BIOGRAPHY

Counterculture icon Hunter S. Thompson was an American journalist best known for writing 1971’s ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ and creating “Gonzo Journalism.”

American swimmer Gertrude Ederle achieved fame when she competed in the 1924 Olympics and became the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926.

Tony Blair was the leader of the British Labour Party from 1994 to 2007, and prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007.

Actor Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He’s also known for films Bird, Ghost Dog, and The Butler.

The brutal abduction and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till on August 28, 1955, galvanized the emerging civil rights movement.

Rising to fame on Family Ties, Michael J. Fox is best known as the star of the Back to the Future films. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, the actor started a foundation to find a cure for the degenerative disease.

Althea Gibson was the first African American tennis player to compete at the U.S. National Championships in 1950, and the first Black player to compete at Wimbledon in 1951.

Scott Hamilton is a U.S. Olympic gold medalist also known for his sports commentary and for raising cancer awareness.

Designer Marc Jacobs is powerhouse in the fashion world fueled by the success of his own eponymous label.

John Steinbeck was an American novelist who is known for works such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ as well as ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘East of Eden.’