Percival Lowell, First to Imagine Life on Mars

A naturally gifted mathematician, Percival Lowell shunned convention to pursue theories that walked the line between science fiction and scientific prophecy. He was compelled...

Jules Verne, Science Fiction Author

Jules Verne was a pioneer in literature. With a powerful interest in writing and an imagination that was ahead of his time, Verne became...

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet and Dramatist

William Butler Yeats, a romantic, poet, playwright and senator, drew on national pride, spiritualism and love, and was credited with helping revive interest in...

Noam Chomsky, Influential Linguist and Activist

The founder of modern linguistics and one of the most esteemed (and controversial) political theorists and activists of our age, Noam Chomsky has inspired,...

Woody Guthrie, Folk Musician

Woody Guthrie was a folk music master. During his career, he gave the world more than 1,000 songs, including notable classics like “This Land...

Gregory Peck, Cinema’s Unflappable Leading Man

Placed in Hollywood’s limelight by a mix of hard work and simple good luck, Gregory Peck was known for a blend of honesty, strength...

Catherine Hughes, Radio and TV Executive

From a high school dropout and single teenaged mother to the first woman owner of a number one radio station and the first African-American...

Lillian Moller Gilbreth, Engineer and Psychologist

Lillian Moller Gilbreth fought the social conventions of her time to become one of the first PhD-holding female engineers. She was also a psychologist...

Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Pioneer

Born into a life of religion, Martin Luther King Jr. used his faith to help guide a divided nation toward racial equality, breaking barriers...

Edward Jenner, Physician Who Discovered a Vaccination for Smallpox

An English physician who spent his early years studying fossils and birds, Edward Jenner discovered a vaccination for smallpox disease in 1796. His experiments...