Temuera Morrison is an actor who portrayed the bounty hunter Jango Fett in Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones and Commander Cody in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. He provided the voice of the clone troopers in both films. |
| Morrison, Toni | b. February 18, 1931, Ohio, United States Father: From Georgia, United States, Mother: From Alabama, United States Toni Morrison is the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and authored the novels The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. She is also a professor at multiple universities including Howard University (Washington, D.C.) and Princeton University (New Jersey). |
| Mosler, Henry | b. June 6, 1841, Opawica, present-day Poland d. April 21, 1920, New York, United States Henry Mosler was a painter, wood engraver, sketch artist and illustrator. He documented American life of the time, producing portraits, images of colonial life and illustrations of the Civil War. |
| Mosley, Walter | b. January 12, 1952, California, United States Father: From Louisiana, United States Walter Mosley is a prolific novelist best known for his crime fiction. He has received numerous honors, including several NAACP Image Awards and the Anisfield-Wolf Award. |
| Mostel, Zero | b. February 28, 1915, New York, United States d. September 8, 1977, Pennsylvania, United States Mother: From Poland Zero Mostel was an actor and comedian of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of The Producers. |
| Mowbray, Alan | b. August 18, 1896, London, United Kingdom d. March 25, 1969, California, United States Alan Mowbray was a famous character actor who was one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild, serving on its board of directors and financially keeping it afloat in its infancy. |
| Mudede, Charles | b. February 8, 1969, Kwekwe, present-day Zimbabwe Charles Mudede is a writer, filmmaker, and leftwing cultural critic. Mudede is currently Associate Editor for the Seattle-based weekly The Stranger, as well as lecturer in English Humanities at Pacific Lutheran University. |
| Mugo, Micere Githae | b. 1942, Baricho, Kenya Micere Githae Mugo is a literary critic and professor of literature in the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University. |
| Muir, John | b. April 21, 1838, Dunbar, United Kingdom d. December 24, 1914, California, United States John Muir was a naturalist and author. He became known for his articles that praised the natural world, speaking in poetic, spiritual terms about his affection for ecology and humanity's connection to the earth. |
| Mukherjee, Bharati | b. July 27, 1940, Calcutta, India d. January 28, 2017, New York, United States Bharati Mukherjee was a writer of both fiction and non-fiction books. Her works include The Middleman and Other Stories and Jasmine. |
| Mukherjee, Siddhartha | b. July 21, 1970, New Delhi, India Siddhartha Mukherjee is a physician, oncologist, and author. He won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. |
| Mulvaney, Mick | b. July 21, 1967, Virginia, United States Grandparents: From Ireland Mick Mulvaney is a politician in the Republican Party and Director of the Office of Management and Budget. |
| Munn, Olivia | b. July 3, 1980, Oklahoma, United States Mother: From Vietnam Olivia Munn is an model, actress, writer, and television personality. |
| Murdoch, Rupert | b. March 11, 1931, Melbourne, Australia Rupert Murdoch is a media executive, most noted for creating News Corporation, which later split into 21st Century Fox and News Corp. |
| Mureșan, Gheorghe | b. February 14, 1971, Tritenii de Jos, Romania Gheorghe Mureșan is a former professional basketball player whose career spanned between 1993-2000, primarily with the Washington Bullets. Along with Manute Bol, at 7'7" he is the tallest player in NBA history. |
| Murphy, Stephanie | b. September 16, 1978, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Stephanie Murphy is the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to the United States Congress. A member of the Democratic Party, she is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 7th congressional district. |
| Murray, Albert | b. May 12, 1916, Alabama, United States d. August 18, 2013, New York, United States Albert Murray was a writer who wrote for Life Magazine and published the widely regarded novel The Omni-American. |
| Murray, Arthur | b. April 4, 1895, present-day Ukraine/Poland d. March 3, 1991, Hawaii, United States Parents: from Austria Arthur Murray was a ballroom dancing instructor who had a popular service of mail ordered dance instruction pamphlets. He also franchised 350 dance studios in his name. |
| Murray, James Edward | b. May 3, 1876, Ontario, Canada d. March 23, 1961, Montana, United States James Edward Murray was a United States Representative for Montana. He served from 1934-1961. |
| Murray, Philip | b. May 25, 1886, Blantyre, United Kingdom d. November 9, 1952, California, United States Philip Murray was a union leader who was the first president of the United Steel Workers of America, serving from 1942 to 1952. Murray was also the longest-serving president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, serving from 1940 until his death in 1952. |
| Musial, Stan | b. November 21, 1920, Pennsylvania, United States d. January 19, 2013, Missouri, United States Father: From Poland Stan Musial was a Hall of Fame major league baseball player. Considered one of baseball's greatest hitters, Musial won the National League batting title seven times in his 22 year career. Musial served in the United States Navy during World War II and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. |
| Musk, Elon | b. June 28, 1971, Pretoria, South Africa Mother: From Canada Elon Musk is a businessman, investor and engineer. He is the CEO and cofounder of SpaceX, was previously a chairman of Tesla Inc. and cofounded two internet companies which later merged into the online payment platform PayPal. |
| Musulin, George S. | b. April 9, 1914, New York, United States d. February 23, 1987, Maryland, United States Parents: From Serbia George S. Musulin was an Office of Strategic Services officer who organized the dramatic rescue of hundreds of downed Allied airmen from Nazi occupied Yugoslavia during World War II. Working with Serbian resistance fighters, he planned "Operation Halyard" which evacuated Allied crews shot down by German forces. |
| Mutombo, Dikembe | b. June 25, 1966, Léopoldville, Congo Dikembe Mutombo had a successful career playing professional basketball. Mutombo devotes much of his time to humanitarian projects in Congo. A few days after retiring in 2009 from the Houston Rockets, Mutombo became the first person to receive the NBA's humanitarian award twice. |
| Mutu, Wangechi | b. June 22, 1972, Nairobi, Kenya Wangechi Mutu is an artist who explores subjects including race, colonialism, politics, ecology and gender. Much of her work depicts women and looks at the how they are desired and despised. |
| Mylong, John | b. September 27, 1892, Vienna, present-day Austria d. September 8, 1975, California, United States John Mylong was a busy film and television actor who is known for his role as The Professor in the classic cult film Robot Monster (1953). |
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| Nabokov, Vladimir | b. April 22, 1899, St. Petersburg, Russia d. July 2, 1977, Montreaux, Switzerland Vladimir Nabokov was a novelist whose trilingual upbringing had a profound impact on his work. He wrote poetry, fiction and drama as well as completing translations and essays. He is best remembered for the book Lolita. |
| Nadella, Satya | b. August 19, 1967, Hyderabad, India Satya Nadella is a business executive and the current CEO of Microsoft. He previously led the company's cloud computing initiative. |
| Nader, Ralph | b. February 27, 1934, Connecticut, United States Parents: From Lebanon Ralph Nader is a political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney, noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. |
| Naderi, Firouz | b. March 25, 1946, Shiraz, Iran Firouz Naderi is a scientist who spent more than 30 years in technical and executive positions at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has earned, among other awards, the Space Technology Hall of Fame Medal and NASA's highest award - The Distinguished Service Medal. |
| Nafisi, Azar | b. December 1, 1948, Tehran, Iran Azar Nafisi is a writer. Her most popular book is Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. |
| Nagbe, Darlington | b. July 19, 1990, Monrovia, Liberia Darlington Nagbe is a professional soccer player. He currently plays for Atlanta United in Major League Soccer and the United States men's national soccer team as a midfielder. Nagbe spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Portland Timbers. |
| Nagurski, Bronko | b. November 3, 1908, Rainey River, Canada d. January 7, 1990, Minnesota, United States Parents: From Ukraine Bronko Nagurski was a professional American football player who was noted for his size and strength and has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. |
| Nagy, Agota | b. January 9, 1934, Mezokovacshaza, Hungary Agota Nagy is a project engineer. She has worked on large projects such as building complex' for Ford, Dearborn, Michigan and others. She was listed in "Who is Who in Executives and Professionals" in 2004. |
| Nagy, Laszlo Antal | b. October 16, 1932, Jobahaza, Hungary Laszlo Antal Nagy was a retail and industrial manager while also serving in the U.S. Army National Guard. |
| Nagyvary, Joseph | b. April 18, 1934, Szeged, Hungary Joseph Nagyvary is a professor who has wrote 60 refereed publications in scientific journals. Nagyvary was awarded the 2005 Gold Medal of the Japanese Physics Society for discoveries of Stradivari violins. |
| Nahumck, Nadia Chilkovsky | b. January 8, 1908, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. April 23, 2006, Pennsylvania, United States Nadia Chilkovsky Nahumck was a pioneer in modern dance, teaching and labanotation. Nahumck authored numerous dance notation handbooks for professionals and amatuers, including a book publised in the late 1950s that contained dances from the popular TV show American Bandstand. |
| Naish, J. Carrol | b. January 21, 1896, New York, United States d. January 24, 1973, California, United States Parents: From Ireland J. Carrol Naish was a busy film and television actor. Naish was know for playing gangsters, mad scientists, and other nefarious characters. |
| Najjar, John | b. November 11, 1918, Nebraska, United States d. January 6, 2011, Florida, United States Father: From Egypt John Najjar was an automobile designer who conceived the Ford Mustang prototype and co-designed the Lincon Futura that would become the Batmobile in the 1966 Batman television series. |
| Nakashima, George | b. May 24, 1905, Washington, United States d. June 15, 1990, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Japan George Nakashima was a master woodworker whose furniture, assembled from untrimmed slabs, is highly sought after. He was also a trained architect. |
| Nalder, Reggie | b. September 4, 1907, Vienna, present-day Austria d. November 19, 1991, California, United States Reggie Nalder was a character actor. Nalder's film appearances include Mark of the Devil (1970), Dracula Sucks (1978), and Salem's Lot (1979). |
| Namvar, Ezri | b. 1951, Iran Ezri Namvar is a businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder and chairman of Namco Capital Group, an asset management firm. |
| Nanjiani, Kumail | b. February 21, 1978, Karachi, Pakistan Kumail Nanjiani is a popular actor, writer, producer, and director best known for his comedic performances. Nanjiani is best known for his character Dinesh on Silicon Valley as well as The Big Sick, a movie he wrote and starred in. |
| Napier, Alan | b. January 7, 1903, Birmingham, United Kingdom d. August 8, 1988, California, United States Alan Napier, a Royal Academy of Dramatic Art educated Shakespearean actor, appeared in hundreds of films and television shows. He is probably best know for his role as Alfred the butler in 1960s Batman TV show. |
| Napoli, Vincent | b. April 8, 1907, Ohio, United States d. October 28, 1981, California, United States Parents: From Italy Vincent Napoli, during the 1930s, worked as a muralist for the WPA Federal Art Project, an enlightened government program that provided relief income for artists during the Great Depression |
| Narváez, Omar | b. February 10, 1992, Maracay, Venezuela Omar Narváez was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2013 and currently plays catcher. |
| Nash, Graham | b. February 2, 1942, Blackpool, United Kingdom Graham Nash was a musician who was a founding member of Crosby, Stills and Nash, one of the most popular folk-rock bands of all time. |
| Nash, Jack | b. April 10, 1929, Berlin, Germany d. July 30, 2008, New York, United States Jack Nash was a businessman and investor. He served as president of Oppenheimer & Company and founded The New York Sun newspaper. |
| Nast, Thomas | b. September 27, 1840, Landau, present-day Germany d. December 7, 1902, Guayaquil, Ecuador Thomas Nast was a caricaturist and editorial cartoonist. He was associated with Harper's Weekly for over two decades and his work was widely influential. |
| Nathans, Daniel | b. October 30, 1928, Delaware, United States d. November 16, 1999, Maryland, United States Parents: From Russia Daniel Nathans was a microbiologist. He shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of restriction enzymes. |
| Natzler, Grete | b. June 19, 1906, Vienna, present-day Austria d. June 10, 1999, Florida, United States Grete Natzler was an actress and opera singer whose career spanned the 1920s to the 1930s. Natzler's best known film is the Laurel & Hardy comedy Swiss Miss (1938). |
| Navarro, Ana | b. December 28, 1971, Chinandega, Nicaragua Ana Navarro is a Republican strategist and political commentator for a variety of different major news outlets, including CNN, CNN en Español, and ABC News. |
| Navarro, Fats | b. September 24, 1923, Florida, United States d. July 7, 1950, New York, United States Fats Navarro was a talented jazz trumpeter who helped pioneer the bebop style of Jazz improvisation. Navarro played with other well-known musicians such as Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. |
| Navratilova, Martina | b. October 18, 1956, Prague, Czech Republic Martina Navratilova is the seventh female tennis player in the history of the sport to achieve a Career Grand Slam. She has won 59 Grand Slam titles, including a record 9 Wimbledon singles championships, 167 singles and 177 doubles championships. |
| Nazarian, Izak Parviz | b. February 24, 1929, Tehran, Iran d. August 23, 2017, California, United States Izak Parviz Nazarian was a billionaire, businessman, investor, real-estate developer, and philanthropist. |
| Ndibe, Okey | b. May 15, 1960, Yola, Nigeria Okey Ndibe is a novelist and essayist, best known for the books Foreign Gods, Inc. and Arrows of Rain. |
| Ne'eman, Ari | b. December 10, 1987, New Jersey, United States Father: From Israel Ari Ne'eman is an autism rights activist who co-founded the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in 2006. |
| Nechita, Alexandra | b. August 27, 1985, Vaslui, Romania Alexandra Nechita is an accomplished cubist painter and philanthropist. She has been dubbed the "Petite Picasso." |
| Neeson, Liam | b. June 7, 1952, Ballymena, United Kingdom Liam Neeson is an actor who has worked in both theater and film, including the Arthurian film, Excalibur. |
| Negri, Pola | b. January 3, 1897, Lipno, Poland d. August 1, 1987, Texas, United States Father: From Slovakia Pola Negri was an actress who achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femme fatale roles. |
| Neiman, Carrie Marcus | b. May 3, 1883, Kentucky, United States d. March 6, 1953, Texas, United States Parents: From Germany Carrie Marcus Neiman was a businesswoman and cofounder of the luxury department store Neiman Marcus. |
| Nelsen, Craig | b. Date and place unknown Craig Nelsen is a longtime anti-immigrant activist with a history of promoting white nationalist ideals. |
| Nelson, Nels Christian | b. April 9, 1875, Fredericia, Denmark d. March 5, 1964, New York, United States Nels Christian Nelson was an archeologist who pioneered the technique of stratigraphic excavation and served as the President of American Anthroplogical Association, Society for American Archeaology, and the American Ethnological Society. |
| Nelson, Steve | b. January 1, 1903, Subocka, Croatia d. December 11, 1993, Massachusetts, United States Steve Nelson was a political activist who organized the unemployed in Chicago and coal miners in Southern Illinois. |
| Nemerov, Alexander | b. 1963, Vermont, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From present-day Ukraine Alexander Nemerov is an art historian who writes about American art from the 18th century to the 1970s, and sometimes analyses fiction or poetry alongside visual art. |
| Nemoianu, Virgil | b. March 12, 1940, Bucharest, Romania Virgil Nemoianu is an essayist, literary critic, and philosopher of culture who has written extensively on historical literary movements. |
| Nenê | b. September 13, 1982, São Carlos, Brazil Nenê is a professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets. He previously played for the Denver Nuggets and the Washington Wizards. |
| Nesbert, Vincent | b. 1898, Poland d. 1976, Pennsylvania, United States Vincent Nesbert was an artist who joined the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in August, 1928. He later served as dean of the Art Institute for many years. |
| Neshat, Shirin | b. March 26, 1957, Qazvin, Iran Shirin Neshat is an artist who uses film, video and photography. Her works discuss political subjects such as gender in relation to society, but often do this with slightly ambiguous narratives so multiple readings of the work are formed. |
| Ness, Eliot | b. April 19, 1903, Chicago, United States d. May 16, 1957, Coudersport, United States Parents: From Norway Eliot Ness was an agent of the U.S. Treasury Department, who formed a group of agents known as the Untouchables. Their mission was to track down Al Capone and other ciminals during the Prohibition era. He later became the Cleveland Safety Director and ran unsuccesfully for Mayor of Cleveland. |
| Neszlényi, Judith | b. April 23, 1934, Budapest, Hungary Judith Neszlenyi is a musician who had many piano concerts in the United States. In 1986, at President Reagan's invitation, Neszlenyi played in the White House (this concert was organized to commemorate the 1956 revolution). |
| Neubauer, Joseph | b. October 19, 1941, present-day Israel Parents: From Germany Joseph Neubauer is the former CEO of Aramark, a position he served in for 30 years. He also served on the Tufts University Board of Trustees. |
| Neugarten, Bernice L. | b. February 11, 1916, Nebraska, United States d. July 22, 2001, Illinois, United States Father: From Lithuania Bernice L. Neugarten was the first Ph.D. in human development; she focused on the psychology and sociology of aging, and on social policy. |
| Neugebauer, Randy | b. December 24, 1949, Missouri, United States Randy Neugebauer is a politician who was the U.S. Representative for Texas's 19th congressional district, having served from a special election in 2003 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Nevelson, Louise | b. September 23, 1899, present-day Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, present-day Ukraine d. April 17, 1988, New York, United States Louise Nevelson was a sculptor, known for making monochrome wall works and outdoor sculptures. Her works were abstract and largely made of wood, although she did experiment with other materials such as aluminum and Plexiglas. |
| Nevill-Manning, Craig | b. January 1, 1969, New Zealand Craig Nevill-Manning is a computer scientist who founded Google's first remote engineering center in Manhattan, where he is Engineering Director. He also invented Froogle (now Google Shopping), a product search engine, and played a key role in developing Google Maps. |
| Nevo, Aviv | b. 1961, Bucharest, Romania Aviv Nevo is a venture capitalist. He is a major shareholder in Time Warner and other companies, having built his fortune up from an initial $10 million inheritance. |
| Newhouse, Edward | b. November 10, 1911, Hungary d. November 11, 2002, New York, United States Edward Newhouse was a writer who was known for his series of novels that explored the lives of working class people. Newhouse wrote numerous short stories and he was a staff writer for The New Yorker for many years. |
| Newkirk, Ingrid | b. June 11, 1949, Surrey, United Kingdom Ingrid Newkirk is an animal rights activist and president and cofounder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). |
| Newman, Paul | b. January 26, 1925, Ohio, United States d. September 26, Connecticut, United States Mother: From present-day Slovakia Paul Newman is an Oscar-winning actor starring in over 60 films. He was an avid race car driver and founder of the Newman's Own food brand, the profit of which goes to charities. |
| Newton, Huey P. | b. February 17, 1942, Louisiana, United States d. August 22, 1989, California, United States Huey P. Newton was a radical activist and revolutionary who helped co-found the Black Panther movement. Newton became the face of the Black Power movement during his time in prison and eventually earned a Ph.D. in Social Philosophy. |
| Ng, Celeste | b. 1980, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From China Celeste Ng is a writer and novelist, best known for Everything I Never Told You: A Novel and Girls at Play. |
| Ng, Fae Myenne | b. December 2, 1956, California, United States Parents: From China Fae Myenne Ng is the author of two critically acclaimed novels about Chinese American immigrants in the United States, and has been praised for her portrayal of the effects of historical injustices on the present-day lives of Asian Americans. |
| Ngai, Mae M. | b. Date and year unknown, United States Parents: From China Mae M. Ngai is a historian who specializes in ethnicity, race, citizenship and nationalism in America during the 20th century. |
| Ngor, Haing S. | b. March 22, 1940, Samrong Yong, Cambodia d. February 25, 1996, California, United States Haing S. Ngor was a physician, actor, and refugee best remembered for his Academy Award winning role in The Killing Fields. |
| Nguyen, Jacqueline H. | b. 1965, Da Lat, Vietnam Jacqueline H. Nguyen is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She is the first Asian-American female to serve as a federal appellate judge. She was also the first-ever Vietnamese-American woman appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. |
| Nguyen, Viet Thanh | b. March 13, 1971, Buôn Mê Thuột, Vietnam Viet Thanh Nguyen is a novelist, best known for his work The Sympathizer. In his writing he challenges themes and images from popular culture. |
| Nicholas, Peter | b. 1941, United States Parents: From Greece Peter Nicholas is a businessman and the founder of Boston Scientific, a manufacturer of medical equipment |
| Nichols, Mike | b. November 6, 1931, Berlin, Germany d. November 19, 2014, New York, United States Mike Nichols was a film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian. As a comedian he was part of the comedy duo Nichols and May. Nichols' films include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Silkwood (1983), and The Birdcage (1996). Nichols' won the Best Director Oscar for The Graduate. |
| Nicolay, John George | b. February 26, 1832, Essingen, Germany d. September 26, 1901, Washington D.C., United States John George Nicolay served as a private secretary to US Abraham Lincoln and later co-authored a biography of the 16th President. |
| Nielsen, Leslie | b. February 11, 1926, Regina, Canada d. November 28, 2010, Florida, United States Leslie Nielsen was an actor, comedian, and producer. He appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. |
| Nilsson, Anna Q. | b. March 30, 1988, Ystad, Sweden d. February 11, 1974, California, United States Anna Q. Nilsson was a model and actress. She made her film debut in Molly Pitcher (1911) becoming an overnight sensation and silent film superstar. |
| Nimroy, Leonard | b. March 26, 1931, Massachusettes, United States d. February 27, 2015, California, United States Parents: From Ukraine Leonard Nimoy was best known for being Spock in the Star Trek franchise. He was also an actor, film director, photographer, author, singer and songwriter. |
| Nin, Anaïs | b. February 21, 1903, Paris, France d. January 14, 1977, California, United States Parents: From Cuba Anaïs Nin was an essayist and memoirist, best known for her journals and her erotic writings. |
| Nix, Robert N. C., Sr. | b. August 9, 1898, South Carolina, United States d. June 22, 1987, Pennsylvania, United States Robert N.C. Nix Sr. was a politician and the first African-American to represent Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives. |
| Nizer, Louis | b. February 6, 1902, London, United Kingdom d. November 10, 1994, New York, United States Louis Nizer was a famous lawyer who represented many high profile celebrities and was an expert on contract, libel, copyright, divorce, plagiarism, and antitrust law. He authored the bestselling memoir My Life in Court. |
| Njokuani, Anthony | b. March 1, 1980, Enugu, Nigeria Parents: From Nigeria Anthony Njokuani is a professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of Legacy FC. A professional competitor since 2001, Njokuani has also formerly competed for the UFC and the WEC. |
| Njokuani, Chidi | b. December 31, 1988, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Chidi Njokuani is a Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division in kickboxing and the Welterweight division in MMA. |
| Noah Joakim | b. February 25, 1985, New York, United States Father: From Cameroon, Mother: From Sweden Joakim Noah is a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks. |
| Noether, Emmy | b. March 23, 1882, Erlangan, Germany d. April 14, 1935, Pennsylvania, United States Emmy Noether was a mathematician known for her contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics. |
| Noguchi, Isamu | b. November 17, 1904, California, United States d. December 30, 1988, New York, United States Father: From Japan Isamu Noguchi was an artist and landscape architect. Although he is best known for his sculpture and public works, he also designed stage sets, furniture and household objects. |
| Nogulich, Natalia | b. October 1, 1950, Illinois, United States Parents: From Serbia Natalia Nogulich is a television and film actress with a long filmography. She is also a novelist. Nogulich's first novel (part one of a planned trilogy) One Woman's War was published in 2012. |
| Nomellini, Leo | b. June 19, 1924, Tuscany, Italy d. October 17, 2000, California, United States Leo Nomellini was a star two way player for the San Francisco 49er's and their first ever draft selection. Picking up the game while in the marines, Leo was given a scholarship after WWII to the University of Minnesota and went on to a Hall of Fame career. |
| Nooyi, Indra | b. October 28, 1955, Chennai, India Indra Nooyi is a business executive and the Chairwoman and CEO of PepsiCo, the second largest food and drink company in the world. |
| Nordstrom, John W. | b. February 15, 1871, Sweden d. October 11, 1963, Washington, United States John W. Nordstrom was a businessman who, following his work in a number of industrial labor jobs, founded a shoe store that would later become the department chain Nordstrom. |
| Noriega, Carlos I. | b. October 8, 1959, Lima, Peru Carlos I. Noriega served as an astronaut for NASA. He was involved in spaceflights to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station and to assemble the International Space Station. |
| Nouri, Michael | b. December 9, 1945, Washington, D.C., United States. Father: From Iraq Michael Nouri is an actor, known for Flashdance (1983), The Proposal (2009) and The Terminal (2004). |
| Novotná | b. September 23, 1907, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. February 9, 1994, New York, United States Jarmila Novotná was a celebrated soprano and actress and, from 1940-1956, a star of the Metropolitan Opera. |
| Nugent, Rich | b. May 26, 1951, Illinois, United States Rich Nugent is a retired law enforcement officer and former United States Congressman. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Sheriff of Hernando County, Florida. |
| Nugent, Ted | b. December 13, 1948, Michigan, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Sweden Ted Nugent is a musician whose career has spanned over 50 years. He first became famous as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes before embarking on a solo career. |
| Nyquist, Harry | b. February 7, 1889, Värmland, Sweden d. April 4, 1976, Texas, United States Harry Nyquist was an electronic engineer whose inventions contributed both theoretically and practically to the field of telecommunication. He is credited with over 138 patents in his field. |
O
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| O'Brien, Soledad | b. September 19, 1966, New York, United States Father: From Australia, Mother: From Cuba Soledad O'Brien is a broadcast journalist and executive producer. Currently, O'Brien is the anchor for Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, a nationally syndicated weekly political show owned by Hearst Television. She is chairwoman and founder of Starfish Media Group, a multi-platform media production company. |
| O'Connell, Jerry | b. February 17, 1974, New York, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Poland Jerry O'Connell is an actor, known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, and Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me. |
| O'Connor, Flannery | b. March 25, 1925, Georgia, United States d. August 3, 1964, Georgia, United States Flannery O'Connor was a writer and essayist. She often wrote in the Southern Gothic style and frequently examined questions of morality and ethics in her work. |
| O'Dwyer, William | b. July 11, 1890, Bohola, Ireland d. November 24, 1964, New York, United States William O'Dwyer was a politician who served as mayor of New York City from 1946-1950. He was the city's 100th mayor. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico from 1950-1952. |
| O'Grady, Lorraine | b. 1934, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Jamaica Lorraine O'Grady is a conceptual artist, performance artist and critic. Her practice explores themes such as the cultural construction of identity and black female subjectivity. |
| O'Hara, Catherine | b. March 4, 1954, Toronto, Canada Catherine O'Hara is an actress and comedian. She was a writer and actor on SCTV, known for such characters as Lola Heatherton and Dusty Towne. She went on to a career in movies including Home Alone, Mighty Wind, and Waiting for Guffman. |
| O'Hara, Maureen | b. August 17, 1920, Ranelagh, Ireland d. October 24, 2015, Idaho, United States Maureen O'Hara was an actress whose career spanned over 60 years. O'Hara received an Honorary Academy Award in 2014. |
| O'Reilly, Charles F. | b. February 13, 1913, Missouri, United States d. April 20, 2005, Missouri, United States Father: From Ireland Charles F. O'Reilly began O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. which opened for business on December 2, 1957. |
| O'Sullivan, Maureen | b. May 17, 1911, Boyle, Ireland d. June 23, 1998, Arizona, United States Maureen O'Sullivan is best remembered for her role as Jane in a series of Tarzan films made in the 1930s and 1940s. O'Sullivan's last role was the made for television film Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is (1994). |
| Oakar, Mary Rose | b. March 5, 1940, Ohio, United States Father: From Lebanon Mary Rose Oakar is a Democratic politician and former member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio, the first Democratic woman elected to the United States Congress from that state. She is currently a member of the Ohio State Board of Education. |
| Obama, Barack | b. August 4, 1961, Hawaii, United States Father: From Kenya Barack Obama is a politician who served as the forty-fourth President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He is the first African American to have served as president. He previously served in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 to 2004. |
| Obanana, Paula Lynn | b. March 19, 1985, Dumaguete, Philippines Paula Lynn Obanana is a doubles badminton player who competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Obasohan, Derrick | b. April 18, 1981, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Derrick Obasohan is a professional basketball player for Provence Basket of the LNB Pro B. |
| Oberg, Kalervo | b. January 15, 1901, Nanaimo, British Columbia d. July 11, 1973, Oregon, United States Kalervo Oberg was a world-renowned anthropologist whose theory on the four stages of culture shock is still referenced today. |
| Oberon, Merle | b. February 19, 1911, Mumbai, India d. November 23, 1979, California, United States Merle Oberon was an actress best known for her most performance in Wuthering Heights (1939). |
| Obinwa, Abuchi | b. January 15, 1997, Ohio, United States Parents: From Nigeria Abuchi Obinwa is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder. |
| Obioma, Chigozie | b. 1986, Akure, Nigeria Chigozie Obioma is a writer, best known for his first novel, The Fishermen. |
| Ocampo, Adriana | b. January 5, 1955, Barranquilla, Columbia Adriana Ocampo is a planetary geologist and the Science Program Manager at NASA Headquarters. She is known for her work researching the Chicxulub impact crater. |
| Ochs, Adolph | b. March 12, 1858, Ohio, United States d. April 8, 1935, Tennessee, United States Parents: From Germany Adolph Ochs was a newspaper publisher and former owner of The New York Times and The Chattanooga Times. |
| Oduye, Adepero | b. January 11, 1978, New York, United States Parents: From Nigeria Adepero Oduye is an actress, director, and writer. Her breakout role was in the critically acclaimed and award-winning independent film Pariah, for which she received several awards and a nomination for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. |
| Ogbogu, Eric | b. July 18, 1975, New York, United States Father: From Nigeria Eric Ogbogu is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys. |
| Ogbonnaya, Chris | b. May 20, 1986, Texas, United States Father: From Nigeria Chris Ogbonnaya is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Texas. Ogbonnaya also played for the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants. |
| Ogbu, John | b. May 9, 1939, Nigeria d. August 20, 2003, California, United States John Ogbu was an anthropologist and professor known for his theories on observed phenomena involving race and intelligence, especially how race and ethnic differences played out in educational and economic achievement. |
| Ogbuehi, Cedric | b. April 25, 1992, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Cedric Ogbuehi is an American football offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. |
| Oguchi, Chamberlain | b. April 28, 1986, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Chamberlain Oguchi is a professional basketball player who last played for Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the LNB Pro B. |
| Ogunleye, Adewale | b. August 9, 1977, New York, United States Parents: From Nigeria Adewale Ogunleye is a former American football defensive end who played eleven seasons in the National Football League. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and also played for the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. |
| Ogwumike, Chiney | b. March 21, 1992, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Chiney Ogwumike is a professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association. |
| Ohebshalom, Fred | b. May 23, 1952, Tehran, Iran Fred Ohebshalom is a real estate developer and founder of Empire Management. |
| Okada, John | b. September 23, 1923, Washington, United States d. February 20, 1971, Washington, United States Parents: From Japan John Okada was a writer. His only published work, No-No Boy, is about the aftermath of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. |
| Okafor, Alex | b. February 8, 1991, Texas, United States Father: From Nigeria Alex Okafor is an American football defensive end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. |
| Okafor, Emeka | b. September 28, 1982, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Emeka Okafor is a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association. |
| Okafor, Jahlil | b. December 15, 1995, Arkansas, United States Father: From Nigeria Jahlil Okafor is a professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association. |
| Okeniyi, Dayo | b. June 14, 1988, Lagos, Nigeria Dayo Okeniyi is an actor, popularly known for playing the role of Thresh in The Hunger Games and Danny Dyson in Terminator Genisys. |
| Okorafor, Nnedi | b. April 8, 1974, Ohio, United States Parents: From Nigeria Nnedi Okorafor is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction. Her exposure to Nigerian myths and culture, as well as her love of nature and the natural world, has had a considerable influence on her writing. |
| Okoye, Amobi | b. June 10, 1987, Anambra State, Nigeria Amobi Okoye is an American football payler who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans tenth overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville. |
| Okoye, Christian | b. August 16, 1961, Enugu, Nigeria Christian Okoye is a former American football fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. He was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles. |
| Okparanta, Chinelo | b. Date and year unknown, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Chinelo Okparanta is a writer of novels and short stories, best known for Under the Udala Trees. |
| Olah, George A. | b. May 22, 1927, Budapest, Hungary d. March 8, 2017, California, United States George A. Olah was a chemist known for carbocation via superacids for which he was awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1994. |
| Olah, Louis | b. July 4, 1928, New Jersey, United States d. March 8, 2008, New York, United States Parents: From Hungary Louis Olah was a jockey who became a giant in the thoroughbred industry. |
| Olah, Louis | b. Date and year unknown, Hungary Louis Olah is owner of the Balaton Restaurant, considered by many to be Cleveland's preeminent Hungarian restaurant. The Balaton opened in 1966 in the, at the time, predominantly Hungarian Buckeye Road neighborhood. The Balaton continues operation today in Shaker Square. |
| Olajuwon, Abi | b. July 6, 1988, Texas, United States Father: From Nigeria Abi Olajuwon is a basketball coach and former player. Olajuwon is the daughter of former NBA center Hakeem Olajuwon. |
| Olajuwon, Hakeem | b. January 21, 1963, Lagos, Nigeria Hakeem Olajuwon is a former basketball player. He was drafted as the first pick in the first round by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft. His professional playing career spanned from 1984 to 2002. |
| Oland, Warner | b. October 3, 1879, Nyby, Sweden d. August 6, 1938, Stockholm, Sweden Warner Oland was an actor who is best known for his portrayal of famed sleuth Charlie Chan in 16 films the 1930s. |
| Oldenburg, Claes | b. January 28, 1929, Stockholm, Sweden Claes Oldenburg is an artist associated with the Pop Art movement. He is best known for his later works of soft sculpture for which he created large-scale representations of cheeseburgers and other everyday subjects. |
| Olitski, Jules | b. March 27, 1922, Snovsk, present-day Ukraine d. February 4, 2007, New York, United States Jules Olitski was a painter, printmaker and sculptor. He experimented with various techniques for painting including pouring dye onto canvas and applying paint using brushes, sponges, mops and rollers. Later he sprayed paint onto his canvases to create dematerialized fields of color. |
| Oliver, John | b. April 23, 1977, Birmingham, United Kingdom John Oliver is writer, actor, and television host. Oliver began working for the Daily Show with John Stuart in 2006, and began hosting his own show Last Week Tonight in 2014. He became an American citizen in 2011. |
| Olmos, Edward James | b. February 24, 1947, California, United States Father: From Mexico Edward James Olmos is an actor and director. Olmos rose to fame thanks to his role as Lieutenant Martin Castillo and the long-running 1980s TV series Miami Vice. |
| Olufeko, Ade A. | b. January 23, 1980, Minnesota, United States Parents: From Nigeria Ade A. Olufeko is a technologist, designer and enterprenuer. His research and curatorial work focuses on the narratives of creatives who bring awareness to regional and global issues. |
| Omalu, Bennet | b. 1968, Idemili South, Nigeria Bennet Omalu is a physician, forensic pathologist, and neuropathologist who was the first to discover and publish findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh. |
| Omidyar, Pierre | b. June 21, 1967, Paris, France Parents: From Iran Pierre Omidyar is an entrepreneur and the cofounder of eBay, an online e-commerce platform. |
| Ono, Yoko | b. February 18, 1933, Tokyo, Japan Yoko Ono is an artist who works in a variety of media, though she is most associated with her performance and conceptual work. One of her best known works is Cut Piece, in which she invited people to cut off pieces of her clothing with scissors. |
| Ontiveros, Lupe | b. September 17, 1942, Texas, United States d. July 26, 2012, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Lupe Ontiveros was an actress best known for portraying Yolanda Saldívar in the film Selena. She acted in numerous films and television shows. |
| Opara, Eddie | b. 1972, Wandsworth, United Kingdom Eddie Opara is a contemporary graphic designer. His multifaceted work encompasses refreshing design, modern technology and strategy. He is primarily focused on the projects involving the design of interactive installations, software, publication and packaging, brand identity and user interface. |
| Oppenheimer, Henry | b. August 21, 1865, Walldürn, present-day Germany d. July 6, 1958, Maryland, United States Henry Oppenheimer was a businessman who maintained a wholesale clothing company in Baltimore during the 19th century, and later became president of the department store Hutzler's. |
| Orakpo, Brian | b. July 31, 1986, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Brian Orakpo is an American football outside linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. |
| Oriola, Bukola | b. 1976, Nigeria Bukola Oriola is a journalist. She wrote and self-published a book Imprisoned: The Travails of a Trafficked Victim about her experiences with human trafficking. |
| Orji, Yvonne | b. December 2, 1983, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Yvonne Orji is an actress who is best known for her role in the television series Insecure. |
| Orne, Martin Theodore | b. October 16, 1927, Vienna, Austria d. February 11, 2000, Pennsylvania, United States Martin Orne is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and has made contributions in psychology, psychiatry, and to the criminal justice system. |
| Ornstein, Leo | b. 2 December 1983, Kremenchuk, present-day Ukraine d. February 24, 2002, Wisconsin, United States Leo Ornstein was a leading avant-garde composer and pianist. Ornstein was well over 100 years old when he passed away which makes him the only known concert musician to have lived in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. |
| Orry-Kelly | b. December 31, 1897, Kiama, Australia d. February 27, 1964, California, United States Orry-Kelly is a costume designer. He is best known for creating the costumes for the film Casablanca. |
| Orshansky, Mollie | b. January 9, 1915, New York, United States d. December 18, 2006, New York, United States Parents: From Ukraine Mollie Orshansky was an economist and statistician who developed the Orshansky Poverty Thresholds. These are used in the United States as a measure of the income that a household must not exceed to be counted as poor. |
| Orwig, William W. | b. September 25, 1810, Pennsylvania, United States d. May 29, 1889, Place unknown Paternal Great-grandfather: From Germany William W. Orwig was a bishop who wrote a history of the Evangelical Association. |
| Oseary, Guy | b. October 3, 1972, Jerusalem, Israel Guy Oseary is a talent manager, investor, writer and businessman who began his career in entertainment aged 17. |
| Osemele, Kelechi | b. June 24, 1989, Texas, United States Parents: From Nigeria Kelechi Osemele is an American football guard for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. |
| Oshinowo, Babatunde | b. January 14, 1983, Illinois, United States Parents: From Nigeria Babatunde Oshinowo is a former American football defensive tackle. |
| Oshoniyi, Bo | b. November 3, 1971, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Nigeria Bo Oshoniyi is a retired soccer goalkeeper who spent eight seasons in Major League Soccer. |
| Oshry, Ephraim | b. August, 1914, Kupiškis, Lithuania d. September 28, 2003, New York, United States Ephraim Oshry was a rabbi, posek and author. He is known for his eye-witness historical account of the Holocaust: The Annihilation of Lithuanian Jewry. |
| Oskar, Lee | b. March 24, 1958, Copenhagen, Denmark Lee Oskar is a harmonica player, who lent his distinctive playing to the band, War. He co-formed War with Eric Burdon in 1969. He has also developed his own line of "Lee Oskar" harmonicas. |
| Otero, Maria | b. August 26, 1950, La Paz, Bolivia Maria Otero was the first holder of the office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, from January 15, 2012 through February 4, 2013. |
| Otis, Johnny | b. December 28, 1921, California, United States d. January 17, 2012, California, United States Parents: From Greece Johnny Otis was a record producer, musician, artist, author, disc jockey, and talent scout. Although of Greek heritage, his life and career was immersed in African American culture. He recorded the classic "Hand Jive" and discovered and launched the careers of many artists including Etta James and Little Esther Phillips. |
| Otis, Shuggie | b. November 30, 1953, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Greece Shuggie Otis is the son of Johnny Otis, and is a multi-instrumentalist, known primarily as a guitarist. He released three albums between 1969 and 1974. His third album, Inspiration Information gained a cult following in the 1990s and led to a resurgence in Otis' career. |
| Ouspenskaya, Maria | b. July 29, 1876, Tula, Russia d. December 3, 1949, California, United States Maria Ouspenskaya was an actress and acting teacher. She portrayed Maleva in The Wolf Man (1941) and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). |
| Owens, Jesse | b. September 13, 1913, Alabama, United States d. March 30, 1980, Arizona, United States Jesse Owens was an athlete who made sporting history in the lead-up to the 1936 Olympics by breaking five world records and tying one in the space of 45 minutes. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he won four gold medals, broke or tied nine Olympic records and set three world records. |
| Owens, Michael Joseph | b. January 1, 1859, West Virginia, United States Parents: From Ireland Michael Joseph Owens was an inventor of machines to automate the production of glass bottles. |
| Oxman, Neri | b. 1976, Haifa, Israel Neri Oxman is a designer, architect, and Sony Corporation's career development professor. She is an associate professor of media arts and sciences at the MIT Media Lab, and founded the Mediated Matter design research group. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art. |
| Oyekan, Soni O. | b. June 1, 1946, Aba, Nigeria Soni O. Oyekan is a chemical engineer who has contributed significantly to chemical engineering and oil refining with his inventions. He has received numerous recognitions for his contributions to the industry. |
| Oz, Frank | b. May 25, 1944, Hereford, United Kingdom Father: From Czech Republic, Mother: From Belgium Frank Oz was a well-known puppeteer who performed with Jim Henson's Muppets. His characters have included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show, and Grover, Cookie Monster, and Bert on Sesame Street. |
P
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Pabst, Daniel | b. June 11, 1826, Hesse, Germany d. July 15, 1910, Pennsylvania, United States Daniel Pabst was known for his exquisite, Victorian-style cabinetry that attracted many significant commissions including the dining room of Theodore Roosevelt Sr.'s New York City townhouse. |
| Pabst, Frederick | b. March 28, 1836, Kyffhäuserkreis, present-day Germany d. January 1, 1904, Wisconsin, United States Frederick Pabst was a brewer and businessman who transformed his father in-law's small brewery into Pabst Brewing Company, a major national beer distributer. |
| Pacino, Al | b. April 25, 1940, New York, United States Father and Maternal Grandparents: From Italy Al Pacino is a highly regarded actor of the stage and screen. Pacino has also directed, produced and written for the screen. |
| Pacula, Joanna | b. December 30, 1957, Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland Parents: From Poland Joanna Pacula is an actress, known for Escape from Sobibor (1987), Tombstone (1993) and Virus (1999). |
| Padalecki, Jared | b. July 19, 1982, Texas, United States Paternal Great-grandfather: From Poland Jared Padalecki is an actor who rose to fame thanks to his role as Sam Winchester on the TV series Supernatural. |
| Paderewski, Ignacy Jan | b. November 18, 1860, Kurylivka, Ukraine d. June 29, 1941, New York, United States Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a gifted pianist, composer, and politician. Paderewski retired from political offices in 1922, but continued to be a sensational, touring concert pianist throughout the rest of his life. |
| Paglia, Camille | b. April 2, 1947, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Camille Paglia is an academic and social critic. She is a critic of American feminism and of post-structuralism as well as a commentator on multiple aspects of American culture such as its visual art, music, and film history. |
| Paige, Mitchell | b. August 31, 1918, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 15, 2003, California, United States Parents: From Serbia Mitchell Paige was a U.S. Marine who was awarded a Medal of Honor in WWII for holding back waves of Japanese attacks on Guadalcanal. He fought off repeated Japanese assaults on his position and managed to organized scattered survivors from various commands to lead a counter-attack. |
| Paik, Nam June | b. July 20, 1932, Seoul, present-day South Korea d. January 29, 2006, Florida, United States Nam June Paik was a multimedia artist, credited as being the founder of video art. His work was technologically innovative and he had a great interest in performance and electronic music. |
| Palance, Jack | b. February 18, 1919, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 10, 2006, California, United States Parents: From Ukraine Jack Palance was an Acadamy Award-winning actor and TV host who is best known for playing villians. |
| Palazzo, Steven | b. February 21, 1970, Mississippi, United States Steven Palazzo is a politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 4th congressional district since 2011. |
| Paley, Grace | b. December 11, 1922, New York, United States d. August 22, 2007, Vermont, United States Parents: From Ukraine Grace Paley was a writer, anti-nuclear, anti-war, anti-racist feminist activist. |
| Paley, William S. | b. September 28, 1901, Illinois, United States d. October 26, 1990, New York, United States Parents: From Ukraine William S. Paley was a broadcasting executive who transformed CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) into a global media network. |
| Palin, Sarah | b. February 11, 1964, Idaho, United States Sarah Palin is a politician, commentator, and author who served as the 9th Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. |
| Palmer, Maria | b. September 5, 1917, Vienna, present-day Austria d. September 6, 1981, California, United States Maria Palmer was a multitalented actress whose exotic, mysterious countenance allowed her to play many roles as a woman of intrigue. |
| Paltrow, Gwen | b. September 28, 1972, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland, Maternal Great-great-grandmother: From Barbados Gwyneth Paltrow is an American actress, singer, and food writer. Paltrow won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Shakespeare in Love (1998). |
| Panichgul, Thakoon | b. 1974, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand Thakoon Panichgul is a fashion designer. He first became popular in 2004 and his designs have been worn by Michelle Obama. |
| Panofsky, Erwin | b. March 30, 1892, Hanover, Germany d. March 14, 1968, New Jersey, United States Erwin Panofsky was an art historian. Panofsky's work represents a high point in the modern academic study of iconography. |
| Papashvily, George | b. August 23, 1898, Kobiaantkari, Georgia d. March 29, 1978, California, United States George Papashvily was a successful author and sculptor who wrote a series of comedic books about his life with his wife. |
| Papp, Joe | b. June 22, 1921, New York, United States d. October 31, 1991, New York, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: From Lithuania Joe Papp was a theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in lower Manhattan. There, Papp created a year-round producing home to focus on new plays and musicals. |
| Parisse, Annie | b. July 31, 1975, Alaska, United States Paternal Great-Grandparents: From Italy and Slovakia, Maternal Great-Grandparents: From Italy and Syria Annie Parisse is an actress who has worked extensively in television and film. Parisse is known to many for her role as Alexandra Borgia on the TV series Law & Order. |
| Paschke, Ed | b. June 22, 1939, Illinois, United States d. November 25, 2004, Illinois, United States Parents: from Poland Ed Paschke was a painter who had an interest in animation and cartoons. |
| Pascual, Pedro | b. March 15, 1996, Cordoba, Mexico Pedro Pascual is an Olympic RS:X windsurfer. He competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Paskowitz, Dorian | b. March 3, 1921, Texas, United States d. November 10, 2014, California, United States Parents: From Russia Dorian Paskowitz created the Surfing For Peace project which then inspired a global community of surfers and supporters who aim to use the shared-surfing experience to bridge cultural and political barriers. |
| Patel, Dr. Kiran | b. March 10, 1949, Zambia Parents: From India Dr. Kiran Patel is a cardiologist who was the owner of WellCare, a health maintenance platform, from 1992-2002. |
| Patel, Pallavi | b. Date and year unknown, India Pallavi Patel is a pediatrician who, along with her husband, invested in WellCare, a health maintenance platform. She is also president of the Foundation for Global Understanding, a non-profit organization that funds programs in health, education, arts and culture. |
| Patricof, Alan | b. 1934, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Alan Patricof is an investor and one of the early pioneers of the venture capital and private equity industries. Patricof founded Apax Partners, which is today one of the largest private equity firms globally. |
| Paul, Alexandra | b. July 29, 1963, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom Alexandra Paul was an actress and animal rights, environmental, peace and gay rights activist. She walked for five and a half weeks on the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament in 1986. |
| Paul, Ron | b. August 20, 1935, Pensylvania, United States Ron Paul is an author, physician, and former politician. He was the U.S. Representative for Texas' 14th and 22nd congressional districts. |
| Paulson, John | b. December 14, 1955, New York, United States Father: From Ecuador John Paulson is an investor, hedge fund manager and philanthropist. He leads Paulson & Co., a New York-based investment management firm he founded in 1994. |
| Pavlics, Ferenc | b. February 3, 1928, Balozsameggyes, Hungary Ferenc Pavlics is a mechanical engineer. He worked at NASA JPL and Boeing Aerospace Corporations where he started the development of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Later, he participated in development of hybrid and fuel cell driven vehicles and the electric bus network in Santa Barbara, California. |
| Payán, Ilka Tanya | b. January 7, 1943, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic d. April 6, 1996, New York, United States Ilka Tanya Payán was an actress and HIV/AIDS activist. Payán worked in the legal department for the Gay Men's Health Crisis, a non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based HIV/AIDS organization that has led the fight in educating the public on HIV/AIDS prevention. |
| Paz, Librada | b. Date and year unknown, Oaxaca, Mexico Librada Paz is an activist for the rights of farmworkers. She served on the council of the Rural Migrant Ministry, a nonsectarian group working to improve the lives of migrant workers. |
| Pazsitsky, Christina | b. June 18, 1976, Windsor, Canada Parents: From Hungary Christina Pazsitzky is a stand-up comedian, writer, TV personality and host of two podcasts. Her new one hour stand-up special, Christina P: Mother Inferior, premiered October 2017 on Netflix. Her hugely successful podcast Your Mom's House is a top-rated comedy podcast on iTunes. |
| Pearce, Steve | b. August 24, 1947, Texas, United States Steve Pearce is a businessman and politician who has been the U.S. Representative for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Pécsi, Eszter | b. March 8, 1898, Kecskemet, Hungary d. May 4, 1975, New York, United States Eszter Pécsi was an engineer. She was named the "Years Best Structural Engineer" for developing a special technique for the foundation of the towers by the Hudson. |
| Pedersen, Charles J. | b. October 3, 1904, Busan, South Korea d. October 26, 1989, New Jersey, United States Charles J. Pedersen was an organic chemist. He is best known for describing methods of synthesizing crown ethers. He is one of only two people from Korea to win a Nobel Prize (in Chemistry, 1987) and one of the few people to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences without having a Ph.D. |
| Peeples, Nia | b. December 10, 1961, California, United States Maternal Grandparents: From the Philippines Nia Peeples is an R&B singer, dancer, and actress. Peeples is well known for her work in television, including roles on the popular TV series Pretty Little Liars and Walker, Texas Ranger. |
| Pegues, Juliana | b. 1969, Taiwan Juliana Pegues is a social activist and co-founder of the Women's Prison Book Project. |
| Pei, I. M. | b. April 17, 1926, Guangzhou, China I. M. Pei is an architect whose designs are famous for their geometric patterns and their characteristic use of glass. Among Pei's many building designs are the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Boston and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. |
| Pekar, Harvey | b. October 8, 1939, Ohio, United States d. July 12, 2010, Ohio, United States Parents: From Poland Harvey Pekar was a jazz critic and writer of the autobiographical comic book series, American Splendor. Set in Pekar's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, American Splendor earned Pekar the title of Cleveland's (unofficial) poet laureate. |
| Pelé | b. October 23, 1940, Três Corações, Brazil Pelé is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is widely regarded as the greatest football player of all time. |
| Peller, Miklos B. | b. August 30, 1940, Eger, Hungary Miklos B. Peller was a structural engineer. His portfolio of structural engineering includes hundreds of buildings such as Blossom Music Center and Metro-General Hospital. |
| Pelli, César | b. October 12, 1926, Tucuman, Argentina César Pelli is an architect who has designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. |
| Pence, Mike | b. June 7, 1959, Indiana, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Ireland Mike Pence is a politician and lawyer who serves as the 48th and current Vice President of the United States. He was also governor of Indiana from 2013-2017. |
| Penghlis, Thaao | b. December 15, 1945, Sydney, Australia Parents: From Greece Thaao Penghlis is an actor best known for his work on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. |
| Penn, Kal | b. April 23, 1977, New Jersey, United States Parents: From India Kal Penn is an actor who began his career in several indie films. His breakthrough film role was Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004). He appeared in the television series House and developed an interest in politics. |
| Penny, Joe | b. June 24, 1956, London, United Kingdom Joe Penny is a film and television actor who is familiar to many for his roles the 1980s television series Jake and the Fatman and Riptide. |
| Pépin, Jacques | b. December 18, 1935, Bourg-en-Bresse, France Jacques Pépin is a chef, author, and television personality who has starred in numerous television programs. His book, La Technique, is used as a textbook to teach the fundamentals of French cooking. He has won numerous James Beard Foundation Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. |
| Peralta, David | b. August 14, 1987, Valencia, Venezuela David Peralta is a professional baseball player. He plays outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made his MLB debut in June of 2014. |
| Perez, Beto | b. March 15, 1970, Cali, Columbia Beto Perez is a dancer and choreographer who founded Zumba Fitness LLC, a company that licenses its dance-based exercise program and related products. |
| Pérez, Jorge | b. October 17, 1949, Buenos Aires, Argentina Parents: From Cuba Jorge Pérez is a billionaire real estate developer, art collector, philanthropist and author. He is best known as the chairman and CEO of The Related Group. |
| Perez, Rosie | b. September 6, 1964, New York, United States Parents: From Puerto Rico Rosie Perez is a actress, choreographer, talk show host, and activist. Perez is best known for her role in Spike Lee's breakout film, Do the Right Thing, but has since transitioned to performing on Broadway. |
| Perlman, Itzhak | b. August 31, 1945, Tel Aviv, Israel Itzhak Perlman is a world famous violinist, composer, and teacher. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. |
| Perlmutter, Isaac | b. December 1, 1942, present-day Israel Isaac Perlmutter is a businessperson and financier. He is the chairman and former CEO of Marvel Entertainment. |
| Perry, Matthew | b. August 19, 1969, Massachusetts, United States Mother: From Canada Matthew Perry is an actor best known to many for his role as Chandler Bing in the popular sitcom Friends. |
| Peter, George | b. October 21, 1922, New York, United States d. August 10, 2008, New York, United States Father: From Armenia George Peter was an activist who led the effort to broaden Cornell employees' participation in campus governance, fighting for staff representation in university decision-making and official recognition of employee achievements. |
| Peterffy, Thomas | b. 1944, Budapest, Hungary Thomas Peterffy is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Interactive Brokers Group, Incorporated. He played an important role in the development of electronic trading of securities. |
| Peters, Steffen | b. September 18, 1964, Wesel, Germany Steffen Peters is a four-time Olympic dressage competitor. He won bronze is the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Peterson, Peter George | b. June 5, 1926, Nebraska, United States Parents: From Greece Peter George Peterson is a businessman, banker and author. He is the cofounder of the Blackstone Group, a financial services firm, and served as the US Secretary of Commerce during the Nixon administration. |
| Pettiford, Oscar | b. September 30, 1922, Oklahoma, United States d. September 8, 1960, Copenhagen, Denmark Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz bassist, cellist and composer who was one of the earliest bebop players. He stands as one of the most recorded bass players in jazz. |
| Pfizer, Charles | b. March 22, 1824, Ludwigsburg, Germany d. October 19, 1906, Rhode Island, United States Charles Pfizer was a chemist who, with his cousin, founded the pharmaceutical company today known as Pfizer. |
| Philipp, Adolf | b. January 29, 1864, Hamburg, Germany d. July 30, 1936, New York, United States Adolf Philipp, who also wrote under the names Jean Briquet and Paul Herve, was a composer, playwright, singer, and actor on Broadway, in opera and film. |
| Phillips, Ulrich Bonnell | b. November 4, 1877, Georgia, United States d. January 21, 1934, Connecticut, United States Ulrich Bonnell Phillips was a historian who wrote about the economic history of the South of America and slavery. |
| Pichai, Sundar | b. July 12, 1972, Madurai, India Sundar Pichai is a business executive and the CEO of Google Inc. Whilst at Google Inc. he has overseen the development of several client software products including Google Chrome and Chrome OS. |
| Pickering, Bill | b. December 24, 1910, Wellington, New Zealand d. March 15, 2004, California, United States Bill Pickering was a rocket scientist who headed Pasadena, California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 22 years. |
| Piglia, Ricardo | b. November 24, 1941, Adrogué, Argentina d. January 6, 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina Ricardo Piglia is a literary critic and novelist. He mixes genres, literary influences, and historical and political issues into, and within, his work. |
| Pincus, Gregory Goodwin | b. April 9, 1903, New Jersey, United States d. August 22, 1967, Massachusetts, United States Parents: From Poland Gregory Goodwin Pincus was a biologist and researcher who co-invented the combined oral contraceptive pill. |
| Pineles, Cipe | b. June 23, 1908, Vienna, Austria d. January 3, 1991, New York, United States Cipe Pineles was a graphic designer and art director who made her career in New York at such magazines as Seventeen, Charm and Mademoiselle. |
| Pintner, Rudolf | b. November 16, 1884, Lytham, United Kingdom d. November 7, 1942, New York, United States Rudolf Pintner, a professor at Columbia University, specialized in mental measurement, and developed several tests. |
| Pipes, Richard | b. July 11, 1923, Cieszyn, Poland Richard Pipes is an academic who is an authority on Soviet Union-era history. In the early 1980s, Pipes, as a member of the National Security Council, worked with Ronald Reagan to help shape his forceful policies toward Soviet Union-era Russia. |
| Pirozhkova, Elena | b. October 13, 1986, Novokuznetsk, Russia Elena Pirozhkova is the top-ranked American female grappler in the 63-kilogram weight class and a two-time Olympian. |
| Pistone, Joe | b. September 17, 1939, Pennsylvania, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Italy Joe Pistone is a retired FBI agent, recognized for innovative undercover work by the name of Donnie Brasco. |
| Pitbull | b. January 15, 1981, Florida, United States Parents: From Cuba Pitbull is the stage name of Armando Christian Pérez. He is a rapper, singer, actor and record producer. |
| Place, Mary Kay | b. September 23, 1947, Oklahoma, United States Maternal Great-grandparents: From Poland and Sweden Mary Kay Place is an actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series Mary Hartman, a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. |
| Plamer, Edward | b. 12 January, 1829, Suffolk, United Kingdom d. April 10, 1911, Washington D.C., United States Edward Palmer was a botanist who wrote the report Food Products of the North American Indian which was a pioneering work of ethnobotany. |
| Plange, Mimi | b. Date and year unknown, Accra, Ghana Mimi Plange is a fashion designer who incorporates non-traditional African motifs and symbols into her designs. She has dressed Rihanna, Serena Williams, and First Lady Michelle Obama. |
| Plater-Zyberk, Elizabeth | b. December 20, 1950, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Poland Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk is an architect and urban planner of the New Urbanism and New Classical Architecture style. |
| Plummer, Christopher | b. December 13, 1929, Toronto, Canada Christopher Plummer is an actor. He is known for portraying Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965). |
| Poe, Edgar Allan | b. January 19, 1809, Massachusetts, United States d. October 7, 1849, Maryland, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom Edgar Allan Poe was a novelist, critic, short story writer, and poet, known for his tales of mystery and the macabre. |
| Poe, Ted | b. September 10, 1948, Texas, United States Ted Poe is a politician who has represented Texas's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005. |
| Poitier, Sidney | b. February 20, 1927, Florida, United States Parents: From Bahamas Sidney Poitier was an actor who made his Hollywood debut in the film No Way Out and became the first African American actor to receive a Best Actor award at the Academy Awards. He has starred in roles that challenge racial stereotypes and interrogate race relations in America throughout his career. |
| Polanco, Jorge | b. July 5, 1993, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic Jorge Polanco plays shortstop and third base for the Minnesota Twins. |
| Polyak, Stephen | b. December 13, 1889, Đurđevac, Croatia d. March 9, 1955, Illinois, United States Stephen Polyak, a professor at the University of Chicago, was an authority on the anatomy of vertebrate visual systems. |
| Pommer, Erich | b. July 20, 1889, Hildesheim, present-day Germany d. May 8, 1966, California, United States Erich Pommer was a film producer whose acclaimed career took off with his work in German Expressionist film during the 1920s. In Hollywood, he produced the films Dance, Girl, Dance and They Knew What They Wanted. |
| Popadiuk, Roman | b. May 30, 1950, Austria Roman Popadiuk served as the first United States Ambassador to Ukraine under George H.W. Bush, from 1992 to 1993. |
| Popović, Ana | b. May 13, 1976, Belgrade, Serbia Ana Popovic is a blues musician who is currently based in Los Angeles. She has released, as of 2017, seven solo albums. |
| Popovich, Gregg | b. January 28, 1949, Illinois, United States Father: From Serbia, Mother: From Croatia Gregg Popovich is the head coach of the professional basketball team the San Antonio Spurs. Popovich has been named NBA coach of the year three times: in 2003, 2012 and 2014. |
| Porizkiva, Paulina | b. April 9, 1965, Prostejov, Czech Republic Paulina Porizkova is a model, actress and writer. |
| Porteus, Stanley David | b. April 24, 1883, Box Hill, Australia d. October 21, 1972, Hawaii, United States Stanley David Porteus was a psychologist and author. He was also the director of the University of Hawaii's Psychological and Psychopathic Clinic and researched the effect of the environment on mental and cultural evolution. |
| Portman, Natalie | b. June 9, 1981, Jerusalem, Israel Natalie Portman is a well-known actress. Her first film role was in Léon: The Professional and she was later cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She had roles in V for Vendetta, Goya's Ghosts, The Other Boleyn Girl, Thor, and Black Swan. |
| Posey, Tyler | b. October 18, 1991, California, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Mexico Tyler Posey is an actor and musician, best known for his role as Scott McCall on the MTV television series Teen Wolf (2011-2017). |
| Potok, Chaim | b. February 17, 1929, New York, United States d. July 23, 2002, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Poland Chaim Potok was an author, most famous for his first book The Chosen. |
| Pound, Ezra | b. October 30, 1885, Idaho, United States d. November 1, 1972, Venice, Italy Ezra Pound was a poet, essayist and critic, and a major figure in the early modernist movement. |
| Powell, Colin | b. April 5, 1937, New York, United States Parents: From Jamaica Colin Powell began his military career as a member of the ROTC in college. In the decades that followed, he would serve two tours of duty in Vietnam, advise multiple Presidents on matters of national security, be named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and serve as Secretary of State from 2001 to 2004. |
| Powell, Dina | b. 1973, Cairo, Egypt Dina Powell is the current U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy to President Donald Trump. Before her present appointment, Powell was a managing director and partner at Goldman Sachs. Powell also served under President George W. Bush as Assistant Secretary of Educational and Cultural Affairs. |
| Power, Samantha | b. September 21, 1970, Dublin, Ireland Samantha Power is a journalist, diplomat, and human-rights crusader who won a 2003 Pulitzer Prize for A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. She was the youngest ever U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and was awarded the Kissinger Prize in 2016. |
| Powers, Stefanie | b. November 2, 1942, California, United States Mother: From Poland Stefanie Powers is an actress best known for her role as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart. |
| Pran, Dith | b. September 27, 1942, Siem Reap, Cambodia d. March 30, 2008, New Jersey, United States Dith Pran was a journalist and refugee whose survival story was used to make the award winning film The Killing Fields. |
| Prendes, Robin | b. December 13, 1988, Matanzas, Cuba Robin Prendes is a two-time Olympic rower. He competes in the men's lightweight four. |
| Pressman Fuentes, Sonia | b. May 30, 1928, Berlin, Germany Sonia Pressman Fuentes was a co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Federally Employed Women (FEW), and she was the first woman attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). |
| Previn, André | b. April 6, 1929, Berlin, Germany André Previn is a conductor and composer who won four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings. |
| Pribram, Karl | b. February 25, 1919, Vienna, Austria d. January 19, 2015, Virginia, United States Karl Pribram was a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Stanford University and distinguished professor at Radford University. |
| Pribram, Karl H. | b. February 25, 1919, Vienna, Austria d. January 19, 2015, Virginia, United States Karl H. Pribram was a professor at Georgetown University, an emeritus professor of psychology and psychiatry at Stanford University and distinguished professor at Radford University. |
| Price, Lindsay | b. December 6, 1976, California, United States Mother: From Korea Lindsay Price is a television actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Janet Sosna on Beverly Hills, 90210 and as Victory Ford on Lipstick Jungle. She is also known for her work on soap operas such as All My Children and The Bold and the Beautiful. |
| Prima, Louis | b. December 7, 1910, Louisiana, United States d. August 24, 1978, Louisiana, United States Mother: From Italy, Paternal Grandfather: From Italy Louis Prima was a trumpeter and bandleader. He recorded between the late 1940s through the 1970s. He had the most success with his band, The Witnesses, featuring Sam Butera and Keely Smith. The band was highly entertaining, using humor to match the high level of musicanship. |
| Primus, Pearl | b. November 29, 1919, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago d. October 29, 1994, New York, United States Pearl Primus was a dancer, choreographer and anthropologist. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. |
| Prince | b. June 7, 1958, Minnesota, United States d. April 21, 2016, Minnesota, United States Father: From Louisiana, United States, Mother: From Minnesota, United States Prince was a singer, songwriter, musician, actor and director. One of the most prolific stars of the 1980s, he produced every album he released from the age of 21. His 1982 double album 1999 went platinum and his superstar status was cemented with his 1984 semi-autobiographical movie Purple Rain. |
| Prinz, Joachim | b. May 10, 1902, Upper Silesia, Germany d. September 30, 1988, New Jersey, United States Joachim Prinz was a rabbi who was outspoken against Nazism. He also held top leadership positions in the World Jewish Congress and was Chairman of the World Conference of Jewish Organizations. |
| Procter, William | b. December 7, 1801, Herefordshire, United Kingdom d. April 4, 1884, Ohio, United States William Procter was a candlemaker and industrialist. He was cofounder of Procter & Gamble, a consumer goods corporation. |
| Prowse, Juliet | b. September 25, 1936, Bombay, India d. September 14, 1996, California, United States Juliet Prowse was a dancer and actress. Prowse started dancing at the age of 4 and enjoyed a long career on the stage, screen, and television. |
| Puck, Wolfgang | b. July 8, 1949, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria Wolfgang Puck is a celebrity chef and restaurateur who has built three companies: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. |
| Pudi, Danny | b. March 10, 1979, Illinois, United States Father: From India, Mother: From Poland Danny Pudi is an actor. Before his 2006 acting debut (in the TV series, The West Wing), Pudi worked as an actuary. He can speak and sing fluently in Polish. |
| Puglia, Frank | b. March 9, 1892, Linguaglossa, Italy d. October 25, 1975, California, United States Frank Puglia was a character actor whose career spanned over 50 years. Puglia appeared in over 200 films and television shows. |
| Pujols, Albert | b. January 16, 1980, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Albert Pujols is a Major League Baseball star who won three MVP Awards with the St. Louis Cardinals and is among a select group of players with five-hundred career home runs. He even scored a perfect one hundred on his citizenship test. |
| Pulitzer, Joseph | b. April 10, 1847, Makó, Hungary d. October 29, 1911, South Carolina, United States Joseph Pulitzer was a journalist and newspaper publisher. He owned several newspapers including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and New York World. |
| Pulitzer, Joseph J. | b. April 10, 1847, Makó, Hungary d. October 29, 1911, South Carolina, United States Joseph J. Pulitzer was a newspaper publisher of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the New York World. Today, he is best known for the Pulitzer Prizes, which were established in 1917. |
| Pupin, Michael | b. October 9, 1858, Idvor, Serbia d. March 12, 1935, New York, United States Michael Pupin was an influential physicist and long time lecturer at Columbia University. Pupim invented the "Pupin Coil" which greatly extended the range of telephone communications. His autobiography From Immigrant to Inventor earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1924. |
| Puskar, Milan | b. September 8, 1934, Pennsylvania, United Ststes d. October 7, 2011, West Virginia, United States Parents: From present-day Croatia Milan Puskar was an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He co-founded a pharmaceutical company which became Mylan Inc. The Fortune 500 company is one of the largest generic drug manufacturers in the United States. |
| Puzo, Mario | b. October 15, 1920, New York, United States d. July 2, 1999, New York, United States Parents: From Italy Mario Puzo was an author, journalist and screenwriter. He is remembered for his crime novels about the Mafia, most famously The Godfather. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Quezon, Manuel L. | b. August 19, 1878, Aurora, present-day Philippines d. August 1, 1944, New York, United States Manuel L. Quezon was a statesman, soldier and politician. From 1906 to 1916 he served as one of the Philippines' two resident commissioners to the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| Quinn, Aidan | b. March 8, 1959, Illinois, United States Parents: From Ireland Aidan Quinn is an actor, who has starred in over 50 feature films, including Practical Magic and Desperately Seeking Susan. |
| Quinn, Anthony | b. April 21, 1915, Chihuahua, Mexico d. June 3, 2001, Massachusetts, United States Anthony Quinn was an actor who appeared in over one hundred major motion pictures during his six-decade career in Hollywood and Europe. He enjoyed the distinction of being the first Mexican American to win an Academy Award of any kind. |
| Quiñones-Hinojosa, Alfredo | b. January 2, 1968, Mexicali, Mexico Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa is a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic. After scaling an eighteen foot fence to get into the US from Mexico, Quiñones-Hinojosa found work through an uncle as a migrant worker and later a welder. Years of hard work and perseverence brought him to where his is today. |
R
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Rabi, Isidor Isaac | b. July 29, 1898, Rymanów, Poland d. January 11, 1988, New York, United States Isidor Isaac Rabi was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance, which is used in magnetic resonance imaging. |
| Rachmaninoff, Sergei | b. April 1, 1873, Russia d. March 28, 1943, California, United States Sergei Rachmaninoff is remembered as one of the most formidable pianists of all time and the last truly great composer in the Russian romantic tradition. He is especially known for his piano concerti and the piece for piano and orchestra titled Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934). |
| Radin, Paul | b. April 2, 1883, Lodz, Russia d. February 21, 1959, New York, United States Paul Radin was a cultural anthropologist who specialized in Native American languages and cultures. |
| Radner, Gilda | b. June 28, 1946, Michigan, United States d. May 20, 1989, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Russia Gilda Radner was a comedian and actress who will be remembered as one of the original members of the long-running TV sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. |
| Radosh, Ronald | b. 1937, New York, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: From Russia Ronald Radosh is a writer and historian who has published books on American history and politics, and the Cold War. |
| Raimi, Ivan | b. 1956, Michigan, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland, Maternal Grandmother: From Hungary Ivan Raimi works as an emergency physician in Ann Arbor. He is also a screenwriter and occasionally works in Hollywood with his brothers: film director Sam Raimi and actor Ted Raimi. |
| Raimi, Sam | b. October 23, 1959, Michigan, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Hungary and Russia Sam Raimi is a film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is the creator of the Evil Dead series and the director of the first two Spiderman films. |
| Rains, Claude | b. November, 10, 1889, London, United Kingdom d. May 30, 1967, New Hampshire, United States Claude Rains was a film and stage actor whose career spanned nearly half a century. Rains' first film role in the United States was the lead character in The Invisible Man (1933). |
| Ramamurthy, Sendhil | b. May 17, 1974, Illinois, United States Parents: From India Sendhil Ramamurthy is an actor who is best known for his roles as geneticist Mohinder Suresh in the NBC sci-fi drama Heroes and Jai Wilcox in Covert Affairs. |
| Ramdas, Kavita | b. 1962, Delhi, India Kavita Ramdas is the president and CEO of Global Fund for Women. She also sits on the board of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the African Women's Development Fund USA. |
| Ramirez, Dania | b. November 8, 1979, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Dania Ramirez is a television and film actress. Her credits include the roles of Maya Herrera in Heroes, Alex in Entourage, and Blanca during the last season of The Sopranos on television. |
| Ramírez, Hanley | b. December 23, 1983, Samana, Dominican Republic Hanley Ramírez is an infielder for the Boston Red Sox. In 2006, he was named the NL Rookie of the Year. |
| Ramírez, José | b. September 17, 1992, Baní, Dominican Republic José Ramírez is a starting second baseman and power hitter for the Cleveland Indians. He was a contender for the 2017 American League MVP but finished in third place. |
| Ramirez, Manny | b. May 30, 1972, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Manuel Ramirez is a professional baseball outfielder who once played for the Cleveland Indians in the 1990s. |
| Ramirez, Sara | b. August 31, 1975, Mazatlan, Mexico Sara Ramirez is an actress who is best known for her role as Dr. Callie Torres on the hospital drama Grey's Anatomy. She has won numerous awards for her stage work, including the 2005 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, for her performance in the Broadway show Spamalot. |
| Ramos, Jorge | b. March 16, 1958, Mexico City, Mexico Jorge Ramos is a journalist and author. Regarded as the best-known Spanish-language news anchor in the United States of America, he has been referred to as "The Walter Cronkite of Latin America." |
| Ramsay, Robert Lincoln | b. March 24, 1877, Durham, United Kingdom d. November 14, 1956, West Virginia, United States Robert Lincoln Ramsay was a United States Representative for West Virginia. He served from 1933-1939, 1941-1943, and 1949-1953. |
| Rand, Ayn | b. February 2, 1905, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. March 6, 1982, New York, United States Ayn Rand was a novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is the author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. |
| Randolph, Lillian | b. December 14, 1898, Kentucky, United States d. September 12, 1980, California, United States Lillian Randolph is an actress most known for her film and television roles as a maid or housekeeper. She was criticized by the black community for taking roles which furthered racial stereotypes, but Randolph steadfastly maintained that the roles should not disappear, rather that the ethnicity of the actors should change over time. |
| Rank, Otto | b. April 22, 1884, Vienna, Austria d. October 31, 1939, New York, United States Otto Rank was a psychoanalyst, writer, and teacher who was a member of the inner committee of six that guided the psychoanaltic movement early on. He was also the founder of the Pennsyvania School of Social Work. |
| Rapaport, David | b. September 30, 1911, Mukacs, Hungary d. December 14, 1960, Massachusetts, United States David Rapaport was a clinical pyschologist at the Austen Riggs Center. He attempted to integrate psychoanalysis and psychology. |
| Rapoport, Dan | b. 1970, Riga, Latvia Dan Rapoport is an investor and financial executive. |
| Ratner, Bruce | b. January 23, 1945, Ohio, United States Father: From Poland Bruce Ratner is a real estate developer and minority owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. |
| Ratoff, Gregory | b. April 20, 1893, Samara, Russia d. December 14, 1960, Solothurn, Switzerland Gregory Ratoff was an actor, director, and producer most famous for his role in All About Eve. |
| Ratzenberger, John | b. April 6, 1947, Connecticut, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Hungary John Ratzenberger is an actor known for his role as mail carrier Cliff Clavin in the long-running TV sitcom Cheers and for voicing the piggy bank Hamm in Toy Story. |
| Rau, Charles | b. 1826, Verviers, Belgium d. July 25, 1887, Pennsylvania, United States Charles Rau was an archaeologist who from 1875 until his death in 1887 was a curator at the Smithsonian Institution. |
| Rawat, Navi | b. June 5, 1977, California, United States Father: From India, Mother: From Germany Navi Rawat is an actress, known for Numb3rs (2005), House of Sand and Fog (2003) and Feast (2005). |
| Ray, Man | b. August 27, 1890, Pennsylvania, United States d. November 18, 1976, Paris, France Parents: From Russia Man Ray was a visual artist who was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements. |
| Raymonde, Tania | b. March 22, 1988, California, United States Mother: From France Tania Raymonde is an actress who began her career on the TV show Malcolm in the Middle. |
| Razran, Gregory | b. June 4, 1901, Minsk, Belarus d. August 31, 1973, Florida, United States Gregory Razran, a psychologist at Queens College, did extensive research in the area of classical conditioning. |
| Read, Ian C. | b. 1953, Forfar, United Kingdom Ian C. Read is a chartered accountant, businessman and the CEO of Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company. |
| Reagan, Ronald | b. Febuary 6, 1911, Illinois, United States d. June 5, 2004, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From the United Kingdom Ronald Reagan was an actor and TV star. He was Governor of California (1967-1975), and served two terms as President of the United States (1981-1989). |
| Reason, Patrick H. | b. March 17, 1816, New York, United States d. August 12, 1898, Ohio, United States Father: From Guadeloupe, Mother: From present-day Haiti Patrick H. Reason was an African-American engraver and lithographer, one of the earliest known in the United States. He engraved portraits and images for the Abolitionist movement. |
| Rebek, Julius | b. April 11, 1944, Berekszasz, present-day Ukraine Julius Rebek is a chemist and expert in molecular self-assembly. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. |
| Rechy, John | b. March 10, 1931, Texas, United States Parents: From Mexico John Rechy is a multiple award winning writerand playwright. Rechy's debut novel, City of Night, has been called the most influential gay novel ever written. |
| Reddy, Raj | b. June 13, 1937, Rayalaseema, India Raj Reddy is a computer scientist who is a forerunner in the field of artificial intelligence. In 1994, he won the A.M. Turing Award (the highest honor in computer science) for his contributions to artificial intelligence systems. |
| Redey, Thomas Gabor | b. September 24, 1928, Szekesfehervar, Hungary d. April 4, 2016, Washington, United States Thomas Gabor Redey worked at Boeing Company from 1962 to 1990 designing aircrafts. |
| Reece, Gabrielle | b. January 6, 1970, California, United States Father: From Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Reece is a professional volleyball player, sports announcer, model, and actress. |
| Reed, Matthew | b. November 8, 1975, Palmerstown North, New Zealand Matthew Reed is an Olympic triathlete ranked 45th in the world. |
| Rees, Eberhard | b. April 28, 1908, Trossingen, Germany d. April 2, 1998, Florida, United States Eberhard Rees came to the U.S. in 1945 with von Braun's rocket team and worked with von Braun at Fort Bliss, Texas. He served as Deputy Director of Development Operations at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He was also a major contributor in the redesign of the Apollo capsule. |
| Reeve, Dana | b. March 17, 1961, New Jersey, United States d. March 6, 2006, New York, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Ireland, Paternal Great Grandparents: From Italy and Poland Dana Reeve was known for her roles in HBO's OZ and Steel Magnolias. Reeve was the wife of the late actor Christopher Reeve |
| Reeves, Keanu | b. September 2, 1964, Beirut, Lebanon Keanu Reeves is an actor, director, producer, and musician. Reeves is best known for his roles in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, The Matrix, and River's Edge. |
| Refaeli, Bar | b. June 4, 1985, Hod HaSharon, Israel Bar Refaeli is a model, television host, actress, and businesswoman. Refaeli is considered among the most internationally successful models to come from Israel. |
| Rehm, Diane | b. September 21, 1936, Washington, D.C., United States Father: From Anatolia or present-day Turkey Diane Rehm is a former public radio talk show host. Her program, The Diane Rehm Show, was distributed nationally and internationally by National Public Radio. The show was produced at WAMU, which is licensed to American University in Washington, D.C. |
| Reich, Wilhelm | b. March 24, 1897, Dobrianychi, present-day Ukraine d. November 3, 1957, Pennsylvania, United States Wilhelm Reich was a doctor of medicine and psychoanalyst. He focused on character as an ego-defense mechanism and researched sexual energy. |
| Reinhardt, Ad | b. December 24, 1913, New York, United States d. August 30, 1967, New York, United States Father: From present-day Lithuania, Mother: From Germany Ad Reinhardt was an abstract painter, usually regarded as an Abstract Expressionist. Some of his best known works are his color-fields, where the canvas may appear as monochromatic, although it is made up of rectangles so close in tone that they cannot be easily discerned. |
| Reinhardt, Max | b. September 9, 1873, Baden, Austria d. October 31, 1943, New York, United States Max Reinhardt was a director of innovative theatrical productions. Reinhardt directed only one film in Hollywood, the 1935 version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The film, which contained many of the movie stars who where in his 1934 Hollywood Bowl stage production of the play, is considered a classic. |
| Reinsdorf, Jerry | b. February 25, 1936, New York, United States Paternal Grandmother: From Poland Jerry Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and the MLB's Chicago White Sox. |
| Remenyi, Joseph | b. December 1, 1892, Bratislava, present-day Slovakia d. September 25, 1956, Ohio, United States Joseph Remenyi was a writer and professor who began his professional career working for newspapers and eventually wrote plays and novels. Much of his work was about the immigrant experience and he was contracted by the Cleveland Foundation to conduct social surveys in the 1920s. |
| Rennert, Ira Leon | b. May 31, 1934, New York, United States Father: From Romania, Mother: From Poland Ira Leon Rennert is an investor and businessman. Today he controls one of the nation's largest privately held industrial empires, and his personal fortune is estimated to be $6.5 billion. |
| Reno, Janet | b. July 21, 1938, Florida, United States d. November 7, 2016, Florida, United States Parents: From Denmark Janet Reno was the Attorney General of the United States from 1993 until 2001. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General and the second-longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history. |
| Reséndez, Andrés | b. circa 1970, Mexico City, Mexico Andrés Reséndez is a historian and author, specializing in Mexican history, colonial Latin America and the role of technology in early exploration. |
| Reston, James | b. November 3, 1909, Clydebank, United Kingdom d. December 6, 1995, Washington, D.C., United States James Reston was a respected journalist and columnist who also served as Executive Editor of The New York Times. Reston began his journalism career in 1932 as a reporter for The Springfield (Ohio) Daily News. |
| Reuther, Walter | b. September 1, 1907, West Virginia, United States d. May 9, 1970, Michigan, United States Father: From Germany Walter Reuther is highly-regarded for being a the strong, guiding hand behind making the United Automobile Workers (UAW) (and later the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)). He was a powerful force in industry and politics. |
| Revson, Charles | b. October 11, 1906, Massachusetts, United States d. August 24, 1975, New York, United States Father: From Lithuania Charles Revson was a businessman and philanthropist. He was best known as a pioneering cosmetics industry executive who created and managed Revlon through five decades. |
| Rey, Ana Maria | b. 1977, Bogotá, Colombia Ana Maria Rey is a physicist and professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Noted for her research into ultra-cold atoms, she was awarded a "Genius" grant in 2013 by the MacArthur Foundation and the 2014 Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award of the American Physical Society. |
| Reymart, Martin | b. November 10, 1883, Holmestrand, Norway d. June 2, 1953, Illinois, United States Martin Reymart headed child research at the Mooseheart Laboratory and age-related changes at the Moosehaven Research Laboratory. He also he sponsored two significant symposia on feeling and emotion. |
| Reynolds, Ryan | b. October 23, 1976, Vancouver, Canada Ryan Reynolds is an actor who is most known for his recent role as the title character in Deadpool. He was in the TV sitcom Two Guys and a Girl, and films Blade: Trinity, Green Lantern, National Lampoon's Van Wilder, The Amityville Horror, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, The Croods, and Woman in Gold. |
| Rice, Condoleezza | b. November 14, 1954, Alabama, United States Condoleezza Rice became the first African-American woman to serve as Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration. Subsequently, she has returned to Stanford University as a professor of Political Science, a Fellow of the Hoover Institute and a faculty member of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. |
| Rice, Lois | b. February 28, 1933, Maine, United States d. January 4, 2017, Washington D.C., United States Parents: From Jamaica Lois Rice was a corporate executive, scholar and education policy expert. She joined the College Entrance Examination Board, where she helped create the Pell grant program, which awards college students grants on the basis of financial need. |
| Richards-Ross, Sanya | b. February 26, 1985, Kingston, Jamaica Sanya Richards-Ross is a gold medal Olympic sprinter. She competes in the 400 meter and 4x400 meter relay. |
| Richards, Llyod | b. June 29, 1919, Toronto, Canada d. June 29, 2006, New York, United States Parents: From Jamaica Lloyd Richards was an influential, trailblazing director and educator. Richards helmed the first performances of the now classic play A Raisin in the Sun. The play, considering the times, was not given much of chance for success, yet it opened with cheers and standing ovations. |
| Richwine, Jason | b. April 21, 1982, Pennsylvania, United States Jason Richwine is a political commentator and author. He has controversial issues on immigration and IQ. |
| Rickover, Hyman G. | b. January 27, 1900, Maków Mazowiecki, Poland d. July 8, 1986, Virginia, United States Parents: From Poland Hyman G. Rickover was the U.S. Navy Admiral who directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of Naval Reactors. |
| Riesenfeld, Hugo | b. January 26, 1879, Vienna, present-day Austria d. September 10, 1939, California, United States Hugo Riesenfeld was a theatre manager, conductor, and film music composer. During the silent film era Riesenfeld scored music for movie house orchestras to play during the films. His artistic efforts exhibited how serious, dramatic musical compositions could become an integral part of the movie-going experience. |
| Rihani, Ameen | b. November 24, 1876, Freike, present-day Lebanon d. September 13, 1940, Freike, Lebanon Ameen Rihani is the founding father of Arab-American literature. His early English writings mark the beginning of a body of literature that is Arab in its concern, culture and characteristic, English in language, and American in spirit and platform. |
| Rihanna | b. February 20, 1988, Saint Michael Parish, Barbados Rihanna is a singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, record producer, and actress. She is known for her number one hit songs, such as Umbrella, on the Billboard Music Charts. |
| Riis, Jacob | b. May 3, 1849, Ribe, Denmark d. May 26, 1914, Barre, Massachusetts, United States Jacob Riis was a famous journalist, photographer, and social reformer. His book, How the Other Half Lives, had a major impact on poliltical leaders of the time, including Theodore Roosevelt. |
| Ripert, Éric | b. March 2, 1965, Antibes, France Éric Ripert is an internationally recognized chef, author, and television personality. His flagship restaurant, Le Bernardin, is a 3 Michelin Star Restaurant. Ripert was named the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Chef in the United States" in 2003. |
| Riskin, Robert | b. March 30, 1897, New York, United States d. September 20, 1955, California, United States Parents: From Russia Robert Riskin was an award-winning screenwriter and playwright who penned many of filmmaker Frank Capra's best-loved films, including It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and Meet John Doe (1941). |
| Riskin, Victoria | b. November 18, 1945, California, United States Mother: From Canada Victoria Riskin is a human rights activist, psychologist, writer and producer for television. |
| Risom, Jens | b. May 8, 1916, Copenhagen, Denmark d. December 9, 2016, Connecticut, United States Jens Risom was a furniture designer who is remembered for bringing the Scandinavian style to the United States. Today, his work can be found in many museum collections including the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum |
| Riva, Maria | b. December 13, 1924, Berlin, Germany Maria Riva is a television and film actress. Riva is the only child of legendary film icon Marlene Dietrich. Riva has written a biography about her mother and, recently, a novel (You Were There Before My Eyes: A Novel) about a woman who immigrates from Italy to the United States on the eve of WWII. |
| Rivera, Sylvia | b. July 2, 1951, New York, United States d. February 19, 2002, New York, United States Father: from Puerto Rico, Mother: from Venezuela Sylvia Rivera was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance and dedicated her life to advocating for LGTBQ rights. |
| Roach, Max | b. January 10, 1924, North Carolina, United States d. August 16, 2007, New York, United States Max Roach was an African-American jazz drummer and composer. He was an originator of bebop and is widely considered one of the best drummers in history. |
| Roback, A. A. | b. June 19, 1890, Goniądz, present-day Poland d. June 7, 1965, Massachusetts, United States A. A. Roback, a professor at Emerson College, wrote the first book on the psychology of character in English, and also the first history of American psychology. |
| Robbie, Margot | b. July 2, 1990, Queensland, Australia Margot Robbie is an actress and producer. She has received Best Actress nominations at the Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Award ceremonies for her portrayal as figure skater Tonya Harding in the 2017 film I, Tonya. |
| Robbins, Jerome | b. October 11, 1918, New York, United States d. July 29, 1998, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Jerome Robbins was a choreographer, dancer, producer of theatre, and director who worked and excelled in an assortment of artistic areas: ballet, Broadway, film and television. In 1962, Robbins shared the Acadamy Award for Best Director with Robert Wise for his seminal work on the film West Side Story. |
| Roberts, Narlie | b. April 14, 1931, South Carolina, United States d. December 18, 1987, Ohio, United States Narlie Roberts founded the R &B Lath and Plastering with his brother and used the success of that business to become the first African-American to own a McDonald's franchise in Cleveland. Roberts eventually owned seven McDonalds restaurants and a Best Western hotel. |
| Robertson, Robbie | b. July 5, 1943, Toronto, Canada Robbie Robertson is a musician, songwriter, actor, and author. He has had a muti-decade eclectic career, but is best known as lead guitarist and primary songwriter for The Band. |
| Robinson, Boardman | b. September 6, 1876, Nova Scotia, Canada d. September 5, 1952, Connecticut, United States Boardman Robinson was a famous cartoonist who worked for Vogue, Colliers Harper, the New York Tribune, and Harper's Weekly. He was contracted for murals in many places, including the Department of Justice Center in Washington D.C., and he became the head at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. |
| Robinson, Cleveland | b. December 12, 1914, Manchester, Jamaica d. August 23, 1995, New York City, United States Cleveland Robinson was a civil rights activist. He was a key figure in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom for which he acted as the Chairman of the Administrative Committee. |
| Robinson, Edward G. | b. December 12, 1893, Bucharest, Romania d. January 26, 1973, California, United States Edward G. Robinson was an actor who had a 50 year career in Hollywood, appearing in 40 Broadway plays and more than 100 films. He was popular for playing tough-guy roles. |
| Robinson, Jackie | b. January 31, 1919, Georgia, United States d. October 24, 1972, Connecticut, United States Jackie Robinson was a baseball player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he started at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. In his 10 year career he was an All Star for six consecutive seasons and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, the first black player to do so. |
| Rocero, Geena | b. 1984, Manila, Philippines Geena Rocero is the founder of Gender Proud, an advocacy and aid organization that stands up for the right of transgender people worldwide. |
| Rockne, Knute | b. March 4, 1888, Voss, Norway d. March 31, 1931, Bazaar, Kansas Knute Rockne was a football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history. |
| Rockwell, George Lincoln | b. March 9, 1918, Illinois, United States d. August 25, 1967, Virginia, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Germany George Lincoln Rockwell was a United States Navy commander, noted for being the founder of the American Nazi Party. |
| Rodan, Gideon A. | b. June 14, 1934, Bucharest, Romania d. January 1, 2006, Pennsylvania, United States Gideon A. Rodan was a biochemist. He researched the deformation of bone cells and his most notable work was on Osteoporosis. |
| Rodriguez, Ciro D. | b. December 9, 1946, Piedras Negras, Mexico Ciro D. Rodriguez was a United States Representative for Texas. He served from 1997-2011. |
| Rodriguez, Luis J. | b. July 9, 1954, Texas, United States Parents: From Mexico Luis J. Rodriguez is a poet, novelist, journalist, and critic. His is recognized as a major figure in contemporary Chicano literature and is best known for the book Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. |
| Rodriguez, Michelle | b. July 12, 1978, Texas, United States Father: From Puerto Rico, Mother: From Dominican Republic Michelle Rodriguez starred as Letty in The Fast and the Furious film franchise. She had numerous voice work appearances in video games such as Call of Duty and Halo, and lent her voice for the 3D animated film Turbo and the television series IGPX. |
| Rodriguez, Narcisco | b. January 27, 1961, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Cuba Narciso Rodriguez is a fashion designer who worked for the Anne Klein label, Calvin Klein and launched his own label. |
| Rodriguez, Richard | b. July 31, 1944, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Richard Rodriguez is a writer who became known for his book Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez, a narrative about his intellectual development. |
| Rodriguez, Rita M. | b. September 6, 1942, Cuba Rita M. Rodriguez is a researcher and advisor in the field of international finance. In 1969, she became the first female hired to teach at the Harvard Business School. In 1982, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as one of the five directors of the Ex-Im Bank, an independent agency for improving U.S. trade with other countries |
| Rodriquez, Adam | b. April 2, 1975, New York, United States Paternal Grandmother: From Cuba Adam Rodriguez is an actor, screenwriter and director. He became known for his long running role as Eric Delko on CSI: Miami. He is currently portraying a Task Force Agent, and the newest recruit to the BAU, Agent Luke Alvez in Criminal Minds. |
| Roe, Phil | b. July 21, 1945, Tennessee, United States Phil Roe is a politician and doctor who is the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district, serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Roelse, Alex | b. January 10, 1995, Gelderland, Netherlands Alex Roelse is a defender for the US Men's Olympic Water Polo team. He competed in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Rogen, Seth | b. April 15, 1982, Vancouver, Canada Seth Rogen is an actor who had a supporting role in the TV series Freaks and Geeks. Rogen's movie appearances include Donnie Darko, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, and This Is the End. He co-wrote the films Superbad, Pineapple Express, and The Green Hornet. |
| Rogers, J. A. | b. September 6, circa 1880, Negril, Jamaica d. March 26, 1966, New York, United States J. A. Rogers was an author, journalist, and historian who contributed to the history of Africa and the African diaspora, in particular the history of African Americans in the United States. |
| Róheim, Géza | b. September 12, 1891, Budapest, Hungary d. June 7, 1953, New York, United States Géza Róheim was an anthropologist and psychoanalyst who is often credited with the founding of the field of psychoanalytic anthropology. |
| Rohr, George | b. 1954, Bogota, Colombia George Rohr is a businessman and philanthropist. His principal philanthropic focus has been on Jewish education, particularly through initiatives such as the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. |
| Rokeach, Milton | b. December 27, 1918, Hrubieszow, Poland d. October 25, 1988, California, United States Milton Rokeach was a social psychologist. He was the director of the unit on human values at Washington State University's Social Research Center and studied dogmatism and close-mindedness. |
| Rølvaag, Ole Edvart | b. April 22, 1876, Dønna, Norway d. November 5, 1931, Minnesota, United States Ole Edvart Rølvaag is a novelist, best known for his novels about Norwegian-American immigrants and their adaptation and survival in the Midwest. |
| Roman, Helman | b. May 8, 1968, Bogota, Colombia Helman Roman is a paralympic Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Skulls rower. He came in 10th in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Romero, George A. | b. February 4, 1940, New York, United States d. July 16, 2017, Toronto, Canada Father: From Spain, Mother: From Lithuania George A. Romero, the father of the zombie film, created a horror legacy with his breakthrough film Night of the Living Dead. Romero continued to be a powerful force in the horror genre until his death in 2017. |
| Romo, Sergio | b. March 4, 1983, California, United States Parents: From Mexico Sergio Romo is a baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays. Previously he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. |
| Ronstadt, Linda | b. July 15, 1946, Arizona, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Mexico Linda Ronstadt was considered the most popular singer of the 1970s, both for work in the Stone Poneys and during her solo career. Ronstadt eventually earned more than 10 Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievment Award in 2016. |
| Rooney, Mickey | b. September 23, 1920, New York, United States d. April 6, 2014, California, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Mickey Rooney is remembered for his long, versatile acting career, which began in silent films and ended in the early 21st century. Rooney appeared in over 300 films. |
| Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana | b. July 15, 1952, Havana, Cuba Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a United States Representative for Florida. She is a Republican supporter of LGBTQ rights. |
| Rosario, Amed | b. November 20, 1995, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Amed Rosario is a professional baseball player who plays shortstop for the New York Mets. During his minor league career, he was named the 2017 PCL Rookie of the Year. |
| Rose, Adam | b. July 20, 1979, Johannesburg, South Africa Adam Rose and Leo Kruger are the stage names of Ray Leppan. He is a retired professional wrestler, who is known through for his time in WWE and Florida Wrestling Championship/NXT. |
| Rose, David | b. June 15, 1910, London, United Kingdom d. August 23, 1990, California, United States David Rose was a songwriter and composer. |
| Rose, Ernestine | b. January 13, 1810, Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland d. August 4, 1892, Brighton, United Kingdom Ernestine Rose, in her time, was even more well known than Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony for determinedly fighting for women's rights. She was also known as an outspoken atheist, abolitionist, and free thinker. |
| Rosen, Aby | b. May 16, 1960, Frankfurt, Germany Aby Rosen is a real estate tycoon. He is the co-founder of RFR Holding, which owns a portfolio of 71 properties in United States cities, including New York, Miami, and Las Vegas; and Tel Aviv, Israel. |
| Rosenfeld, Irene | b. May 3, 1953, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Romania Irene Rosenfeld was the chairwoman and chief executive officer of Mondelēz International. |
| Rosenstein, Barry | b. 1960, Place unknown Paternal Grandparents: From Russia Barry Rosenstein is an American hedge fund manager and activist investor. He is the founder of JANA Partners, a hedge fund firm. |
| Ross, Dennis A. | b. October 18, 1959, Florida, United States Dennis A. Ross is a politician who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 2011. |
| Rosten, Leo | b. April 11, 1908, Łódź, Poland d. February 19, 1997, New York, United States Leo Rosten was a teacher, academic, humorist, and scriptwriter. He was also a political scientist interested especially in the relationship of politics and the media. |
| Roszak, Theodore | b. May 1, 1907, Posen, present-day Poland d. September 2, 1981, New York, United States Theodore Roszak was a sculptor and painter. He established a studio in New York City in 1932 and worked as an artist for the Works Progress Administration during the depression. |
| Roth, Henry | b. February 8, 1906, Tysemnica, present-day Ukraine d. October 13, 1995, New Mexico, United States Henry Roth was a novelist and short story writer, best known for the book Call It Sleep. |
| Roth, Ludwig | b. June 10, 1909, Groß-Gerau, Germany d. November 1, 1967, California, United States Ludwig Roth was an aerospace engineer who arrived in America under Project Paperclip on November 16, 1945 aboard the SS Argentina. He served at Fort Bliss and Huntsville, Alabama. |
| Roth, Philip | b. March 19, 1933, New Jersey, United States Grandparents: From Poland/Ukraine Philip Roth is a novelist, known for his books exploring Jewish and American identity. His works generally contain a strong autobiographical feel and blur the lines between reality and fiction. |
| Rothe, Heinrich | b. February 2, 1902, Germany d. January 1, 2005, Alabama, United States Heinrich Rothe was an expert in guided missiles during World War II. He worked his entire life with the rocket team, at Fort Bliss, White Stands, and then at Huntsville. |
| Rothko, Mark | b. September 25, 1903, present-day Daugavpils, present-day Latvia d. February 25, 1970, New York, United States Mark Rothko was a painter and one of the pioneers of color-field painting. He is known for his large scale works, idiosyncratic style of Abstract Expressionism and empathic use of color. |
| Rotimi | b. November 30, 1988, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Nigeria Rotimi is an actor, singer, and model. He appeared in the high grossing film Divergent (2014). |
| Roux, Alexander | b. 1813, France d. 1886, United States Alexander Roux was a french trained cabinet and furniture maker. He is remembered for bringing the Rococo Revival style to the the United States. In 1837, he opened his own store in New York City. |
| Rovers, Joan | b. June 8, 1933, New York United States d. September 4, 2014, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Joan Rivers was a ground-breaking comedian who became the first female host on late night televsion. After overcoming a $37 million debt, she became a billionare jewelry and clothing designer, QVC sales magnate, author, and radio and television personality. |
| Rovt, Alexander | b. July 23, 1952, Ukraine Alexander Rovt is a billionaire businessman and real estate investor who made his fortune in the trade and manufacture of fertilizer. |
| Rowley, Geoff | b. June 6, 1976, Liverpool, United Kingdom Geoff Rowley is a professional skateboarder, former co-owner of Flip Skateboards and owner of the Civilware Service Corporation. In addition to being widely considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, he is also well respected in the field of wildlife conservation. |
| Roy, Rachel | b. January 15, 1974, California, United States Father: From India Rachel Roy is a fashion designer. Some of her clients include Michelle Obama, Diane Sawyer, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Kim Kardashian. |
| Royce, Ed | b. October 12, 1951, California, United States Ed Royce is a politician who currently serves as a member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 39th congressional district, and previously the 40th, serving in Congress since 1993. |
| Royko, Mike | b. September 19, 1932, Illinois, United States d. April 29, 1997, Illinois, United States Father: From Ukraine, Mother: From Poland Mike Royko was a Chicago newspaper columnist, and was the winner of the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Over his 30-year career, he wrote over 7,500 daily columns for three newspapers, the Chicago Daily News, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune. |
| Royo, Andre | b. July 18, 1968, New York, United States Father: From Cuba Andre Royo is an actor, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins on the HBO crime drama series The Wire, and his appearances on Fringe, Party Down, How to Make It in America, and the 2013 film The Spectacular Now. Royo currently appears on the hit drama Empire on FOX. |
| Rózsa, Miklós | b. April 18, 1907, Budapest, Hungary d. July 27, 1995, California, United States Miklós Rózsa was a violinist, film music composer, and conductor who is well known for his theremin-infused score for the films The Lost Weekend (1945) , Spellbound (1945), and The Red House (1947). Rózsa was nominted for Oscars ten times and won three, including one for his eerie score for Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945). |
| Rozsnyai, Balazs F. | b. November 24, 1929, Szekesfehervar, Hungary Balazs F. Rozsnyai was a physicist. He was world-known expert in hot plasma physics and energy transport by radiation. He wrote many publications. |
| Rozsnyai, Zoltan | b. January 29, 1926, Budapest, Hungary d. September 10, 1990, California, United States Zoltan Rozsnyai was a conductorw and musical director. He conducted many large city orchestras and knew how to gather musicians of diverse national and cultural backgrounds to perform great music. |
| Rubin, Vera D. | b. August 6, 1911, Moscow, Russia d. February 7, 1985, New York, United States Vera D. Rubin was an anthropologist and director of the Research Institute for the Study of Man. She was a specialist in anthropology of the Caribbean and co-directed a major study on marijuana use in Jamaica. |
| Rubinstein, Arthur | b. January 28, 1887, Łódź, present-day Poland d. December 20, 1982, Geneva, Switzerland Arthur Rubinstein was a classical pianist. Many regarded him as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his time. |
| Rubinstein, Helena | b. December 25, 1872, Karkow, Poland d. April 1, 1965, New York, United States Helena Rubinstein was a businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist. A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company, which made her one of the world's richest women. |
| Rubio, Marco | b. May 28, 1971, Florida, United States Parents: From Cuba Marco Rubio is a Republican U.S. Senator from Florida. He served as the Speaker of the Florida U.S. House of Representatives and was one of the leading candidates in the 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries. |
| Rubloff, Arthur | b. June 25, 1902, Minnesota, United States d. May 24, 1986, Illinois, United States Father: From Russia Arthur Rubloff was a real estate developer who founded Arthur Rubloff & Co. and is credited with naming and developing North Michigan Avenue into the "Magnificent Mile." |
| Rudd, Mark | b. June 2, 1947, New Jersey, United States Father: From Poland Mark Rudd was an oganizer of the 1968 Columbia student strike. He fights against the high costs of higher education, the need for universal health care, war and environmental issues. |
| Ruehl, Mercedes | b. February 28, 1948, New York, United States Paternal Great-great-grandparents: From Germany and Ireland, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Cuba Mercedes Ruehl is an actress. She made several film and television appearances before coming to her most successfully received role in Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King (1991). Her performance in the film earned her many awards including an Oscar, a Golden Globe and an American Comedy Award. |
| Ruiz, Raul | b. August 25, 1972, Zacatecas, Mexico Raul Ruiz is a United States Representative for California. He is also a physician, currently serving as the senior associate dean at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. |
| Ruml, Beardsley | b. November 5, 1894, Iowa, United States d. April 19, 1960, Connecticut, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Czech Republic Beardsley Ruml was a statistician. In the summer of 1942 Ruml proposed that the U.S. Treasury start collecting income taxes through a withholding, pay-as-you-go, system. In 1945, Ruml made a famous speech to the ABA, asserting that since the end of the gold standard, "Taxes for Revenue are Obsolete." |
| Rummel, Henrik | b. September 26, 1987, Copenhagen, Denmark Henrik Rummel is a two-time Olympic men's four rower and bronze medalist. |
| Ruotolo, Onorio | b. March 3, 1888, Cervinara, Italy d. December 18, 1966, New York, United States Onorio Ruotolo was a sculptor and poet who is best remembered for his realistic portrait sculptures. In 1923, with the commitment to provide free art classes to students from poor families, Ruotolo founded the Leonardo Da Vinci Art School in Manhattan's Lower East Side. |
| Rupe, Art | b. September 5, 1917, Pennsylvania, United States Father: from Austria Art Rupe was the founder and president of Specialty Records. Specialty Records specialized in Gospel, Rhythm and Blues, and Jazz. Little Richard, Lloyd Price, and Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers recorded for Specialty. |
| Rushdie, Salman | b. June 19, 1947, Mumbai, India Salman Rushdie is a novelist and essayist. Much of his work combines historical fiction with magical realism and is concerned with the relationship between the East and the West. He is best known for The Satanic Verses. |
| Russell, Bill | b. February 12, 1934, Louisiana, United States Bill Russell was an all-star basketball player for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969. Russell helped the Celtics win 12 NBA championships and is considered one of the best players to ever play in the NBA. |
| Russwurm, John | b. October 1, 1799, Port Antonio, Jamaica d. June 9, 1851, Cape Palmas, Liberia John Russwurm was an abolitionist and one of the founders of the newspaper Freedom's Journal, the first newspaper owned and operated by African Americans. He was the first African American graduate of Bowdoin college and instrumental in the movement to help African Americans emigrate to Africa. |
| Ruth, Dr. | b. June 4, 1928, Frankfurt, Germany Dr. Ruth is a famous sex therapist, media personality, actress, voice actress, and author. She has given sexual advice on television and radio shows. |
| Ryan, Amy | b. May 3, 1969, New York, United States Maternal Grandfather: From the United Kingdom, Maternal Grandmother: From Isle of Man Amy Ryan is an critically acclaimed actress who known for her role in the multiple Academy Award winning film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014). |
| Rybczynski, Witold | b. March 1, 1943, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Parents: From Poland Witold Rybczynski is an architect, professor and writer. He taught He taught at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania. |
| Ryskind, Morrie | b. October 20, 1895, New York, United States d. August 24, 1985, Washington, D.C., United States Parents: From Russia Morrie Ryskind was a playwright and screenwriter who was also known for his writings in conservative politics. Ryskind was one of the original writers and directors of The National Review. |
| Rzeznik, Johnny | b. December 5, 1965, New York, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Poland Johnny Rzeznik is a well-known performer and songwriter. He is the lead singer/guitarist of the rock band Goo Goo Dolls. |
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| Saarinen, Eero | b. August 20, 1910, Kirkkonummi, Finland d. September 1, 1961, Michigan, United States Eero Saarinen was an architect and industrial designer noted for his neo-futuristic style. Saarinen is known for designing the TWA Flight Center in New York City and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri |
| Sabàto, Antonio, Jr. | b. February 29, 1972, Rome, Italy Antonio Sabàto Jr. is a model and actor who is known for his work on many television series, reality shows and soap operas. |
| Sabin, Albert | b. August 26, 1906, Białystok, Poland d. March 3rd, 1993, Washington, D.C, United States Albert Sabin was a medical researcher who developed the oral polio vaccine, which ended up being a key factor to eradicating the disease. |
| Sabu | b. January 27, 1924, Mysore, present-day India d. December 2, 1963, California, United States Sabu was an actor who appeared in many films, including The Thief of Bagdad and Jungle Book. |
| Sacco, Nicola | b. April 22, 1891, Torremaggiore, Italy d. August 23, 1927, Massachusetts, United States Nicola Sacco was half of the infamous Sacco and Vanzetti murder trial in the 1920s. The trial created quite an international uproar inspiring strikes and protests throughout the globe because many believed the prosecution was motivated by anti-immigrant and anti-union sentiments. |
| Sachs, Hanns | b. January 10, 1881, Vienna, present-day Austria d. January 10, 1947, Massachusetts, United States Hanns Sachs was one of the earliest psychoanalysts. He was part of Freud's inner circle of partners, and focused on the interpretation of dreams and the application of psychoanalysis to literature and art. |
| Sachs, Jeffrey | b. November 5, 1954, Michigan, United States Paternal Great-great-grandfather: From Belarus Jeffrey Sachs is an economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, where he holds the title of University Professor, the highest rank Columbia bestows on its faculty. |
| Sachs, Samuel | b. July 28, 1851, Maryland, United States d. March 2, 1935, New York, United States Parents: From Germany Samuel Sachs was an investment banker who was one of the pioneers of using stock as a way for companies to raise funds. He later joined his father-in-law's company, now known as the global financial services company Goldman Sachs. |
| Sackler, Arthur M. | b. August 22, 1913, New York, United States d. May 26, 1987, New York, United States Father: From Ukraine Arthur Mitchell Sackler was an American psychiatrist, art collector, and philanthropist whose fortune originated in medical advertising and trade publications. |
| Sadoski, Thomas | b. July 1, 1976, Connecticut, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Great-grandparents: From Italy Thomas Sadoski is a stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Don Keefer in the HBO series The Newsroom and as Matt Short in the sitcom television series Life in Pieces. |
| Saeedi, Mehdi | b. 1979, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Saeedi is a graphic designer who incorporates calligraphy and typography through Zoomorphism into prints and posters. |
| Safer, Morely | b. November 8, 1931, Toronto, Canada d. May 19, 2016, New York, United States Morley Safer was best known for his 46-year tenure on the news magazine TV show 60 Minutes, the longest run anyone ever had on primetime network television. Among other honors, Safer won 12 Emmies and three Peabody Awards for his work on the show. |
| Sagal, Boris | b. October 18, 1923, present-day Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine d. May 22, 1981, Oregon, United States Boris Sagal was a busy, multifaceted film and television director. Sagal is remembered for the films Twilight of Honor (1963) and The Omega Man (1971). He directed his daughter, Katey Sagal, in her debut performance in the made-for-TV movie The Failing of Raymond (1971). |
| Sagal, Jean | b. October 9, 1961, California, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine Jean Sagal is a respected director and actress, but for many 1980s television viewers, Sagal (along with her twin sister, Liz) might be remembered for the short-lived, cult favorite TV show Double Trouble and, of course, the twins' Doublemint Gum commercials. |
| Sagal, Katey | b. January 19, 1954, California, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine Katey Sagal is an actress who is best known for her roles in the popular television shows Married with Children, Lost, and Sons of Anarchy. Sagal is also well known for her talents as a voice artist; she is the voice of Turanga Leela on the highly regarded TV series Futurama. |
| Sagal, Liz | b. October 9, 1961, California, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine Liz Sagal is a prominent writer, actress, and producer, but 1980s TV viewers might know Sagal (along with her twin sister, Jean) for the short-lived, cult favorite TV show Double Trouble and, of course, the twins' Doublemint Gum commercials. |
| Sagan, Carl | b. November 9, 1934 New York, United States d. December 20, 1996, Washington, United States Father: From present-day Ukraine Carl Sagan was a astronomer, astrophysicist, author, and TV host who was one of America's foremost public intellectuals in the 1980s and 90s. Sagan published many books, including Cosmos (1980) and Contact (1985). He is perhaps most famous for his television series Cosmos (1980). |
| Sagmeister, Stefan | b. August 6, 1962, Bregenz, Austria Stefan Sagmeister is a graphic designer, storyteller, and typographer. Sagmeister co-founded a design firm called Sagmeister & Walsh Inc. with Jessica Walsh in New York City. |
| Said, Edward | b. November 1, 1935, Jerusalem, Palestine d. September 25, 2003, New York, United States Edward Said was a professor of literature at Colombia University, a public intellectual, and a founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies. |
| Salazar Ruben | b. March 3, 1928, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico d. August 29, 1970, California, United States Ruben Salazar was an investigative journalist for the Los Angeles Times who covered the Vietnam War, the United States occupation of the Dominican Republic, and the National Chicano Moratorium March. Salazar was posthumously awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. |
| Salazar, Danny | b. January 11, 1990, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Danny Salazar is a professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. |
| Salinas, Elena María | b. 1954, California, United States Parents: From Mexico María Elena Salinas is an American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author. |
| Salk, Jonas | b. October 28, 1914, New York, United States d. June 23, 1995, California, United States Mother: From Russia Jonas Salk was a medical researcher and virologist. He discovered and developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. |
| Salter, Hans J. | b. January 14, 1896, Vienna, present-day Austria d. July 23, 1994, California, United States Hans J. Salter composed music for numerous Hollywood films. Salter's scores for horror films and thrillers (such as The Wolf Man (1941) and Scarlet Street (1945)) are highly regarded. Salter's music is still used in films today. |
| Samueli, Henry | b. September 20, 1954, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Henry Samueli is co-founder, senior vice president, and chief technology officer of the Broadcom Corporation, owner of the Anaheim Ducks, and a prominent philanthropist in the Orange County, California community. |
| Samuelsson, Marcus | b. January 25, 1971, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Marcus Samuelsson is a chef, writer, and restaurateur. He is the youngest chef to receive three stars from the New York Times and is the head chef of Red Rooster in Harlem, New York. |
| Sancar, Aziz | b. September 8, 1946, Savur, Turkey Aziz Sancar is a biochemist and molecular biologist. He studied at Istanbul University and at the University of Texas, Dallas, where he received his doctorate in 1977. His studies of DNA led to his receiving the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. |
| Sánchez, Gary | b. December 2, 1992, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Gary Sánchez is a catcher for the New York Yankees. He has been with the team since 2015. |
| Sanchez, Sonia | b. September 9, 1934, Alabama, United States Sonia Sanchez is a poet who is heavily associated with the Black Arts Movement. She is a recipient of the Robert Frost Medal for her work and is considered highly influential among female African-American poets. |
| Sánchez, Yolmer | b. June 29, 1992, Maracay, Venezuela Yolmer Sánchez is an MLB second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. |
| Sandoval, Arturo | b. November 6, 1949, Artemis, Cuba Arturo Sandoval is a Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie and others. |
| Sanó, Miguel | b. May 11, 1993, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic Miguel Sanó is a third baseman and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins. He was a 2017 AL All-Star and participant in the 2017 Home Run Derby. |
| Santana, Carlos | b. July 20, 1947, Autlan de Navarro, Mexico Carlos Santana is a rock guitarist who has had a long and influential career, fusing rock with Latin music. Santana with his band Santana gained fame with an extraordinary performance at Woodstock. Carlos Santana has received ten Grammy Awards |
| Santana, Carlos | b. April 8, 1986, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Carlos Santana is a professional baseball player. He is designated hitter, first baseman, and left fielder for the Cleveland Indians. |
| Santana, Merlin | b. March 14, 1976, New York, United States d. November 9, 2002, California, United States Parents: From Dominican Republic Merlin Santana was an actor. He first began getting noticed as Stanley, one of Rudy Huxtable's admirers, on the hit TV show The Cosby Show (1984). His best known role came in 1996 on the popular WB series The Steve Harvey Show (1996) as the smooth-talking Romeo Santana. |
| Santaolalla, Gustavo | b. August 19, 1951, El Palomar, Argentina Gustavo Santaolalla is a musician, film composer and producer. He has won Academy Awards for Best Original Score in two consecutive years, for Brokeback Mountain in 2005, and Babel in 2006. |
| Santiago, Esmeralda | b. May 17, 1948, San Juan, Puerto Rico Esmeralda Santiago is an author of novels and memoirs, best known for the works Almost a Woman and When I Was Puerto Rican. |
| Santiago, Tessie | b. August 10, 1975, Florida, United States Parents: From Cuba Tessie Santiago is a TV and film actress who is well known for her role as Luna Vargas in the TV series, Scandal. |
| Santos, Bienvenido N. | b. March 22, 1911, Manila, Philippines Bienvenido N. Santos was a fiction, poetry and non-fiction writer whose books include Scent of Apples and The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor. |
| Saperstein, Abe | b. July 4, 1902, London, United Kingdom d. March 15, 1966, Illinois, United States Abe Saperstein was the founder, owner and earliest coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. |
| Sapir, Edward | b. January 26, 1884, Lauenberg, Germany d. February 6, 1939, Connecticut, United States Edward Sapir was an anthropologist-linguist who created a classification for the indigineous languages of the Americas and is considered one of the most important figures in the early development of linguistics. |
| Sapirstein, Jacob | b. October 30, 1844, Wasosz, Poland d. June 24, 1987, Ohio, United States Jacob Sapirstein was the founder of the American Greetings Corporation. |
| Saralegui, Cristina | b. January 29, 1948, Miramar, Havana Cristina Saralegui is a journalist, television personality, actress and talk show host of the Spanish-language eponymous show, El show de Cristina. |
| Sarg, Tony | b. April 21, 1880, Coban, Guatemala d. March 7, 1942, New York, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From the United Kingdom Tony Sarg is considered to be the father of modern North American puppetry. In 1928, he created the first helium-filled balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. |
| Saroyan, William | b. August 31, 1908, California, United States d. May 18, 1981, California, United States Parents: From present-day Turkey William Saroyan was a novelist, playwright, and short story writer who wrote extensively about the Armenian immigrant life in California. |
| Sarria, José | b. December 13, 1922, California, United States d. August 19, 2013, New Mexico, United States Father: From Nicaragua, Mother: From Colombia José Sarria is a LGBT and political activist who was the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States. |
| Sarton, May | b. May 3, 1912, present-day Ghent, Belgium d. July 16, 1995, Maine, United States May Sarton was the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton. She was a poet, novelist and memoirist, best known for her journals and memoirs: rambling and honest accounts of her life. |
| Satana, Tura | b. July 10, 1938, Hokkaido, Japan d. February 4, 2011, Nevada, United States Tura Satana was an actress who is known for her sensational and iconic performances in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and The Astro-Zombies (1968). |
| Sater, Felix | b. March 2, 1966, Moscow, Russia Felix Sater is a real estate developer and former managing director of Bayrock Group LLC, a real estate conglomerate based out of New York. |
| Savage, Augusta | b. February 29, 1892, Florida, United States d. March 27, 1962, New York, United States Augusta Savage was a sculptor who participated in the Harlem Renaissance. She pushed for equal rights in the arts and her studio nurtured many notable artists through the years. |
| Savalas, Telly | b. January 21, 1922, New York, United States d. January 22, 1994, California, United States Parents: From Greece Telly Savalas was a film and television actor and singer. Savalas is known to many for his portrayal of detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak on the popular 1970s TV crime show Kojak. |
| Scalise, Steve | b. October 6, 1965, Louisiana, United States Steve Scalise is the current U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip and representative for Louisiana's 1st congressional district. |
| Schaie, K. Warner | b. 1928, Stettin, present-day Poland K. Warner Schaie is a social gerontologist and psychologist best known for founding the Seattle Longitudinal Study in 1956. He has received numerous awards and honors. |
| Schapiro, Meyer | b. September 23, 1904, Šiauliai, present-day Lithuania d. March 3, 1996, New York, United States Meyer Schapiro was an art historian and expert on early Christian, Medieval, and Modern art. He forged a new approach to art history which argued that neither an artwork, nor an art historical description, can be removed from its respective context. |
| Scharf, Walter | b. August 1, 1910, New York, United States d. February 24, 2003, California, United States Parents: From Poland Walter Scharf was a noted film and television music composer who enjoyed a 60 year career. Scharf worked extensively with Jerry Lewis (he scored nine of Lewis's solo films) and is known to many 1970s movie-goers for his soundtracks to the films Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Ben (1972). |
| Schastey, George A. | b. 1839, Merseburg, present-day Germany d. 1894, United States George A. Schastey was a furniture designer whose work exemplifies the Gilded Age furniture style. His work can be found in the Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. |
| Schatz, Albert | b. February 2, 1920, Conneticut, United States d. January 17, 2005, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Israel Albert Schatz was a microbiologist and science educator, best known as the discoverer of the antibiotic streptomycin. |
| Schick, Béla | b. July 16, 1877, Balatonboglár, Hungary d. December 6, 1967, New York, United States Béla Schick was a pediatrician. He is the founder of the Schick test. |
| Schiff, Jacob H. | b. January, 10, 1847, Frankfurt, Germany d. September 25, 1920, New York, United States Jacob H. Schiff was a banker, businessman, and philanthropist. |
| Schifrin, Lalo | b. June 21, 1932, Buenos Aires, Argentina Lalo Schifrin is a respected pianist, film music composer, arranger, and conductor. Schifrin has recorded (and arranged for other jazz artists) numerous jazz records and has scored over 200 film and television shows. He is probably best known for his score and theme to the late 1960s television show Mission: Impossible. |
| Schildkraut, Joseph | b. March 22, 1896, Vienna, Austria d. January 21, 1964, New York, United States Joseph Schildkraut was an Oscar-winning actor whose 50 year career began in the silent film era. Schildkraut was known for playing smooth, nefarious types. |
| Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. | b. October 15, 1917, Ohio, United States d. February 28, 2007, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present day Russia/Poland/Lithuania, Paternal Grandmother: From Austria Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. was a historian, most recognized for his work on American liberalism and 20th century presidents. |
| Schmued, Edgar | b. December 30, 1899, Hornbach, present-day Germany d. June 1, 1985, California, United States Edgar Schmued designed combat aircraft including the P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabred during his tenure at North American Aviation. |
| Schoenberg, Arnold | b. September 13, 1874, Vienna, Austria d. July 13, 1951, California, United States Arnold Schoenberg was a composer who created new methods of musical composition involving atonality, namely serialism and the 12-tone row. He was one of the most-influential teachers of the 20th century. |
| Schrempf, Detlef | b. January 21, 1963, Leverkusen, West Germany Detlef Schrempf is a retired basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Portland Trail Blazers. He was the eighth overall selection in the 1985 NBA draft and went on to become a three time all star. |
| Schultz, Henry | b. September 4, 1893, Sharkawshchyna, present-day Belarus d. November 26, 1938, California, United States Henry Schultz was an economist, statistician, and one of the founders of econometrics. |
| Schulz, Charles M. | b. November 26, 1922, Minnesota, United States d. February 12, 2000, California, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From Norway Charles M. Schulz was a cartoonist who is best remembered for the comic strip Peanuts, and in particular the character Snoopy. |
| Schumacher, Ferdinand | b. March 20, 1822, Germany d. 1908, Ohio, United States Ferdinand Schumacher was an entrepreneur and one of the founders of companies which merged to become the Quaker Oats Company. |
| Schumpeter, Jospeh | b. February 8, 1883, Třešť, present-day Czech Republic d. January 8, 1950, Connecticut, United States Joseph Schumpeter was an economist, sociologist and political scientist, known for his theories of capitalist development and business cycles. He popularized the term "creative destruction" in economics. He is considered one of the most important economists of the twentieth century. |
| Schurz, Carl | b. March 2, 1829, Liblar, Prussia, Germany d. May 14, 1906, New York, United States Carl Schurz was the thirteenth U.S. Secretary of the Interior. He served from March 12th, 1877 until March 7th, 1881 under presidents Hayes and Garfield. |
| Schusterman, Charles | b. 1935, Russia d. December 30, 2000, Oklahoma, United States Charles Schusterman was a businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Samson Investment Company, a privately owned oil and gas company with oilfield investments in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and Russia. |
| Schwartz, Anna | b. November 11, 1915, New York, United States d. June 21, 2012, New York, United States Father: From Belarus Anna Schwartz is an economist who published A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960 (1963), which laid a large portion of the blame for the Great Depression at the door of the Federal Reserve System. |
| Schwarzenegger, Arnold | b. July 30, 1947, Thal, Austria Arnold Schwarzenegger is a well known body builder and action movie star. In 2003, Schwarzenegger became the 38th Governor of California. He served two terms. |
| Schweikert, David | b. March 3, 1962, California, United States David Schweikert is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona, serving since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Schweinfurth, Charles F. | b. September 3, 1857, New York, United States d. November 9, 1919, Ohio, United States Parents: From Germany Charles F. Schweinfurth was a prominent architect who built civic, residential and sacred buildings. Several of his works survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. |
| Scorsese, Martin | b. November 17, 1942, New York, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Italy Martin Scorsese is an influential director, producer, screenwriter, and well-respected film historian. |
| Scott Brown, Denise | b. 1931, Nkana, Zambia Denise Scott Brown is an architect, planner, writer, educator, and principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. Their work as architects, planners, writers and teachers has received world-wide acclaim. She co-wrote the 1972 book Learning from Las Vegas, considered a seminal work in architectural history. |
| Scott-Heron, Gil | b. April 1, 1949, Illinois, United States d. May 27, 2011, New York, United States Father: From Jamaica Gil Scott-Heron was a soul and jazz poet musician and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. |
| Scott, Hazel | b. June 11, 1920, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago d. October 2, 1981, New York, United States Hazel Scott was best known internationally as a jazz performer. She was also accomplished in dramatic acting and classical music. |
| Scott, Joan Wallach | b. December 18, 1941, New York, United States Father: From Poland Joan Wallach Scott is a historian of France whose work has mostly been concerned with modern French history and the history of gender. |
| Scotto, Renata | b. February 24, 1934, Savona, Italy Renata Scotto was a soprano and opera director. She won universal critical acclaim in all of her operatic roles, for both her excellent acting and stylistic fluency. Just one of her many triumphs includes her 1995 production of Verdi's La traviata at the New York City Opera. |
| Scutt, Helena | b. June 15, 1992, Cheltenham, United Kingdom Helena Scutt is an Olympic sailor who competed at the 2016 Rio Games in the two-person high performance skiff. |
| Seale, Bobby | b. October 22, 1936, Texas, United States Bobby Seale was Chairman of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense which he co-founded with Huey P. Newton in October 1966. Together, they laid out the Ten-Point program for the Black Panther Party, focused toward building power to allow the Black community to determine its own destiny. |
| Seashore, Carl E. | b. January 28, 1866, Melinda, Sweden d. October 16, 1949, Idaho, United States Carl E. Seashore was a psychologist and educator. He established the second psychological clinic in America, spent his career at the University of Iowa and was particularly interested in the psychology of music. |
| Secada, Jon | b. October 4, 1961, Havana, Cuba Jon Secada is a singer and songwriter. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 20 million albums since his English-language debut album in 1992. |
| Secondari, John | b. November 1, 1919, Rome, Italy d. February 8, 1975, New York, United States John Secondari was author and television producer, his novel Coins in the Fountain was adapted into an Academy Award Winning movie. He was the founding Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent for the ABC Television Network |
| Secrest, Meryle | b. April 23, 1930, Bath, United Kingdom Meryle Secrest is a biographer who has written multiple biographies, primarily about artists and musicians such as Stephen Sondheim, Salvador Dali and Frank Lloyd Wright. She has been recognized by critics for her assiduous research and engaging style. |
| Sedaka, Neil | b. March 13, 1939, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Turkey Neil Sedaka is a pop singer, pianist, composer and record producer. |
| Sedaris, David | b. December 26, 1956, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Greece David Sedaris is an author and humorist. He is known for his ostensibly autobiographical short stories, often concerning his family life growing up in North Carolina and more recently with his partner in France, London and the English South Downs. |
| Segal, George | b. November 26, 1924, New York, United States d. June 9, 2000, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Poland George Segal was a painter and sculptor who is linked with the Pop Art movement. He created white, haunting sculptures of people made out of bandages dipped in plaster or cast in bronze. |
| Segal, George | b. February 13, 1934, New York, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Russia George Segal is an actor and musician and has enjoyed a nearly 60 year career in film and television. From his Oscar-nominated performance in the wildly successful film adaption of the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to the current television series The Goldbergs, Segal continues to be successful on the big and small screen. |
| Segal, Lore | b. March 8, 1928, Vienna, Austria Lore Segal is an American novelist, translator and author of children's books, best known for Other People's Houses, Her First American and Shakespeare's Kitchen. |
| Segale, Sister Blandina | b. May 23, 1850, Genoa, present-day Italy d. February 23, 1941, Ohio, United States Sister Blandina Segale is revered for her missionary work thoughout the American frontier in the late 19th century. Her adventures have become part of American legend. As of 2016, the Vatican approved the cause of her canonization as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. |
| Segrè, Emilio | b. February 1, 1905, Tivoli, Rome d. April 22, 1989, California, United States Emilio Segrè was a physicist and Nobel laureate, who discovered the antiproton and confirmed that plutonium is fissionable. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics. |
| Séguin, Édouard | b. January 20, 1812, Clamecy, France d. October 28, 1880, New York, United States Édouard Séguin was a physician and educationist. He worked at the School for Defectives, Randall's Island, New York, where he made efforts to improve conditions of children with disabilities. |
| Segura, Tom | b. April 16, 1979, Ohio, United States Mother: From Peru Tom Segura is a stand-up comedian and podcaster, known for his Netflix specials Completely Normal and Mostly Stories. Segura has also made televisions appearances that include Conan, Workaholics, Happy Endings, The Late Late Show, How To Be A Grown Up, and multiple stand up appearances on Comedy Central. |
| Seinuk, Ysrael | b. December 21, 1931, Havana, Cuba d. September 14, 2010, New York, United States Ysrael Seinuk was an engineer who designed the structure for many landmark skyscrapers in New York and around the world. He also taught structural engineering at New York's Cooper Union. |
| Selasi, Taiye | b. November 2, 1979, London, United Kingdom Father: From Ghana, Mother: From Nigeria Taiye Selasi is a writer of novels, short stories and essays, best known for Ghana Must Go. |
| Selena | b. April 16, 1971, Texas, United States d. March 31, 1995, Texas, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Mexico Selena was known as the "Queen of Tejano Music" for her ability to elevate the genre to the mainstream. Selena was considered one of the most influenctial Latin American artists of all time for her contributions to music, fashion, and Latin American culture. |
| Seligman, Jospeh | b. November 22, 1819, Baiersdorf, Germany d. April 25, 1880, Louisiana, United States Joseph Seligman was a banker and businessman. He was a founder of the Continental Bank of New York in August 1870. |
| Selye, Hans | b. January 26, 1907, Vienna, Austria d. October 16, 1982, Montreal, Canada Hans Selye was an endocrinologist known for his research on stress and how it affects the human body. His books include The Stress of Life (1956), From Dream to Discovery: On Being a Scientist (1964) and Stress without Distress (1974). |
| Sen, Rinku | b. Date and year unknown, India Rinku Sen is one of the leading voices in the racial justice movement, building upon the legacy of civil rights by transforming the way race is spoken about. |
| Sengers, Johanna Levelt | b. March 4, 1929, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Johanna Levelt-Singers is a physicist known for her research on critical states of fluids. |
| Serkin, Rudolf | b. March 28, 1903, Cheb, present-day Czech Republic d. May 8, 1991, Vermont, United States Rudolf Serkin was a successful concert pianist, however, his most lasting impact on musical life was as a teacher and inspirational force. In 1949, he helped found the Marlboro Festival in Vermont. |
| Serra, Richard | b. November 2, 1938, California, United States Father: From Spain Richard Serra is a minimalist sculptor and video artist. He makes large-scale, architectural site-specific sculptures which often engulf their viewers. |
| Serrano, Andres | b. August 15, 1950, New York, United States Father: From Honduras Andres Serrano is an artist who became famous for his controversial work which has included the use of bodily fluids, the photography of corpses and the photography of Klansmen. |
| Sessions, Pete | b. March 22, 1955, Texas, United States Pete Sessions is a politician. He represents Texas's 32nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Seuss, Dr. | b. March 2, 1904, Massachusetts, United States d. September 24, 1991, California, United States Grandparents: From Germany Dr. Seuss was a cartoonist, artist, author, poet and animator who is most associated with his children's books including The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who! and Green Eggs and Ham. |
| Seymour, Jane | b. February 15, 1951, Hayes, United Kingdom Jane Seymour is an actress who is best known for her performances in Live and Let Die (1973), Somewhere In Time (1980), East of Eden (1981), Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (1988), War and Remembrance (1988), and the French epic La Révolution française (1989). |
| Shaffer, Harry G. | b. August 28, 1919, Vienna, Austria d. November 3, 2009, Kansas, United States Harry G. Shaffer was active in the Civil Rights movement and the movement against the War in Vietnam. |
| Shafik, Ahmed | b. November 10, 1973, Baghdad, Iraq Ahmed Shafik is a two-time paralympic powerlifter who took 7th in the 2016 Rio Games. He contracted polio as a baby. |
| Shahi, Sarah | b. January 10, 1980, Texas, United States Father: From Iran, Mother: From Spain Sarah Shahi is a beauty queen turned actress. She is best known for her role as the DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales in the Showtime series, The L Word (2004). |
| Shahn, Ben | b. September 12, 1898, Kaunas, present-day Lithuania d. March 14, 1969, New York, United States Ben Shahn was an artist who is known for making work which deals with issues of war and politics, as well as poignant human emotions and matters. He is associated with the Social Realism movement. |
| Shakur, Tupac | b. June 16, 1971, New York, United States. d. September 13, 1996, Nevada, United States Father: From Mississippi, United States, Mother: From North Carolina, United States Tupac Shakur was a rapper and actor. He acted in a variety of films in the 1990s and signed a record deal in 1991. He released the 2pacalypse album and, later, number one albums Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me. |
| Shalala, Donna | b. February 14, 1941, Ohio, United States Parents: From Lebanon Donna Shalala was the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. Currently, she is president of the Clinton Foundation. |
| Shalikashvili, John | b. June 27, 1936, Warsaw, Poland d. July 23, 2011, Washington, D.C., United States John Shalikashvili was a United States Army general who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Allied Commander from 1993 to 1997. |
| Shankar, Adi | b. January 8, 1985, Calcutta, India Adi Shankar is a film producer and director who is best known for his "Bootleg Universe" of unauthorized pop culture satire films. In 2015, Shankar was proclaimed the "Quentin Tarantino of the digital generation." |
| Shankar, Ravi | b. April 17, 1920, Varanasi, India d. December 11, 2013, California, United States Ravi Shankar was a sitar player and composer. He collaborated with Western musicians throughout his career, including violinist Yehudi Menuhin, John Coltrane, and most notably, George Harrison. Shankar was very influential on popular music of the late 1960s. |
| Sharabi, Hisham | b. 1927, Jaffa, Palestine d. January 13, 2005, Beirut, Lebanon Hisham Sharabi was an intellectual and activist who co-founded the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. |
| Shatner, William | b. March 22, 1931, Quebec, Canada William Shatner is a TV actor and film star. He is best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. |
| Shawkat, Alia | b. April 18, 1989, California, United States Father: From Iraq Alia Shawkat is an actress best known for her role as Maeby Fünke in the TV series Arrested Development. |
| Sheen, Charlie | b. September 3, 1965, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Spain, Paternal Grandmother: From Ireland Charlie Sheen is a film and TV actor. In 2011, with an estimated income of $40 million, Sheen was one of the highest-paid actors on television. |
| Sheen, Martin | b. August 3, 1940, Ohio, United States Father: From Spain, Mother: From Ireland Martin Sheen is an award-winning actor and activist. Sheen has appeared in numerous critically acclaimed films, but he might be best known to many for his role as President Josiah Bartlet in popular TV series The West Wing. |
| Shehaj, Enkelejda | b. January 23, 1969, Tirana, Albania Enkelejda Shehaj is an Olympic pistol shooter and silver medal world champion. |
| Sheila E. | b. December 12, 1957, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Mexico Sheila E. is a singer, drummer, and percussionist. She began her career in the mid 1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. |
| Shenk, Sol A. | b. October 15, 1911, Russia d. August 30, 1994, Ohio, United States Sol A. Shenk was a businessman who created a huge retail chain, now known as Big Lots, from a single store. |
| Shi, Jay | b. February 23, 1979, Beijing, China Jay Shi is a webdeveloper and world class 10 meter and 50 meter air pistol shooter. He competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. |
| Shinseki, Eric Ken | b. November 28, 1942, Hawaii, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Japan Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army general who is a veteran of two tours of combat in the Vietnam War, in which he was awarded three Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts. Shinseki was the first Asian-American four-star general, and the first Asian-American Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2009-2014). |
| Shnapir, Simon | b. August 20, 1987, Moscow, Russia Simon Shnapir is a former Olympic pairs figure skater. He and his partner Marissa Castell took bronze in the 2014 Winter Games. |
| Shockley, William | b. February 13, 1910, London, United Kingdom d. August 12, 1989, California, United States William Shockley was a physicist and inventor. He was the manager of a research group at Bell Labs. In 1956, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for research on semiconductors and discovering the transistor effect. |
| Shoji, Tadashi | b. January 15, 1948, Sendai, Japan Tadashi Shoji is the designer behind his eponymous label and T by Tadashi. He specializes mainly in evening wear and red carpet gowns. |
| Shomof, Izek | b. 1960, Tel Aviv, Israel Izek Shomof is a real estate developer, investor, one-time film producer and former restaurateur. |
| Short, Martin | b. March 26, 1950, Hamilton, Canada Martin Short is a comedic actor and voice actor who is well known for his work in the sketch comedy shows SCTV and Saturday Night Live, and numerous films, including Three Amigos (1986), Innerspace (1987), Clifford (1994), and Frankenweenie (2012). |
| Shteyngart, Gary | b. July 5, 1972, Leningrad, present-day Russia Gary Shteyngart is a satirical writer, best known for The Russian Debutante's Handbook which examines the immigrant experience and lives of young Russians. |
| Shula, Don | b. January 4, 1930, Ohio, United States Parents: From Hungary Don Shula is best known for his long-running and successful career as the head coach (1970-1995) of the Miami Dolphins. Shula was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. |
| Shum, Harry, Jr. | b. April 28, 1982, San Jose, Costa Rica Parents: From China Harry Shum Jr. is an actor, dancer, singer and choreographer. He is best known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series Glee (2009-2015) and as Magnus Bane on the Freeform television series Shadowhunters (2016-present). |
| Shuster, Joe | b. July 10, 1914, Toronto, Canada d. July 30, 1992, California, United States Joe Shuster, along with writer Jerry Siegel, was one on the co-creaters of DC comics superhero Superman. |
| Shyamalan, M. Night | b. August 6, 1970, Mahé, India M. Night Shyamalan is a film director, screenwriter, author, producer, and actor. His most well-received films include the supernatural horror thriller The Sixth Sense (1999) and the superhero drama thriller Unbreakable (2000). |
| Sidhwa, Bapsi | b. August 11, 1938, Karachi, Pakistan Bapsi Sidhwa is a novelist who writes stories that reflect her experience as a woman, a member of a religious minority in Pakistan, and as an immigrant to the United States. |
| Sidibe, Gabourey | b. May 6, 1983, New York, United States Father: From Senegal Gabourey Sidibe is actress who starred in the film Precious (2009). She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Currently, Sidibe is well known for her role as Becky in the popular TV series Empire. |
| Sidis, Boris | b. October 12, 1867, Kiev, Ukraine d. October 24, 1923, New Hampshire, United States Boris Sidis, a psychologist at the Sidis Psychotherapy Institute, pioneered the study of unconsciously motivated behavior, and did a lot of work with hypnosis. |
| Sidis, Sarah | b. October 2, 1875, Stara Constantine, Ukraine d. July 11, 1959, Florida, United States Sarah Sidis was one of the first female immigrants to become a doctor. |
| Sieber, Rudolf | b. February 20, 1897, Ústí nad Labem, present-day Czech Republic d. June 24, 1976, California, United States Rudolf Sieber was a film producer. He was the husband of legendary film icon Marlene Dietrich. At the end of his life, Sieber was the proprietor of a chicken ranch in California. |
| Siegel, Bugsy | b. February 28, 1906, New York, United States d. June 20, 1947, California, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Bugsy Siegel was a mobster who was known as one of the most "infamous and feared gangsters of his day." |
| Siegel, Jerry | b. October 17, 1914, Ohio, United States d. January 28, 1996, California, United States Parents: From Lithuania Jerry Siegel, along with writer Joe Shuster, was one on the co-creaters of DC comics superhero Superman. |
| Siemaszko, Casey | b. March 17, 1961, Illinois, United States Father: From Poland, Mother: From the United Kingdom Casey Siemaszko is an actor who was a member of the 1980s "Brat Pack" of young actors, and starred in the first two Back to the Future films (1985, 1989) and Stand By Me (1986), amongst others. |
| Siemionow, Maria | b. 1950, Krotoszyn, Poland Maria Siemionow is a transplant surgeon and scientist who led a team of through the world's first near-total face transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008. |
| Sikorsky, Igor | b. May 25, 1889, Kiev, present-day Ukraine d. October 26, 1972, Connecticut, United States Igor Sikorsky was a aviation pioneer known for his work with helicopter and fixed-wing plane design. |
| Silberger, Manuel G. | b. 1898, Bokovic, Hungary d. 1968, Ohio, United States Manuel G. Silberger was an artist who created artworks in a number of media, including lithography, etching, and oil paintings. Some of his works were created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. |
| Silverman, Amy Rose | b. 1966, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Jerusalem Amy Rose Silverman is an American real estate developer and philanthropist who serves as Co-President of Rose Associates. |
| Simic, Charles | b. May 9, 1938, Belgrade, present-day Serbia Charles Simic is a poet. His work discusses varied themes including art and philosophy and has at times been described as minimalist. |
| Simjian, Luther George | b. January 28. 1905, present-day Gaziantep, present-day Turkey d. October 23, 1997, Florida, United States Luther George Simjian was an inventor and designer who created the ATM. |
| Simmons, Andrelton | b. September 4, 1989, Mundo-Novo, Curaçao Andrelton Simmons is a professional baseball shortstop for the Los Angeles Angles. He is a three-time recipient of the Rawlings Gold Glove. |
| Simmons, Gene | b. August 25, 1949, Tirat Carmel, Israel Gene Simmons co-founded KISS with Paul Stanley in the 1970s and later pursued interests in fashion, publishing, and acting. |
| Simon, Carly | b. June 25, 1945, New York, United States Paternal Grandmother: From Germany, Maternal Grandmother: From Cuba Carly Simon is a singer, songwriter, and author. Simon had numerous "Top 40" songs throughout the 1970s, including You're So Vain and Anticipation. |
| Simon, Cliff | b. September 7, 1962, Johannesburg, South Africa Cliff Simon is an athlete and actor, best known for his portrayal of Ba'al in Stargate SG-1. |
| Simon, Herbert A. | b. June 15, 1916, Wisconsin, United States d. February 9, 2001, Pennsylvania, United States Father: From Germany Herbert A. Simon was an economist and political scientist whose primary interest was decision-making within organizations and is best known for the theories of "bounded rationality" and "satisficing." |
| Simon, Roger L. | b. November 22, 1943, New York, United States Roger L. Simon is an author. He has written a series of detective novels and two non-fiction books, one autobiographical and one political. |
| Simonyi, Charles | b. September 10, 1948, Budapest, Hungary Charles Simonyi heads his own company Intentional Software. In April 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-10, he became the fifth space tourist and the second Hungarian in space. Simonyi developed the Hungarian notation convention for naming variables which has been widely used inside Microsoft. |
| Simpson, Alan | b. September 2, 1931, Colorado, United States Alan Simpson is a politician and member of the Republican Party, who represented Wyoming in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1997. He also served as co-chair the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform with Democratic co-chair Erskine Bowles of North Carolina. |
| Simpson, Jeanmarie | b. November 20, 1959, Arizona, United States Mother: From Brazil Jeanmarie Simpson is a peace activist and lifetime member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). |
| Singer, Isaac Bashevis | b. July 14, 1904, Leoncin, present-day Poland d. July 24, 1991, Florida, United States Isaac Bashevis Singer was a novelist and short story writer, widely proclaimed to be one of the foremost writers of Yiddish literature. |
| Singh Banga, Ajaypal | b. 1960, Pune, India Ajaypal Singh Banga is a business executive. He is the current CEO and President of MasterCard. |
| Singh Saund, Dalip | b. September 20, 1899, Amritsar, India d. April 22, 1973, California, United States Dalip Singh Saund is the first United States Congressman born in Asia. He served three terms in the House of Representatives, working to improve U.S.-Asian relations. |
| Singh, Tarsem | b. May 26, 1961, Punjab, India Tarsem Singh known professionally as Tarsem, is a director who has directed films such as The Cell and The Fall. |
| Siodmak, Curt | b. August 10, 1902, Dresden, Germany d. September 2, 2000, California, United States Curt Siodmak was a screenwriter and novelist who introduced motion picture viewers to people who could transform into wolves (1941's The Wolf Man) and zombies ( 1943's I Walked with a Zombie). Siodmak wrote or contributed to over forty films and composed numerous novels and short stories. |
| Siodmak, Robert | b. August 8, 1900, Dresden, Germany d. March 10, 1973, Ascona, Switzerland Robert Siodmak was a film director whose international career spanned over forty years. Today, Siomak is heralded as one of the finest directors of film noir. |
| Sires, Albio | b. January 26, 1951, Bejucal, Cuba Albio Sires is a United States Representative for New Jersey. He began his career as a teacher and eventually became mayor of West New York, New Jersey and later Congressman. |
| Sirtis, Marina | b. March 29, 1955, London, United Kingdom Parents: From Greece Marina Sirtis is an actress known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the four feature films that followed, as well as other appearances in the Star Trek franchise. |
| Sís, Peter | b. May 11, 1949, Brno, Czech Republic Peter Sís is an eight-time winner of The New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, a two-time Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner, and has won the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal twice. He also won the 2015 Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement. |
| Siskind, Aaron | b. December 4, 1903, New York, United States d. February 8, 1991, Rhode Island, United States Parents: From Russia Aaron Siskind was a photographer. His early work was documentary in style and approach. His later work would see a much more profound interaction with the ideas of Abstract Expressionism. |
| Skala, Lilia | b. November 28, 1896, Vienna, present-day Austria d. December 18, 1994, New York, United States Lilia Skala was a film and television actress was known for her roles in Lilies of the Field (1963) and Flashdance (1983). Before she chose acting as a career, Skala was a trail-blazing architect. |
| Sklarek, Norma Merrick | b. April 15, 1926, New York, United States d. February 6, 2012, California, United States Father: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Mother: From Barbados Norma Merrick Sklarek was an architect. She was the first black woman to be liscenced as and architect in the United States. |
| Skouras, Spyros | b. March 28, 1893, Skourohorion, Greece d. August 16, 1971, New York, United States Spyros Skouras was a motion picture pioneer and movie executive who was the president of the 20th Century Fox from 1942 to 1962. |
| Slash | b. July 23, 1965, London, United Kingdom Slash is the stage name of Saul Hudson. He is a musician and songwriter and the original lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses. |
| Slavenska, Mia | b. February 20, 1916, Slavonski Brod, Croatia d. October 5, 2002, California, United States Mia Slavenska was a leading ballerina of the famous Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and a prima ballerina of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. |
| Slezak, Walter | b. May 3, 1902, Vienna, present-day Austria d. April 21, 1983, New York, United States Walter Slezak was a respected actor who was known for his robust portrayals of wide range of characters. |
| Slezkine, Yuri | b. February 7, 1956, present-day Russia Yuri Slezkine is a historian and writer, best known for his book The Jewish Century. |
| Slice, Kimbo | b. Febuary 8, 1974, Nassau, Bahamas d. June 6, 2016, Florida, United States Kimbo Slice was a mixed martial artist, boxer, wrestler and occasional actor. |
| Smirnoff, Karina | b. January 2, 1978, Kharkiv, Ukraine Karina Smirnoff is a professional ballroom dancer best known to the general public as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. |
| Smith, Betty | b. December 15, 1896, New York, United States d. January 17, 1972, Connecticut, United States Parents: From Germany Betty Smith was an author, best known for the work A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. |
| Smith, Carlos Guillermo | b. December 31, 1980, Florida, United States Father: From Peru, Mother: From Canada Carlos Guillermo Smith is a member of the Florida House of Representatives, and an advocate for the medical and recreational use of cannabis. He is also anti-gun and has advocated for protections for undocumented immigrants. |
| Smith, Charles E. | b. March 28, 1901, Lipnick, Russia d. December 30, 1995, Florida, United States Charles E. Smith was a real estate developer and philanthropist in the Washington Metropolitan Area. |
| Smith, Jean Kennedy | b. February 20, 1928, Massachusetts, United States Paternal and Maternal Great-grandparents: From Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith is an American diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998. |
| Smith, Lamar | b. November 19, 1947, Texas, United States Lamar Smith is a politician in the Republican Party who has served in the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 21st congressional district since 1987. |
| Smithies, Oliver | b. June 23, 1925, Halifax, United Kingdom d. January 10, 2017, North Carolina, United States Oliver Smithies was a geneticist and physical biochemist who developed gene targeting, a method of introducing DNA into cells. Smithies, with Mario R. Capecchi and Sir Martin J. Evans, won the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. |
| Smolen, Michal | b. September 13, 1993, Kraków, Poland Michal Smolen is an Olympic canoeist. He took bronze in the 2015 World Championships and 12th in single kayak in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Smolyansky, Julie | b. April 26, 1975, Kiev, Ukraine Julie Smolyans is the CEO of the dairy company Lifeway Foods. In 2002, she became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods after the death of her father. |
| Sobieski, Leelee | b. June 10, 1983, New York, United States Father: From France Leelee Sobieski is an actress who is most well known for her work in Deep Impact (1998) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). She is now retired from acting. |
| Sodergren, Evert | b. July 19, 1920, Washington, United States d. June 8, 2013, Washington, United States Father: From Sweden Evert Sodergren was a furniture maker who learned to make furniture working alongside his father as a young man. His highly sculptural, Scandinavian designs can be found in the collections of major museums including the Smithsonian. |
| Soetoro-Ng, Maya | b. August 15, 1970, Jakarta, Indonesia Maya Soetoro-Ng is an educator. She is currently the Director of Community Outreach and Global Learning at Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution. She is the half-sibling of President Barack Obama. |
| Sohn, Sonja | b. May 9, 1964, Georgia, United States Mother: From Korea Sonja Sohn is an actress and founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based reWIRED for Change. |
| Sokil, Maria | b. October 19, 1902, Kirov, present-day Ukraine b. January 20, 1999, Ohio, United States Maria Sokil performed with the Lyric Opera in Chicago, La Scala Opera in Philadelphia and Detroit Opera Company, and appeared with the NBC Orchestra in New York. She was a soloist with the Cosmopolitan Stars of Opera in the 1940s and performed in over 100 concerts in the U.S. and Canada from 1937 to 1944. |
| Solis, Hilda L. | b. October 20, 1951, California, United States Father: From Mexico, Mother: From Nicaragua Hilda L. Solis was the Labor Secretary during the administration of Barack Obama (2009-2013). With her appointment, Solis became the first Latina to ever sit on the President's cabinet. |
| Sommer, Elke | b. November 5, 1940, Berlin, Germany Elke Sommer is an actress, artist, and singer who is well known for her sultry roles in numerous now classic 1960s and 1970s films, including A Shot in the Dark (1964) and Percy (1971). Currently, Sommer, who once hosted a how-to painting show on PBS in the 1970s, spends her time working as a painter. |
| Soo, Phillipa | b. May 31, 1990, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandparents: From China Phillipa Soo is an actress and singer. In 2016, Soo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in the smash hit Hamilton. |
| Sörenstam, Annika | b. October 9, 1970, Stockholm, Sweden Annika Sörenstam is a former professional golfer who is, with a staggering seventy-two L.P.G.A. tournament wins, considered to be one of the greatest female golfer to ever play the game. |
| Soriano, Andre | b. Septmber 17, 1970, Manila, Philippines Andre Soriano is a young fashion designer who received attention in 2016 for designing a gown for Joy Villa for the Grammy red carpet. The dress was emblazoned in President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." |
| Soros, George | b. August 12, 1930, Budapest, Hungary George Soros is a financer recognized for his predictions as a currency speculator and his philanthropy. |
| Sosa, Bertrand | b. circa 1973, Mexico City, Mexico Bertrand Sosa is an entrepreneur who cofounded Netspend Corporation, a company that provides consumers with pre-paid credit cards. |
| Sosa, Lionel | b. 1939, Texas, United States Parents: From Mexico Lionel Sosa is an advertising and marketing executive. He served as an adviser to the Republican campaigns, including those of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. |
| Sosa, Roy | b. circa 1971, Mexico City, Mexico Roy Sosa is an entrepreneur who cofounded Netspend Corporation, a company that provides consumers with pre-paid credit cards. |
| Sosa, Sammy | b. November 12, 1968, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic Sammy Sosa is a former rightfielder and slugger who played for four MLB teams, most notably the Chicago Cubs. |
| Sosnovska, Olga | b. May 21, 1972, Warsaw, Poland Olga Sosnovska is a TV and film actress who, in 2003, made television history on the TV soap opera All My Children for her participation in the first lesbian kiss shown on television. |
| Soumaré, Bakary | b. November 9, 1985, Bamako, Mali Bakary Soumaré is a retired soccer player. He has played internationally for countries such as Germany, France, and Canada. He earned twelve caps for the Malian national team. |
| Soyer, Raphael | b. December 25, 1899, Voronezh Oblast, Russia d. November 4, 1987, New York, United States Raphael Soyer was a painter and printmaker whose realist style was famous 1930s. In addition to teaching, he also published several books. |
| Specter, Arlen | b. February 12, 1930, Kansas, United States d. February 12, 1930, Pennsylvania, United States Parents: From Ukraine Arlen Specter was a lawyer, author, and politician who served as United States Senator for Pennsylvania. |
| Spektor, Regina | b. February 18, 1980, Moscow, present-day Russia Regina Spektor is a singer-songwriter and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records independently, Spektor signed with major label Sire Records and has gained worldwide popularity. |
| Spelling, Aaron | b. April 22, 1923, Texas, United States d. June 23, 2006, California, United States Parents: From Poland Aaron Spelling was a film and television producer, and holds the Guinness World Record for "most prolific television producer." Some of his successes include the TV programs Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, 7th Heaven, and Charmed. |
| Spence, Jonathan | b. August 11, 1936, Surrey, United Kingdom Jonathan Spence is a historian, largely known for his work about modern Chinese history. He wrote The Search for Modern China, a survey of the last several hundred years of Chinese history. |
| Spencer, Glenn | b. Date and place unknown Glenn Spencer is a political and anti-immigration activist who serves as president of American Border Patrol. |
| Speyer, Jerry I. | b. June 23, 1940, Wisconsin, United States Mother: From Switzerland Jerry I. Speyer is a real estate developer. He is one of two founding partners of the New York real estate company Tishman Speyer, which controls the Rockefeller Center and the Chrysler Building. |
| Spiegel, Sam | b. November 11, 1901, Jarosław, Poland d. December 31, 1985, Saint Martin, France/Netherlands Sam Spiegel was an independent film producer, who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront and a further two times for his two collaborations with British director David Lean, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). |
| Spiegelman, Art | b. February 15, 1948, Stockholm, Sweden Art Spiegelman is a cartoonist, editor, and illustrator. He is widely known as the author of Maus. |
| Spielberg, Steven | b. December 18, 1946, Ohio, United States Parents: From Ukraine Steven Spielberg is a director, producer, and screenwriter. He is also one of the co-founders of DreamWorks Studios. |
| Spira, Henry | b. June 19, 1927, Antwerp, Belgium d. September 12, 1998, New York, United States Henry Spira was an activist for animal rights and the architect of the American animal rights movement's first successful campaigns to limit the use of animals in medical testing. He also advocates for labor and civil rights. |
| Spitz, René | b. January 29, 1887, Vienna, present-day Austria d. September 14, 1974, Colorado, United States René Spitz, a professor at the University of Colorada, researched the development of social relations in infancy and childhood, including the needs of children in orphanages, and the smiling response in infants. |
| Spitzer, Bernard | b. April 26, 1924, New York, United States d. November 1, 2014, United States Parents: From present-day Ukraine Bernard Spitzer was a real estate developer and philanthropist. |
| Srimati, Y. G. | b. 1926, Mysore, India d. 2007, New York, United States Y. G. Srimati was an artist who largely produced watercolor paintings. Her paintings contain traditional Indian subject matter such as images from religious literature and scenes of rural life. |
| St. Clair Drake | b. January 2, 1911, Virginia, United States d. June 15, 1990, California, United States Father: From Barbados, Mother: From Virginia, United States St. Clair Drake was a sociologist and anthropologist. He founded some of the first black studies programmes in American universities and documented much of the turmoil in the 1960s. He used anthropology to dissipate stereotypes and correct confusion between environmental and biological factors in observed racial differences. |
| Staib, Walter | b. March 20, 1946, Pforzheim, Germany Walter Staib is an internationally renowned chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and hospitality consultant. |
| Stallone, Frank | b. July 30, 1950, New York, United States Father: From Italy Frank Stallone is an actor who has appeared in over 70 films and television shows. He has also released ten solo albums. In 1983, Stallone had a top ten hit with the song, Far From Over, which was featured in the film Stayin' Alive. |
| Stallone, Sylvester | b. July 6, 1946, New York, United States Father: From Italy, Maternal Grandmother: From France Sylvester Stallone is an actor, screenwriter and director, but he is best known for his Rocky and Rambo movies. |
| Stamos, Theodoros | b. December 31, 1922, New York, United States d. February 2, 1997, Ioannina, Greece Parents: From Greece Theodoros Stamos was an artist associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement. His work included toned-down colors and loosely defined organic shapes. |
| Stanczak, Julian | b. November 5, 1928, Borownica, Poland d. March 25, 2017, Ohio, United States Julian Stanczak was an abstract painter and printmaker who worked and taught in Cleveland, Ohio. He won the Cleveland Arts Prize in 1969. |
| Stanwyck, Barbara | b. July 16, 1907, New York, United States d. January 20, 1990, California, United States Mother: From Canada Barbara Stanwyck was a charismatic, powerful star of film and television. Stanwyck is best known for her roles in the films The Lady Eve (1941), Meet John Doe (1941) , Double Indemnity (1944), and various TV shows thoughout the 60s to the 80s, including The Big Valley and the Dynasty spin-off, The Colbys. |
| Stautner, Ernie | b. April 20, 1925, Prinzing near Cham, Bavaria, Germany d. February 16, 2006, Colorado, United States Ernie Stautner starred for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a defensive tackle where he won two Super Bowls and was voted to the All Star game nine times. |
| Stawski, Axel | b. 1950, Germany Axel Stawski is a billionaire real estate developer and investor. |
| Stefan, Karl | b. March 1, 1884, Zebrakov, Bohemia d. October 2, 1951, Washington D.C., United States Karl Stefan was a United States Representative for Nebraska. He served from 1935-1951. |
| Stefansson, Vilhjalmur | b. November 3, 1879, Gimli, Canada d. August 26, 1962, New Hampshire, United States Vilhjalmur Stefansson was an explorer and ethnologist who wsa awarded the Founders Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society for his arctic discoveries. |
| Stefanyshyn-Piper, Heidemarie | b. February 7, 1963, Minnesota, United States Father: From Ukraine, Mother: From Germany Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper is a Naval officer and a former NASA astronaut. She has received numerous honors and awards, such as the Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, and two Navy Achievement Medals, and has flown on two Space Shuttle missions. |
| Steichen, Edward | b. March 27, 1879, Bivange, Luxembourg d. March 25, 1973, Connecticut, United States Edward Steichen was a photographer, painter and curator. As a photographer his subject matter varied widely and his portfolio included nudes, landscapes, architectural photos and war photography. He is acknowledged as having taken the first modern fashion photographs. |
| Stein, Dan | b. 1955, Washington, D.C., United States Dan Stein is an attorney who works in the field of immigration law and law reform. He is the the president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). |
| Stein, Jules C. | b. April 26, 1896, Indiana, United States d. April 29, 1981, California, United States Parents: From Lithuania Jules C. Stein was a physician and businessman who co-founded Music Corporation of America. |
| Steinbach, Haim | b. 1944, Rehovot, Israel Haim Steinbach is an artist whose work is concerned with the selection and arrangement of objects, which are then displayed on sculptural shelving. |
| Steinbeck, John | b. February 27, 1902, California, United States d. December 20, 1968, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Germany, Maternal Grandfather: From Ireland John Steinbeck was an accomplished author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. His most well known works include East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men. |
| Steinberg, Leo | b. July 9, 1920, Moscow, Russia d. March 13, 2011, New York, United States Leo Steinberg was an art critic and art historian. He largely focused on the modern art of the time before becoming of scholar of Michelangelo, Leonardo and other Italian Renaissance artists. |
| Steinbrenner, George | b. July 4, 1930, Ohio, United States d. July 13, 2010, Florida, United States Mother: From Ireland, Paternal Grandparents: From Germany George Steinbrenner was the owner and principal manager of the New York Yankees from 1973 to his death in 2010. |
| Steinem, Gloria | b. March 25, 1934, Ohio, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Germany, Paternal Grandmother: From Poland Gloria Steinem is a feminist, political activist, and editor. She has been an articulate advocate of the women's liberation movement during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. |
| Steiner, Max | b. May 10, 1888, Vienna, present-day Austria d. December 28, 1971, California, United States Max Steiner was a respected conductor and composer who is well known for his numerous film scores. A few of his over 300 scores are King Kong (1933), Dark Victory (1939), and Casablanca (1942). |
| Steinitz, William | b. May 17, 1836, Prague, present-day Czech Republic d. August 12, 1900, New York, United States William Steinitz was a prominent chess player, writer in chess publications, and world traveler. |
| Stella, Frank | b. May 12, 1936, Massachussetts, United States Paternal and Maternal Grandparents: From Italy Frank Stella is a painter and printmaker whose work with minimalism and post-painterly abstraction has gained him international recognition. |
| Stella, Joseph | b. June 13, 1877, Muro Lucano, Italy d. November 6, 1946, New York, United States Joseph Stella was a Futurist painter, known for his portrayals of industrial America and, more specifically, New York monuments such as Brooklyn Bridge. His style and subject matter changed frequently throughout his life. |
| Sterling, Donald | b. April 26, 1934, Illinois, United States Donald Sterling is a businessman, best known as the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team. |
| Stern, Elizabeth | b. September 29, 1915, Cobalt, Canada d. August 18, 1980, New York, United States Elizabeth Stern was a pathologist who was well known for her research on cancer. |
| Stern, Fritz | b. February 2, 1926, present-day Wrocław, present-day Poland d. May 18, 2016, New York, United States Fritz Stern was a historian of German history, Jewish history and historiography. He wrote on the relationships between Germans and Jews in the 19th and 20th centuries and on the rise of National Socialism in Germany in the 20th century. |
| Sternlicht, Barry | b. November 27, 1960, New York, United States Mother: From Poland Barry Sternlicht is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, an investment fund with $51 billion in assets under management. |
| Stewart, Jon | b. November 28, 1962, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Austria Jon Stewart is a comedian, writer, producer, television host, and occasional actor. He is best known for being the host of The Daily Show, a satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 1999 to 2015. |
| Stewart, Patrick | b. July 13, 1940, Mirfield, United Kingdom Patrick Stewart is an actor who is known for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series of superhero movies. |
| Stickley, Gustav | b. March 9, 1858, Wisconsin, United States d. April 21, 1942, New York, United States Parents: From Germany Gustav Stickley was a furniture designer and manufacturer associated with the American Arts and Crafts movement. His wooden designs are still produced for the luxury market. He also published The Craftsman, an influential journal for the Craftsman movement. |
| Stieglitz, Alfred | b. January 1, 1864, New Jersey, United States d. July 13, 1946, New York, United States Parents: From Germany Alfred Stieglitz was a photographer and modern art promoter who become known for his carefully composed platinum prints. He is lauded as a pioneer of the use of photography as a fine art medium. |
| Stiglitz, Jospeh | b. February 9, 1943, Indiana, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Hungary Joseph Stiglitz is an economist and a professor at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. |
| Stiller, Ben | b. November 30, 1965, New York, United States Paternal Grandmother: From Poland Ben Stiller is a an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is known for his numerous comedic roles in TV and film, but his reputation as comedic actor who can make a transition to dramatic roles was sealed with his portrayal of the comedy writer turned heroin addict, Jerry Stahl, in the film Permanent Midnight (1998). |
| Stimer, Mollie | b. November 21, 1897, Russia d. July 23, 1980, Cuernavaca, Mexico Mollie Stimer was an anarchist and activist who fought as a trade unionist, an anti-war activist and a free-speech campaigner. |
| Stoddart, J. Fraser | b. May 24, 1942, Edinburgh, United Kingdom J. Fraser Stoddart is a chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He works in the area of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. |
| Stokes, Carl | b. June 21, 1927, Ohio, United States d. April 3, 1996, Ohio, United States Mother: From Georgia, United States Carl Stokes was the first African-American Democrat elected to Ohio House of Representatives (1962). He was also elected first African-American Mayor of a major U.S. City (Cleveland, Ohio, 1969) and served two terms as mayor. He holds the title as the first African-American president-elect of the National League of Cities |
| Stokes, Louis | b. February 23, 1925, Ohio, United States d. August 18, 2015, Ohio, United States Mother: From Georgia, United States Louis Stokes was an attorney and politician who was elected as the first African-American congressman for the State of Ohio in 1969. He served 15 terms in Congress (1969-1993). |
| Stone, Arthur J. | b. 1847, Sheffield, United Kingdom d. 1938, United States Arthur J. Stone was a silversmith who trained in England and Scotland. He opened a silversmithing studio in Massachusetts in 1901. There, he designed silver halloware and flatware. Today, his work can be found in museum collections nationally. |
| Stormare, Peter | b. August 27, 1953, Kumla, Sweden Peter Stormare is a busy actor, voice actor, director, writer, and musician. Stromare is likely best known for his role as Gaear Grimsrud in the film Fargo (1996). |
| Strachwitz, Chris | b. July 1, 1931, present-day Bogazow, Poland Chris Strachwitz is a record producer and founder and president of Arhoolie Records, which specializes in various genres of indigenous American music including zydeco and norteno. |
| Strank, Michael | b. November 10, 1919, Jarabina, Slovakia d. March 1, 1945, Iwo Jima, Japan Michael Strank was a soldier who fought for the United States during WWII. While he was killed in action, his memory is immortalized in the photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal of soldiers who raised the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima. |
| Strasberg, Lee | b. November 17, 1901, Budanov, present-day Ukraine d. February 17, 1982, New York, United States Lee Strasberg was an actor, director, and theatre practitioner. In 1951, he became director of the nonprofit Actors Studio in New York City, considered "the nation's most prestigious acting school", and in 1966, was involved in the creation of Actors Studio West in Los Angeles. |
| Straus, Daniel E. | b. 1957, Place unknown Parents: From present-day Ukraine Daniel E. Straus is an American business executive, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, real estate developer and philanthropist. |
| Strauss, Leo | b. September 20, 1899, Hesse, present-day Germany d. October 18, 1973, Maryland, United States Leo Strauss was a political philosopher and classicist who specialized in classical political philosophy. He trained in neo-Kantian tradition and immersed in the work of phenomenologists. |
| Strauss, Levi | b. February 26, 1829, Buttenheim, Germany d. September 26, 1902, California, United States Levi Strauss was a businessman and the founder of Levi Strauss & Co., a blue jeans manufacturer. |
| Stravinsky, Igor | b. June 18, 1882, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. April 6, 1971, New York, United States Igor Stravinsky was a composer, pianist, and conductor. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. |
| Streisand, Barbra | b. April 24, 1942, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From present-day Ukraine and Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Barbra Streisand is a multi-talented entertainer. Se has received numerous awards including two Oscars, a special Tony award, five Emmys, ten Grammys, a Directors Guild of America award, nine Golden Globes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. |
| Strengell, Marianne | b. May 24, 1909, Helsinki, Finland d. May 9, 1998, Massachusetts, United States Marianne Strengell was a textile designer who collaberated with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Eero Saarien and Raymond Loewy. |
| Stroganova, Nina | b. October 31, 1920, Copenhagen d. July 9, 1994, New York, United States Nina Stroganova was a ballerina who was a founding member of the American Ballet Theater and who became a noted dance teacher in New York City. |
| Stroustrup, Bjarne | b. December 30, 1950, Aarhus, Denmark Bjarne Stroustrup is a computer scientist, most notable for the creation and development of the widely used C++ programming language. |
| Stutzman, Marlin | b. August 31, 1976, Michigan, United States Marlin Stutzman is a politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 3rd congressional district from 2010 to 2017. |
| Styne, Jule | b. December 31, 1905, London, United Kingdom d. September 20, 1994, New York, United States Jule Styne was a composer who is known for his definitive Broadway musicals. A few of his hit Broadway shows became successful Hollywood films, including Bells Are Ringing (1960), Gypsy (1962), and Funny Girl (1968). |
| Sugimoto, Hiroshi | b. February 23, 1948, Tokyo, Japan Hiroshi Sugimoto is an artist who largely works with photography and whose common themes include time, life and death. His works are often made in series and are predominately black and white. |
| Sui, Anna | b. August 4, 1952, Michigan, United States Parents: From China Anna Sui is a fashion designer, whose business empire has expanded beyond apparel to cosmetics, fragrance, and accessories. |
| Sumac, Yma | b. September 10, 1923, Callao, Peru d. November 1, 2008, California, United States Yma Sumac, at the height of her singing career, was the possessor of a jaw-droppingly extreme five octave range. The average singer commands a two octave vocal range. Sumac is known as one of the leading purveyors of exotica music. |
| Sutherland, Kiefer | b. December 21, 1966, London, United Kingdom Kiefer Sutherland is an actor known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on drama series 24. He currently stars as President Tom Kirkman in the ABC political drama series Designated Survivor. |
| Suyemoto, Tony | b. January 14, 1916, California, United States d. December 30, 2003, Ohio, United States Parents: From Japan Toyo Suyemoto was a poet, memoirist, and librarian. |
| Suzuki, Shunryu | b. May 18, 1904, Kanagawa, Japan d. December 4, 1971, San Francisco, California Shunryu Suzuki was one of the pivotal figures in the transmission of Zen Buddhism to the United States. Suzuki founded the San Francisco Zen Center, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and City Center, and his book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind continues to be a popular introduction to the topic. |
| Swanson, Gloria | b. March 27, 1899, Illinois, United States d. April 4, 1983, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Sweden Gloria Swanson was an actress whose film career began in 1915, but she is best remembered for her Oscar-nominated performance as Norma Desmond, the doomed, delusional former silent film star in the highly regarded film noir Sunset Boulevard (1950). |
| Swit, Loretta | b. November 4, 1937, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Poland Loretta Swit is a stage and television actress, best known for her portrayal of "Hot Lips" Houlihan for the TV series MAS*H (1972), for which she won two Emmy Awards. She now runs an animal activist foundation know as SwitHeart. |
| Syed, Bashir A. | b. Date and year unknown, Karachi, Pakistan d. June 1, 2015, Texas, United States Bashir A. Syed was a solar physicist and a NASA research scientist in the field of robotics and solar sciences. Syed was an authority on renewable energy. |
| Szabó, Gábor | b. March 8, 1936, Budapest, Hungary d. February 26, 1982, Budapest, Hungary Gábor Szabó was an innovative jazz guitarist who incorporated many different styles and genres into his playing, including psychedelia, avant-garde jazz, funk, soul, rock, folk, pop music of the day, and Hungarian gypsy jazz. |
| Szasz, Thomas | b. April 15, 1920, Budapest, Hungary d. September 12, 2012, New York, United States Thomas Szasz was an academic, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He was a critique of psychiatry. |
| Szathmary, Louis | b. June 2, 1919, Budapest, Hungary d. October 4, 1996 , Illinois, United States Louis Szathmary operated the renowned restaurant The Bakery in Chicago from 1965 to 1989 that attracted international guests. |
| Szebehely, Victor | b. August 21, 1921, Budapest, Hungary d. September 13, 1997, Texas, United States Victor Szebehely was a key figure in the development and success of NASA's Apollo program. Szebehely's first book, The Theory of Orbits, is an important work in orbital mechanics, being the definitive text on the restricted three-body problems as applicable to an Earth-Moon spacecraft system such as Apollo. |
| Szegő, Gábor | b. January 20, 1895, Kunhegyes, Hungary d. August 7, 1985, California, United States Gábor Szegő was one of the foremost analysts of his generation and made fundamental contributions to the theory of Toeplitz matrices and orthogonal polynomials. |
| Szent-Györgyi, Albert | b. September 16, 1893, Budapest, Hungary d. October 22, 1986, Massachusetts, United States Albert Szent-Györgyi was a biochemist who discovered Vitamin C and the components and reactions of the citric acid cycle. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937. |
| Szilard, Leo | b. February 11, 1898, Budapest, Hungary d. May 30, 1964, California, United States Leo Szilard was a physicist and inventor. He hypothesized the nuclear chain reaction, patented the idea of the nuclear reactor, and invented the electron microscope. |
| Szörényi, Éva | b. May 26, 1917, Hungary d. December 1, 2009, California, United States Éva Szörényi was a prize-winning actress. She performed on stage in Hollywood for Hungarian communities all over the United States and Europe. |
| Szostak, Jack W. | b. November 9, 1952, London, United Kingdom Jack W. Szostak is a biologist who has made significant contributions to the field of genetics. His research findings are instrumental to the Human Genome Project and he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. |
| Szukalski, Stanisław | b. December 13, 1893, Warta, Poland d. May 19, 1987, California, United States Parents: From Poland Stanisław Szukalski was a painter and sculptor who became a part of the Chicago Renaissance. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Tafari, Jack | b. October 31, 1946, Kent, United Kingdom d. April 20, 2016, Accra, Ghana Jack Tafari is an activist for the homeless. He founded the Dignity village in Portland. |
| Tahir, Faran | b. February 16, 1963, California, United States Parents: From Pakistan Faran Tahir is an actor who appears in American television series and films. |
| Talamante, Olga | b. 1950, Baja California, Mexico Olga Talamante is a Chicana political activist. She is the current executive director of the California-based Chicana/Latina Foundation. |
| Talent, Jim | b. October 18, 1956, Missouri, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Russia Jim Talent is former U.S. Senator from Missouri, serving from 2002 to 2007. |
| Tan, Amy | b. February 19, 1952, California, United States Parents: From China Amy Tan is one of the most significant Asian-American women in contemporary literature and best known for her novel The Joy Luck Club. |
| Tandy, Jessica | b. June 7, 1909, London, United Kingdom d. September 11, 1994, Connecticut, United States Jessica Tandy was a stage and film actress. She appeared in over a one hundred stage productions and had more than sixty roles in film and TV. |
| Tang, Ching W. | b. July 23, 1947, Hong Kong, China Ching W. Tang is a chemist whose work with organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) has led to innovation in the field of electronics. His work has had foundational influence on modern flat screen televisions, smartphones, and solar power cells. |
| Tanguy, Yves | b. January 5, 1900, Paris, France d. January 15, 1955, Connecticut, United States Yves Tanguy was a surrealist painter of expansive abstract landscapes. His paintings usually use a limited color palette with occasional flashes of brighter colors. |
| Tannenbaum, Frank | b. March 4, 1893, Galicia, Austria d. June 1, 1969, New York, United States Frank Tannenbaum was a historian, criminologist and sociologist. As a historian he worked in the field of modern Mexican history. |
| Tanton, John | b. 1934, Michigan, United States John Tanton is a retired ophthalmologist and activist in efforts aimed at reducing immigration levels in the United States. |
| Tapia, Raimel | b. February 4, 1994, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic Raimel Tapia is a lefhanded outfielder for the Colorado Rockies. |
| Tarski, Alfred | b. January 14, 1901, Warsaw, Poland d. October 27, 1983, California, United States Alfred Tarski was a logician and mathematician. He was a prolific author best known for his work on model theory, metamathematics, and algebraic logic. He also contributed to abstract algebra, topology, geometry, measure theory, mathematical logic, set theory, and analytic philosophy. |
| Tartakovsky, Genndy | b. January 17, 1970, Moscow, present-day Russia Genndy Tartakovsky is an animation director, storyboard artist, producer, and screenwriter who is best known for his work on such popular animated television shows as Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack. |
| Taubman, A. Alfred | b. January 31, 1924, Michigan, United States d. April 17, 2015, Michigan, United States Parents: From Poland A. Alfred Taubman was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. |
| Taussig, Frank William | b. December 28, 1859, Missouri, United States d. November 11, 1940, Massachusetts, United States Father: From present-day Czech Republic Frank William Taussig was an economist and educator, serving as a professor of economics at Harvard University for almost 50 years. He is credited with creating the foundations of the modern trade theory. He also contributed to the understanding of tariffs. |
| Taussig, Helen B. | b. May 24, 1898, Massachusetts, United States d. May 20, 1986, Pennsylvania, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Czech Republic Helen B. Taussig was a cardiologist who founded the field of pediatric cardiology. Notably, she is credited with developing the concept for a procedure that would extend the lives of children born with Tetrology of Fallot (also known as blue baby syndrome). |
| Taybeck, Vic | b. January 6, 1930, New York, United States d. May 25, 1990, California, United States Parents: From Syria Vic Tayback was a character actor in over 30 films, but he is best known for his role as diner owner Mel Sharples in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and the long-running TV adaptation, Alice. |
| Taylor, Chip | b. March 21, 1940, New York, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Germany Chip Taylor is a songwriter, noted for writing Angel of the Morning and Wild Thing. |
| Taylor, Mildred D. | b. September 13, 1943, Mississippi, United States Mildred D. Taylor is a children's book writer. She is celebrated for her exploration of African-American family life in the deep south. |
| Tchernyshev, Peter | b. February 6, 1971, Saint Petersburg, Russia Peter Tchernyshev is an Olympic pairs figure skater. He skates with Naomi Lang and the pair has repeatedly won the U.S. Ice Dancing Championships and and are ranked as eighth in the world. |
| Telkes, Maria | b. December 12, 1900, Budapest, Hungary d. December 2, 1995, Budapest, Hungary Maria Telkes was known for thermoelectricity and one of the founders of solar thermal storage systems for which she is called the "sun queen." |
| Teller, Edward | b. January 15, 1908, Budapest, Hungary d. September 9, 2003, California, United States Edward Teller was a theoretical physicist who is remembered for being one of the prime developers of the both the first atomic and hydrogen bombs. |
| Telnaes, Ann | b. November 15, 1960, Stockholm, Sweden Ann Telnaes is an award-winning editorial cartoonist whose cartoons have appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Baltimore Sun. |
| Temin, Howard | b. December 10, 1934, Pennsylvania, United States d. February 9, 1994, Wisconsin, United States Maternal Great-grandfather: From France Howard Temin was a geneticist and virologist. He discovered reverse transcriptase in the 1970s for which he shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. |
| Tenazas, Lucille | b. December 17, 1953, Philippines Tenazas is an AIGA award-winning graphic and typographic designer who has worked for Rizzoli International and several cultural institutions in the San Francisco area, |
| tenBroek, Jacobus | b. January 1, 1911, Alberta, Canada d. March 27, 1968, California, United States Jacobus tenBroek was a disability rights activist. He was the founder of the National Federation of the Blind. |
| Tenorio, Lysley | b. April 26, 1972, Olongapo, Philippines Lysley Tenorio is a short story writer whose works examine the tensions of immigrant life in early 21st century America. |
| Teraoka, Masami | b. 1936, Onomichi, Japan Masami Teraoka is an artist who produces paintings and prints. His work is influenced by ukiyo-e and often combines cultural influences from Japan and the United States. |
| Tesich, Steve | b. September 29, 1942, Užice, present-day Serbia d. July 1, 1996, Sydney, Canada Steve Tesich was screenwriter, novelist, and playwright, best known for his work on Breaking Away. |
| Tesla, Nikola | b. July 10 1856, Smiljan, present-day Croatia d. January 7, 1943, New York, United States Nikola Tesla was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. |
| Testolini, Manuela | b. September 19, 1976, Toronto, Canada Father: From Italy, Mother: From Egypt Manuela Testolini is a founder of In a Perfect World Foundation, a philanthropic organization. She is also a founder of the designer candle company known as Gamillah. |
| Theiler, Max | b. January 30, 1899, Pretoria, South Africa d. August 11, 1972, Connecticut, United States Max Theiler was a virologist and physician. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever in 1937. |
| Theron, Charlize | b. August 7, 1975, Gauteng, South Africa Charlize Theron is an actress and film producer. In 2004, Theron won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in the film Monster at the 76th Annual Academy Awards. |
| Thicke, Alan | b. March 1, 1947, Ontario, Canada d. December 13, 2016, California, United States Alan Thicke was an actor, songwriter and game and talk show host. He was best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the father, on the ABC television series Growing Pains, which ran for seven seasons. |
| Thiel, Adolf | b. February 12, 1915, Austria d. June 2, 2001, California, United States Adolf Thiel was a scientist. He worked for the U.S. Army until 1955 when he left to work for TRW as director of space projects. He went on to develop and successfully launch Explorer VI and Pioneer V, two of the nation's earliest crafts to explore interplanetary space. |
| Thiel, Peter | b. October 11, 1967, Frankfurt, Germany Peter Thiel is a venture capitalist and a cofounder of PayPal, an online payment platform. |
| Thomas, Cal | b. December 2, 1942, Washington D.C., United States Cal Thomas is a columnist and author whose works largely discuss political issues. |
| Thomas, Danny | b. January 6, 1912, Michigan, United States d. February 6, 1991, California, United States Parents: From Lebanon Danny Thomas was an comedian, singer and actor. His most famous television role was as the father on Make Room for Daddy. He is known world wide for his founding of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated to eliminating chidhood cancer. |
| Thomas, Joyce Carol | b. May 25, 1938, Oklahoma, United States d. August 13, 2016, California, United States Joyce Carol Thomas was an African-American poet, playwright, children's book writer. She won multiple awards for her work including the American Book Award and the Coretta Scott King Award. |
| Thomas, Marlo | b. November 21, 1937, Michigan, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Lebanon, Maternal Grandfather: From Italy Marlo Thomas is an actress, producer, and social activist known for starring in the sitcom That Girl (1966-1971) and her award-winning feminist children's franchise, Free to Be... You and Me. |
| Thompson, Tristan | b. March 13, 1991, Toronto, Canada Tristan Thompson is a professional basketball player. He holds the Cleveland Cavalier record for consecutive games played at 447, and was part of the 2015-2016 NBA Championship team. |
| Thomson, Elihu | b. March 29, 1853, Manchester, United Kingdom d. March 13, 1937, Massachusetts, United States Elihu Thomson was an electrical engineer and inventor. He founded many electricity companies including Thomson-Houston Electric Company which later merged with another to become General Electric. |
| Thorman, Simson | b. 1811, Unsleben, Germany d. June 12, 1881, Ohio, United States Simson Thorman was a fur trader and the first permanent Jewish resident of Cleveland, settling in the Cleveland Flats in 1837. He was a founder of the first Jewish congregation, cemetery, B'Nai B'rith chapter and served in Cleveland City Council. |
| Tihany, Adam | b. January 1, 1948, Transylvania, Romania Adam Tihany is an interior designer recognized for his work in restaurants and hotels. |
| Tilly, Charles | b. May 27, 1929, Illinois, United States d. April 29, 2008, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom, Paternal Grandfather: From Germany Charles Tilly was a sociologist, historian and political scientist. His work combined historical interpretation and quantitative analysis to create original interpretations about human psychology and social theory. |
| Tim, Tiny | b. April 12, 1932, New York, United States d. November 30, 1996, Minnesota, United States Father: From Lebanon, Mother: From Belarus Tiny Tim was a singer and ukulele player with a high falsetto/vibrato voice. He was known for his hit cover of the song Tiptoe Through the Tulips. Tiny Tim was a fixture of 1960s and 1970s television. |
| Tinsley, Beatrice | b. January 27, 1941, Chester, United Kingdom d. March 23, 1981, Connecticut, United States Beatrice Tinsley was an astronomer and cosmologist whose research made fundamental contributions to the astronomical understanding of how galaxies evolve, grow and die. |
| Tiomkin, Dimitri | b. May 10, 1894, Kremenchuk, present-day Ukraine d. November 11, 1979, London, United Kingdom Dimitri Tiomkin was an Acadamy Award winning composer and conductor who is known for his film scores, particularily his compositions for westerns. Tiomkin's memorable scores include Duel in the Sun (1946), High Noon (1952), and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). |
| Titchener, Edward B. | b. January 11, 1867, Chichester, United Kingdom d. August 3, 1927, New York, United States Edward B. Titchener was a psychologist and a professor at Cornell University. He was also a Wundtian disciple and was considered the dean of American experimental psychology during his lifetime. |
| Titiev, Mischa | b. September 11, 1901, Kremenchug, Russia d. August 17, 1978, Michigan, United States Mischa Titiev was an anthropologist whose special interests included religion, ceremonialism and kinship systems. He conducted research in Oraibi of the Hopi Third Mesa and also had great interest in Japanese culture. |
| Tjaarda, John | b. February 4, 1897, Arnham, Netherlands d. 1962, California, United States John Tjaarda was a vehicle designer who worked to bring aerodynamic and lightweight design to mass-produced vehicles. His design principles, in part inspired by Ferdinand Porsche, are evident in the Lincon Zypher that was product of Tjaarda's own design. |
| Tjaarda, Tom | b. July 23, 1934, Michigan, United States d. June 2, 2017, Turin, Italy Father: From the Netherlands Tom Tjaarda was one of the most prolific automotive designers of the 20th century. He is responsible for exotics and mass-market automobiles alike including the Ferrari 365 GT California, Aston Martin Lagonda Coupe, Fiat 124 Spider and the mark one Ford Fiesta. |
| Tobolowsky, Hermine | b. January 13, 1921, Texas, United States d. July 25, 1995, Texas, United States Father: From Lithuania Hermine Tobolowsky was an activist for the Equal Rights Amendment. She is also known as the "Mother of the Texas Equal Rights Amendment." |
| Toledo, Isabel | b. April 9, 1961, Camajuaní, Cuba Isabel Toledo is a fashion designer. She was named creative director of Anne Klein in 2006. She returned to her own label later that year and has designed for Target, Ikram (a Chicago boutique) and Nordstrom's, among others. She created the 2009 inaugural outfit for first lady Michelle Obama. |
| Toll, Herman | b. March 15, 1907, Kiev, Ukraine d. July 26, 1967, Pennsylvania, United States Herman Toll was a United States Representative for Pennsylvania. He served from 1959-1967. |
| Tom Noguchi, Constance | b. December 8, 1948, Kuangchou, China Constance Tom Noguchi is a leading researcher in sickle-cell disease. |
| Tomas, Yasmany | b. November 14, 1990, Havana, Cuba Yasmany Tomas is a right handed outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made his MLB debut in April of 2015. |
| Tonegawa, Susumu | b. September 5, 1939, Nagoya, Japan Susumu Tonegawa is a scientist who was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1987. He is pioneer on the understanding of the immune system. |
| Torbensen, Viggo V. | b. September 11, 1858, Bransersleu, Denmark d. January 3, 1947, Ohio, United States Viggo V. Torbensen was an businessman. He founded the Torbensen Axle Company on Cleveland's E. 152nd street producing 30,000 axles, for one in every three trucks made in the U.S. by 1917. His company was later absorbed by Eaton Axle, today's Eaton Corporation. |
| Torres, Gina | b. April 25, 1969, New York, United States Parents: From Cuba Gina Torres is a television and movie actress. She has appeared in many television series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (as Nebula), and Xena: Warrior Princess (as Cleopatra). |
| Torres, Norma | b. April 4, 1965, Escuintla, Guatemala Norma Torres is a United States Representative for California. She previously worked as a 911 dispatch operator. |
| Torreyes, Ronald | b. September 2, 1992, Libertador de Barinas, Venezuela Ronald Torreyes is an infielder for the New York Yankees. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. |
| Torvalds, Linus | b. December 28, 1969, Helsinki, Finland Linus Torvalds is a software designer known for creating the Linux operating sytem. |
| Toussaint, Lorraine | b. April 4, 1960, Trinidad, present-day Trinidad and Tobago Lorraine Toussaint is best known for her role as inmate Vee in the Netflix Series, Orange is the New Black. |
| Tracy, Arthur | b. June 25, 1899, Ukraine d. October 5, 1997, New York, United States Arthur Tracy was a vocalist and actor. He was internationally famous for his work in theater, film, and radio. He was known for his nickname "The Street Singer." |
| Tran, Vu | b. September 17, 1975, Saigon, Vietnam Vu Tran is a writer. He best known work is his debut novel Dragonfish. |
| Trebek, Alex | b. July 22, 1940, Greater Sudbury, Canada Alex Trebek has served as the host of Jeopardy!, one of the most popular game shows in television history, for which he has won several Daytime Emmy Awards. |
| Trejo, Danny | b. May 16, 1944, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Mexico Danny Trejo is a prolific actor best known for his tough guy roles in Machete, From Dusk Til Dawn, and Con-Air. Trejo is also a restaurateur who owns numerous California restaurants with his moniker. |
| Tremulis, Alex | b. January 23, 1914, Illinois, United States d. December 29, 1991, California, United States Parents: From Greece Alex Tremulis was an automotive designer known for his aerodynamic cars at Ford Motors. |
| Trilling, Lionel | b. July 4, 1905, New York, United States d. November 5, 1975, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom, Father: From Poland Lionel Trilling was a literary critic, short story writer and essayist. In his work Sincerity and Authenticity, he looks at the history of the 'moral self' in post-Enlightenment Western Civilization. |
| Trinh, Eugene H. | b. September 14, 1950, Saigon, Vietnam Eugene H. Trinh was the first Vietnamese-American astronaut, serving onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in the summer of 1992 as payload specialist. |
| Trump, Donald | b. June 14, 1946, New York, United States Mother: From the United Kingdom, Paternal Grandparents: From Germany Donald Trump is a businessman and politician. He is the owner of The Trump Organization, an international conglomerate that has interests in real estate, property management and investment. He is currently serving as the 45th President of the United States |
| Trump, Elizabeth Christ | b. October 10, 1880, Kallstadt, Germany d. June 6, 1966, New York, United States Elizabeth Christ Trump was a businesswoman and is considered the matriarch of the Trump family. |
| Trump, Fred | b. October 11, 1905, New York, United States d. June 25, 1999, New York, United States Parents: From Germany Fred Trump was a real estate developer who, with his mother Elizabeth, founded a real estate company called Trump Management Company, now known as The Trump Organization. |
| Trump, Melania | b. April 26, 1970, Novo Mesto, Slovenia Melania Trump is the current First Lady of the United States. Before marrying future President Donald Trump in 2005, she worked as a fashion model. |
| Truong, Monique | b. May 13, 1968, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Monique Truong is a writer of the best-selling, award-winning novels The Book of Salt and Bitter in the Mouth. |
| Tseng, Kwong Chi | b. 1950, Hong Kong, China d. March 10, 1990, New York, United States Tseng Kwong Chi was a photographer. His most famous series is East Meets West, for which the artist dressed in sunglasses and a suit reminiscent of the suits of Chairman Mao, before photographing himself in tourist spots around the United States. |
| Tsiang, H. T. | b. 1899, Kiangsu Province, China d. July 16, 1971, California, United States H. T. Tsiang was an actor and author who was active throughout the 1930s through the 1960s. |
| Tuchman, Barbara W. | b. January 30, 1912, New York, United States d. February 6, 1989, Conneticut, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Germany Barbara W. Tuchman was a historian and author. She is noted for her books The Guns of August, about the onset of World War I and Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45, a biography of General Joseph Stilwell. |
| Turlington, Christy | b. January 2, 1969, California, United States Mother: From El Salvador Christy Turlington is a model, humanitarian, and actress. In 2010, Turlington founded Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization devoted to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. |
| Tworkov, Jack | b. August 15, 1900, Biała Podlaska, present-day Poland d. September 4, 1982, Massachusetts, United States Jack Tworkov was a painter whose best known works fit within the Abstract Expressionist movement. Throughout his career, he moved between using gestural and geometric abstraction. |
| Tykociński-Tykociner, Joseph | b. October 5, 1877, Włocławek, Poland d. June 11, 1969, Illinois, United States Joseph Tykociński-Tykociner was an engineer and pioneer of sound-on-film technology. In 1921, he became the first research professor of engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
| Tyler, Steven | b. March 26, 1948, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Italy, Maternal Grandfather: From Ukraine Steven Tyler is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and former television music competition judge, but is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith. |
| Tyrrell, R. Emmett, Jr. | b. December 14, 1943, Illinois, United States R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. is an author and columnist, much of whose work focuses on politics in the United States. |
| Tyson, Cicely | b. December 19, 1924, New York, United States Parents: From Saint Kitts and Nevis Cicely Tyson is an actress and former model. She has made a career of portraying positive images of black women in works such as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots. |
| Tzintzún, Cristina | b. 1982, Ohio, United States Mother: From Mexico Cristina Tzintzún is an advocate and leader in the Latino community and co-founder of the Workers Defense Project. |
| Tzuo, Tien | b. 1968, Taiwan Tien Tzuo is an entrepreneur. He is the current CEO at Zuora, an enterprise software company and was formally an executive at Salesforce, a cloud computing company. |
U
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Ubogagu, Chioma | b. September 10, 1992, London, United Kingdom Chioma Ubogagu is a soccer forward who currently plays for Orlando Pride of National Women's Soccer League, and most recently played for Houston Dash, and the United States U-23 women's national team. |
| Udoh, Ekpe | b. May 20, 1987, Oklahoma United States Parents: From Nigeria Ekpe Udoh is a professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. |
| Udoka, Ime | b. August 9, 1977, Oregon, United States Parents: From Nigeria Ime Udoka is a former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. |
| Udvar-Hazy, Steven F. | b. 1946, Budapest, Hungary Steven F. Udvar-Hazy is a businessman who founded ILFC with two partners in 1973 and Air Lease Corporation in 2010. |
| Ullman, Tracey | b. December 30, 1959, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom Tracey Ullman is an actress, comedian, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, director, author and businesswoman. She starred in her own network television comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show. |
| Ulmer, Edgar G. | b. September 17, 1904, Olomouc, present-day Moravia d. September 30, 1972, California, United States Edgar G. Ulmer was a filmmaker who is known for making quality, artistic films on a very low budget. Today, Ulmer is heralded for The Black Cat (1934), Detour (1945), and The Man from Planet X (1951). |
| Ulrich, Lars | b. December 26, 1963, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark Lars Ulrich is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is most widely known as the drummer and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica. |
| Ulukaya, Hamdi | b. October 26, 1972, Erzincan, Turkey Hamdi Ulukaya is a businessman, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder of Chobani, a yogurt company and is recognized for his holistic business practices. |
| Unanue, Prudencio | b. April 6, 1886, Villasana de Mena, Spain d. March 17, 1976, New Jersey, United States Prudencio Unanue was a businessman and the founder of Goya Foods, a food producer. |
| Underhill, Anne | b. June 12, 1920, British Columbia, Canada d. July 3, 2003, British Columbia, Canada Anne Underhill was an astrophysicist, known for her research on early-type stars. |
| Ung, Loung | b. April 17, 1970, Phnom Penh, present-day Cambodia Loung Ung is a human rights activist and author. She is the national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World. |
| Urban, Keith | b. October 26, 1967, Northland, New Zealand Keith Urban is a country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, TV show judge and record producer. |
| Urbaniak, Michał | b. January 22, 1943, Warsaw, Poland Parents: From Poland Michał Urbaniak is a jazz violinist and saxophone player. Urbaniak has composed numerous scores for plays, films, and television and has played with a bevy of remarkable musicians, including Larry Coryell, Joachim Kühn, and Miles Davis. |
| Urshela, Giovanny | b. October 11, 1991, Cartagena, Colombia Giovanny Urshela is a professional baseball third baseman for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. |
V
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Vago, Sandor | b. 1887, Hungary d. 1946, Place unknown Sandor Vago was initially a painter of still lifes and landscapes. Vago became a successful portrait painter and received orders from private collectors and public institutions, including the City of Cleveland. |
| Vaid, Urvashi | b. October 8, 1958, New Delhi, India Urvashi Vaid is a LGBT rights activist. He advocates for a variety of political and social causes. |
| Valbuena, Luis | b. November 30, 1985, Sucre, Venezuela Luis Valbuena has played in Major League Baseball for nearly a decade. He is currently a thrid baseman for the Los Angeles Angels. |
| Valens, Ritchie | b. May 13, 1941, California, United States d. February 3, 1959, Iowa, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Mexico Ritchie Valens was the forefather of Chicano rock, popularizing renditions of Mexican folk songs with La Bamba in 1958. Valens released two albums in six months at the age of 17 and, despite his tragic death, continues to inspire musicians and artists. |
| Valentine, Don | b. June 26, 1932, New York, United States Grandfather: From Denmark Don Valentine is a venture capitalist, notable for founding the investment firm Sequoia Capital. |
| Valentine, Helen | b. 1893, New York, United States d. November 12, 1986, Florida, United States Parents: From Germany Helen Valentine was the founder and editor in chief of Seventeen and Charm magazines. |
| Valentino, Rudolph | b. May 6, 1985, Castellaneta, Italy d. August 23, 1926, New York, United States Father: From Italy, Mother: From France Rudolph Valentino was a silent film star of many well known movies. He was an early "sex symbol" of the 1920's garnering the nickname "Latin Lover." |
| Valenzuela, Luisa | b. November 26, 1938, Buenos Aires, Argentina Luisa Valenzuela is a novelist and short story writer. She is known for an experimental style which looks at hierarchical structures in society from a feminist viewpoint. |
| Valle, Antonia | b. Date and year unknown, Zamora, Mexico d. August 27, 1977, Ohio, United States Antonia Valle is the founder of what is considered Cleveland's first Mexican Restaurant, La Fiesta. The restaurant has been at its present location on Cleveland's East Side in Richmond Heights since 1992. |
| Vallejo, Boris | b. January 8, 1941, Lima, Peru Boris Vallejo is a painter. His oil paintings, beginning in the 70s, have adorned many frontcovers of paperback books, comic books, movie posters, and album covers. Vellejo works almost exclusively in the fantasy/sword and sorcery genre. |
| Van Buren, Steve | b. December 28, 1920, La Ceiba, Honduras d. August 23, 2012, Pennsylvania, United States Steve Van Buren was a halfback for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1944 to 1951. At the time of his retirement, he held NFL career records in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. |
| van de Wetering, Janwillem | b. February 12, 1931, Rotterdam, Netherlands d. July 4, 2008, Maine, United States Janwillem van de Wetering was a prolific writer and was particularly noted for his detective fiction. |
| van der Rohe, Mies | b. March 27, 1886, Aachen, Germany d. August 17, 1969, Illinois, United States Mies van der Rohe was an architect whose rectilinear forms epitomized the International Style of architecture. |
| Van Dien, Casper | b. December 18, 1968, New Jersey, United States Paternal Great-Grandparents: From Switzerland, Maternal Great-Grandparents: From Sweden and Finland Casper Van Dien is an actor best known for his roles in the films Starship Troopers (1997) and Sleepy Hollow (1999). |
| Van Doren Mamie | b. February 6, 1931, South Dakota, United States Maternal Grandmother and Paternal Great-grandparents: From Sweden Mamie Van Doren is an actress, model, singer and sex symbol who was known for being one of the first actresses to recreate the look of Marilyn Monroe. |
| Van Halen, Alex | b. May 8, 1953, Amsterdam, Netherlands Mother: Indonesia Alex Van Halen is the drummer for American rock group Van Halen, who are considered one the most influential rock and roll bands of the 20th century. |
| Van Halen, Eddie | b. January 26, 1955, Nijmegen, Netherlands Eddie Van Halen is the co-founder of the popular rock band, Van Halen. Van Halen is a renowned guitarist. |
| van Loon, Hendrik Willem | b. January 14, 1882, Rotterdam, Netherlands d. March 11, 1944, Connecticut, United States Hendrik Willem van Loon was a historian, journalist and children's author. His historical research focused on European politics during the 20th century. |
| Van Mai Elliott, Duong | b. 1941, Vietnam Duong Van Mai Elliott interviewed Viet Cong soldiers for analysis by the RAND Corporation during the Vietnam war. Elliott's memoir, The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family, detailing her own and her family's history in Vietnam, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. |
| Van Oeyen, Louis | b. January 17, 1865, Ohio, United States Parents: From the United Kingdom Louis Van Oeyen was a Cleveland Press staff photographer. |
| Van Sertima, Ivan | b. January 26, 1935, Georgetown, Guyana d. May 25, 2009, New Jersey, United States Ivan Van Sertima was a historian and scholar of Africana studies. |
| Vanderlans, Rudy | b. 1955, Voorburg, Netherlands Rudy Vanderlans is a type and graphic designer who, with his wife Zuzana Licko, published the typeface magazine Émigré. |
| Vanzetti, Bartolomeo | b. June 11, 1888, Villaffalletto, Italy d. August 23, 1927, Massachusetts, United States Bartolomeo Vanzetti was an anarchist. He was half of the infamous Sacco & Vanzetti murder trial in the 1920s. The trial created quite an international uproar inspiring strikes and protests through out the globe because many believed the prosecution was motivated by anti-immigrant and anti-union sentiments. |
| Vapnyar, Lara | b. 1971, Moscow, present-day Russia Lara Vapnyar is a novelist and short story writer. She has been associated with an emerging group of young, Russian-American authors who write exclusively in English and share an interest in questions of cultural identity, adaptation and assimilation. |
| Vardalos, Nia | b. September 24, 1962, Winnipeg, Canada Nia Vardalos is an Acadamy Award-nominated writer and actress who is best known for the acclaimed film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. With a global box office of $374.1 million, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Vardalos wrote and starred in the film) is one of the the highest grossing romantic comedies ever made. |
| Varejão, Anderson | b. September 28, 1982, Espírito Santo, Brazil Anderson Varejão is a professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. |
| Varèse, Edgard | b. December 22, 1883, Paris, France d. November 6, 1965, New York, United States Edgard Varèse was a composer, known for his experimentation with electronic musical instruments. He also invented several new instruments and electronic resources for use in music production. |
| Varmus, Harold | b. December 18, 1939, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Austria Harold Varmus is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and was the 14th Director of the National Cancer Institute, a post to which he was appointed by President Barack Obama. |
| Varoff, George | b. March 25, 1914, Hawaii, United States d. January 10, 2002, Texas, United States Parents: From Ukraine George Varoff was a pole vaulter who set the world mark of 14 feet, 6.5 inches (4.37 meters) during a meet at Princeton on July 4, 1936, using a bamboo pole. |
| Varshavsky, Alexander | b. November 8, 1946, Moscow, Russia Alexander Varshavsky is a biochemist renowned for his discovery of the N-end rule of ubiquitination that controls protein stability, and his ground-breaking discoveries into how the living cell works. |
| Vasi, Denise | b. March 1, 1983, New York, United States Maternal Grandfather: From Greece Denise Vasi is an actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Raquel Lancaster in Single Ladies and for Randi Hubbard on ABC's All My Children, a role she had played from May 29, 2008 until the fall of 2011. |
| Vaughan, Sarah | b. March 27, 1924, New Jersey, United States d. April 3, 1990, California, United States Parents: From Virginia, United States Sarah Vaughan was a tremendous jazz vocalist known for her operatic voice. Vaughan won four Grammy Awards and an NEA Jazz Masters Award during her illustrious career. |
| Vélez, Lupe | b. July 18, 1908, San Luis Potosi City, Mexico d. December 14, 1944, California, United States Lupe Vélez started out as a Mexican vaudeville performer, transferred to silent film, and then to movies with sound. Vélez impressed co-stars and directors with her memorable personality. In the 1940s, Vélez inspired and starred in the Mexican Spitfire series. |
| Verbinksi, Gore | b. March 16, 1964, Tennessee, United States Mother: From Ireland, Paternal Grandparents: From Poland Gore Verbinski is a film director, screenwriter, producer and musician. He is best known for directing the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean film saga, The Ring, and Rango. |
| Veress, Bulcsú | b. July 26, 1941, Budapest, Hungary d. November 20, 2012, Washington, D.C., United States Bulcsú Veress was member of Senator Dodd's reelection campaign and worked with him until end of 1991. He was sent by the State Department to Budapest in 1991 to consult the Hungarian Parliament on changing the system to a democracy after the 1981 turn of events. |
| Vergara, Sofía | b. July 10, 1972, Barranquilla, Colombia Sofía Vergara is TV host, entrepreneur, film and television actress who is best known for role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the TV series Modern Family. |
| Vernon, Lillian | b. March 18, 1927, Leipzig, Germany d. December 14, 2015, New York, United States Lillian Vernon created a large catalog company that specalized in personalized gifts. Her company was the first owned by a woman to be listed on the American Stock Exchange. President Bill Clinton appointed her chairwoman of the National Women's Business Council. |
| Vester, Sari | b. March 30, 1931, Sopron, Hungary Sari Vester worked in the insurance business close to 40 years. Vester published Degrees of Courage in 2012 about the historical times of the turbulent decades of the 20th cnetury in Hungary. |
| Vidal. Gore | b. October 3, 1925, New York, United States d. July 31, 2012, California, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Austria Gore Vidal was a writer, public intellectual, actor, and politician. Always the consumate liberal, Vidal's televised debates during the presidential conventions of 1968 with conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr. are the stuff of legend. |
| Vietorisz, Thomas | b. February 4, 1926, Budapest, Hungary Thomas Vietorisz is an economist who specializes in urban planning. |
| Vigh, Zoltan | b. August 22, 1922, Nadudvar, Hungary d. October 28, 2005, California, United States Zoltan Vigh was a ball bearing specialist, turbines inventor and member of ASME. |
| Vignelli, Massimo | b. January 10, 1931, Milan, Italy d. May 27, 2014, New York, United States Massimo Vignelli was a designer who worked in a number of areas ranging from package design through houseware design and furniture design to public signage and showroom design. |
| Vigoda, Abe | b. February 24, 1921, New York, United States d. January 26, 2016, New Jersey, United States Parents: From Russia Abe Vigoda was a character actor. He was most famous for his role in the Godfather and the television show Barney Miller. |
| Vilasuso, Jordi | b. June 15, 1981, Florida, United States Parents: From Cuba Jordi Vilasuso is an actor best known for his the role as Tony Santos on the CBS soap opera, Guiding Light from August 2000 until August 2003. |
| Villaraigosa, Antonio | b. January 23, 1953 California, United States Father: From Mexico Antonio Villaraigosa is a politician who was the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, California, from 2005 to 2013. He was a national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, member of President Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board, and Chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. |
| Vilzak, Anatole | b. August 29, 1896, Lithuania d. August 15, 1998, California, United States Anatole Vilzak is a ballet dancer with Sergei Diaghilev's legendary Ballet Russe who taught at the San Francisco Ballet in his later years. |
| Vincent, Marjorie Judith | b. November 21, 1964, Illinois, United States Parents: From Haiti Marjorie Judith Vincent is a journalist and former beauty contestant who was crowned Miss America in 1991. |
| Vinton, Bobby | b. April 16, 1935 Pennsylvania, United States Maternal Grandparents: From Poland Bobby Vinton is a singer and songwriter. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince of Poch," as his music pays tribute to his Polish heritage. |
| Vivian, Weston Edward | b. October 25, 1924, Newfoundland, Canada, Weston Edward Vivian was a United States Representative for Michigan. He served from 1965-1967. |
| Vizquel, Omar | b. April 24, 1967, Caracas, Venezuela Omar Vizquel is a former professional baseball shortstop who won 11 Golden Glove awards. He is best known to have played for the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. |
| Vladimiroff, Pierre | b. February 13, 1893, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. November 25, 1970, New York, United States Pierre Vladimiroff was a ballet dancer who also taught at the School of American Ballet. |
| Vlchek, Frank J. | b. January 4, 1871, Budyn, Czech Republic d. June 10, 1947, Ohio, United States Frank Vlcheck was an industrialist and civic leader in Cleveland, founding the Vlchek Tool Company in 1895. He was officialy recognized by the Czech government and Pope Pius XI for his service to immigrants and his faith. |
| Voight, Barry | b. 1937, New York, United States Paternal Great-grandparents: From Germany Barry Voight was a geologist, volcanologist, author, and engineer. He has worked as a professor of geology at several universities, including Pennsylvania State University. |
| Voight, Jon | b. December 29, 1938, New York, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Slovakia, Maternal Grandmother: From Germany Jon Voight is an actor, best known for his roles in Deliverance and Heat. |
| Voinovich, George | b. July 15, 1936, Ohio, United States d. June 12, 2016, Ohio, United States Father: From Serbia, Mother: From Slovenia George Voinovich, over his long political career, served as the 54th Mayor of Cleveland (1980-1989), the 65th Governor of Ohio (1991-1998) and United States Senator (1999-2011). |
| Volokh, Eugene | b. February 29, 1968, Kiev, Ukraine Eugene Vohokh is a law professor, the Gary T. Schwartz Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law. He publishes the blog The Volokh Conspiracy. |
| von Békésy, Georg | b. June 3, 1899, Budapest, Hungary d. June 13, 1972, Hawaii, United States Georg von Békésy was a biophysicist, known for his pioneering research on the function of the cochlea, the hearing organ in mammals. |
| von Braun, Wernher | b. March 23, 1912, Wyrzysk, Poland d. June 16, 1977, Virginia, United States Wernher von Braun was an engineering program manager and rocket engineer. He was the chief architect of the Saturn V rocket which made possible the Apollo manned lunar missions. |
| Von D, Kat | b. March 8, 1982, Nuevo León, Mexico Parents: From Argentina Kat Von D was the star of TLC's reality television series LA Ink. She is a talented tattoo artist . Kat Von D is also known for her cosmetics line that launched in 2008. |
| von Engelken, F. H. | b. 1881, Denmark d. 1930, Place unknown F. H. von Engelken was the Director of the United States Mint. He served from September 1916 to March 1917. |
| von Fürstenberg, Diane | b. December 31, 1946, Brussels, Belgium Diane von Fürstenberg is an acclaimed fashion designer. In the 1970s, she became a fashion icon with her timeless wrap dress. |
| von Heyl, Charline | b. 1960, Mainz, Germany Charline von Heyl is an artist, known for her abstract paintings. Her work is diverse and varied in approach and she actively resists a single style. |
| von Kármán, Theodore | b. May 11, 1881, Budapest, Hungary d. May 6, 1963, Aachen, present-day Germany Theodore von Kármán is a well known figure in the field of rocket technology. He received the first National Medal of Science in 1963 from President John F. Kennedy. |
| von Neumann, John | b. December 28, 1903, Budapest, Hungary d. February 8, 1957, Washington, D.C., United States John von Neumann was a mathematician, physicist and computer scientist. He developed an expertise in explosions and worked on the Manhattan Project. He was a key figure of developing the digital computer and game theory. |
| von Sternberg, Nicholas Josef | b. January 22, 1951, New York, United States Father: From present-day Austria Nicholas Josef von Sternberg is known for lensing a handful of respected cult films, including Dolemite (1975), Tourist Trap (1979), and Slaughterhouse Rock (1978). |
| von Stroheim, Erich | b. September 22, 1885, Vienna, Austria d. May 12, 1957, Maurepas, France Erich von Stroheim was a critically respected motion-picture director best known for his uncompromising realism and accuracy of detail. For his performance in Sunset Boulevard he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. |
| von Trapp, Georg | b. April 4, 1880, present-day Zadar, Croatia d. May 30, 1947, Vermont, United States Georg von Trapp and his musical family became the basis for the popular Broadway musical The Sound of Music (1959) and later the incredibly successful film. |
| von Trapp, Maria | b. January 26, 1905, Vienna, present-day Austria d. March 28, 1987, Vermont, United States Maria von Trapp was a singer and actress whose life story became the basis for the play and later film The Sound of Music (1965). |
| Vorkapich, Slavko | b. March 17, 1894, Dobrinci, present-day Serbia d. October 20, 1976, Miljas, Spain Slavko Vorkapich was an influential film theorist and film montagist. Montage sequences were written in scripts during the 1930s and 1940s as "Vorkapich." He was the appointed chair of the Department of film at the University of Southern Califrnia from 1949-1951. |
| Voskovec, George | b. June 19, 1905, Sázava, present-day Czech Republic d. July 1, 1981, California, United States George Voskovec was a director, writer, producer, stage, film, and television actor who is probably best known to many for his role as one of the jurors in the film 12 Angry Men (1957). Voskovec appeared in over 80 films and television shows. |
| Vosloo, Arnold | b. June 16, 1962, Pretoria, South Africa Arnold Vosloo is an actor whose film credits include his performances as the High Priest Imhotep in The Mummy movies and the movies Progeny, Rough Draft, Zeus and Roxanne, Darkman II and Darkman III. He also has made numerous television appearances. |
| Vovkovinskiy, Igor | b. September 18, 1982, Bar, Ukraine Igor Vovkovinskiy is best known for being the current tallest living person in the United States at 7 feet 8.33 inches. |
| Vrzáňová, Alena | b. May 16, 1931, Prague, Czech Republic d. July 30, 2015, New York, United States Alena Vrzáňová was a figure skater. She won the gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1949 and 1950, titled at the 1950 European championships and took Czechoslovakia's national title five consecutive times (1946-50). |
| Vukovich, Bill | b. December 13, 1918, California, United States d. May 30, 1955, Indiana, United Sates Parents: From present-day Serbia Bill Vukovich was an automobile racing driver. He was killed in a seventeen car chain reaction crash at the Indianapolis 500 in 1955. His grandson, Bill Vukovich III, was killed in a race in Bakersfield, California, in November, 1990. |
W
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Wagner, Alex | b. December 4, 1977, Washington, D.C, United States Mother: From present-day Myanmar Alex Wagner is a journalist and political commentator. She was the anchor of the daytime programme Now with Alex Wagner on MSNBC. Currently, she is a co-anchor on CBS This Morning Saturday and a senior editor at The Atlantic. |
| Wagner, Robert F. | b. June 8, 1877, Nastatten, Germany d. May 4, 1953, Place unknown Robert F. Wagner was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 1927-1949. |
| Walberg, Tim | b. April 12, 1951, Illinois, United States Paternal grandparents: From Sweden Tim Walberg is a politician and former pastor. A Republican, he has served as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 7th congressional district since 2011. He previously represented the district from 2007-2009. |
| Wald, George | b. November 18, 1906, New York, United States d. April 12, 1997, Massachusetts, United States Father: From present-day Poland, Mother: From Germany George Wald was a scientist who studied pigments in the retina. He won a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. |
| Waldis, Otto | b. May 20, 1901, Vienna, present-day Austria d. March 25, 1974, California, United States Otto Waldis was a busy stage and film character actor who is known for his work in the films Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). |
| Walker, Margaret | b. July 7, 1915, Alabama, United States d. November 30, 1998, Illinois, United States Margaret Walker was a poet and writer who was part of the Black Renaissance in Chicago. Her most notable works include For My People and Jubilee. |
| Walker, William O. | b. September 19, 1896, Alabama, United States d. October 29, 1981, Ohio, United States William O. Walker studied at Wilberforce University and Oberlin Business college before entering the newspaper industry. In 1932 he became the owner of the Cleveland Call & Post and used the paper to both inform and celebrate Cleveland's African-American Community. |
| Wallace, Sippie | b. November 1, 1898, Arkansas, United States d. November 1, 1986, Michigan, United States Sippie Wallace was a singer-songwriter who began her musical career in tent shows as The Texas Nightingale, recording over 40 songs between 1923 and 1927, including recordings with Louis Armstrong and King Oliver. |
| Wallach, Eli | b. December 7, 1915 New York, United States d. June 24, 2014, New York, United States Parents: From Poland Eli Wallach was a film, television and stage actor whose career spanned more than six decades, beginning in the late 1940s. |
| Walsh, Stella | b. April 11, 1911, Wierzchownin, Poland d. December 4, 1980, Ohio, United States Stella Walsh was a record-setting track and field star. In 1932, Walsh won the Olympic Gold Medal in the 100 yard dash. Walsh also competed in the 1936 Olympics and competed into her fifties. Walsh was shot to death in 1980. |
| Wang, An | b. February 7, 1920, Shanghai, China d. March 24, 1990, Massachusetts, United States An Wang was a computer engineer and inventor. He founded Wang Laboratories in 1951 which would go on to become a major electronics and computer company. Wang held forty patents and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1988. |
| Wang, Charles | b. August 19, 1944, Shanghai, China Charles Wang is a businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and former CEO of Computer Associates International (now CA Technologies), a systems software company. |
| Wang, Ignatius C. | b. February 27, 1934, Beijing, China Ignatius C. Wang is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Catholic bishop of Chinese and Asian ancestry in the United States. |
| Wang, Taylor | b. June 16, 1940, Jiangxi, China Taylor Wang is a former astronaut. Wang served as payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger's Spacelab 3 mission in May 1985. |
| Wang, Vera | b. June 27, 1949, New York, United States Parents: From China Vera Wang is a fashion designer best known for creating elegant and highly coveted wedding dressses. |
| Wank, Roland | b. April 6, 1898, Budapest, Hungary d. January 22, 1970, United States Roland Wank was an architect who was best known for his work for the Tennessee Valley Authority, such as Norris Dam, Fontana Dam, Chickamauga Dam, and Hiwassee Dam. |
| Warburg, Eric M. | b. April 15, 1900, Hamburg, Germany d. July 9, 1990, Hamburg, Germany Eric M. Warburg was a businessman. He also served as a lieutenant colonel and intelligence officer in the United States Army. |
| Warburg, James | b. August 18, 1896, Hamburg, Germany d. June 3, 1969, Washington, D.C., United States James Warburg was a banker. He was well known for being the financial adviser to Franklin D. Roosevelt. |
| Warhol, Andy | b. August 6, 1928, Pennsylvania, United States d. February 22, 1987, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Slovakia Andy Warhol was an artist, director and producer associated with Pop Art. He left behind a legacy of art that dealt with the notions of mass production, consumption and media-mediated realities, and is famous for his Campbell's soup can and Marilyn Monroe prints. |
| Warner, H. B. | b. October 26, 1875, London, United Kingdom d. December 21, 1958, California, United States H. B. Warner was an actor who is best known for playing Jesus Christ in Cecil B. DeMille's epic The King of Kings (1927). |
| Warner, Jack L. | b. September 2, 1892, London, Canada d. September 9, 1978, California, United States Parents: From Poland Jack L. Warner was a film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some 45 years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the seminal Hollywood studio moguls. |
| Warren, Charles | b. March 9, 1868, Massachusetts, United States d. August 16, 1954, Washington D.C., United States Charles Warren was an author, lawyer and legal scholar, known for his book The Supreme Court in United States History. |
| Washington, Denzel | b. December 28, 1954, New York, United States Father: From Virginia, United States, Mother: From Georgia, United States Denzel Washington is an acclaimed screen and stage actor. Washington has won numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, numerous Golden Globes and a Tony Award. |
| Washington, Dinah | b. August 29, 1924, Alabama, United States d. December 14, 1963, Michigan, United States Dinah Washington was was a singer and pianist. She had a distinctive vocal style which defied classification into a single genre and allowed her to easily perform and record jazz, R&B, standards, gospel and pop music. |
| Wasserstein, Bruce | b. December 25, 1947, New York, United States d. October 14, 2009, New York, United States Father: From Poland Bruce Wasserstein was an investment banker, businessman, and writer. |
| Waters, Muddy | b. circa 1914, Mississippi, United States d. April 30, 1983, Illinois, United States Muddy Waters, born McKinley Morganfield, was a profoundly influential musician who helped shape a generation of Chicago blues. Waters enjoyed commercial success, crossover appeal and was a six-time Grammy award winner. |
| Weber, Gustav C. E. | b. May 26, 1828, Bonn, Germany d. March 21, 1912, Ohio, United States Gustav C. E. Weber was a surgeon, professor, and hospital founder. He studied medicine in both the United States and Europe, established Cleveland's first medical journal, founded St. Vincent Charity Hospital, and served as a dean to multiple medical schools. |
| Weber, Max | b. April 18, 1881, Białystok, Present-day Poland d. October 4, 1961, New York, United States Max Weber was a painter, printmaker and sculptor. His early works were abstracts in the style of Cubism and Fauvism, however his later works are known for their focus on Jewish life, and for their Expressionist qualities. |
| Wechsler, David | b. January 12, 1896, Lespezi, Romania d. May 2, 1981, New York, United States David Wechsler was a professor at New York University. He focused his work on intelligence and developed some widely used IQ tests. |
| Weegee | b. June 12, 1899, Zolochiv, present-day Ukraine d. December 26, 1968, New York, United States Weegee was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his black and white street photography. |
| Weill, Kurt | b. March 2, 1900, Dessau, Germany d. April 3, 1950, New York, United States Kurt Weill was a composer and activist. Weill's best known work (Three Penny Opera, written in collaboration with Bertolt Brecht) is a sardonic satire of social hypocrisy. A song from the musical play, Mack the Knife, has become a jazz and pop standard. |
| Weinberger, Caspar | b. August 18, 1917, California, United States d. March 28, 2006, Maine, United States Paternal Grandfather: From present-day Czech Republic, Maternal Grandparents: From the United Kingdom Caspar Weinberger was a politician and businessman. He served in a variety of prominent state and federal positions for three decades, most prominently as Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1987. |
| Weiner, Sandra | b. 1921, Drohiczyn, Poland Sandra Weiner is a photographer and author. Her work has been exhibited at several New York galleries. |
| Weinstein, Allen | b. September 1, 1937, New York, United States d. June 18, 2015, Maryland, United States Parents: From Russia Allen Weinstein was a historian, educator, and federal official who wrote several books on the history of the United States, most notably Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case. |
| Weinstein, Boaz | b. 1973, United States Mother: From Israel Boaz Weinstein is a hedge fund manager and founder of Saba Capital Management. |
| Weiss, Albert | b. September 15, 1879, Steingrund, present-day Germany d. April 3, 1931, Ohio, United States Albert Weiss, a professor at the Ohio State University, was an early behaviorist who argued that psychology should focus on biological and social inquiry instead of mentalistic inquiry. In 1918 he was named Professor of Experimental Psychology by the Linguistic Society of America, a title that he held until his death. |
| Weiss, Barry | b. February 11, 1951, New Jersey, United States Father: From Romania Barry Weiss is a music executive. He served as chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Republic Records from 2011 to 2014, RCA/Jive Label Group from 2008 to 2011 and was also the CEO of its constituent Jive Records from 1991 to 2011. |
| Weiss, Theodore S. | b. September 17, 1927, Gava, Hungary d. September 14, 1992, New York, United States Theodore S. Weiss was a United States Representative for New York. He served from 1977-1992. |
| Weissmann, Charles | b. October 14, 1931, Budapest, Hungary Charles Weissmann is a molecular biologist. He is a member of the American Society of Biological Chemistry. |
| Weissmuller, Johnny | b. June 2, 1904, Timişoara, present-day Romania d. January 20, 1984, Acapulco, Mexico Johnny Weissmuller was an American freestyle swimmer of the 1920s who won five Olympic gold medals and set 67 world records. He became even more famous as a motion-picture actor, most notably in the role of Tarzan. |
| Weisz, Rachel | b. March 7, 1970, Westminster, United Kingdom Rachel Weisz is a film and television actress. In 2012, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Best Actress Award for her performance in the film The Deep Blue Sea (2011). |
| Welch, Jack | b. November 19, 1935, Massachusetts, United States Grandparents: From Ireland Jack Welch is a former business executive and chemical engineer. He was the former CEO of General Electric, and is famed for raising the company's stock value by 4000% during his tenure. |
| Welch, Raquel | b. September 5, 1940, Illinois, United States Father: From Bolivia Raquel Welch is an actress and singer. She starred in One Million Years B.C. (1966). Welch's iconic film career continues to this very day. |
| Wellek, René | b. August 22, 1903, Vienna, present-day Austria d. November 11, 1995, Connecticut, United States René Wellek was a comparative literary critic. The crowning work of Wellek's career was an eight-volume magnum opus entitled A History of Modern Criticism: 1750-1950, the last two volumes of which he dictated from his bed in a nursing home at 90 years old. |
| Weller, Peter | b. June 24, 1947, Wisconsin, United States Paternal Great-grandmother: From Germany Peter Weller is a stage, film and television actor and musician who is best known for his roles in the cult film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) and the first two RoboCop films. Like his idol Miles Davis, Weller is also a skilled jazz trumpet player. |
| Wellsley Coulter, Charles | b. February 14, 1884, Canada Charles Wellsley Coulter was an author who worked on and published several documents for the Cleveland Americanization Committee. |
| Wendt, William | b. February 20, 1865, Bentzen, Germany d. December 29, 1946, California, United States William Wendt was a landcape painter who earned the moniker "Dean of Southern California landscape painters." |
| Wentz, Pete | b. June 5, 1979, Illinois, United States Maternal Great-grandparents: From Jamaica Pete Wentz is the bassist, lyricist, and vocalist for the band Fall Out Boy. |
| Werner, Heinz | b. February 11, 1890, Vienna, present-day Austria d. May 14, 1964, Massachusetts, United States Heinz Werner was a professor at Clark University who specialized in developmental psychology. |
| Wertheimer, Max | b. April 15, 1880, Prague, Czech Republic d. October 12, 1943, New York, United States Max Wertheimer, a professor at the New School for Social Research, wrote the paper that launched the Gestalt school of psychology, and researched apparent movement, perception, organization, and thinking. |
| Wertheimer, Michael | b. March 20, 1927, Berlin, Germany Michael Wertheimer is a cryptologic mathematician. He is a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder who has occupied an influential role in the cultural transmission of psychology, and in promoting the teaching of psychology as a professional activity in its own right. |
| West, Nathanael | b. October 17, 1903, New York, United States d. December 22, 1940, California, United States Parents: From present-day Lithuania Nathanael West was a novelist and screenwriter, known for Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust. West produced an individual blend of pathos and comedy, realism and wild unreality. |
| Westmoreland, Lynn | b. April 2, 1950, Georgia, United States Lynn Westmoreland is an politician who was the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 3rd congressional district from 2007 to 2017 and the 8th district from 2005 to 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. |
| Wexler, Jerry | b. January 10, 1917, New York, United States d. August 15, 2008, Florida, United States Father: From Germany, Mother: From Poland Jerry Wexler was a music journalist-turned music producer, and was one of the main record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s. |
| Weyerhaeuser, Frederick | b. November 21, 1834, Nieder-Saulheim, present-day Germany d. April 4, 1914, California, United States Frederick Weyerhaeuser was a lumber capitalist who put together a syndicate owning millions of acres of timberland, as well as sawmills, paper mills, and other processing plants. |
| Whale, James | b. July 22, 1889, Dudley, United Kindom d. May 29, 1957, Cailfornia, United States James Whale was director who is best know for his series of highly regarded horror films: Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). |
| Wharton, Edith | b. January 24, 1862, New York, United States d. August 11, 1937, Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France Edith Wharton was a novelist, non-fiction writer and short story writer whose work is characterized by the use of dramatic irony, and by its criticism of upper class society. |
| White, Betty | b. January 17, 1922, Illinois, United States Paternal Grandfather: From Denmark, Maternal Grandfather: From Greece, Paternal and Maternal Grandmothers: From Canada Betty White has graced American television sets since the 1940s and continues to act well into her 90s. White is best known for playing Rose on Golden Girls and her roles on The Mary Tyler More Show, Mama's Family, and Hot in Cleveland. |
| White, Charles W. | b. December 26, 1897, Tennessee, United States d. August, 21, 1970, Ohio, United States Charles W. White was a social worker, lawyer and judge, becoming the first African-American common pleas judge in Ohio in 1955. He helped found Forest City Hospital and served on the boards of the Council of Human Relations, Karamu House and the Cleveland YMCA. |
| White, Persia | b. October 25, 1972, Florida, United States Father: From Bahamas Persia White is a actress and musician. |
| Whitehead, Alfred North | b. February 15, 1861, Kent, United Kingdom d. December 30, 1947, Massachusetts, United States Alfred North Whitehead was a mathematician and philosopher. He wrote the titles: Treatise on Universal Algebra, Principia Mathematica, Science and the Modern World, Process and Reality, and Adventures of Ideas. |
| Whitman, Walt | b. May 31, 1819, New York, United States d. March 26, 1892, New Jersey, United States Walt Whitman was a poet, essayist and journalist. His work is characterized for its ability to be singularly American in character and has been very influential, particularly in the United States. |
| Wiener, Alexander S. | b. March 16, 1907, New York, United States d. November 6, 1976, New York, United States Father: From Russia Alexander S. Wiener was a leader in the fields of forensic medicine, serology, and immunogenetics. He recognized internationally for his contributions to medicine. |
| Wierzynski, Lech | b. Date and year unknown, Warsaw, Poland Lech Wierzynski is the co-founder and frontman of The California Honeydrops. Wierzynski writes or co-writes all of the original songs and plays trumpet and guitar. The California Honeydrops play a variety of American musical styles: New Orleans R&B, soul, funk, blues, and gospel. |
| Wiesel, Elie | b. September 30, 1928, Sighet, present-day Romania d. July 2, 2016, New York, United States Elie Wiesel was a writer, humanities professor, activist, and Holocaust survivor. His notable memoir, Night, details his experiences in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his efforts to combat bigotry and violence. |
| Wigner, Eugene | b. November 17, 1902, Budapest, Hungary d. January 1, 1995, New Jersey, United States Eugene Wigner was a theoretical physicist, engineer and mathematician. He received the Medal for Merit for working on Manhattan Project and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963. |
| Wilde, Olivia | b. March 10, 1984, New York, United States Father: From the United Kingdom Olivia Wilde is an actress, model, producer, director and activist. |
| Wilder, Billy | b. June 22, 1906, Sucha, present-day Poland d. March 27, 2002, California, United States Billy Wilder was a deeply respected filmmaker who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director eight times and won it twice. Wilder is widely acclaimed for helming romantic comedies and crime films. |
| Wilder, Gene | b. June 11, 1933, Wisconsin, United States d. August 29, 2016, Connecticut, United States Father: From Russia Gene Wilder was an actor, writer, producer, and director who is probably best remembered for his starring roles in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Young Frankenstein (1974). Gene Wilder co-starred in four films with the pioneering comedian and actor Richard Pryor. |
| Wilding, Faith | b. 1943, Paraguay Faith Wilding is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and educator, widely known for her contribution to the progressive development of feminist art. |
| Wiley, Kehinde | b. 1977, California, United States Father: From Nigeria Kehinde Wiley is a painter, known for his realistic and celebratory portraits of black people. His work is often very brightly colored with highly patterned backgrounds, and regularly references Old Master paintings. |
| Wilke, Hannah | b. March 7, 1940, New York, United States d. January 28, 1993, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Hungary Hannah Wilke was a painter, sculptor, photographer, video artist and performance artist. Her work is known for exploring issues of feminism, sexuality and femininity. |
| Williams, Geisha | b. circa 1961, Cuba Geisha Williams is a businesswoman and the CEO of the Pacific Gas and Electricity Company. |
| Williams, Mary Wilhelmine | b. May 14, 1878, California, United States d. March 10, 1944, California, United States Father: From Sweden, Mother: From Denmark Mary Wilhelmine Williams was a specialist in Latin American history. She advised on geographical matters relating to border disputes between Central American countries and promoted understanding between Latin American countries and the United States. |
| Williams, Michael K. | b. November 22, 1966, New York, United States Mother: From Bahamas Michael K. Williams is an established actor and producer, perhaps best-known for his role on the highly-acclaimed HBO Television series The Wire (2002) where he played Omar Little. |
| Williams, Robert F. | b. February 26, 1925, North Carolina, United States d. October 15, 1996, Michigan, United States Robert Williams was a Civil Rights leader known for a militant stance against racism which helped to inspire later groups like the Revolutionary Action Movement and the Black Panther Party. He was named the first president of the Republic of New Africa. |
| Williams, Serena | b. September 26, 1981, Michigan, United States Father: From Louisiana, United States, Mother: From Michigan, United States Serena Williams has been ranked #1 player in the Women's Tennis Association eight times, holds the most Grand Slam titles (23 total) among active players, most recent female tennis player to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously. |
| Williams, Venus | b. June 17, 1980, California, United States Father: From Louisiana, United States, Mother: From Michigan, United States Venus Williams has been ranked #1 player in the Women's Tennis Association three times, first African-American woman to rank #1 in the current Open Era, 21 total Grand Slam titles, tied for most Olympic medals won by a tennis player (4 Olympic Gold medals, 1 Silver medal) |
| Williams, William Carlos | b. September 17, 1883, New Jersey, United States d. March 4, 1963, New Jersey, United States Father: From the United Kingdom William Carlos Williams was a poet who wrote numerous books of imagist and modernist poetry, publishing more than 20 before his death in 1964. Williams received the first National Book Award for Poetry and was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize in May 1963. |
| Willis, Bruce | b. March 19, 1955, Idar-Oberstein, present-day Germany Bruce Willis is well-known television and movie actor who is best known for his roles in many action films. |
| Wilson, August | b. April 27, 1945, Pennsylvania, United States d. October 2, 2005, Washington, United States Father: From Germany August Wilson was a Pulitzer and Tony award winning writer, whose plays centered on the African-American experience. |
| Wilson, James | b. August 16, 1835, Ayrshire, United Kingdom d. August 26, 1920, Iowa, United States James Wilson was the 4th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served from March 6, 1897 to March 5, 1913 under presidents Mckinley, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. |
| Wilson, William Bauchop | b. April 2, 1862, Blantyre, United Kingdom d. May 25, 1934, Georgia, United States William Bauchop Wilson was the first United States Secretary of Labor. He served from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1913 under president Woodrow Wilson. |
| Wilson, Woodrow | b. December 28, 1856, Virginia, United States d. February 3, 1924, Washington, D.C., United States Mother: From the United Kingdom Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, Governor of New Jersey, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1919. |
| Winchester, Simon | b. September 28, 1944, London, United Kingdom Simon Winchester is a well-known journalist and author. Winchester's first book, The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, has been adapted for film. |
| Winder, Ruth | b. July 9, 1993, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Ruth Winder is an Olympic sivler medal track cysclist. She competed in team pusuit in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Winfrey, Oprah | b. January 29, 1954, Mississippi, United States Oprah Winfrey is known for her eponymous talk show which was nationally syndicated from 1986-2011. She was the youngest news anchor and first African-American news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV in 1976. She has since launched Harpo Productions, co-founded the Oxygen cable channel and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. |
| Winsor, Curtin, Jr. | b. April 28, 1939, Pennsylvania, United States Curtin Winsor Jr. is a former Ambassador of the United States to Costa Rica and a philanthropist. |
| Winter, Benjamin, Sr. | b. February 5, 1881, Łódź, Poland d. June 16, 1944, New York, United States Benjamin Winter Sr. was a real estate developer in New York City and founder of Winter Incorporated. Winter served as president of the American Federation of Polish Jews. |
| Winton, Alexander | b. June 20, 1860, Grangemouth, United Kingdom d. June 21, 1932, Ohio, United States Alexander Winton founded the Winton Bicycle Company and Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897, which, in 1898, became arguably the first American company to sell an automobile to the general public. He created the first automobile driven across the United States in Cleveland, 1891. |
| Winwar, Frances | b. May 3, 1900, Sicily, Italy d. July 24, 1985, New York, United States Frances Winwar was a translator and biographer who was well known for her romantic and emotional biographies of nineteenth century literary figures. |
| Wise, Stephen S. | b. 1874, Budapest, Hungary d. April 19, 1949, New York, United States Stephen S. Wise helped to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was a public speaker for freedom. |
| Wisse, Ruth | b. May 13, 1936, Czernowitz, Romania Ruth Wisse is a scholar and author. Wisse, throughout her career, has shined a much needed light upon the Yiddish language and Jewish culture and literature. She was awarded a National Humanities Medal in 2007. |
| Wittenberg, Dave | b. September 1, 1971, Johannesburg, South Africa Dave Wittenberg is a voice actor who provides voice-overs in English dubs of Japanese anime shows, as well as cartoons and video games. His most famous work is Naurto. |
| Wodiczko, Krzysztof | b. April 16, 1943, Warsaw, Poland Krzysztof Wodiczko is an artist, best known for his large scale slide and video projections in public outdoor spaces. Some of the major themes in his practice include war, trauma and memory. |
| Wojcicki, Susan | b. July 5, 1968, California, United States Father: From Poland, Maternal Grandparents: From Russia Susan Wojcicki is a technology executive and the CEO of YouTube, a video-sharing platform. She was previously the marketing manager at Google. |
| Wojciechowska, Maia | b. August 7, 1927, Warsaw, Poland d. June 13, 2002, New Jersey, United States Maia Wojciechowska was a writer best known for children's and young adult fiction. Her book, Shadow of a Bull won the Newbery Medal in 1965. |
| Wolf, Hazel | b. March 10, 1898, British Columbia, Canada d. January 19, 2000, Washington, United States Hazel Wold was an environmentalist and an activist for immigration issues. |
| Wolf, Naomi | b. November 12, 1962, California, United States Father: From Romania Naomi Wolf is a liberal progressive author, journalist, feminist, and former political advisor to Al Gore and Bill Clinton. |
| Wolff, Helen | b. July 27, 1906, present-day Macedonia d. March 29, 1994, New Hampshire, United States Father: From Germany Helen Wolff was an editor and publisher who cofounded Pantheon Books, a publishing company, in 1942. |
| Wolff, Kurt | b. March 3, 1887, Bonn, present-day Germany d. October 21, 1963, Marbach am Neckar, Germany Kurt Wolff was an editor, publisher and journalist who cofounded Pantheon Books, a publishing company, in 1942. |
| Wolin, Penny | b. June 5, 1953, Wyoming, United States Father: From Russia Penny Wolin is a portrait photographer and a visual anthropologist. She has exhibited solo at the Smithsonian Institution and is the recipient of two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and one grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. |
| Wolstein, Bert | b. February 23, 1927, Ohio, United States d. May 17, 2004, Ohio, United States Parents: From present-day Belarus Bert Wolstein was a real estate developer, sports team owner, and philanthropist based in Cleveland, Ohio. |
| Wolters, Raymond | b. July 25, 1938, Kansas, United States Raymond Wolters is a historian who has written about race in American society and specifically within the education system. |
| Wonder, Stevie | b. May 31, 1950, Michigan, United States Parents: From Alabama, United States Stevie Wonder was a musician who began playing a number of instruments including piano, harmonica and drums at an early age. He recorded his first album on Motown's Tamla label at age 11 and went on to become an icon of R&B and popular music with over 30 U.S. Top Ten hits. |
| Wong-Staal, Flossie | b. August 27, 1947, Guangzhou, China Flossie Wong-Staal is a virologist and molecular biologist. She was part of the team that discovered the HIV virus in 1983. Two years later, she successfully cloned the HIV virus, an effort which led to its genetic mapping and the ability to screen blood for HIV. |
| Wong, Ali | b. April 19, 1982, California, United States Mother: From Vietnam Ali Wong is a writer, actress, and stand-up comedian. She is noted for her Netflix stand-up special Baby Cobra, as well as her television appearances in American Housewife, Are You There, Chelsea?, Inside Amy Schumer, and Black Box. She also wrote for the first three seasons of the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. |
| Wong, Anna May | b. January 3, 1905, California, United States d. Feburary 2, 1961, California, United States Paternal Grandparents: From China Anna May Wong is the first Chinese-American movie star. Her birth name is Wong Liu Tsong. She was considered, by younger generation, an artist who succeeded in a hostile environment. |
| Wong, Jade Snow | b. January 21, 1922, California, United States d. March 16, 2006, California, United States Parents: From China Jade Snow Wong was an author who wrote two notable memoirs; Fifth Chinese Daughter and No Chinese Stranger. |
| Wood, Ellen Meiksins | b. April 12, 1942, New York, United States d. January 14, 2016, Ottowa, Canada Parents: From Latvia Ellen Meiksins Wood was a Marxist historian and political theorist. |
| Wood, John Travers | b. November 25, 1878, Wakefield, United Kingdom d. November 2, 1954, Idaho, United States John Travers Wood was a United States Representative for Idaho. He served from 1951 to 1953. |
| Wood, Natalie | b. July 20, 1938, California, United States d. November 29, 1981, California, United States Father: From Ukraine, Mother: From Russia Natalie Wood was an actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her performances in Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. |
| Woods, Tiger | b. December 30, 1975, California, United States Mother: From Thailand Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer who is among the most successful golfers of all time. He has been one of the highest paid athletes in the world for several years. |
| Wouk, Herman | b. May 27, 1915, New York, United States Parents: From present-day Belarus Herman Wouk is an author of both fiction and non-fiction books, best known for the novel The Caine Mutiny. |
| Wozniak, Dagmara | b. July 1, 1988, Wrocław, Poland Dagmara Wozniak is a two-time Olympic saber fencer who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Games. |
| Wray, Fay | b. September 15, 1907, Cardston, Canada d. August 8, 2004, California, United States Fay Wray was an actress who appeared in hundreds of films and television shows over her nearly six decade career, but she will forever be remembered as the beauty that killed the beast in the 1933 film King Kong. |
| Wright, Dare | b. December 3, 1914, Thornhill, Canada d. January 25, 2001, New York, United States Dare Wright was an author, photographer, and model. Today, Wright's series of Lonely Doll books for childen enjoy a strong cult following. |
| Wright, Richard | b. September 4, 1908, Mississippi, United States d. November 28, 1960, Paris, France Mother: From Mississippi, United States Richard Wright was an author. He became involved with literary circles in the Communist Party, and publishing revolutionary and proletariat poetry. His novel, Native Son (1945) and his memoir, Black Boy (1945) are his most well-known works. |
| Wrinch, Dorothy Maud | b. September 12, 1894, Rosario, Argentina d. February 11, 1976, Massachusetts, United States Dorothy Maud Wrinch was an expert and researcher in mathematics, science, philosophy, and logic. |
| Wu, Chien-Shiung | b. May 31, 1912, Shanghai, China d. February 16, 1997, New York, United States Chien-Shiung Wu was an experimental physicist who made significant contributions in the field of nuclear physics. She worked on the Manhattan Project and is known as "the First Lady of Physics." |
| Wu, David | b. April 8, 1955, Hsinchu, Taiwan David Wu was a United States Representative for Oregon. He served from 1999-2011. |
| Wu, Harry | b. February 8, 1937, Shanghai, China d. April 26, 2016, Honduras Harry Wu was a human rights activist who survived nearly two decades in Chinese labor camps. Upon his release, he devoted the rest of his life to raising awareness of human rights violations in China. |
| Wu, Jason | b. September 27, 1982, Taipei, Taiwan Jason Wu is an artist and fashion designer based in New York City. He is best known for designing the dresses of Michelle Obama. |
| Wu, Jennifer | b. January 4, 1990, Beijing, China Jennifer Wu is a right-handed offensive style table tennis player. She is the 2016 North American World Cup Champion and was a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team. |
| Wu, Ying-Chu | b. June 23, 1932, Peking, China Ying-Chu Wu was an educator, researcher and entrepreneur who researched coal-powered energy generation using magnetohydrodynamics. |
| Wyler, William | b. July 1, 1902, Haut-Rhin, present-day France d. July 27, 1981, California, United States William Wyler was a film director, producer and screenwriter. Notable works include Ben-Hur (1959), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Mrs. Miniver (1942), all of which won Academy Awards for Best Director in their respective years, making him the only director of three Best Picture winners as of 2017. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Xu, Bing | b. 1955, Chongqing, China Xu Bing is an artist who works with printmaking and installation. He is interested in language, words and text, and how they relate to meaning and understanding. |
| Xu, Mei | b. circa 1967, Hangzhou, China Mei Xu is an entrepreneur and business executive who cofounded Pacific Trade International, a company which distributes various home decor and domestic products. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Yamauchi, Wakako | b. October 24, 1924, California, United States Parents: From Japan Wakako Yamauchi is a distinguished playwright, short-story writer, poet and painter. Her play And the Soul Shall Dance won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for best new play of 1977. |
| Yan, Martin | b. December 22, 1948, Guangzhou, China Martin Yan is the author of 26 cookbooks and the host of over 2,000 cooking shows, including his award-winning PBS TV cooking show Yan Can Cook. |
| Yanagihara, Hanya | b. September 20, 1974, California, United States Mother: From South Korea Hanya Yanagihara is a novelist and travel writer. She is the writer of A Little Life and The People in the Trees. |
| Yang, Jerry | b. November 6, 1968, Taipei, Taiwan Jerry Yang is an internet entrepreneur and programmer who cofounded Yahoo, an internet service provider. |
| Yang, Zhenning | b. October 1, 1922, Anhui, China Yang Zhenning is a physicist who works on statistical mechanics and particle physics. He and Tsung-dao Lee received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on parity noncenservation of weak interaction. |
| Yankovic, Frankie | b. July 28, 1915, West Virginia, United States d. October 14, 1998, Florida, United States Parents: From Slovenia Frankie Yankovic, often dubbed "America's Polka King," was the leading purveyor of Slovenian style (AKA Cleveland style) polkas. |
| Yanni | b. November 14, 1954, Kalamata, Greece Yanni is a musician whose discography includes 16 studio and six live albums that have sold 11 million RIAA-certified units in the United States and an estimated 25 million worldwide. He has released 13 albums that reached number one on Billboard's Top New Age Albums chart. |
| Yanofsky, Charles | b. April 17, 1925, New York, United States Parents: From Ukraine Charles Yanofsky is a leading geneticist. He was awarded the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology from the National Academy of Sciences in 1972 and was co-recipient of the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University in 1976. |
| Yarymovych, Michael I. | b. October 13, 1933, Bialystok, Poland Michael I. Yarymovych is President of Sarasota Space Associates, an aerospace consultant providing services to the aerospace industry and government. He is Senior Fellow of the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and has served on numerous SAB and Defense Science Board studies. |
| Yashima, Taro | b. September 21, 1908, Kagoshima, Japan d. June 30, 1994, California, United States Taro Yashima was an award-winning illustrator of children's books. Yashima is a three-time Caldecott Honor Book winner. |
| Yastrzemski, Carl | b. August 22, 1939, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland Carl Yastrzemski was a professional baseball player who spent his twenty-three year career with the Boston Red Sox. He hit four-hundred and fifty two home runs and won the Golden Glove for his defensive play seven times. Yastrzemski was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. |
| Yelchin, Anton | b. March 11, 1989, Saint Petersburg, Russia d. June 19, 2016, California, United States Anton Yelchin was a versatile, critically-acclaimed actor who is known for his role of Pavel Chekov in the 21st century, re-booted Star Trek films. |
| Yellen, Janet | b. August 13, 1946, New York, United States Paternal Grandparents: From Poland Janet Yellen is an economist. She served as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 2014-2018, previously serving as Vice-Chair from 2010 to 2014. |
| Yemchuk, Yelena | b. April 22, 1970, Kiev, Ukraine Yelena Yemchuk is a professional photographer, painter and film director, best known for her work with The Smashing Pumpkins. |
| Yener, Aslihan | b. July 21, 1946, Istanbul, Turkey Aslihan Yener is an archaeologist who is an expert in the analysis and dating of ancient objects. |
| Yep, Laurence | b. June 14, 1948, California, United States Father: From China Laurence Yep is a writer and artist, most notable for the Newbery award-winning books, such as Dragonwings. |
| Yepremian, Garo | b. June 2, 1944, Lamaca, Cyprus d. May 15, 2015, Pennsylvania, United States Garo Yepremian was a placekicker in the National Football League between 1966 and 1981, playing for several teams. He played for nine years with the Miami Dolphins, including the 1973 Super Bowl Champions. |
| Yerushalmi, Yosef Hayim | b. May 20, 1932, New York, United States d. December 8, 2009, New York, United States Parents: From Russia Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi was a historian who wrote on many aspects of Jewish History, including the history of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Freud's relationship to Judaism and the importance of remembrance in Jewish culture. |
| Yezierska, Anzia | b. circa 1880, Mały Płock, present-day Poland d. November 21, 1970, California, United States Anzia Yezierska was a novelist. Through her often semi-biographical short stories and novels she wrote of the experiences of Jewish, and later Puerto Rican, immigrants in New York. |
| Young, Coleman | b. May 24, 1918, Alabama, United States d. November 29, 1997, Michigan, United States Coleman Young began his political involvement as a union member on the lines of the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After serving in World War II, he returned to Detroit and continued his labor activism rising in the ranks of the Democratic Party and becoming Detroit's first African-American mayor. |
| Young, Neil | b. November 12, 1945, Toronto, Canada Neil Young is a singer-songwriter, musician, producer, director and screenwriter. Young had released two solo albums by the time he joined Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969, in addition to two as a member of Buffalo Springfield. |
| Young, Quentin | b. September 5, 1923, Illinois, United States d. March 7, 2016, California, United States Father: From Russian, Mother: From Lithuania Quentin Young was a doctor and social activist who protested against segregated hospitals. |
| Young, Victor | b. August 8, 1900, Illinois, United States d. November 10, 1956, California, United States Parents: From Poland Victor Young was a composer, conductor, and violinist. Young is best know for his film score work. He was nominated for 22 Acadamy Awards and won one for his score for the 1957 film, Around the World in Eighty Days. |
| Youngman, Henny | b. March 16, 1906, London, United Kingdom d. February 24, 1998, New York, United States Henny Youngman was a comedian and violinist made famous for his long sets of comedy and for mastering the style of the "one liner" jokes. |
| Yourcenar, Marguerite | b. June 8, 1903, Brussels, Belgium d. December 17, 1987, Maine, United States Marguerite Yourcenar was a novelist, poet and essayist. Her writings deal with broad themes: the dawn of time and the future; the physical and the spiritual worlds; nature and civilizations; and the arts and religion. |
| Yuengling, David G. | b. March 2, 1808, Aldingen, Germany d. September 27, 1877, Pennsylvania, United States David G. Yuengling was a businessman and brewer. He was the founder and first president of America's oldest brewery, D. G. Yuengling & Son. |
| Yuna | b. November 14, 1986, Kedah, Malaysia Yuna is a singer-songwriter and businesswoman. She began writing songs at age 14 and taught herself to play guitar. |
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| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Zakaria, Fareed | b. January 20, 1964, Mumbai, India Fareed Zakaria is a journalist and author. He is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and writes a weekly column for The Washington Post. |
| Zali, Lila | b. July 22, 1918, Tbilisi, present-day Georgia d. January 4, 2003, California, United States Lila Zali was a ballerina, choreographer, and the founder of director of Ballet Pacifica in Orange County, California. Zali appeared in several Hollywood films and she was still teaching ballet up until her death and the age of 84. |
| Zamboni, Frank J. | b. January 16, 1901, Utah, United States d. July 27, 1988, Paramount, California Father: From present-day Italy, Mother: From Italy Frank Zamboni was an American inventor who is most widely known as the inventor of the Zamboni, or modern ice resurfacer. |
| Zappa, Frank | b. December 21, 1940, Maryland, United States d. December 4, 1993, California, United States Parents: From Italy Frank Zappa was a musician, composer, activist and filmmaker. His work is characterized by free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity, and satirizes American culture. |
| Zarina | b. 1937, Aligarh, India Zarina is the preferred name of Zarina Hashmi. She is an artist whose recurring themes include home, memory and journeys. Her work is minimal and its presentation reflects the artists' interest in geometry. |
| Zebrowski, George | b. December 28, 1945, Vilach, Austria George Zebrowski is a science fiction author and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. |
| Zeckhauser, Richard | b. 1940, United States Richard Zeckhauser is an economist and the Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Political Economy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. |
| Zeglen, Casimir | b. March 4, 1869, Kachanivka, present-day Poland d. 1910, Place unknown Casimir Zeglen was an engineer who invented the first bulletproof vest. In 1890, he moved to the United States and became a Catholic priest of St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church in Chicago. |
| Zelazny, Roger | b. May 13, 1937, Ohio, United States d. June 14, 1995, New Mexico, United States Father: From Poland Roger Zelazny was a multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist. Zelazny is best known for his ten volume fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber. |
| Zeleza, Paul Tiyambe | b. 1955, Southern Rhodesia, present-day Zimbabwe Paul Tiyambe Zeleza is Vice-Chancellor of the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi. He is an award-winning author, distinguished academic, and renowned speaker. |
| Zerbe, Karl | b. September 16, 1903, Berlin, Germany d. November 24, 1972, Florida, United States Karl Zerbe was an Expressionist painter who took a European approach to recording the environment of the New World. Zerbe was credited with reviving encaustic painting, and the use of polymer tempera and acrylic. |
| Zeshan B | b. June 27, 1988, Chicago, Illnois Parents: From India Zeshan B is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He has sung for two presidents: Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. |
| Zevin, Ben | b. May 16, 1901, Kiev, Ukraine d. December 27, 1984, Florida, United States Ben Zevin, along with his wife Lillian, grew the World Publishing Company into one of the largest publishing companies in the United States in the mid 20th century. He was civically active, serving as President of the City Club of Cleveland, the Citizens League, and the Council on Human Relations. |
| Zevon, Warren | b. January 24, 1947, Illinois, United States d. September 7, 2003, California, United States Father: From Russia Warren Zevon was a singer and songwriter who is well known for his late 1970s hit singles Werewolves of London and Lawyers, Guns and Money. |
| Zewail, Ahmed | b. February 26, 1946, Damanhur, Egypt d. August 2, 2016, California, United States Ahmed Zewail was a scientist known as the "father of femtochemistry." He was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry. |
| Zheng, Jiaqi | b. January 13, 1988, Zaozhuang, China Jiaqi Zheng is the 2016 U.S. women's doubles champion and a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team. |
| Zilboorg, Gregory | b. December 25, 1980, Kiev, Ukraine d. September 17, 1959, New York, United States Gregory Zilboorg, a private psychoanalyst in New York City, wrote about psychoanalysis and medical history, and directed a huge study of suicide in large cities. |
| Zimbalist, Efrem, Jr. | b. November 30, 1918, New York City d. May 2, 2014, Solvang, California Father: From Russia, Mother: From Romania Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was a famous actor during the 1950s to 1970s. He is known for the hit TV shows 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. |
| Zimbalist, Efrem, Sr. | b. 1889, Russia d. February 22, 1985, Reno, Nevada Efrem Zimbalist Sr. was an accomplished violinist and composer. As an educator, Zimbalist was the Director of the Curtis Institute of Music, a world-renowned conservatory. |
| Zimmer, Hans | b. September 12, 1957 , Frankfurt, Germany Hans Zimmer is a well-known film score composer. Zimmer has composed music for almost 200 films and television shows. |
| Zinn, Howard | b. August 24, 1922, New York, United States d. January 27, 2010, California, United States Father: From the historic state of Austria-Hungary, Mother: From Russia Howard Zinn was a historian and activist. He fiercely advocated for peace, equal rights, and social justice. He wrote several books including A People's History of the United States. |
| Zinnermann, Fred | b. April 29, 1907, Vienna, present-day Austria d. March 14, 1997, London, United Kingdom Fred Zinnemann was a filmmaker who was active from the 1930s to the early 1980s. Zinnemann is probably best known for his now iconic western High Noon (1952). |
| Zogby, James J. | b. 1945, Utica, New York Father: From Lebanon James J. Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab-American community. |
| Zola, Irving | b. 1935, Massachusetts, United States d. December 1, 1994, Massachusetts, United States Father: From Russia, Mother : From Poland Irving Zola was a disability rights activist. He was a founding member of the Society for Disability Studies, and the first editor of Disability Studies Quarterly. |
| Zoritch, George | b. June 6, 1919, Moscow, Russia d. November 1, 2009, Arizona, United States George Zoritch was a ballet dancer. He joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1935 and toured with them in the United States after World War II. He appeared in a number of films, including Night and Day (1946) and Samson and Delilah (1949). |
| Zsigmond, Vilmos | b. June 16, 1930, Szeged, Hungary d. January 1, 2016, California, United States Vilmos Zsigmond was a cinematographer who was longtime user and endorser of Tiffen filters and is also associated with the technique known as "flashing" or "pre-fogging." In 2012, Zsigmond along with Yuri Neyman, co-founded Global Cinematographer Institute in Los Angeles, with hopes to educate cinematographers. |
| Zubrow, Barry | b. Date and place unknown Barry Zubrow is a business executive and investment banker. Spending most of his career at Goldman Sachs, including in key leadership roles, he subsequently served as the Chief Risk Officer of JPMorgan Chase during the 2008 financial crisis. |
| Zucco, George | b. January 11, 1886, Manchester, United Kingdom d. May 28, 1960, California, United States George Zucco was a prolific supporting actor who is remembered today for his portrayals of mad doctors and sinister fiends in films throughout the 1940s. |
| Zuccotti, John E. | b. June 23, 1937, New York, United States d. November 19, 2015, New York, United States Father : From Italy John E. Zuccotti was the global chairman of Brookfield Asset Management who notably served as New York's deputy mayor for economic development during the city's fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s. |
| Zukerman, Pinchas | b. July 16, 1948, Tel Aviv, Israel Pinchas Zukerman is a violinist, violist and conductor. He has been awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Isaac Stern Award for Artistic Excellence and is currently music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. |
| Zuniga, Daphne | b. October 28, 1962, California, United States Father: From Guatemala Daphne Zuniga is an actress and environmentalist. She is known to many for her role of Princess Vespa in the cult comedy Spaceballs (1987) and for the TV series Melrose Place. |
| Zworykin, Vladimir K. | b. July 29, 1888, Murom, present-day Russia d. July 29, 1982, New Jersey, United States Vladimir K. Zworykin was an inventor and engineer whose experiments with electronic transmissions using cathode ray tubes paved the way for the invention of television. Zworykin also helped develop the very first electron microscope. |