Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, Non-Violent Leader in Indian Independence Movement

With a far-reaching legacy of peace and equality, Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. In honor of...

Jack Kirby, Creator of Comic Book Superheroes

Jack Kirby was as much of a hero to the comic book industry as the characters he created. An innovator in the industry for...

Orville Wright, First Man to Fly an Airplane

Orville Wright was a leading aviation pioneer of the early 20th century. He and his older brother Wilbur are credited for being the first...

Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese Walt Disney

Animator Hayao Miyazaki is often called the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney. His prodigious imagination has given rise to Japan’s most popular manga, animated...

Ursula K. Le Guin, Writer

Novelist, poet and translator Ursula Le Guin is best known for creating worlds of fantasy and of the far future, but that is only...

Melissa Etheridge, Musician, Cancer Survivor and Gay Rights Activist

An Oscar winner and two-time Grammy Award winner, the prolific Melissa Etheridge is renowned for her blend of pop-infused folk rock and her advocacy...

Milton Bradley, Father of the Modern Board Game

Milton Bradley is a household name for his creation of such board game classics as The Game of Life, but he was more than...

Oskar Schindler, Keeper of “List” That Saved 1,200 Jews

Oskar Schindler was a Nazi party member, philanderer and war profiteer who saved approximately 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Schindler is now revered as...

Walter Cronkite, CBS News Anchor

To his colleagues, he was “Old Iron Pants,” and to everyone else, he was “The Most Trusted Man in America.” For more than half...

Lauren Bacall, Actress

Lauren Bacall got her start at age 19 as a sultry screen siren alongside future husband Humphrey Bogart, 25 years her senior. She went...