Mary Lyon, Champion of Women’s Higher Education

Mary Lyon was a progressive educator and pioneer of women’s higher education. In 1837 she founded the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley,...

Sir Laurence Olivier, Stage and Screen Actor

Considered by many to be the greatest actor of the 20th century, Laurence Olivier changed the landscape of theater and film in his time,...

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...

Jack Kerouac, Beat Author of “On the Road”

Jack Kerouac’s beatnik persona has reached near mythical levels. But the author of “On the Road” never enjoyed his celebrity status, and lived a...

Neil Simon, Award-Winning Playwright

Crowned by Time magazine “the patron saint of laughter,” the creator of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, along with a host of other memorable...

Joseph Lee, Father of the Playground Movement

Joseph Lee dedicated his life to promoting recreation and play for children and adults alike, and is best known for transforming a fledgling playground...

Pablo Picasso, Groundbreaking Painter

From his Cubist works to his famous Blue Period, painter Pablo Picasso changed the face of art forever. Picasso's Early Days Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born...

Anne Frank, Holocaust Diarist

Holocaust victim and diarist Anne Frank lived 15 years, yet her legacy has lived on for decades. In the book known in English as...

Maimonides, Jewish Philosopher and Theologian

Maimonides’ ability to harmonize philosophies of the Greco-Roman, medieval Western, Jewish and Islamic civilizations in the context of his own religious beliefs has established...

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...