Maya Angelou, Author, Actor and Activist

Poet, author, playwright, educator, civil rights activist, singer, actress: these were the many faces of Maya Angelou. A living testament to the strength of...

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”...

Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart

For good or for ill, Walmart founder Sam Walton changed the retail landscape of America with his chain of discount stores. Sam Walton's Early Days Samuel...

W.E.B. Du Bois, Civil Rights Pioneer and Social Historian

A tireless activist and scholar, W.E.B. Du Bois wrote “The Souls of Black Folk” and was a founding member of the National Association for...

Marie Antoinette, Former Queen of France

The most beautiful daughter of the Austrian emperor, Marie Antoinette was guaranteed a life of privilege. But as the teen bride of French King...

Noah Webster, Educator and Dictionary Writer

Noah Webster was a pioneering thinker devoted to books and learning. After the American Revolution, he set out to help the United States develop...

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...

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,...

Sandra Day O’Connor, First Female Supreme Court Justice

Sandra Day O’Connor endured a great deal of gender-based prejudice before she became the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. During...

George Clooney, Award-Winning Actor and Activist

Before 2000, most would have thought George Clooney a victim of his good looks. However, more challenging roles have revealed his true talents. Today,...