Alicia Keys

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1981

Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States

Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has been active in the music industry since the mid-1990s. Her debut album was a super hit and earned her five Grammy Awards. She is one of the best-selling artists in the United States and has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. She is also known for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1978

Birthplace: Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky is the incumbent president of Ukraine. A qualified lawyer, he initially owned a production company. He also played the Ukrainian president in the series Servant of the People and was a comedian, screenwriter, director, and producer. His secret phone call with Donald Trump led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Virginia Woolf

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1882

Birthplace: Kensington, London, England

Died: 1941

Virginia Woolf was an English writer who pioneered a narrative mode called stream of consciousness to describe the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Regarded as one of the most prominent modernist 20th-century writers, Woolf's works have gained much attention for inspiring feminism. Her life and work have inspired several films, novels, and plays.

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1948

Birthplace: Al Ain, Trucial States

Died: 2022

Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, son of the UAE’s first president, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is the reigning president of the UAE and the emir of Abu Dhabi. He heads the UAE Armed Forces and the Supreme Petroleum Council. In 2011, he was the world’s fourth-wealthiest monarch.

Annie Lennox

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1954

Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland

Known for her androgynous look, four-time Grammy-winning artist Annie Lennox became an international sensation with Eurythmics, a duo she formed with Dave Stewart, delivering hits such as Sweet Dreams. Her song Into the West from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received an Academy Award.

Etta James

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1938

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: 2012

Etta James was an American singer whose powerful, deep voice bridged the gap between rock and roll and rhythm and blues. Her ability to perform in various genres earned her a spot in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list. Her work has influenced several musicians, including Christina Aguilera, Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, Adele, and Rita Ora.

Robert Burns

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1759

Birthplace: Ayrshire, Scotland

Died: 1796

Scottish poet Robert Burns, also known as the National Bard and the Bard of Ayrshire, is considered a pioneer of the Romantic movement in English literature. He often drew inspiration from Scottish folk songs. Some of his most notable works include the poems Auld Lang Syne and Scots Wha Hae.

Xavi

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1980

Birthplace: Terrassa, Spain

Former Barcelona footballer Xavi won multiple trophies with the team, such as the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Famous for his tiki-taka style, he also helped Spain win the FIFA World Cup in 2010. After playing for the Qatari club Al-Sadd, he began coaching the team.

Lil Mosey

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 2002

Birthplace: Mountlake Terrace, Washington, United States

Lil Mosey is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. Known for his melodic flow of music, Mosey has released singles, such as Blueberry Faygo, which featured on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number eight. The song has been certified platinum in the US and Australia and 4× platinum in Canada.

Steve Prefontaine

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1951

Birthplace: Coos Bay, Oregon, United States

Died: 1975

Long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine had competed in only one Olympic, finishing fourth in the 5000m race in Munich. However, he had begun breaking records since high school and excelled in cross-country running. His tragic death in a car accident after attending a party ended his life and his sports dreams.

Corazon Aquino

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1933

Birthplace: Paniqui, Tarlac

Died: 2009

Corazon Aquino, or Cory Aquino, was the first female president of the Philippines. She led the People Power Revolution after her husband Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.’s assassination and ended the 21-year dictatorial reign of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1986, Corazon was named Time Magazine’s Woman of the Year.

Eusébio

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1942

Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique

Died: 2014

Considered one of the most successful African-origin footballers of all time, Eusébio, or the Black Panther, was born in the Portuguese Mozambique and grew up to represent the Portuguese national team as a striker. He also had a great stint with the club Benfica, having won the Primeira Liga with them 11 times.

Robinho

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1984

Birthplace: São Vicente, São Paulo São Vicente, Brazil

Robinho is a Brazilian football player who was lucky and talented enough to be picked by Pelé as his heir apparent when the former was 15 years old. However, his career has been marked by inconsistency and Robinho is often accused of not living up to his potential. He has also been convicted of sexual assault by an Italian court.

Michelle McCool

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1980

Birthplace: Palatka, Florida, United States

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Ariana DeBose

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1991

Birthplace: North Carolina, United States

Dinah Manoff

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1958

Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Dinah Manoff is an American actress best known for playing Libby Tucker in the comedy-drama play I Ought to Be in Pictures, which earned her a Tony Award. The daughter of actress Lee Grant, Manoff followed in the footsteps of her mother to establish herself as an actress and television director.

Robert Boyle

Listed In: Scientists

Birth Year: 1627

Birthplace: Ireland

Died: 1691

Robert Boyle was an Anglo-Irish chemist, natural philosopher, inventor, and physicist. Regarded as the first modern chemist, Boyle is often counted among the founders of modern chemistry. One of the pioneers of the scientific method, Robert Boyle is also remembered for his books, including The Sceptical Chymist, which is viewed as a keystone book in chemistry.

Jenifer Lewis

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1957

Birthplace: Kinloch, Missouri, USA

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

Christine Lakin

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1979

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA

Height: 5'1" (155 cm)

Charles Curtis

Listed In: Leaders

Birth Year: 1860

Birthplace: Topeka

Died: 1936

Charles Curtis served as the U.S. vice president from 1929 to 1933, becoming the first Native American person and the first person of color to hold the post. A qualified attorney, he served as the senate majority leader from 1924 to 1929. He also helped pass the 1898 Curtis Act.

Michael Trevino

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Montebello, California

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Marcus Samuelsson

Listed In: Business People

Birth Year: 1971

Birthplace: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopian Swedish chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson currently works as the head chef of Red Rooster in Harlem, New York. Fascinated by his grandmother’s cooking, he studied at the Culinary Institute in Göteborg to learn the nuances of food preparation. In the ensuing years, he gained recognition as a world-class chef. He is also an award-winning cookbook author.

Vladimir Vysotsky

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1938

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Died: 1980

A Soviet cultural icon, singer Vladimir Vysotsky was known for his social commentary in his songs. In his early years, he quit engineering to study acting. He later ruled the stage as an actor, before stepping into music. He even distributed his recordings after being banned in the country.

Hwang Jung-eum

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea

Hwang Jung-eum is a South Korean actress and singer. From 2002 to 2006, she was the lead vocalist of the now-defunct girl group, Sugar. Over the course of her career, Hwang has won several prestigious awards, such as MBC Drama Awards, SBS Drama Awards, and KBS Drama Awards. She also serves as a goodwill ambassador for several events and programs.

Joseph Louis Lagrange

Listed In: Scientists

Birth Year: 1736

Birthplace: Turin, Italy

Died: 1813

Joseph Louis Lagrange was an Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of number theory, analysis, and both classical and celestial mechanics. He served as the director of mathematics at the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin for over 20 years. He later moved to France and became a member of the French Academy of Sciences. 

Mia Kirshner

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Height: 5'3" (160 cm)

Gregory Sierra

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1941

Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

The Honky Tonk Man

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1953

Birthplace: Bolivar, Tennessee, United States

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

Patrick Willis

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Bruceton, Tennessee, United States

Morgane Stapleton

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1983

Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Chris Chelios

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1962

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Height: 5'11" (180 cm)

Ewan MacColl

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1915

Birthplace: Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England

Died: 1989

British folk singer-songwriter, folk song-collector, political activist, and actor Ewan MacColl, was a leading figure of the 1960s British folk revival. He is noted for writing songs like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Dirty Old Town. He was also involved in trade unionism and socialist politics as a steadfast communist and wrote several left-wing political songs.

Claudia Kim

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: South Korea

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Christina Ochoa

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Christina Ochoa is a Spanish actress best known for her portrayal of Grace D'Argento in the American science fiction series, Blood Drive. Ochoa is credited with founding QE Productions, which produced the critically acclaimed short film, Stay with Me. Also a science communicator, Christina Ochoa has been the host of many scientific shows and conferences.

William Maugham

Listed In: Writers

Birth Year: 1874

Birthplace: Paris, France

Died: 1965

Toše Proeski

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1981

Birthplace: Prilep, North Macedonia

Died: 2007

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Douglas Engelbart

Listed In: Engineers

Birth Year: 1925

Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States

Died: 2013

J. Marion Sims

Listed In: Physicians

Birth Year: 1813

Birthplace: Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States

Died: 1883

Known as The Father of Modern Gynaecology, J. Marion Sims is remembered for developing a surgical method to deal with vesicovaginal fistula, a childbirth-related complication. However, since his experiments were conducted on Black slave-women, without anesthesia, they were later deemed unethical. He had also headed the American Gynecological Society.

Tina Karol

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: Orotukan, Russia

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Thomas Aquinas

Listed In: Spiritual & Religious Leaders

Birth Year: 1225

Birthplace: Roccasecca, Italy

Died: 1274

Dominican friar and Catholic priest Thomas Aquinas was also a Doctor of the Church. He tried to mingle Aristotelian philosophy and Christianity. His works, including Summa Theologica and Disputed Questions on Truth, and his views on the Scriptures have been studied as prominent texts on theology, philosophy, and canon law.

Blind Willie Johnson

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1897

Birthplace: Pendleton, Texas, United States

Died: 1945

Remco Evenepoel

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 2000

Birthplace: Aalst, Belgium

The son of retired Belgian cyclist Patrick Evenepoel, Remco Evenepoel too is a skilled cyclist in his own right and an Olympian. While he began his sports career as a footballer with Anderlecht, he later switched to cycling. He now represents the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team.

Jai Waetford

Listed In: Singers

Birth Year: 1999

Birthplace: Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia

Australian singer Jai Waetford, best known for his hit single Your Eyes, came under the spotlight after his stint on The X Factor Australia. After his father abandoned the family when Waetford was a child, he was raised by his mother. A self-taught guitarist, too, he writes his own music.

Lou Groza

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1924

Birthplace: Martins Ferry, Ohio, United States

Died: 2000

Height: 6'3" (190 cm)

Andy Khachaturian

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1975

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Shirley Ardell Mason

Listed In: Miscellaneous

Birth Year: 1923

Birthplace: Dodge Center

Died: 1998

Olivier Assayas

Listed In: Film & Theater Personalities

Birth Year: 1955

Birthplace: Paris, France

Danny Woodhead

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1985

Birthplace: North Platte, Nebraska, United States

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

Buddy Baker

Listed In: Sportspersons

Birth Year: 1941

Birthplace: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Died: 2015

Height: 6'6" (198 cm)

Witold Lutoslawski

Listed In: Musicians

Birth Year: 1913

Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland

Died: 1994

Although he studied math at the University of Warsaw, Witold Lutoslawski also earned diplomas in composition and piano. He grew up to be one of the finest Polish composers and was often compared to Chopin. Known for combining neoclassical and folk elements in his music, he later won a Grammy.