Famous People Biographies

Created May 12, 1918, in Hot Wells, Texas, Mary Kay Ash left the conventional workplace after seeing yet another guy whom she’d trained get promoted over her. She began her own cosmetics company, using incentive programs as well as other strategies to provide her workers the opportunity to reap the ...

Leonard’s determination to be a writer remained with him through a stint in the U.S. Navy and a job in marketing. His early credits include mainly Westerns, including 3:10 to Yuma. The first section of Leonard’s youth was mostly defined by his family’s continuous moves, which were the effect of his ...

Sam Kinison (TV14; 7:36) A former preacher, Sam Kinison’s raw humor brought him extreme highs and lows. Sam Kinison was an American comic born on December 8 1953 in Yakima, Washington. Known for his crass comedy and hallmark scream, Kinison received his first break from comic Rodney Dangerfield. In 1988 ...

Billie Holiday – Miniature Biography (TV14; 3:42) A brief biography of Billie “Lady Day” Holiday. Considered among the greatest jazz vocalists ever, Holiday had a flourishing career as a jazz vocalist for a long time before she lost her struggle with substance abuse. Her autobiography was made in the 1972 ...

Gandhi served three successive terms as prime minister, between 1966 and 1977, and another period starting in 1980. A tenacious and exceptionally intelligent young woman, she enjoyed an outstanding instruction in Swiss schools and at Somerville College, Oxford. After her mom died, in 1936, Gandhi became something of her father’s hostess, understanding ...

Maria Callas was born in New York in 1923. She made her professional debut with all the Royal Opera of Athens in Boccaccio, and took her first leading part in Tosca. Garnering international acclaim, her Italian opera introduction happened in the Verona Arena in 1947, followed by her 1954 American ...

He created among the very most distinguishing ensemble sounds in Western music and continued to play what he called “American Music” until just before his passing in 1974. Produced on April 29, 1899, Duke Ellington was raised by two gifted, musical parents in a middle class area of Washington DC. In ...

Grover Cleveland, born March 18, 1837, was a tough adversary of political corruption who fiercely guarded the ethics of the offices in which he served. He lost a second period as incumbent but won back the presidency four years after. He earned the nickname “guard president” for his record breaking ...

In 1895, he became the very first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Du Bois wrote extensively and was the best known representative for African American rights during the initial half of the 20th century. He co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in ...

In 1953, he released the bestselling story set Someone Like You and married actress Patricia Neil. He released the favorite novel James and the Giant Peach in 1961. In 1964, he released another exceptionally successfuly work, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was later adapted for 2 movies. Over his ...