# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About Gale In Context: Middle School

Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more.

Don't know how to login?

Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password. If you don't know how to log in, please contact your library or school directly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
About Gale In Context: Middle School Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more. Don't know how to login? Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ZoteroBib: Fast, free bibliography generator - MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard citations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free, accurate citation and bibliography maker for APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, and 10,000 other styles. No ads, no downloads, no account required.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Historical biographies written for kids. Learn the life story and biography of influencial people: US Presidents, World Leaders, Inventors, Women, Artists, Civil Rights heroes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black writers like Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Alex Haley, Maya Angelou and James Baldwin created great literary works.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black history month,African American history,United States History,african american history,black history, Oral History, Slavery, Rosa Parks, Underground Railroad, African dance African literature, Martin Luther King, Civil Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Loosely defined, African Americans are people whose ancestral heritage is tied to Africa as well as America. Despite the fact that African Americans have been suppressed in every possible way for many centuries, they have a rich culture and history. A lot of famous African Americans have made their mark in diverse fields such as music, sports, movies, theatre and world politics. Slavery was rife in the 18th and 19th centuries and black people were treated as nothing more than mere possessions.

Although in the 20th century slavery was officially outlawed, the unjust treatment of African Americans was far from over. With the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement, led by leaders such as well-known African Americans like Martin Luther King Jr., Booker T. Washington and Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights Act was adopted in 1964. Many Southern States continued to treat blacks as second class citizens by adopting the "Jim Crow" laws which required blacks to eat at separate restaurants, study at separate schools and use separate transportation. This mindset took a long time to change, and it was only by the end of the 20th century that African Americans began to gain an equal footing in society.

One of the fields that famous African Americans have contributed to the most is sports. From famous boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, to the tennis duo Venus and Serena Williams, golf legend Tiger Woods, baseball players such as Jackie Robinson, endless list of NBA players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant - the list goes on and on. In the music industry too, African Americans have dominated the scene. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Missy Elliott, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King and numerous others showcase a range of talent that is both diverse and impressive.

Notable African American actors, in both movies and theatre have made their mark as well. World renowned actors and directors such as Martin Lawrence, Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee, Sidney Poitier, Laurence Fishburne and Denzel Washington are paid millions of dollars for their work. One of the top entertainers today is Oprah Winfrey, who came from extremely humble beginnings, but is now an inspiration for millions of women worldwide and owns a multi-billion dollar television network. African Americans are also active in the field of literary activism and politics. Renowned poets and writers such as Maya Angelou and Zora Neale Hurst are foremost names that come to mind. The current president of the United States, Barrack Obama is also African American, as well as the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

Today African American cultural influence is pervasive, with their representation in media, sports, entertainment, politics and society being on the rise. However, because of centuries of under representation, they still lag behind culturally and socially in many aspects of society.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Famous African Americans - Black People Biographies and History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Loosely defined, African Americans are people whose ancestral heritage is tied to Africa as well as America. Despite the fact that African Americans have been suppressed in every possible way for many centuries, they have a rich culture and history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

Why Use These Free Sites

It is difficult to find verified, research material freely available on the open web (internet). Many results returned from a search engine give you unrelaible, duplicate information that is rarely backed up by research. The sites listed here are the best to use if you need to supplement what you found in our subscription databases.

Best of the Free Biography Sites

American President - This website offers in-depth biographies of all US presidents. For each president, the biography starts with a Life in Brief profile, then proceeds to sections about Campaigns and Elections, Foreign Affairs, Impact and Legacy, and other topics.

Biography Center - multi-lingual biographical dictionary; 11,011 biographies - also links to other sites

Collective Biographies of Women - thousands of women who were included in collective biographies

Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Available in English or French

Encyclopedia of World Biography - This website offers lengthy biographies of thousands of people from around the world, with an emphasis on famous people of the 20th century.

History of Mathematics -Biographies - University of St. Andrews, Scotland, School of Mathematics and Statistics. Alphabetical and chronological indexes; also search just female mathematicians

Social Networks and Archival Context - over 3.7 million biographical descriptions of people, both individuals and groups

Links to More Free Sites

Internet Public Library - annotated links to hundreds of general and highly specialized biography sites around the Web

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LibGuides: Biography Research Guide: Free Biography Sites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WSU Online Resources and free sites that contain researched and reliable information on people from all countries, time periods and professions, as well as information on biography as a literary form. Most biographical research on the internet is of questionable value. Use these sites instead of a search engine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Celebrities news and profiles of famous people you should know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
People who changed the world - Famous people who changed the course of history including Socrates, Newton, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Queen Victoria, Catherine the Great, Einstein and Gandhi.

Humanitarians - Famous people who have offered charitable service to others, including Mother Teresa, William Wilberforce, Florence Nightingale and Princess Diana.

Famous Chemists - A selection of famous chemists including Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier, Michael Faraday, Emil Fischer and Marie Curie.

Poets - The great poets. Including; William Blake, Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Homer, Milton, Virgil, Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore.

Revolutionaries - People who inspired or began revolutions. Including Spartacus, Joan of Arc, George Washington, Karl Marx.

Writers and authors - Famous authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, William Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoy, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway.

People by nationality

Famous Austrians. Famous Austrians, including Marie Antoinette, Sigmund Freud and musicians, such as Mozart, Franz Liszt, Schubert. Also Austrian political figures.

Famous Dutch A list of famous people from the Netherlands. Includes; great Dutch painters, such as Rembrandt and Vincent Van Gogh; philosophers Spinoza and Erasmus. Also Dutch sports stars, such as Johan Cruyff.

Famous Europeans - A list of famous and influential European. In particular, a focus on the European who helped set up the EEC/ European Union, such as Jean Monnet, Charles de Gaulle and Willy Brandt.

Famous French - A list of famous French men and women. Includes politicians, generals, artists, sportsmen and cultural figures, such as Napoleon, Marie Antionette, De Gaulle, Claude Monet, and Coco Chanel.
Famous Hispanics - A list of famous people of Spanish-speaking origin. Includes Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Simon Bolivar, Selena and Jorge Ramos.
Famous Indians - A list of Indian men and women throughout the ages. Categories include politicians, scientists, sports people, spiritual figures and cultural figures. Includes Mahatma Gandhi, Akbar, Swami Vivekananda and Indira Gandhi.

Famous Chinese - Famous Chinese philosophers, military leaders and writers. From ancient times to modern Chinese men and women. Includes Lao Tzu, Confucius, Empress Dowager Cixi and Chairman Mao.
Famous Irish people. Includes St Patrick, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Eamon de Valera, Mary Robinson and George Best
Famous Italians - Italian composers, artists, politicians and authors. Includes Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, St Francis of Assisi, Michelangelo, Giuseppe Garibaldi and Catherine of Sienna.

Famous Welsh People - Welsh people including Owain Glyndwr - the first Prince of Wales, Nye Bevan, David Lloyd George and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

People by Time Period

Ancient Greeks (8th Century BCE to 1 CE) Famous people of the classical Greek period. Poets, statesmen and the fore-runners of democracy. Includes Plato, Aristotle, Socrates and Hippocrates.
Age of Discovery (15th - 17th Century) A period of exploration and maritime journeys across the world's oceans to discover new land. The Age of Discovery led to increased trade and European settlements in Africa, Americas and Asia.
A list of some of the most influential people in the Protestant Reformation, which saw a break from the Catholic Church to create new Protestant Christian religions. Includes John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, Jan Hus and Desiderius Erasmus.

Famous people of the Gilded Age (1870 to 1900) The great industrialists, such as J.D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie who defined the Gilded Age.

People of the Progressive Era (1890-1920) A period of increased federal intervention to tackle abuse of monopoly power and inequality. The Progressive Era also saw women gain the vote, and increased efforts to tackle corruption.

Inter-war era (1918 to 1939) A period of peace in between the two world wars. Characterised by economic boom and bust, and the growth of polarising ideologies. Includes; Hitler, Churchill, Gandhi, Roosevelt and Mussolini.
People of the 1960s - The revolutionary decade in religion, politics and music. People include Martin Luther King, JF Kennedy, John Lennon, Joan Baez and Indira Gandhi.
Famous leaders - A list of famous leaders who led their country. Includes Catherine the Great, Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Winston Churchill and F.D. Roosevelt.

Famous socialists - From Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism, to leading Communists, such as Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Also democratic socialists of US and UK.
Great military leaders - Famous military figures and leaders. Includes Genghis Khan, Saladin, Alexander the Great, Napoleon and Erwin Rommel.
Different Religions

Muslims - Famous Muslims. Including the Prophet Muhammad, Saladin, Rumi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Ali and Malala Yousafzai.

Famous slaves - People who became well-known despite being kept in slavery. Including Moses, St Patrick, Spartacus and Nat Turner.

Other groups of people

Animal rights activists - Brigitte Bardot, Linda McCartney, Peter Singer and Jeremy Bentham.

Vegetarians - Famous people who have adopted a vegetarian diet. Including Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks.

- Important books which influenced and changed society and the world. Including The Republic, The Iliad, The Communist Manifesto and The King James Bible.

Inventions that changed the world - Famous inventions that made a great difference to the progress of the world, including aluminium, the telephone and the printing press.

Famous Composers - A list of famous and influential composers throughout history, including the greatest composers, such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn.

- A list of 100 most influential people as chosen by Michael H. Hart, from his book 100 most influential people in the world. Includes; Muhammad, Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha, Confucius, St Paul and Johann Gutenberg.

100 Famous sporting personalities - 100 Famous sporting personalities, including Muhammad Ali, Nadia Comaneci, Pele and Jesse Owens.
Famous Film Directors - Influential film directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Capra, Walt Disney and Orson Wells. Famous people with Rags to Riches stories - Rags to riches stories - People who started off poor, but became rich through good fortune or hard work. The list includes; George Soros, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Walton, Pele and J.K. Rowling. People who made a difference. Men and women who made a positive contribution to the world - in the fields of politics, literature, music, activism and spirituality. Good rulers. A list of rulers from Cyrus the Great to democratic leaders who have served their country well and improved the welfare of their subjects. Includes King Canute, King Soloman, Augustus Caesar, Ashoka and Saladin. Young people who changed the world - A list of inspirational children and young people who have made a positive difference in the world. Including Anne Frank, Malala Yousafzai Famous and iconic faces - A list of people with iconic and famous faces. Faces that represent beauty, ideals, suffering or illumination.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. "List of Famous People", Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net Published 27 October 2018.
Related
Greatest paintings of all time. Including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci; Creation of Adam - Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo; and Poppies in a Field - Claude Monet

10 Greatest works of art of all time. Including The Pieta and The statue of David by Michelangelo; Ecstasy of St Therese by Bernini, and Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh.

- Includes famous works such as; The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Scream, The Girl with a Pearl Earring.

1,000 Years of Famous People

1,000 Years of Famous People at Amazon

Meet the movers and shakers of the last millennium in this comprehensive and detailed look at the famous, along with their achievements, and their legacies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People who changed the world - Famous people who changed the course of history including Socrates, Newton, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Queen Victoria, Catherine the Great, Einstein and Gandhi. Women who changed the world - Famous women who changed the world. Features female Prime Ministers, scientists, cultural figures, authors and royalty.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black inventors like George Washington Carver, Madam C.J. Walker, Lonnie G. Johnson, Garrett Morgan and Patricia Bath are among history's most revered geniuses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore articles and videos of some of the most prominent African Americans in politics, the arts, law, science and sports who have made Black History what it is today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Google alternative safe search engine for students offering information and reference sites: art, social sciences,social issues,social problems, history, biography, magazines, newspapers,encyclopedias,science, math, chemistry, biology, and dictionaries.