Famous People Through the Decades—List of Choices 1900’s Orville & Wilber Wright—Inventors Albert Einstein—Brilliant scientist; discovered the science of black holes & space/time Theodore Roosevelt—President of the United States Helen Keller—Deaf and blind educator Emmeline Pankhurst—Champion for women’s rights Frank Lloyd Wright—Architect William Randolph Hearst—Developer of the modern newspaper Susan B. Anthony—Champion for women’s rights W.E.B. DuBois—African-American poet, author, & educator; founder of NAACP Upton Sinclair—Author who stood up for workers’ rights John Dewey—Public school pioneer John D. Rockefeller—Business leader & philanthropist Marie Curie—Famous scientist and winner of 2 Nobel prizes 1910’s Henry Ford—President of the Ford Motor Company Woodrow Wilson—President of the United States Igor Stravinsky—Musician/Composer Emily Dickenson—Poet George Eastman—Inventor and president of Eastman Kodak company (cameras) Willa Cather—Author from Nebraska; wrote about pioneer life and the Southwest Norman Rockwell—Popular artist; painted image of everyday people/scenes Ezra Pound—Author Thomas Edison—Inventor W.C. Handy—Blues composer Babe Ruth—Famous baseball player Mark Twain—Author (Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn) William Jennings Bryan—Politician from Lincoln, Nebraska Booker T. Washington—African-American educator 1920’s F. Scott Fitzgerald—Author (The Great Gatsby) Pablo Picasso—Famous artist (modern and cubist art style) Philo Farnsworth—Inventor of the television Edwin Hubble—Scientist and inventor (Hubble telescope named after him) Georgia O’Keefe—Famous artist (close-up flower paintings and skull paintings) Langston Hughes—African-American poet Herbert Hoover—President of the United States at the beginning of the Great Depression Coco Chanel—Fashion designer Charles Lindbergh—Famous inventor, author, and aviator (first solo non-stop flight across Atlantic Ocean) Charlie Chaplin—Comedic actor (silent films) Duke Ellington—Pioneering jazz musician Bessie Smith—Jazz singer 1930’s John Steinbeck—Best-selling, controversial author (The Grapes of Wrath) Eleanor Roosevelt—Wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt—President of the United States Walt Disney—Filmmaker, animator, and theme-park designer Louis B. Mayer—Hollywood pioneer; President of MGM film studio Amelia Earhart—Female aviator Jesse Owens—Olympic track-and-field star Gutzon Borgium—Mt. Rushmore sculptor George & Ira Gershwin—Popular music composers and lyricists Shirley Temple—Famous child actress 1940’s Jackie Robinson—First African-American in Major League Baseball Winston Churchill—England’s Prime Minister; American’s ally during World War II Anne Frank—Holocaust victim whose diary has been translated into dozens of languages Jackson Pollock—Popular painter; painted in the Abstract-Expressionist style Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi—Political and spiritual leader who practiced civil disobedience in India Douglas MacArthur—Pacific general for the United States in World War II Dwight D. Eisenhower—European general for the United States in World War II; later became President of the United States Glenn Miller—Jazz musician (Glenn Miller Band) Dr. Benjamin Spock—Parenting expert; author of famous books about raising children John Ford—Famous director of Western movies Groucho Marx—Comedic Hollywood actor Ella Fitzgerald—Famous jazz singer 1950’s Hank Aaron—Major League Baseball player Jonas Salk—Scientist; developer of the first immunizations against disease Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel)—Children’s book author Rachel Carson—Author and environmentalist Harry S. Truman—President of the United States Frank Sinatra—Popular singer James Watson & Francis Crick—Scientists who discovered DNA Isaac Asimov—Author of hundreds of science & science fiction books (I, Robot) Rosa Parks—Civil rights activist John Wayne—Actor in Hollywood Westerns Marlon Brando—Famous actor (The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire); born in Omaha Audrey Hepburn—Famous actress (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair Lady); style icon and humanitarian Raj Kapoor—Indian actor, film producer, and film director Alfred Hitchcock—Movie director and producer (Psycho, Vertigo, The Birds); pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres 1960’s Elvis—Famous rock musician John F. Kennedy—President of the United States; assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr.—Civil rights leader Malcolm X—Civil rights activist Buzz Aldrin/Neal Armstrong—First people to step on the moon Joan Baez—American folksinger Bob Dylan—Singer/songwriter (folksinger) Wilma Rudolph—Track athlete; multi-gold medal winner in the Olympics Roberto Clemente—Major League Baseball star Thurgood Marshall—First African-American Supreme Court Justice Lyndon B. Johnson—President of the United States The Beatles—Famous rock group Ray Croc—McDonalds tycoon Sam Walton—Founder of Walmart Andy Warhol—Famous artist (pop art) Gloria Steinem—Women’s rights activist; writer Betty Friedan—Women’s rights activist; writer Rogers & Hammerstein—Songwriters for Broadway plays (Oklahoma!, The King and I, The Sound of Music) 1970’s Cesar Chavez—Hispanic civil rights activist; politician; organized grape boycott Billie Jean King—Tennis star Jesse Jackson—Civil rights activist Elton John—Musician Muhammad Ali—Famous boxer Richard Nixon—President of the United States (impeached) Jim Henson—Creator of the Muppets and Sesame Street Pele—Soccer star; held record for most goals Mother Teresa—Famous beatified nun; humanitarian Harvey Milk—First openly gay public official in California; activist (murdered) Toni Morrison—Author (Beloved) Betsey Johnson—Fashion designer 1980’s Sandra Day O’Conner—First female Supreme Court Justice Sally Ride—First American woman in space Geraldine Ferraro—First female Vice President candidate Mikhail Gorbachev—President of the Soviet Union (AKA Russia) Michael Jackson—Pop music icon Madonna—Pop music icon Martina Navratilova—Professional tennis star; cancer survivor; gay rights activist Ronald Reagan—President of the United States Pope John Paul II—Catholic Pope for 25+ years Margaret Thatcher—First and only female UK Prime Minister Steven Spielberg—Famous movie director and producer (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park) Akio Morita—CEO of Sony Jackie Joyner Kersey—Most decorated female athlete in Olympic track and field history Donna Karan—Fashion designer 1990’s Madeleine Albright—First female U.S. Secretary of State Rebecca Lobo—WNBA basketball player; first professional female athlete Tiger Woods—Golf superstar; first billion-dollar athlete Martha Stewart—Entrepreneur; television show; author; creates home/cooking/craft merchandise Steve Jobs—CEO of Apple (now deceased) Bill Gates—CEO of Microsoft; humanitarian; one of the richest people in the world Warren Buffet—CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; one of the richest people in the world; from Omaha Michael Jordan—NBA superstar Nelson Mandela—President of South Africa; Nobel Peace Prize winner; jailed for many years Jerry Yang—Founder of Yahoo! George H.W. Bush—President of the United States Bill Clinton—President of the United States Andrew Lloyd Weber—Famous composer; wrote music for The Phantom of the Opera Donatella Versace—Fashion designer 2000’s Kofi Annan—Secretary General of the United Nations; Nobel Peace Prize Winner Yo-Yo Ma—World famous cello player; has won 16+ Grammy awards Barack Obama—First African-American President of the United States Lance Armstrong—Seven-time Tour de France Champion; cancer survivor Hillary Clinton—Former First Lady; Senator; Presidential candidate; U.S. Secretary of State Michelle Kwan—Two-time Olympic medalist in figure skating George W. Bush—President of the United States Oprah Winfrey—Talk show host; entrepreneur; LeBron James—NBA basketball player; MVP winner Tom Anderson—Creator/CEO of MySpace Mark Zuckerberg—Creator/CEO of Facebook Sonja Sotomayor—First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice J.K. Rowling—Author of the Harry Potter series