Random Famous Person Generator: 500 Historical Figures by Era

One press names people from 38 centuries of history, each with a role, a country, their years and the one thing they are remembered for.

Random Famous Person Generator: 500 Historical Figures by Era

  1. Emperor Meiji
  2. Nell Gwyn
  3. Corazon Aquino
  4. Ban Zhao
  5. Alexander the Great

1:00

Saved

Seen 5 of 500

Tip: the space bar makes new ones.

Famous Person of the day

 

Next step Draw a named period, Stone Age to ReiwaDraw a year from 1900 to 2026

Random Famous Person Generator: 500 Historical Figures by Era: how it works

Everyone in this random famous person generator has died: 500 people, from Hammurabi of Babylon, born about 1810 BC, to Dolly Parton, who died in August 2026. Each card gives a role, a country, birth and death years and why the name lasted. Press an era and it works as a random historical figure generator.

A name from the era or the field you need

Five eras split the list, from 48 names before 500 to 206 from 1900 onwards. A person sits in the era when they turned 40, or died if sooner, so Marie Curie falls under 1900 onwards. Four fields sort by what people did: Leaders and reformers (132), Science and exploration (112), Writers, artists and thinkers (136) and Stage, screen and sport (120). Rows combine: Women, 172 in all, with 1800 to 1899 leaves 41.

Quiz rounds and fact checks

Press Hide all answers for a names-only round: what is each person known for? Every card was checked on September 18 or 19, 2026 against the person's encyclopedia article and public data record: the death, both years and the known-for line. Unsupported claims were cut, so Ludwig van Beethoven's card says his hearing failed, not that he went deaf.

Tips

  • Stage, screen and sport is thin before 1500: five names, from the wrestler Milo of Croton to the Noh playwright Zeami Motokiyo.
  • For Who Am I?, draw one name on the 60-second timer and answer only yes or no.
  • Draw three and ask the table which one they would invite to dinner.

Questions and answers

Can it give me a random famous person who is still alive?

No. Everyone here has died, which lets a card sum up a whole life. Some left recently: 21 died in 2020 or later, among them Dolly Parton in 2026, Jane Goodall in 2025 and Pelé in 2022. For a random dead celebrity generator, press 1900 onwards with Stage, screen and sport: 96 actors, singers and athletes.

Who was left off the list, and why?

The prophets and founders of the major world faiths, because a quiz card cannot do them justice; Confucius and Martin Luther are on, and holy men and women have the random saint generator. Twentieth-century dictators are out, and so are heroes known only from legend, though Homer and Sun Tzu stay on cards that say credited with. Only two US presidents appear; the rest are on the random president generator.

Why do some cards say c., about or only a century?

Because nobody wrote the date down. A c. means circa: historians place the year within a few years either way. Euclid's card says active about 300 BC, and Amelia Earhart's gives 1937, the year she disappeared.

More like this

Random tool Browse People and Jobs

All 500 famous people

Show all 500 famous people

Before 500 48

  • Alexander the Great King, Macedon, 356 to 323 BC. By the age of 30 had built an empire from Greece to north-west India.
  • Archimedes Mathematician, Ancient Greece, c. 287 to c. 212 BC. Worked out the laws of the lever and of buoyancy.
  • Aristotle Philosopher, Ancient Greece, 384 to 322 BC. Student of Plato and tutor to Alexander the Great.
  • Ashoka Emperor, India, c. 304 to 232 BC. Maurya emperor who turned to Buddhism after the Kalinga war.
  • Attila Ruler of the Huns, Hunnic Empire, c. AD 406 to 453. Led the Huns against both halves of the Roman Empire.
  • Augustus Emperor, Ancient Rome, 63 BC to AD 14. The first Roman emperor, who opened two centuries of the Pax Romana.
  • Ban Zhao Historian, China, c. AD 49 to c. 120. Completed the Book of Han after her brother Ban Gu died.
  • Boudica Queen of the Iceni, Britain, died about AD 61. Led a British uprising against Roman rule.
  • Cai Lun Court official, China, died AD 121. By tradition the inventor of paper, in AD 105.
  • Cicero Statesman, Ancient Rome, 106 to 43 BC. Rome's great orator, whose letters and speeches shaped Latin prose.
  • Cleopatra Queen, Ancient Egypt, 69 to 30 BC. The last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt.
  • Confucius Philosopher, China, c. 551 to c. 479 BC. His sayings, gathered in the Analects, shaped East Asian thought.
  • Constantine the Great Emperor, Ancient Rome, c. AD 272 to 337. First Roman emperor to become a Christian; founded Constantinople.
  • Cyrus the Great King, Persia, c. 600 to 530 BC. Founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
  • Enheduanna Priestess and poet, Akkadian Empire, 23rd century BC. Often called the first author known by name.
  • Eratosthenes Scholar, Ancient Greece, c. 276 to c. 194 BC. Measured the Earth's circumference from shadows in two cities.
  • Euclid Mathematician, Ancient Greece, active about 300 BC. Wrote the Elements, the core of geometry until the 1800s.
  • Gaius Appuleius Diocles Charioteer, Ancient Rome, AD 104 to after 146. Won 1,462 of his 4,257 chariot races over a 24-year career.
  • Hammurabi King, Babylon, c. 1810 to c. 1750 BC. Issued one of the oldest surviving written codes of law.
  • Hannibal General, Carthage, 247 to c. 183 BC. Marched an army with war elephants across the Alps into Italy.
  • Hatshepsut Pharaoh, Ancient Egypt, c. 1505 to 1458 BC. Ruled for over 20 years and built her temple at Deir el-Bahari.
  • Herodotus Historian, Ancient Greece, c. 484 to c. 425 BC. Wrote the Histories and is called the father of history.
  • Hippocrates Physician, Ancient Greece, c. 460 to c. 370 BC. Called the father of medicine; namesake of the doctors' oath.
  • Homer Poet, Ancient Greece, about the 8th century BC. Credited with the Iliad and the Odyssey.
  • Hypatia Philosopher and mathematician, Roman Egypt, died AD 415. Taught philosophy and astronomy in Alexandria.
  • Julius Caesar General, Ancient Rome, 100 to 44 BC. Conquered Gaul, crossed the Rubicon and died on the Ides of March.
  • Kalidasa Poet and playwright, India, about the 4th to 5th century. Wrote the Sanskrit play Shakuntala.
  • Leonidas I King of Sparta, Ancient Greece, c. 540 to 480 BC. Died leading the Greek stand at Thermopylae.
  • Marcus Aurelius Emperor and philosopher, Ancient Rome, AD 121 to 180. Wrote the Stoic notebook known as Meditations.
  • Milo of Croton Wrestler, Ancient Greece, 6th century BC. Won the wrestling crown at six Olympic Games.
  • Nefertiti Queen, Ancient Egypt, c. 1370 to c. 1330 BC. Reigned beside Akhenaten; her painted bust is in Berlin.
  • Pericles Statesman, Ancient Greece, c. 495 to 429 BC. Led Athens in its golden age and had the Parthenon built.
  • Plato Philosopher, Ancient Greece, c. 428 to c. 347 BC. Founded the Academy in Athens and wrote the Republic.
  • Ptolemy Astronomer, Roman Egypt, c. AD 100 to c. 170. Wrote the Almagest, an Earth-centered map of the heavens.
  • Pythagoras Philosopher, Ancient Greece, c. 570 to c. 495 BC. Gave his name to the theorem about right-angled triangles.
  • Qin Shi Huang Emperor, China, 259 to 210 BC. First emperor of a unified China, buried with the Terracotta Army.
  • Quintus Roscius Gallus Actor, Ancient Rome, c. 126 to 62 BC. The most famous actor of Rome, once defended in court by Cicero.
  • Ramesses II Pharaoh, Ancient Egypt, c. 1303 to 1213 BC. Reigned for 66 years and built the temples of Abu Simbel.
  • Sappho Poet, Ancient Greece, c. 630 to c. 570 BC. Lyric poet of Lesbos whom the ancients called the Tenth Muse.
  • Socrates Philosopher, Ancient Greece, c. 470 to 399 BC. Taught by asking questions, wrote nothing and died by hemlock.
  • Sophocles Playwright, Ancient Greece, c. 497 to c. 406 BC. Wrote the tragedies Oedipus Rex and Antigone.
  • Spartacus Gladiator, Thrace, c. 103 to 71 BC. Escaped a gladiator school and led a slave army against Rome.
  • Sun Tzu General, China, by tradition 544 to 496 BC. Credited with The Art of War, a classic of military strategy.
  • Thespis Actor, Ancient Greece, 6th century BC. According to Aristotle, the first person to play a character on stage.
  • Tutankhamun Pharaoh, Ancient Egypt, c. 1342 to c. 1323 BC. His nearly intact tomb was found by Howard Carter in 1922.
  • Virgil Poet, Ancient Rome, 70 to 19 BC. Wrote the Aeneid, the national epic of Rome.
  • Zenobia Queen, Palmyra, c. AD 240 to c. 274. Conquered Egypt and defied the Roman Empire.
  • Zhang Heng Astronomer and inventor, China, AD 78 to 139. Built the first seismoscope, in AD 132.

500 to 1499 56

  • Al-Khwarizmi Mathematician, Abbasid Caliphate, c. 780 to c. 850. The words algebra and algorithm both trace back to him.
  • Alfred the Great King of Wessex, England, c. 849 to 899. Held off the Viking invasions and promoted learning in English.
  • Anna Komnene Historian, Byzantine Empire, 1083 to c. 1153. Wrote the Alexiad, a history of her father's reign.
  • Aryabhata Mathematician, India, 476 to 550. Wrote the Aryabhatiya and held that the Earth spins on its axis.
  • Averroes Philosopher and judge, Al-Andalus, 1126 to 1198. His commentaries brought Aristotle back to medieval Europe.
  • Avicenna Physician, Persia, c. 980 to 1037. Wrote The Canon of Medicine, a standard medical text for centuries.
  • Charlemagne King and emperor, Frankish Empire, c. 748 to 814. Crowned emperor in Rome on Christmas Day in the year 800.
  • Christine de Pizan Court writer, France, 1364 to c. 1430. Wrote The Book of the City of Ladies in 1405.
  • Christopher Columbus Explorer, Italy, 1451 to 1506. Crossed the Atlantic four times for Spain, first in 1492.
  • Dante Alighieri Poet, Italy, c. 1265 to 1321. Wrote the Divine Comedy, a journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
  • Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen, France and England, c. 1124 to 1204. Wife of Louis VII, then Henry II; Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137.
  • Empress Matilda Empress, England and Normandy, c. 1102 to 1167. Fought her cousin Stephen for England's crown in the Anarchy.
  • Fibonacci Mathematician, Italy, c. 1170 to after 1240. Brought Hindu-Arabic numerals to Europe in his book Liber Abaci.
  • Filippo Brunelleschi Architect, Italy, 1377 to 1446. Designed the dome of Florence Cathedral.
  • Genghis Khan Khan, Mongol Empire, c. 1162 to 1227. Founded the largest contiguous land empire in history.
  • Geoffrey Chaucer Poet, England, c. 1343 to 1400. Wrote The Canterbury Tales; called the father of English literature.
  • Giotto Painter, Italy, c. 1267 to 1337. Painted the fresco cycle of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua.
  • Hildegard of Bingen Abbess and composer, Germany, c. 1098 to 1179. Wrote chants, a morality play and books on medicine.
  • Hōjō Masako Regent, Japan, 1157 to 1225. Held such power in Kamakura that she was called the nun shogun.
  • Ibn al-Haytham Physicist, Iraq and Egypt, c. 965 to c. 1040. His Book of Optics showed that sight is light entering the eye.
  • Ibn Battuta Explorer, Morocco, 1304 to c. 1369. Traveled further than any other explorer before the modern age.
  • Ibn Khaldun Historian, Tunisia, 1332 to 1406. Wrote the Muqaddimah, an early work of sociology and economics.
  • Isabella I of Castile Queen, Spain, 1451 to 1504. Backed the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus.
  • Jan van Eyck Painter, Flanders, c. 1390 to 1441. Painted the Arnolfini Portrait and the Ghent Altarpiece.
  • Joan of Arc Military leader, France, c. 1412 to 1431. Helped lift the siege of Orléans; burned at the stake at about 19.
  • Johannes Gutenberg Printer, Germany, c. 1400 to 1468. Brought movable-type printing to Europe; printed the Gutenberg Bible.
  • Julian of Norwich Mystic and writer, England, c. 1343 to after 1416. Wrote the earliest surviving book in English by a woman.
  • Justinian I Emperor, Byzantine Empire, 482 to 565. Had Roman law codified and built the Hagia Sophia.
  • Kublai Khan Emperor, Mongol Empire, 1215 to 1294. Grandson of Genghis Khan who founded the Yuan dynasty of China.
  • Leif Erikson Explorer, Norse Greenland, c. 970s to c. 1020. Thought to be the first European on the American mainland.
  • Leonardo da Vinci Painter and inventor, Italy, 1452 to 1519. Painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
  • Li Bai Poet, China, 701 to 762. One of the two great poets of the Tang dynasty, with his friend Du Fu.
  • Li Qingzhao Poet, China, 1084 to c. 1155. A leading writer of ci, the sung verse of the Song dynasty.
  • Lorenzo de' Medici Statesman and patron, Italy, 1449 to 1492. Ruler of Florence and patron of Botticelli and Michelangelo.
  • Maimonides Rabbi, philosopher and physician, Spain and Egypt, c. 1138 to 1204. Wrote The Guide for the Perplexed.
  • Mansa Musa Emperor, Mali Empire, c. 1280 to c. 1337. His pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 spread word of Mali's gold.
  • Marco Polo Merchant and explorer, Italy, c. 1254 to 1324. Traveled the Silk Road to the court of Kublai Khan.
  • Margaret I of Denmark Queen, Denmark, 1353 to 1412. Joined Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the Kalmar Union.
  • Mehmed II Sultan, Ottoman Empire, 1432 to 1481. Took Constantinople in 1453, aged 21, ending the Byzantine Empire.
  • Murasaki Shikibu Novelist, Japan, c. 973 to c. 1014. Wrote The Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel.
  • Omar Khayyam Mathematician and poet, Persia, 1048 to 1131. Solved cubic equations and is known for the Rubaiyat quatrains.
  • Pachacuti Emperor, Inca Empire, reigned about 1438 to 1471. Turned the kingdom of Cusco into the Inca Empire.
  • Razia Sultana Sultan, Delhi Sultanate, died 1240. The only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate.
  • Robert the Bruce King, Scotland, 1274 to 1329. Defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314.
  • Rumi Sufi poet, Anatolia, 1207 to 1273. Wrote the Masnavi, a six-book Persian poem of Sufi teaching.
  • Saladin Sultan, Egypt and Syria, c. 1137 to 1193. Retook Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.
  • Sandro Botticelli Painter, Italy, c. 1445 to 1510. Painted The Birth of Venus and Primavera.
  • Sei Shōnagon Writer and court lady, Japan, c. 966 to c. 1025. Wrote The Pillow Book, a journal of life at the Heian court.
  • Sejong the Great King, Korea, 1397 to 1450. Created Hangul, the Korean alphabet.
  • Tamar of Georgia Queen, Georgia, c. 1160 to 1213. Presided over the peak of the Georgian Golden Age.
  • Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians, Mercia, c. 870 to 918. Ruled Mercia from 911 and built forts against the Vikings.
  • Theodora Empress, Byzantine Empire, c. 500 to 548. Her resolve in the Nika riots kept Justinian on the throne.
  • William the Conqueror King, Normandy and England, c. 1028 to 1087. Won at Hastings in 1066 to become England's first Norman king.
  • Wu Zetian Empress, China, 624 to 705. The only woman in Chinese history to take the title of emperor.
  • Zeami Motokiyo Actor and playwright, Japan, c. 1363 to c. 1443. Shaped Noh theater and wrote many of its classic plays.
  • Zheng He Admiral, China, 1371 to c. 1433. Led seven treasure voyages across the Indian Ocean.

1500 to 1799 86

  • Adam Smith Economist, Scotland, 1723 to 1790. Wrote The Wealth of Nations; called the father of economics.
  • Akbar Emperor, Mughal Empire, 1542 to 1605. Widened the Mughal Empire to take in much of the Indian subcontinent.
  • Albrecht Dürer Painter and printmaker, Germany, 1471 to 1528. His woodcuts and engravings made him famous in his twenties.
  • Alessandro Volta Physicist, Italy, 1745 to 1827. Invented the electric battery; the volt has his name.
  • Alexander Hamilton Statesman, United States, c. 1757 to 1804. First US Treasury secretary; killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.
  • Andreas Vesalius Anatomist, Flanders, 1514 to 1564. Wrote On the Fabric of the Human Body, the first modern anatomy book.
  • Antoine Lavoisier Chemist, France, 1743 to 1794. Named oxygen and hydrogen and showed that mass is conserved in reactions.
  • Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Microscopist, Netherlands, 1632 to 1723. The first person to see bacteria, through lenses he made himself.
  • Antonio Vivaldi Composer, Italy, 1678 to 1741. Wrote The Four Seasons, a set of violin concertos.
  • Aphra Behn Playwright, England, c. 1640 to 1689. One of the first Englishwomen to live by writing; spied for Charles II.
  • Artemisia Gentileschi Painter, Italy, 1593 to after 1654. First woman admitted to the Florence academy of art.
  • Benjamin Franklin Statesman and inventor, United States, 1706 to 1790. Invented the lightning rod and bifocal glasses.
  • Blaise Pascal Mathematician, France, 1623 to 1662. Built a mechanical calculator in his teens; the pascal has his name.
  • Carl Linnaeus Botanist, Sweden, 1707 to 1778. Set up the two-part Latin naming system for living things.
  • Caroline Herschel Astronomer, Germany, 1750 to 1848. Discovered several comets; the first woman paid for scientific work.
  • Catherine de' Medici Queen, Italy and France, 1519 to 1589. Queen of France, then mother of three French kings in a row.
  • Catherine the Great Empress, Russia, 1729 to 1796. Ruled from 1762; her art collection grew into the Hermitage Museum.
  • David Garrick Actor and theater manager, England, 1717 to 1779. Ran the Drury Lane theater for 29 years.
  • Diego Velázquez Painter, Spain, 1599 to 1660. Court painter to Philip IV who painted Las Meninas.
  • Edmond Halley Astronomer, England, 1656 to 1742. Worked out the orbit of the comet that carries his name.
  • Edward Jenner Physician, England, 1749 to 1823. Used cowpox to protect against smallpox, which made the first vaccine.
  • Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Painter, France, 1755 to 1842. Portrait painter to Marie Antoinette.
  • Elizabeth I Queen, England, 1533 to 1603. Reigned for 44 years and saw off the Spanish Armada.
  • Émilie du Châtelet Mathematician, France, 1706 to 1749. Her French translation of Newton's Principia is still the standard one.
  • Farinelli Opera singer, Italy, 1705 to 1782. The most celebrated castrato singer of the 18th century.
  • Ferdinand Magellan Explorer, Portugal, c. 1480 to 1521. Planned and led the first voyage around the world; died on the way.
  • Francisco Goya Painter, Spain, 1746 to 1828. Painted The Third of May 1808 and the Black Paintings.
  • Frederick the Great King, Prussia, 1712 to 1786. Made Prussia a leading European power; a keen flautist.
  • Galileo Galilei Astronomer and physicist, Italy, 1564 to 1642. Found the four largest moons of Jupiter with his telescope.
  • George Frideric Handel Composer, Germany and England, 1685 to 1759. Wrote the oratorio Messiah, with its Hallelujah chorus.
  • George Washington General and president, United States, 1732 to 1799. Led the Continental Army and was the first US president.
  • Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Mathematician and philosopher, Germany, 1646 to 1716. Invented calculus independently of Newton.
  • Grace O'Malley Chieftain and sea captain, Ireland, c. 1530 to c. 1603. Met Elizabeth I at Greenwich Palace in 1593.
  • Henry VIII King, England, 1491 to 1547. Married six times and broke the English church away from Rome.
  • Horatio Nelson Admiral, United Kingdom, 1758 to 1805. Won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and died in the hour of victory.
  • Immanuel Kant Philosopher, Prussia, 1724 to 1804. Wrote the Critique of Pure Reason.
  • Isaac Newton Mathematician and physicist, England, 1643 to 1727. Set out the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
  • Izumo no Okuni Dancer and shrine maiden, Japan, c. 1578 to c. 1613. Credited with founding kabuki theater.
  • James Cook Navigator, United Kingdom, 1728 to 1779. Made three Pacific voyages; mapped New Zealand and east Australia.
  • James Watt Engineer, Scotland, 1736 to 1819. His steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution; the watt has his name.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach Composer, Germany, 1685 to 1750. Wrote the Brandenburg Concertos and the Mass in B minor.
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Writer, Germany, 1749 to 1832. Wrote the two-part drama Faust.
  • Johannes Kepler Astronomer, Germany, 1571 to 1630. Worked out the laws of planetary motion.
  • Johannes Vermeer Painter, Netherlands, 1632 to 1675. Painted Girl with a Pearl Earring; 34 of his paintings survive.
  • John Locke Philosopher, England, 1632 to 1704. Known as the father of liberalism.
  • Kangxi Emperor Emperor, China, 1654 to 1722. Reigned for 61 years, the longest of any Chinese emperor.
  • Leonhard Euler Mathematician, Switzerland, 1707 to 1783. Among the most prolific mathematicians in history.
  • Louis XIV King, France, 1638 to 1715. Reigned for 72 years and built the Palace of Versailles.
  • Maria Sibylla Merian Naturalist and artist, Germany, 1647 to 1717. Painted the life cycles of insects from her own field studies.
  • Maria Theresa Empress and queen, Austria, 1717 to 1780. The only woman to rule the Habsburg lands, for 40 years.
  • Marie Antoinette Queen, France, 1755 to 1793. On the throne from 1774 until the monarchy fell; guillotined in 1793.
  • Martin Luther Priest and reformer, Germany, 1483 to 1546. His Ninety-five Theses of 1517 began the Protestant Reformation.
  • Mary Wollstonecraft Writer and philosopher, England, 1759 to 1797. Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792.
  • Mary, Queen of Scots Queen, Scotland, 1542 to 1587. Queen at six days old; executed after 19 years held in England.
  • Matsuo Bashō Poet, Japan, 1644 to 1694. The best-known haiku poet, author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
  • Michelangelo Sculptor and painter, Italy, 1475 to 1564. Carved David and painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
  • Miguel de Cervantes Novelist, Spain, 1547 to 1616. Wrote Don Quixote, often called the first modern novel.
  • Moctezuma II Emperor, Aztec Empire, c. 1466 to 1520. Ruled the Aztec Empire at its greatest size as the Spanish arrived.
  • Molière Playwright and actor, France, 1622 to 1673. Wrote the comedies Tartuffe and The Misanthrope.
  • Nell Gwyn Actor, England, 1650 to 1687. A comic star among the first actresses on the English stage.
  • Niccolò Machiavelli Diplomat and writer, Italy, 1469 to 1527. Wrote The Prince, a blunt handbook on holding power.
  • Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomer, Poland, 1473 to 1543. Put the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of the universe.
  • Nur Jahan Empress, Mughal Empire, 1577 to 1645. Wife of Jahangir; had coins struck in her own name.
  • Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba Queen, Ndongo and Matamba, c. 1583 to 1663. Held off Portuguese rule in what is now Angola for decades.
  • Olympe de Gouges Playwright and activist, France, 1748 to 1793. Wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman in 1791.
  • Peter the Great Tsar and emperor, Russia, 1672 to 1725. Founded Saint Petersburg and the Russian Navy.
  • Phillis Wheatley Poet, United States, c. 1753 to 1784. Enslaved in Boston; published her book of poems in London in 1773.
  • Raphael Painter, Italy, 1483 to 1520. Painted The School of Athens in the Vatican.
  • Rembrandt Painter, Netherlands, 1606 to 1669. Painted The Night Watch and portrayed himself about 100 times.
  • René Descartes Philosopher, France, 1596 to 1650. Wrote 'I think, therefore I am' and devised Cartesian coordinates.
  • Richard Burbage Actor, England, c. 1567 to 1619. The star of Shakespeare's company and the first to play Hamlet.
  • Sarah Siddons Actor, Wales, 1755 to 1831. The best-known tragic actor of the 18th century, famed as Lady Macbeth.
  • Shah Jahan Emperor, Mughal Empire, 1592 to 1666. Had the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Nun and poet, Mexico, c. 1648 to 1695. Self-taught scholar and poet of colonial Mexico.
  • Suleiman the Magnificent Sultan, Ottoman Empire, 1494 to 1566. The longest-reigning Ottoman sultan, on the throne from 1520 to 1566.
  • Tansen Musician, India, c. 1493 to 1589. Court musician to Akbar and one of his Nine Jewels.
  • Tokugawa Ieyasu Shogun, Japan, 1543 to 1616. Founded the shogunate that ruled Japan until 1868.
  • Toussaint Louverture General, Haiti, 1743 to 1803. Born enslaved, he led the Haitian Revolution and died in a French prison.
  • Vasco da Gama Explorer, Portugal, c. 1469 to 1524. Linked Europe and Asia by an ocean route around Africa, 1497 to 1499.
  • Voltaire Writer and philosopher, France, 1694 to 1778. Wrote the satire Candide and argued for free speech.
  • Wang Zhenyi Astronomer, China, 1768 to 1797. Showed how lunar eclipses work with a lamp, a mirror and a table.
  • William Harvey Physician, England, 1578 to 1657. First to describe in full how the heart pumps blood around the body.
  • William Shakespeare Playwright, England, 1564 to 1616. Wrote some 39 plays, among them Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.
  • William Wilberforce Politician, United Kingdom, 1759 to 1833. Led the campaign that ended the British slave trade in 1807.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer, Austria, 1756 to 1791. Composed from the age of five and left more than 800 works.
  • Yi Sun-sin Admiral, Korea, 1545 to 1598. Beat back Japan's invasion fleets with his turtle ships.

1800 to 1899 104

  • Abraham Lincoln President, United States, 1809 to 1865. Led the Union in the Civil War; issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • Ada Lovelace Mathematician, England, 1815 to 1852. Wrote what is often called the first computer program.
  • Adelina Patti Opera singer, Italy, 1843 to 1919. Soprano whose public career ran from a child debut in 1851 to 1914.
  • Alexander Graham Bell Inventor, Scotland and United States, 1847 to 1922. Patented the first practical telephone, in 1876.
  • Alexander Pushkin Poet, Russia, 1799 to 1837. Wrote Eugene Onegin; seen as the founder of modern Russian literature.
  • Alexander von Humboldt Naturalist and explorer, Germany, 1769 to 1859. Spent five years exploring and measuring the Americas.
  • Alexandre Dumas Novelist, France, 1802 to 1870. Wrote The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.
  • Alfred Nobel Chemist and inventor, Sweden, 1833 to 1896. Invented dynamite and left his fortune to fund the Nobel Prizes.
  • Antoni Gaudí Architect, Spain, 1852 to 1926. Designed the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona.
  • Arthur Conan Doyle Writer and physician, United Kingdom, 1859 to 1930. Created the detective Sherlock Holmes in 1887.
  • Auguste Rodin Sculptor, France, 1840 to 1917. Made The Thinker and The Kiss.
  • Berthe Morisot Painter, France, 1841 to 1895. Showed with the Impressionists from their first exhibition in 1874.
  • Carl Friedrich Gauss Mathematician, Germany, 1777 to 1855. Called the prince of mathematicians.
  • Charles Darwin Naturalist, England, 1809 to 1882. Set out evolution by natural selection in On the Origin of Species.
  • Charles Dickens Novelist, England, 1812 to 1870. Wrote Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations.
  • Charlotte Brontë Novelist, England, 1816 to 1855. Wrote Jane Eyre, first published under the name Currer Bell.
  • Clara Barton Nurse, United States, 1821 to 1912. Civil War nurse who founded the American Red Cross.
  • Clara Schumann Pianist and composer, Germany, 1819 to 1896. A concert pianist for 61 years.
  • Claude Monet Painter, France, 1840 to 1926. His painting Impression, Sunrise gave Impressionism its name.
  • David Livingstone Missionary and explorer, Scotland, 1813 to 1873. Crossed Africa and named Victoria Falls for his queen.
  • Dmitri Mendeleev Chemist, Russia, 1834 to 1907. Drew up the periodic table and predicted elements not yet found.
  • Edgar Allan Poe Writer, United States, 1809 to 1849. Wrote The Raven and is credited with inventing the detective story.
  • Edmund Kean Actor, England, 1787 to 1833. Shakespearean star famed for Shylock and Richard III.
  • Edwin Booth Actor, United States, 1833 to 1893. His 'hundred nights Hamlet' set a record that stood until 1922.
  • Elizabeth Blackwell Physician, United Kingdom and United States, 1821 to 1910. The first woman to earn a US medical degree.
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton Suffragist, United States, 1815 to 1902. Main author of the Declaration of Sentiments at Seneca Falls, 1848.
  • Elizabeth Fry Prison reformer, England, 1780 to 1845. Worked for humane treatment of prisoners, above all women in Newgate.
  • Ellen Terry Actor, England, 1847 to 1928. Britain's leading Shakespearean actress, long beside Henry Irving.
  • Emily Brontë Novelist and poet, England, 1818 to 1848. Wrote Wuthering Heights under the pen name Ellis Bell.
  • Emily Dickinson Poet, United States, 1830 to 1886. Wrote nearly 1,800 poems, only a handful printed in her lifetime.
  • Emmeline Pankhurst Suffragette, United Kingdom, 1858 to 1928. Founded the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903.
  • Emperor Meiji Emperor, Japan, 1852 to 1912. Reigned as Japan changed from a feudal state into an industrial power.
  • Empress Dowager Cixi Empress dowager, China, 1835 to 1908. Regent who controlled the Qing government, on and off, from 1861.
  • Fanny Mendelssohn Composer and pianist, Germany, 1805 to 1847. Wrote more than 450 pieces of music.
  • Florence Nightingale Nurse and statistician, United Kingdom, 1820 to 1910. Founded modern nursing; called the Lady with the Lamp.
  • Franz Liszt Pianist and composer, Hungary, 1811 to 1886. His concert tours set off the craze called Lisztomania.
  • Frédéric Chopin Composer and pianist, Poland, 1810 to 1849. Wrote almost entirely for solo piano.
  • Frederick Douglass Abolitionist, United States, c. 1818 to 1895. Escaped slavery and won fame as an anti-slavery orator.
  • Fyodor Dostoevsky Novelist, Russia, 1821 to 1881. Wrote Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov.
  • George Eliot Novelist, England, 1819 to 1880. Pen name of Mary Ann Evans, who wrote Middlemarch.
  • George Sand Novelist, France, 1804 to 1876. Pen name of Aurore Dupin, author of Indiana.
  • Giuseppe Garibaldi General, Italy, 1807 to 1882. Led the Expedition of the Thousand that helped unite Italy.
  • Giuseppe Verdi Composer, Italy, 1813 to 1901. Wrote the operas Rigoletto, La traviata and Aida.
  • Gregor Mendel Friar and botanist, Austria, 1822 to 1884. His pea-plant experiments founded the science of genetics.
  • Gustave Eiffel Civil engineer, France, 1832 to 1923. His firm built the Eiffel Tower and the frame of the Statue of Liberty.
  • Hans Christian Andersen Writer, Denmark, 1805 to 1875. Wrote The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen.
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe Novelist, United States, 1811 to 1896. Wrote the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
  • Harriet Tubman Abolitionist, United States, c. 1822 to 1913. Led about 70 people out of slavery on the Underground Railroad.
  • Hokusai Printmaker and painter, Japan, 1760 to 1849. Made the woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
  • Ira Aldridge Actor, United States and United Kingdom, 1807 to 1867. American-born Shakespearean who starred across Europe.
  • James Clerk Maxwell Physicist, Scotland, 1831 to 1879. Showed that electricity, magnetism and light are one phenomenon.
  • Jane Austen Novelist, England, 1775 to 1817. Wrote six novels, among them Pride and Prejudice and Emma.
  • Jenny Lind Opera singer, Sweden, 1820 to 1887. Known as the Swedish Nightingale; toured the United States in 1850.
  • José de San Martín General, Argentina, 1778 to 1850. Led the fight for the independence of Argentina, Chile and Peru.
  • José Rizal Writer and reformer, Philippines, 1861 to 1896. National hero whose novels stirred the Philippine Revolution.
  • Joseph Grimaldi Clown, England, 1778 to 1837. Shaped the white-faced pantomime clown; clowns are still called Joeys.
  • Jules Verne Novelist, France, 1828 to 1905. Wrote Around the World in Eighty Days and dozens more adventure novels.
  • Kamehameha I King, Hawaii, died 1819. United the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom by 1810.
  • Karl Benz Engineer, Germany, 1844 to 1929. His 1885 Motorwagen is regarded as the first practical car.
  • Karl Marx Philosopher, Germany, 1818 to 1883. Wrote The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels, and Das Kapital.
  • Kate Sheppard Suffragist, New Zealand, c. 1848 to 1934. Led the campaign that won New Zealand women the vote in 1893.
  • Leo Tolstoy Novelist, Russia, 1828 to 1910. Wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
  • Liliʻuokalani Queen, Hawaii, 1838 to 1917. The last monarch of Hawaii, and composer of Aloha ʻOe.
  • Louis Braille Inventor, France, 1809 to 1852. Blind from childhood, he devised his raised-dot alphabet by fifteen.
  • Louis Pasteur Chemist and microbiologist, France, 1822 to 1895. Developed pasteurization and a vaccine against rabies.
  • Louisa May Alcott Novelist, United States, 1832 to 1888. Wrote Little Women, loosely based on her childhood with three sisters.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven Composer, Germany, 1770 to 1827. Wrote nine symphonies and kept composing as his hearing failed.
  • Machado de Assis Novelist, Brazil, 1839 to 1908. Wrote Dom Casmurro; often named Brazil's greatest writer.
  • Maria Mitchell Astronomer, United States, 1818 to 1889. Found a comet in 1847 that was named Miss Mitchell's Comet.
  • Marie Taglioni Ballet dancer, Sweden and Italy, 1804 to 1884. Star of the Romantic ballet, famed for La Sylphide.
  • Mark Twain Writer, United States, 1835 to 1910. Wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
  • Mary Anning Fossil collector, England, 1799 to 1847. Found the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton aged 12.
  • Mary Cassatt Painter, United States, 1844 to 1926. Joined the Paris Impressionists; known for mothers and children.
  • Mary Seacole Nurse, Jamaica and Britain, 1805 to 1881. Ran the British Hotel for soldiers in the Crimean War.
  • Mary Shelley Novelist, England, 1797 to 1851. Wrote Frankenstein, published when she was 20.
  • Menelik II Emperor, Ethiopia, 1844 to 1913. Defeated an Italian invasion at the Battle of Adwa in 1896.
  • Michael Faraday Physicist, England, 1791 to 1867. Discovered electromagnetic induction, the basis of the electric motor.
  • Napoleon Emperor, France, 1769 to 1821. Crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804; beaten at Waterloo in 1815.
  • Niccolò Paganini Violinist and composer, Italy, 1782 to 1840. Drew crowds across Europe; wrote the 24 Caprices for violin.
  • Nikola Tesla Inventor, Austrian Empire and United States, 1856 to 1943. Helped design the modern AC power supply system.
  • Oscar Wilde Playwright, Ireland, 1854 to 1900. Wrote The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
  • Otto von Bismarck Chancellor, Germany, 1815 to 1898. United Germany in 1871 and served as its first chancellor.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Composer, Russia, 1840 to 1893. Wrote the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.
  • Queen Victoria Queen, United Kingdom, 1819 to 1901. Reigned for 63 years and gave her name to an age.
  • Rani of Jhansi Queen, India, c. 1828 to 1858. A leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British rule.
  • Robert Louis Stevenson Novelist, Scotland, 1850 to 1894. Wrote Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
  • Sacagawea Interpreter, North America, c. 1788 to 1812. Joined Lewis and Clark in her teens with her baby on her back.
  • Sarah Bernhardt Stage actor, France, 1844 to 1923. Played female and male roles, Shakespeare's Hamlet among them.
  • Savitribai Phule Teacher and reformer, India, 1831 to 1897. With her husband opened a school for girls in Pune in 1848.
  • Selma Lagerlöf Writer, Sweden, 1858 to 1940. Won the 1909 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first woman to do so.
  • Shaka King, Zulu Kingdom, c. 1787 to 1828. Ruled from 1816 to 1828; his reforms reorganized the Zulu army.
  • Sigmund Freud Neurologist, Austria, 1856 to 1939. Founded psychoanalysis and wrote The Interpretation of Dreams.
  • Simón Bolívar General and statesman, Venezuela, 1783 to 1830. Led six present-day countries to independence from Spain.
  • Sitting Bull Chief, Lakota nation, c. 1831 to 1890. Hunkpapa Lakota leader who resisted US government policies.
  • Sofya Kovalevskaya Mathematician, Russia, 1850 to 1891. The first woman to earn a modern doctorate in mathematics.
  • Sojourner Truth Abolitionist, United States, c. 1797 to 1883. Escaped slavery and gave the speech known as Ain't I a Woman?
  • Susan B. Anthony Suffragist, United States, 1820 to 1906. Arrested for voting in 1872; the 19th Amendment came in 1920.
  • Tecumseh Chief, Shawnee nation, c. 1768 to 1813. Built a confederacy of Native nations to resist US expansion.
  • Thomas Edison Inventor, United States, 1847 to 1931. Developed the phonograph and a long-lasting electric light bulb.
  • Victor Hugo Novelist and poet, France, 1802 to 1885. Wrote Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
  • Vincent van Gogh Painter, Netherlands, 1853 to 1890. Painted The Starry Night; made about 2,100 artworks in a decade or so.
  • W. G. Grace Cricketer, England, 1848 to 1915. Played first-class cricket for a record-equalling 44 seasons.
  • Wilhelm Röntgen Physicist, Germany, 1845 to 1923. Discovered X-rays in 1895; first Nobel Prize in Physics, 1901.
  • Yaa Asantewaa Queen mother, Ashanti Empire, c. 1840 to 1921. Led the Ashanti war of 1900 against British rule.

1900 onwards 206

  • Abebe Bikila Marathon runner, Ethiopia, 1932 to 1973. Won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome running barefoot.
  • Agatha Christie Crime writer, England, 1890 to 1976. Wrote 66 detective novels; her play The Mousetrap opened in 1952.
  • Akira Kurosawa Film director, Japan, 1910 to 1998. Directed Rashomon and Seven Samurai.
  • Alan Turing Mathematician, United Kingdom, 1912 to 1954. Wartime codebreaker and a founder of computer science.
  • Albert Einstein Physicist, Germany and United States, 1879 to 1955. Developed the theory of relativity; Nobel Prize, 1921.
  • Alexander Fleming Physician, Scotland, 1881 to 1955. Discovered penicillin in 1928.
  • Alfred Hitchcock Film director, United Kingdom, 1899 to 1980. The Master of Suspense, director of Psycho and Vertigo.
  • Althea Gibson Tennis player, United States, 1927 to 2003. Won the 1956 French title, a first Grand Slam for a Black player.
  • Amelia Earhart Aviator, United States, born 1897, disappeared 1937. First woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic.
  • Andy Warhol Artist, United States, 1928 to 1987. A leader of pop art; painted Campbell's Soup Cans.
  • Anna Pavlova Ballet dancer, Russia, 1881 to 1931. Famed for the solo The Dying Swan; toured the world with her company.
  • Anne Frank Diarist, Germany and Netherlands, 1929 to 1945. Kept a diary while hiding from Nazi persecution in Amsterdam.
  • Annie Oakley Sharpshooter, United States, 1860 to 1926. Star shot of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
  • Aretha Franklin Singer, United States, 1942 to 2018. The Queen of Soul; first woman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  • Arthur Ashe Tennis player, United States, 1943 to 1993. The only Black man to win the Wimbledon singles, in 1975.
  • Astrid Lindgren Children's writer, Sweden, 1907 to 2002. Created Pippi Longstocking.
  • Audrey Hepburn Actor, United Kingdom, 1929 to 1993. Won the Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday.
  • Ayrton Senna Racing driver, Brazil, 1960 to 1994. Formula One world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991.
  • Babe Didrikson Zaharias All-round athlete, United States, 1911 to 1956. Won two golds at the 1932 Olympics, then 10 golf majors.
  • Babe Ruth Baseball player, United States, 1895 to 1948. Hit 714 home runs, the career record when he retired.
  • Beatrix Potter Writer and illustrator, England, 1866 to 1943. Wrote and drew The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
  • Benazir Bhutto Prime minister, Pakistan, 1953 to 2007. The first woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority democracy.
  • Bessie Coleman Aviator, United States, 1892 to 1926. The first African American woman to hold a pilot's license.
  • Billie Holiday Jazz singer, United States, 1915 to 1959. Nicknamed Lady Day; recorded Strange Fruit in 1939.
  • Bob Marley Singer-songwriter, Jamaica, 1945 to 1981. Took reggae around the world with songs such as No Woman, No Cry.
  • Bruce Lee Martial artist and actor, Hong Kong and United States, 1940 to 1973. Founded the martial art Jeet Kune Do.
  • Buster Keaton Actor and director, United States, 1895 to 1966. Silent comic called the Great Stone Face; made The General.
  • C. S. Lewis Writer, United Kingdom, 1898 to 1963. Wrote the seven Chronicles of Narnia.
  • Carl Sagan Astronomer, United States, 1934 to 1996. Presented the TV series Cosmos and wrote the novel Contact.
  • Carmen Miranda Singer and actor, Brazil, 1909 to 1955. Known for the fruit hat she wore in her American films.
  • Celia Cruz Singer, Cuba, 1925 to 2003. Known as the Queen of Salsa.
  • Cesária Évora Singer, Cape Verde, 1941 to 2011. Sang morna with bare feet on stage, hence the Barefoot Diva.
  • Chadwick Boseman Actor, United States, 1976 to 2020. Played Jackie Robinson in 42 and the lead in Black Panther.
  • Charles de Gaulle General and president, France, 1890 to 1970. Led Free France in the war and founded the Fifth Republic.
  • Charles M. Schulz Cartoonist, United States, 1922 to 2000. Drew the comic strip Peanuts from 1950 to 2000.
  • Charlie Chaplin Actor and film-maker, United Kingdom, 1889 to 1977. Created the Tramp, the best-known figure of silent film.
  • Chien-Shiung Wu Physicist, China and United States, 1912 to 1997. Her 1956 experiment showed that parity is not conserved.
  • Chinua Achebe Novelist, Nigeria, 1930 to 2013. Wrote Things Fall Apart, the most widely read African novel.
  • Corazon Aquino President, Philippines, 1933 to 2009. The first woman president of the Philippines, from 1986 to 1992.
  • David Bowie Singer-songwriter, United Kingdom, 1947 to 2016. Known for the stage persona Ziggy Stardust.
  • Desmond Tutu Archbishop, South Africa, 1931 to 2021. Nobel Peace Prize, 1984, for his stand against apartheid.
  • Dhyan Chand Field hockey player, India, 1905 to 1979. Won Olympic gold in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
  • Diana, Princess of Wales Princess, United Kingdom, 1961 to 1997. Known for her charity work with landmine victims and AIDS patients.
  • Diego Maradona Soccer player, Argentina, 1960 to 2020. Captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup.
  • Dolly Parton Singer-songwriter, United States, 1946 to 2026. Wrote Jolene and I Will Always Love You.
  • Don Bradman Cricketer, Australia, 1908 to 2001. Ended his Test career with a batting average of 99.94.
  • Dr. Seuss Children's author, United States, 1904 to 1991. Wrote and drew The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.
  • Duke Ellington Bandleader and composer, United States, 1899 to 1974. Led his own jazz orchestra from 1923 until his death.
  • Duke Kahanamoku Swimmer and surfer, Hawaii, 1890 to 1968. Olympic swimming champion who spread surfing around the world.
  • Édith Piaf Singer, France, 1915 to 1963. Regarded as France's greatest popular singer; sang La Vie en rose.
  • Edmund Hillary Mountaineer, New Zealand, 1919 to 2008. First confirmed to the top of Everest, with Tenzing Norgay, in 1953.
  • Edvard Munch Painter, Norway, 1863 to 1944. Painted The Scream.
  • Eleanor Roosevelt First lady, United States, 1884 to 1962. Later led the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • Elizabeth II Queen, United Kingdom, 1926 to 2022. Reigned for 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.
  • Elizabeth Taylor Actor, United Kingdom and United States, 1932 to 2011. Child star of National Velvet; won two Oscars.
  • Ella Fitzgerald Jazz singer, United States, 1917 to 1996. Known as the First Lady of Song.
  • Elvis Presley Singer, United States, 1935 to 1977. Known as the King of Rock and Roll.
  • Emil Zátopek Distance runner, Czechoslovakia, 1922 to 2000. Won three golds at the 1952 Olympics, the marathon among them.
  • Emiliano Zapata Revolutionary, Mexico, 1879 to 1919. Led the peasant revolution in Morelos in the Mexican Revolution.
  • Emmy Noether Mathematician, Germany, 1882 to 1935. Noether's theorem ties each symmetry to a conservation law.
  • Enrico Caruso Opera singer, Italy, 1873 to 1921. Tenor who made some 250 recordings from 1902 to 1920.
  • Enrico Fermi Physicist, Italy and United States, 1901 to 1954. Built the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, in 1942.
  • Ernest Hemingway Writer, United States, 1899 to 1961. Wrote The Old Man and the Sea; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1954.
  • Ernest Rutherford Physicist, New Zealand, 1871 to 1937. Showed that the atom has a nucleus; Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1908.
  • Ernest Shackleton Polar explorer, Ireland and United Kingdom, 1874 to 1922. Saved his crew after ice crushed the Endurance.
  • Fanny Blankers-Koen Sprinter and hurdler, Netherlands, 1918 to 2004. Won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympic Games in London.
  • Fela Kuti Musician, Nigeria, 1938 to 1997. Created Afrobeat from West African music, funk and jazz.
  • Florence Griffith Joyner Sprinter, United States, 1959 to 1998. Set the women's 100 m and 200 m world records in 1988.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Architect, United States, 1867 to 1959. Designed Fallingwater and New York's Guggenheim Museum.
  • Frank Sinatra Singer and actor, United States, 1915 to 1998. Sang My Way; won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity.
  • Franz Beckenbauer Soccer player, Germany, 1945 to 2024. Won the World Cup as captain in 1974 and as manager in 1990.
  • Franz Kafka Writer, Bohemia, 1883 to 1924. Wrote The Metamorphosis and The Trial.
  • Fred Astaire Dancer and actor, United States, 1899 to 1987. Danced with Ginger Rogers in Top Hat and Swing Time.
  • Freddie Mercury Singer-songwriter, United Kingdom, 1946 to 1991. Lead singer of Queen, who wrote Bohemian Rhapsody.
  • Frida Kahlo Painter, Mexico, 1907 to 1954. Known for her many self-portraits rooted in Mexican folk art.
  • Gabriel García Márquez Novelist, Colombia, 1927 to 2014. Wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1982.
  • Gabriela Mistral Poet, Chile, 1889 to 1957. In 1945 the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
  • George Orwell Novelist and essayist, England, 1903 to 1950. Wrote Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
  • George Washington Carver Agricultural scientist, United States, c. 1864 to 1943. Promoted peanuts as a crop to restore worn-out soil.
  • Georges Méliès Film-maker and magician, France, 1861 to 1938. Made the 1902 film A Trip to the Moon.
  • Georgia O'Keeffe Painter, United States, 1887 to 1986. Painted huge flowers, New York towers and New Mexico hills.
  • Grace Hopper Computer scientist and admiral, United States, 1906 to 1992. Her compiler work led to the COBOL language.
  • Grace Kelly Actor, United States and Monaco, 1929 to 1982. Left Hollywood in 1956 to become Princess of Monaco.
  • Guglielmo Marconi Inventor, Italy, 1874 to 1937. Radio pioneer who shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics.
  • Haile Selassie Emperor, Ethiopia, 1892 to 1975. Emperor from 1930 to 1974; spoke at the League of Nations in 1936.
  • Harper Lee Novelist, United States, 1926 to 2016. Wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize.
  • Harry Houdini Escape artist, Hungary and United States, 1874 to 1926. Known for escaping handcuffs, chains and water tanks.
  • Hedy Lamarr Actor and inventor, Austria and United States, 1914 to 2000. Co-invented frequency-hopping radio in wartime.
  • Helen Keller Author, United States, 1880 to 1968. Deaf and blind from 19 months; the first deafblind person to earn a BA.
  • Henri Matisse Painter, France, 1869 to 1954. Led the Fauves; in old age made cut-outs from painted paper.
  • Igor Stravinsky Composer, Russia, 1882 to 1971. Wrote The Firebird and The Rite of Spring for the Ballets Russes.
  • Indira Gandhi Prime minister, India, 1917 to 1984. India's first, and so far only, woman prime minister.
  • Ingrid Bergman Actor, Sweden, 1915 to 1982. Played Ilsa in Casablanca; won three Academy Awards.
  • J. R. R. Tolkien Writer and philologist, England, 1892 to 1973. Wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
  • J. Robert Oppenheimer Physicist, United States, 1904 to 1967. Directed the Los Alamos Laboratory in the Manhattan Project.
  • Jackie Robinson Baseball player, United States, 1919 to 1972. Broke the color line of Major League Baseball in 1947.
  • Jacques Cousteau Ocean explorer, France, 1910 to 1997. Co-invented the Aqua-Lung and filmed the sea for television.
  • James Dean Actor, United States, 1931 to 1955. Starred in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant.
  • James Earl Jones Actor, United States, 1931 to 2024. The voice of Darth Vader and of Mufasa in The Lion King.
  • James Naismith Physical educator, Canada and United States, 1861 to 1939. Invented basketball in 1891 with peach baskets.
  • Jane Goodall Primatologist, United Kingdom, 1934 to 2025. Studied wild chimpanzees at Gombe for more than six decades.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru Prime minister, India, 1889 to 1964. India's first prime minister, in office from 1947 to 1964.
  • Jesse Owens Sprinter, United States, 1913 to 1980. Won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
  • Jim Henson Puppeteer, United States, 1936 to 1990. Created the Muppets.
  • Jim Thorpe All-round athlete, United States, 1887 to 1953. Won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics.
  • Jimi Hendrix Guitarist, United States, 1942 to 1970. Played the US anthem on electric guitar at Woodstock in 1969.
  • Johan Cruyff Soccer player, Netherlands, 1947 to 2016. Won three Ballons d'Or in the 1970s; champion of Total Football.
  • John Glenn Astronaut, United States, 1921 to 2016. In 1962 the first American to orbit the Earth.
  • John Lennon Singer-songwriter, United Kingdom, 1940 to 1980. Founder of the Beatles, who later wrote Imagine.
  • Johnny Cash Singer-songwriter, United States, 1932 to 2003. The Man in Black, who recorded live at Folsom Prison.
  • Jonas Salk Virologist, United States, 1914 to 1995. His polio vaccine, one of the first, was declared a success in 1955.
  • Jorge Luis Borges Writer, Argentina, 1899 to 1986. Wrote the story collections Ficciones and El Aleph.
  • Josephine Baker Dancer and singer, United States and France, 1906 to 1975. Paris revue star who aided the French Resistance.
  • Juan Manuel Fangio Racing driver, Argentina, 1911 to 1995. Won five Formula One world titles in the 1950s.
  • Judy Garland Actor and singer, United States, 1922 to 1969. Played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and sang Over the Rainbow.
  • Junko Tabei Mountaineer, Japan, 1939 to 2016. The first woman to reach the top of Everest, in 1975.
  • Kalpana Chawla Astronaut, India and United States, 1962 to 2003. The first woman of Indian origin to fly in space, in 1997.
  • Katharine Hepburn Actor, United States, 1907 to 2003. Won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, a record.
  • Katherine Johnson Mathematician, United States, 1918 to 2020. Her orbit calculations helped NASA send Americans into space.
  • Kobe Bryant Basketball player, United States, 1978 to 2020. Won five NBA titles in 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Kofi Annan Diplomat, Ghana, 1938 to 2018. UN secretary-general from 1997 to 2006; Nobel Peace Prize, 2001.
  • Kwame Nkrumah President, Ghana, 1909 to 1972. Led the Gold Coast to independence as Ghana in 1957.
  • Lata Mangeshkar Playback singer, India, 1929 to 2022. Known as the Queen of Melody; received the Bharat Ratna in 2001.
  • Lise Meitner Physicist, Austria and Sweden, 1878 to 1968. Helped discover nuclear fission; meitnerium is named after her.
  • Louis Armstrong Jazz trumpeter, United States, 1901 to 1971. Nicknamed Satchmo; sang What a Wonderful World.
  • Lu Xun Writer, China, 1881 to 1936. Wrote A Madman's Diary and The True Story of Ah Q.
  • Luciano Pavarotti Opera singer, Italy, 1935 to 2007. Tenor who sang as one of the Three Tenors.
  • Lucille Ball Actor and comedian, United States, 1911 to 1989. Star of I Love Lucy; first woman to run a major TV studio.
  • Madeleine Albright Diplomat, United States, 1937 to 2022. The first woman to serve as US secretary of state, from 1997.
  • Maggie Smith Actor, England, 1934 to 2024. Won two Oscars, the first for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
  • Mahatma Gandhi Lawyer and activist, India, 1869 to 1948. Led India's non-violent campaign for independence from Britain.
  • Malcolm X Activist, United States, 1925 to 1965. His Autobiography, told to Alex Haley, came out in 1965.
  • Margaret Thatcher Prime minister, United Kingdom, 1925 to 2013. Britain's first woman prime minister, in office 1979 to 1990.
  • Maria Callas Opera singer, United States and Greece, 1923 to 1977. Star soprano of the 20th century, known as La Divina.
  • Maria Montessori Physician and educator, Italy, 1870 to 1952. Devised the Montessori method of teaching young children.
  • Marie Curie Physicist, Poland and France, 1867 to 1934. First woman to win a Nobel Prize and first person to win two.
  • Marilyn Monroe Actor, United States, 1926 to 1962. Star of Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
  • Marlon Brando Actor, United States, 1924 to 2004. Won Oscars for On the Waterfront and The Godfather.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Minister and activist, United States, 1929 to 1968. Gave the I Have a Dream speech; Nobel Peace Prize, 1964.
  • Mary Leakey Paleoanthropologist, United Kingdom, 1913 to 1996. Found the Laetoli footprints in Tanzania.
  • Matthew Henson Explorer, United States, 1866 to 1955. Made seven Arctic voyages with Robert Peary.
  • Maya Angelou Poet and memoirist, United States, 1928 to 2014. Wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
  • Mei Lanfang Peking opera performer, China, 1894 to 1961. Famed for women's roles; toured Japan, the US and the USSR.
  • Mikhail Gorbachev Head of state, Soviet Union, 1931 to 2022. The last leader of the Soviet Union; Nobel Peace Prize, 1990.
  • Miriam Makeba Singer, South Africa, 1932 to 2008. Known as Mama Africa; sang Pata Pata.
  • Muhammad Ali Boxer, United States, 1942 to 2016. Olympic champion in 1960; first to win the heavyweight title three times.
  • Mustafa Kemal Atatürk President, Turkey, 1881 to 1938. Founder of the Republic of Turkey and its president from 1923 to 1938.
  • Naguib Mahfouz Novelist, Egypt, 1911 to 2006. Wrote the Cairo Trilogy; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1988.
  • Neil Armstrong Astronaut, United States, 1930 to 2012. In July 1969 he became the first human to step onto the Moon.
  • Nelson Mandela President, South Africa, 1918 to 2013. Jailed for 27 years, then South Africa's first Black president.
  • Niels Bohr Physicist, Denmark, 1885 to 1962. His model of the atom won him the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics.
  • Nina Simone Singer, United States, 1933 to 2003. Trained as a classical pianist; called the High Priestess of Soul.
  • Osamu Tezuka Manga artist, Japan, 1928 to 1989. Created Astro Boy; often called the god of manga.
  • Paavo Nurmi Runner, Finland, 1897 to 1973. Won nine Olympic gold medals in the 1920s.
  • Pablo Neruda Poet, Chile, 1904 to 1973. Wrote Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair; Nobel Prize, 1971.
  • Pablo Picasso Painter and sculptor, Spain, 1881 to 1973. Co-founded Cubism and painted Guernica.
  • Pelé Soccer player, Brazil, 1940 to 2022. Won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970; no other player has won three.
  • Prince Singer and songwriter, United States, 1958 to 2016. Won an Oscar for the songs of his film Purple Rain.
  • Rabindranath Tagore Poet and composer, India, 1861 to 1941. In 1913 the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
  • Rachel Carson Marine biologist, United States, 1907 to 1964. Her 1962 book Silent Spring began the environmental movement.
  • Ravi Shankar Sitar player, India, 1920 to 2012. Carried the sitar to Western stages and taught George Harrison.
  • Ray Charles Singer and pianist, United States, 1930 to 2004. Blind from childhood; sang Georgia on My Mind.
  • Richard Feynman Physicist, United States, 1918 to 1988. Shared the 1965 Nobel Prize for quantum electrodynamics.
  • Roald Amundsen Polar explorer, Norway, 1872 to 1928. Led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, in 1911.
  • Roald Dahl Writer, United Kingdom, 1916 to 1990. Wrote Matilda, The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
  • Robert Falcon Scott Explorer, United Kingdom, 1868 to 1912. Reached the South Pole in January 1912, weeks after Amundsen.
  • Robert Redford Actor and director, United States, 1936 to 2025. Played the Sundance Kid; founded the Sundance Film Festival.
  • Roberto Clemente Baseball player, Puerto Rico, 1934 to 1972. Made exactly 3,000 hits; died flying aid to earthquake victims.
  • Robin Williams Actor and comedian, United States, 1951 to 2014. Voiced the Genie in Aladdin; Oscar for Good Will Hunting.
  • Rosa Parks Activist, United States, 1913 to 2005. Her 1955 arrest on a bus set off the Montgomery bus boycott.
  • Rosalind Franklin Chemist, United Kingdom, 1920 to 1958. Her X-ray images were key to finding the structure of DNA.
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court justice, United States, 1933 to 2020. The second woman on the US Supreme Court, 1993 to 2020.
  • Sally Ride Astronaut and physicist, United States, 1951 to 2012. The first American woman in space, in 1983.
  • Salvador Dalí Painter, Spain, 1904 to 1989. Surrealist who painted the soft clocks of The Persistence of Memory.
  • Satyajit Ray Film director, India, 1921 to 1992. Made the Apu Trilogy; honorary Academy Award, 1992.
  • Sean Connery Actor, Scotland, 1930 to 2020. The first actor to play James Bond on film, in seven films.
  • Selena Singer, United States, 1971 to 1995. Known as the Queen of Tejano Music.
  • Shane Warne Cricketer, Australia, 1969 to 2022. Took 708 Test wickets with his leg spin.
  • Shirley Chisholm Politician, United States, 1924 to 2005. In 1968 the first Black woman elected to the US Congress.
  • Sidney Poitier Actor, Bahamas and United States, 1927 to 2022. In 1964 the first Black winner of the Best Actor Oscar.
  • Simone de Beauvoir Philosopher and writer, France, 1908 to 1986. Wrote The Second Sex, published in 1949.
  • Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime minister, Sri Lanka, 1916 to 2000. In 1960 the world's first woman prime minister.
  • Sridevi Actor, India, 1963 to 2018. Worked in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films.
  • Srinivasa Ramanujan Mathematician, India, 1887 to 1920. On his own he compiled nearly 3,900 results, many of them new.
  • Stephen Hawking Physicist, United Kingdom, 1942 to 2018. Showed that black holes should give off radiation.
  • Steve Jobs Inventor and businessman, United States, 1955 to 2011. Co-founded Apple and introduced the iPhone in 2007.
  • Sun Yat-sen Statesman, China, 1866 to 1925. First provisional president of the Republic of China, in 1912.
  • Suzanne Lenglen Tennis player, France, 1899 to 1938. Won six Wimbledon singles titles between 1919 and 1925.
  • Tenzing Norgay Mountaineer, Nepal and India, 1914 to 1986. In 1953 he and Edmund Hillary were first confirmed atop Everest.
  • Teresa Teng Singer, Taiwan, 1953 to 1995. Recorded The Moon Represents My Heart.
  • Thor Heyerdahl Explorer, Norway, 1914 to 2002. Sailed the raft Kon-Tiki from Peru to Polynesia in 1947.
  • Thurgood Marshall Supreme Court justice, United States, 1908 to 1993. Argued Brown v. Board of Education; first Black justice.
  • Tina Turner Singer, United States and Switzerland, 1939 to 2023. Known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll.
  • Toni Morrison Novelist, United States, 1931 to 2019. Wrote Beloved; Nobel Prize in Literature, 1993.
  • Umm Kulthum Singer, Egypt, c. 1898 to 1975. Known as the Star of the East.
  • Václav Havel Playwright and president, Czech Republic, 1936 to 2011. Dissident who became the first Czech president.
  • Vaslav Nijinsky Ballet dancer, Russia, 1889 to 1950. Star of the Ballets Russes; choreographed The Rite of Spring.
  • Vera Rubin Astronomer, United States, 1928 to 2016. Her work on how galaxies spin gave evidence of dark matter.
  • Virginia Woolf Novelist, England, 1882 to 1941. Wrote Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.
  • Walt Disney Animator and producer, United States, 1901 to 1966. Co-created Mickey Mouse; won a record 22 Academy Awards.
  • Wangari Maathai Environmentalist, Kenya, 1940 to 2011. Founded the Green Belt Movement; Nobel Peace Prize, 2004.
  • Whitney Houston Singer, United States, 1963 to 2012. Her I Will Always Love You led the US chart for 14 weeks.
  • Wilma Rudolph Sprinter, United States, 1940 to 1994. Won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
  • Winston Churchill Prime minister, United Kingdom, 1874 to 1965. Led wartime Britain; won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.
  • Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut, Soviet Union, 1934 to 1968. The first human in space, on April 12, 1961.
  • Zaha Hadid Architect, Iraq and United Kingdom, 1950 to 2016. In 2004 the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize.

How this list was compiled: Own list of 500 people who have died. The first 200 cards were checked on 2026-09-18 and the 300 added since on 2026-09-19. Every name was checked on its date against the person's English Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/) and Wikidata record (https://www.wikidata.org/), both read live: the person is not listed among living people, the birth and death years on the card match Wikidata or, where Wikidata differs or gives no year, the year in the article's opening lines, and the known-for line was found in the article text. A year marked c. is approximate. Deaths from 2020 onwards, Dolly Parton's on 2026-08-25 included, were read from the articles on the check date. Dates recorded in the Old Style calendar are given in the New Style year (Isaac Newton 1643, David Garrick 1717). Each person is filed under the era in which they turned 40, or in which they died if that came first. The Women group follows the person's Wikidata record. Living people and founders of religions are left off. Reviewed once a year; next review due by 2027-09-18. Licence: own work