Happy Birthday

Napoleon Bonaparte is known for being a highly ambitious military leader, leading France in conquests throughout the Middle East and Europe, but he was also an innovative political leader, seizing France from the remains of the ancien regime and the disorderly aftermath of the Revolution.

Known for thrillers like “Rear Window” and “The Birds,” Alfred Hitchcock is a master of bringing audiences to the edge of their seats. Although he became known for his precision on set, Hitchcock was a bit of a wild child while growing up in London.

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 from controversy, he passionately defended communist leaders, openly protested apartheid in South Africa and served as a Civil Rights activist.

Ernest Hemingway changed literature forever, crafting immaculately spare prose that proved meaning and emotion can be expressed without excessive description. He pursued life with uncommon vigor, whether writing, women, travel or sport, all the while tormented by the path he’d chosen. 

As a prolific lecturer, author and communication theorist, Marshall McLuhan explored the implications of technology on society, encouraging people to reconsider their relationship with it. His incredible foresight earned him nicknames such as 'Dr. Spock of Pop Culture' and 'apprentice of the media.'

Helen Keller lost her vision and hearing before age 2. But with help from her tutor, Anne Sullivan, Keller learned how to speak, read and write. She graduated magna cum laude from Radcliffe College and fought tirelessly for the blind throughout her lifetime. She was also a passionate socialist and suffragette.

George Orwell holds a significant place in contemporary literature. His politically charged masterpieces, “Animal Farm” and “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” introduced an entirely different approach to issues such as freedom and totalitarianism, and remain fresh and relevant today.

From the living room of his parents’ house to the world stage, Brian Wilson worked to establish the classic California surf sound with his band, the Beach Boys. Wilson is well known for the sunny tunes he wrote, although he has struggled for years to overcome the pain of an abusive childhood.

For nearly 50 years, celebrated television broadcaster, journalist and social pundit Bill Moyers has had his finger on the pulse of American politics, history and pop culture, both working in the government and looking into it. While some may debate his opinions, few can question Moyers' place in America's highest journalistic ranks.

Aesop, who was most likely a Greek slave, is credited with the creation of numerous fables that were originally intended for adults but have evolved, over time, into timeless bedtime stories and teaching tools.

Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay Americans to hold elected office, winning a seat of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. A crusader for gay rights, he sponsored a bill banning anti-gay discrimination and fought against an initiative targeting gay teachers, but his life was cut short when he was murdered by a fellow city politician.

Omar Khayyam was a brilliant mathematician, astronomer, philosopher and physician of the 11th century. He contributed to the basic principles of algebra and developed an accurate solar calendar that was used for 800 years. However, he is best known today for his poem “The Rubáiyát.”

An English physician who spent his early years studying fossils and birds, Edward Jenner discovered a vaccination for smallpox disease in 1796. His experiments paved the way for the modern science of immunology. Researchers continue to follow in Jenner’s footsteps, working to develop cures for problems such as arthritis and AIDS.

For 45 years, Studs Terkel conducted interviews with people from all walks of life. Through his radio program and published oral histories, Terkel was able to capture the pulse of American life from such varied people as celebrities, politicians, war veterans and single mothers.

Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, served as the face of U.S. foreign policy during Bill Clinton's second term as president. This hardworking politician also has several academic honors on her resume as well.

In 1998, Cate Blanchett appeared on filmgoers’ radar with her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I. Since then she has amazed audiences with her seemingly supernatural, “chameleonlike” ability to transform herself into a wide range of characters.

Stevie Wonder, the Motown sensation, chart topper, producer and humanitarian, has been in the spotlight for four decades.

Hungarian immigrant Joseph Pulitzer was a lawyer, politician, journalist and publisher of the nation’s most widely circulated newspaper. He is remembered best as the founder of the most significant American prize for excellence in writing and reporting.

Fairy tales may seem to have existed since the beginning of storytelling, but Hans Christian Andersen is the acknowledged father of the modern form. His achievements are still celebrated by the literary world today, and by children clamoring to read his stories.

For good or for ill, Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton changed the retail landscape of America with his chain of discount stores.

While lesser-known than her male peers, Berthe Morisot helped usher in the Impressionist movement in the 1860s by displaying her portraits and scenes of everyday life at prominent exhibits like the Paris Salon.

Christiane Amanpour is one of the most recognizable faces in the media coverage of the war on terror and the war in Iraq. Her courage to report directly from within the zones of conflict has made her one of the highest paid and most widely recognized television journalists in the world.

David Bowie is one of the most iconic rock musicians of the 20th century. Releasing chart-topping solo tracks as well as successfully collaborating with Lou Reed, Queen and John Lennon, Bowie has reinvented himself and his music a number of times throughout the last five decades. His performance career began with saxophone lessons at age 13 and continues today, with additional artistic experiments in mime, acting and producing.

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 story built upon an elaborate mythology, set of languages, and detailed landscape that took years of work, “The Lord of the Rings” continues to collect devoted fans (and slavish imitators).

Simon Wiesenthal was a Holocaust survivor. After World War II he spent nearly six decades tracking down hundreds of Nazi criminals whom he considered most responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews, gypsies and others during the war.

A prolific writer, Rudyard Kipling quickly gained acclaim for his poems and stories set in India during the period of British imperial rule. His work includes “Gunga Din” and “The Jungle Book.” Although his imperialistic views may not be popular today, his literary influence remains. Kipling was the first English writer, and to date, the youngest person, to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Marquise de Pompadour, one of the most powerful women of 18th-century France, was the mistress of King Louis XV of France and an influential patron of the arts.

Some of the most popular and lasting characters in American comics have emerged from the imagination of Stanley Lieber, aka, Stan Lee. His attention to emotion and actual feelings, in a genre dominated by action, has made the man behind Marvel comics among the most successful and widely known figures in comics.

An icon of sexuality and sensuality who captured her public with understated beauty and nonchalant charm, the German-born Marlene Dietrich was one of the truly unforgettable legends of film. She was a singer, a dancer, a leading lady, an entirely original fashion trendsetter and even a commended World War II hero.

A “gentleman of science” and holder of Cambridge University’s Lucasian chair, Charles Babbage was a wealthy amateur mathematician who is credited with numerous indispensible inventions, including the ophthalmoscope and proposals for two computer-like devices, the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine.