Auguste Escoffier, Innovative Chef and Inventor of the Chef’s Hat

Modern cuisine owes many of its practices to the great French chef Auguste Escoffier: he changed public dining in hotels and restaurants worldwide by...

Joseph Haydn, “the Father of the Symphony”

Known as “the Father of the Symphony,” Joseph Haydn's contribution to the world of music can be heard in every arrangement of melody, rhythm...

Edward R. Murrow, Pioneering Broadcast Journalist

Reporter during World War II, host of radio and television news shows, and head of the United States Information Agency, Edward R. Murrow was...

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Author and Abolitionist

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s most memorable contribution to society was her book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The responses to Stowe’s work were so powerfully divisive that...

Henry VIII, King of England

Henry VIII was larger than life, famous for his seemingly insatiable appetite for women, war, hunting and food. Henry’s Early Days Henry VIII was born on...

Cecil B. DeMille, Hollywood Director

Cecil B. DeMille was one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. Not only did he produce and direct more than 70 films to...

George Crockett Jr., Lawyer, Politician and Civil Rights Activist

George Crockett Jr. was a prominent attorney and politician with a career that lasted nearly six decades. An outspoken man who didn’t shy away...

Al Hirschfeld, Caricature Artist

Al Hirschfeld demonstrated prodigious artistic talent at an early age. As an adult, his technique was deceptively simple; he harnessed the power of a...

Luciano Pavarotti, World Famous Opera Singer

Luciano Pavarotti, the so-called “King of the High Cs,” brought opera to the masses with his clear, pitch-perfect voice. In a life that began...

Thor Heyerdahl, Human Migration Theorist and Explorer

Norwegian archeologist and anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl made harrowing transoceanic expeditions in reconstructions of ancient vessels to gain evidence for his controversial theories on human...