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...

Sir Isaac Newton, Mathematician and Physicist

Physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton was one of the most influential figures of the scientific revolution. He made significant contributions to calculus and his...

Nelson Mandela, First Black President of South Africa

Nelson Mandela was elected during the first election when South African blacks were allowed to vote. A leader of the resistance for years, Mandela...

Stephen Jay Gould, Paleontologist and Science Writer

Renowned for both his revolutionary contributions to evolutionary biology and his ability to make science accessible to the public, Stephen Jay Gould drew upon...

Paul McCartney, Legendary Musician and Songwriter

Paul, the “cute” Beatle, attained international fame as one of the Fab Four at the age of 21. He launched a second and a...

Saul Bellow, American Novelist

“The backbone of 20th-century American literature”—this was novelist Philip Roth’s assessment of Saul Bellow. His struggle with modernism, his Jewish upbringing, his feelings of...

Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Religion

Iranian spiritual leader Bahá'u'lláh founded the Bahá’í religion in 1863. Today, it has five million followers from around the world. Bahá'u'lláh's Early Days Mirza Hoseyn Ali...

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...

Jackie Robinson, Baseball Pioneer

Jackie Robinson was an accomplished multi-sport athlete who in 1947 became the first black baseball player in the modern major leagues. He displayed courage...

Willie Nelson, Country Music Sensation

Willie Nelson, country singer-songwriter, long-haired hippie and philanthropist, has had a prolific music career. He began playing when he was 10 years old and...