Magic Johnson, Legendary Basketball Player

His nimbleness on the court earned him the nickname “Magic,” and Earvin Johnson has truly lived up to it. Whether he was facing rival...

Fats Waller, Jazz Entertainer and Composer

Fats Waller's piano virtuousity and outsize personality made him a jazz legend. But his talents didn’t stop there; he was also a vaudeville performer,...

Hedy Lamarr, Actress and Inventor

Hedy Lamarr was a woman perpetually ahead of her time. She shocked the world with some racy roles in the 1930s, and a decade...

Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States

Some consider Ronald Reagan the greatest president in contemporary American history: under his watch, the country saw the longest period of peacetime prosperity in...

Richard Wright, Groundbreaking Author of “Black Boy” and “Native Son”

Richard Wright, the first African-American man to make a living as an author, is known for landmark books like “Native Son” and “Black Boy.” Richard...

Quentin Tarantino, Director of “Pulp Fiction”

A self-taught filmmaker who has nevertheless displayed a profound knowledge of film history, Quentin Tarantino has built an oeuvre upon sharp dialogue, gritty violence...

Norman Lear, Television Writer and Producer of “All in the Family”

With four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, accolades from the Writers Guild of America and a National Medal of Arts from President Clinton, Norman...

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...

Marie Curie, Discoverer of Radium

The first woman in France to receive a doctorate degree, scientist Marie Curie is remembered for her discoveries in radioactivity and radioactive elements. Her...

Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize-Winning Economist

Milton Friedman was inspired by the dire financial circumstances of the Great Depression, and became convinced that economic burdens could be lifted through encouraging...