Memorials & famous biographies

American comedian, actor, and composer known as 'The Great One' for his iconic characters and successful music career

American film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his versatile genre mastery and the creation of the 'Hawksian woman'

Native Hawaiian singer known as Braddah IZ, whose soulful voice and ukulele playing brought Hawaiian music to the world, most famously with his medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World"

American writer and women's rights advocate who became the first female war correspondent and authored the foundational feminist text <i>Woman in the Nineteenth Century</i>

American chemist who shared the Nobel Prize for his work in asymmetric hydrogenation, leading to industrial production of L-DOPA

American blues singer, known as the 'Empress of the Blues,' whose powerful voice defined an era and influenced generations

American singer and songwriter known as the "King of Soul," whose heartfelt performances left an enduring mark on music

American biologist and Nobel laureate who unraveled antibody structure and theorized on brain function and consciousness

Romanian-American actor known for his iconic gangster roles and powerful performances in film noirs and dramas

American astronaut, test pilot, and naval officer who walked on the Moon and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission

American biochemist who won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work isolating cortisone and other adrenal gland hormones

American actress known for her memorable roles in films like Jerry Maguire and her partnership with John Travolta

American politician and diplomat who served briefly as the 13th Vice President of the United States

American dancer and choreographer who pioneered modern dance with her unique "contraction and release" technique

American surgeon and Nobel laureate known as the "father of transplantation" for performing the first successful human kidney transplant

American molecular biologist who won the Nobel Prize for discovering bacterial conjugation and championed exobiology

American pornographic actress who became a women's rights activist and spokesperson against pornography after revealing her abuse

American film director known for his revisionist Westerns and explicit action sequences

American track and field athlete known as Flo-Jo, who set world records in the 100m and 200m sprints in 1988 and was famous for her eclectic personal style

American actress who broke barriers with her dignified portrayals of Black women across seven decades in film, television, and theater

American sprinter who overcame polio to win three Olympic gold medals and championed civil rights

American fiction writer and essayist known for his distinctive narrative style and the novel <i>Infinite Jest</i>

American actor and decorated military officer known for his Academy Award-winning performance in "Cool Hand Luke" and his roles in the "Airport" and "Naked Gun" film series

American actress known for her distinctive voice and warm, witty performances, particularly as Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show