Author name: Walter

Cleopatra, who reigned as queen of Egypt during the 1st century B.C., is one of the most famous female rulers in history. Her life inspired a Shakespeare play and several movies.

Jane Bolin was a trailblazing attorney who became the first African American female judge in the United States, serving on New York’s Family Court for four decades.

Sal Mineo was an Oscar-nominated film, TV and stage actor known for roles in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ and ‘Exodus,’ among many other projects.

Painter Margaret Keane created a unique, commercially popular artistic aesthetic during the 1960s, though unknown to the public for some time. Part of her life is depicted in the 2014 film ‘Big Eyes.’

Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo led his country to achieve independence after fighting off both the Spanish and the Americans.

Fred Hampton was a leader in the Black Panther Party who was harassed and targeted by local law enforcement and the FBI, resulting in his murder during a police raid on his apartment on December 4, 1969.

French missionary and explorer Jacques Marquette is best known as the first European to see and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River.

Actor Jesse Plemons has had featured roles in the TV shows Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad and received an Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog.

Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone.

Saint Katharine Drexel used her personal fortune to fund schools for Native Americans and African Americans. She was canonized in 2000.