William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet and Dramatist

William Butler Yeats, a romantic, poet, playwright and senator, drew on national pride, spiritualism and love, and was credited with helping revive interest in...

Fred Astaire, Dancing Film Star and Elegant Showman

A Broadway star who ventured to Hollywood mid-career, Fred Astaire quickly became the era’s icon of grace, style and perfection. Alone or with a...

J.R.R. Tolkien, Author of “The Lord of the Rings”

Philologist and English professor J.R.R. Tolkien popularized an entire genre of literature when he wrote his fantasy epic “The Lord of the Rings,” a...

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...

Jacques Cousteau, Deep Sea Pioneer

Jacques Cousteau is known for developing the aqualung, the one-man submarine and an underwater village off Sudan. While a measure of controversy surrounds his...

Rocky Marciano, Undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion

Boxer Rocky Marciano is legendary for being the only heavyweight champion in history to win every single one of his 49 professional fights, with...

Charles Schulz, Creator of Peanuts Comic Strip

For more than 50 years, Charles Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts has been an essential part of the newspaper’s daily comics page for millions of...

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...

Peggy Lee, Actress and Award-Winning Jazz-Pop Singer

Peggy Lee was a prolific, Grammy Award-winning vocalist, Academy Award-nominated actress and songwriter. Renowned for her emotive voice and sensual delivery, her most famous...

Stephen Crane, Author of “The Red Badge of Courage”

Although he is considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Stephen Crane’s life and career were cut short before his...