George Pullman, Inventor of the Sleeper Car

Inventor and industrialist George Pullman literally raised Chicago from the sewer and built luxury railroad cars for the elite. The media praised his “utopian”...

Coretta Scott King, First Lady of Civil Rights

Coretta Scott King was more than just the wife of a legend, she was a singer, an organizer and an activist in her own...

George Sand, Groundbreaking Writer

She may have adopted a male name and male attire, but French novelist Amandine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin, aka George Sand, moved female emancipation and independence forward...

Peter the Great, Czar of Russia

Peter the Great became czar of Russia when he was only 10 years old. As a young man, he showed little interest in politics...

Gwendolyn Brooks, First African-American Pulitzer Prize Winner

Gwendolyn Brooks, renowned poet, was the author of many memorable works centered on the black experience in America and the issues of the Civil...

Garrison Keillor, Radio Host and Author

Garrison Keillor is a radio host, author, advice columnist, three-time husband and father. Biographers speak of his wry humor, his stage presence, and his...

Elinor Ostrom, First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Economics

Elinor Ostrom won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics for her against-the-grain studies of how self-imposed regulation of common resources can be more efficient...

Roald Dahl, Children’s Book Author

Known for his bestselling children’s novels, including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” author Roald Dahl’s life was nearly as dark...

Nat King Cole, Singer and Jazz Pioneer

Nat King Cole’s musical upbringing forged a career that would delve the nuances of the jazz trio and fashion a more subtle approach to...

Václav Havel, Playwright and Former President of the Czech Republic

Václav Havel was a revolutionary, a poet, a playwright and a president. Although he was reluctant to become a public figure, he has been...