History
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Frank Crumit: Radio’s Singing Sweetheart
Frank Crumit (1889–1943) was an American singer, composer, and vaudeville star who became a radio sensation with his wife Julia…
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Luigi Lablache: The Comic Bass of European Opera
Luigi Lablache (1794–1858) was an Italian bass singer renowned for comic opera roles, including his signature Leporello in Don Giovanni,…
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Isadora Duncan: Pioneer of Modern Dance
Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) was an American dancer and choreographer who pioneered modern contemporary dance and revolutionized movement through natural expression.
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James Herriot: Veterinary Surgeon and Beloved Author
James Herriot (1916–1995) was a British veterinary surgeon and author best known for the bestselling If Only They Could Talk…
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Leo Ornstein: Pioneer of the Tone Cluster
Leo Ornstein (1895–2002) was an American experimental composer and pianist who pioneered the tone cluster in classical music and became…
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Robert Ballard: Deep-Sea Explorer and Oceanographer
Robert Ballard is a retired Navy oceanographer best known for discovering the RMS Titanic wreck in 1985 and pioneering work…
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John Cage: Composer of Silence and Chance
John Cage (1912–1992) was an American composer and pioneer of indeterminacy in music. His 1952 work 4′33″ challenged definitions of…
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Margaret Sanger: Birth Control Pioneer and Activist
Margaret Sanger (1879–1966) was an American birth control activist who founded Planned Parenthood and pioneered the first birth control pill.
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Victor Jory: From Romantic Lead to Sinister Villain
Victor Jory (1902–1982) was a Canadian-American actor best known for villainous roles in Gone with the Wind and A Midsummer…
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Dmitri Shostakovich: Soviet Russia’s Conflicted Master
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) was a Soviet composer whose First Symphony brought international fame. His complex relationship with the Soviet government…
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Michael Rennie: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Michael Rennie (1909–1971) was a British actor best known for playing alien Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still…
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Redd Foxx: King of Comedy and Television
Redd Foxx (1922–1991) was an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for starring in Sanford and Son. Called the…
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George Hearn: Broadway’s Distinguished Bass-Baritone
George Hearn is an American actor and bass-baritone singer who won two Tony Awards for La Cage aux Folles and…
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Lyndon B. Johnson: Architect of the Great Society
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) was the 36th U.S. president whose Great Society transformed civil rights, health care, and education, though…
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John Jacob Astor IV: Titanic’s Wealthiest Passenger
John Jacob Astor IV (1864–1912) was America's wealthiest Titanic passenger. A real estate magnate, inventor, and Spanish-American War officer, he…
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