Harry Belafonte, Actor, Singer and Activist

Harry Belafonte’s handsome looks and velvety voice, coupled with his talent as an actor and producer, have earned him fame and accolades. But he...

Miriam Makeba, Singer and Anti-Apartheid Activist

Miriam Makeba, widely known as “Mama Africa,” was exiled from her home of South Africa for her revolutionary words and songs, but was widely...

James Audubon, Artist, Ornithologist and Naturalist

Many a bird watcher will recognize the name of John James Audubon, the famous naturalist who made a name for himself by painting and...

Pablo Sarasate, Spanish Composer and Violin Virtuoso

Violinist Pablo Sarasate is a figure of tremendous national and international regard. The distinctly Spanish flavor of his compositions, combined with his masterful technique...

Berry Gordy Jr., Founder of Motown Records

Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. brought black music to white audiences. He premiered a new sound, and launched the careers of such artists...

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...

Steve Jobs, Creator of Apple Computers

Derided by some, held up as a technological savior by others, Steve Jobs helped launch a wave of personal computer use that has redefined...

Ingrid Bergman, Star of “Casablanca”

“I work so hard before the camera and on the stage that I have neither the desire nor the energy to act in my...

Jean Renoir, French Filmmaker

Lauded after his death as one of cinema’s greatest directors, Jean Renoir earned comparatively few words of praise during his lifetime. From a childhood...

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer of “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker”

Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky has given the world many classical music compositions, including the famous holiday staple “The Nutcracker,” and other memorable pieces like “1812...