Alan Rickman may best be remembered for the variety of roles he played in films

Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most revered figures in American history. We pay tribute to the man, his ideals, and his accomplishments

Agatha Christie's novels have sold over 2 billion copies, making her the best-selling author of all time, according to the "Guinness Book of World Records." We

Andy Rooney was one of the world's favorite curmudgeons

Teddy Pendergrass rose to fame as an R&B singer in the 1970s with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

Smokin' Joe" Frazier was one of the greatest boxers of all time, defeated by only two opponents in his 11-year professional career

Charles Nelson Reilly was an icon of game shows during their heyday in the 1970s and '80s

Because Lin-Manuel Miranda couldn't fit all the awesome into the musical

Clarence Clemons was responsible for some of the best saxophone solos in popular music for decades

David Bowie's death affected so many people around the world. The legendary musician was an icon for more than 40 years

Richard Nixon became the 37th president of the United States. He also became the first president to resign from office – as a result of the Watergate scandal

Author Zora Neale Hurston's novels and stories were very nearly forgotten after her death, but we can thank her fellow author Alice Walker for sparking a renewe

Dizzy Gillespie was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time

Phil Everly was one of the Everly Brothers, the country-tinged rock 'n' rollers who electrified the nation's teens in the late 1950s and '60s

Actress Anne Francis made her mark in science fiction, starring in the groundbreaking film "Forbidden Planet." We remember Francis' life today as well as the li

Donna Summer was known as the Queen of Disco, selling upward of 100 million albums during her career including hits like "Love To Love You Baby" and "Hot S

Despite becoming the world heavyweight champion, boxer Sonny Liston somehow remained an enigma

Alex Chilton may not be as well-known as some rockers, but he influenced so many. For power-pop geeks, that music genre started with Chilton's band Big Star

Benazir Bhutto was born into Pakistani politics

James Brown was the Godfather of Soul, one of the most influential musicians in the history of popular music

The camera loved Ava Gardner

The Swedish-born Anita Ekberg was a popular sex symbol of the 1950s and '60s

Jim Croce was one of the best-loved singer-songwriters of the early 1970s, writing songs that captured the American imagination

Elvis Presley, or the King to his fans, transformed popular culture in post-World War II America

Nikola Tesla revolutionized the way we use electricity, telephones, and radio waves – all without ever successfully graduating from university

Sonny Bono shot to stardom as the shorter half of the Sonny and Cher music and comedy team

Phil Lynott led the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy to stardom in the 1970s on the strength of hits including "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak." We remembe

J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were once close friends and members of an informal literary discussion group called the Inklings

Author J.D

Ricky Nelson grew up in front of America on the popular sitcom "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." We remember Nelson's life today as well as the lives of ot

Canadian musician Rick Danko was known best as the bassist and one of the singer-songwriters for the legendary band known simply as the Band

Jerry Orbach was a versatile actor who starred in many productions on Broadway including "Chicago," and in movies such as the classic "Dirty Dancing," in which

Steve Allen created a television institution when he became the first host of "The Tonight Show" in 1954

Humphrey Bogart may be remembered best for a line in the movie "Casablanca," "Play it again, Sam." Bogie was a cultural icon, appearing in other classic films i

Corey Haim was one of the top teen idols of the 1980s, thanks to his boyish good looks, charmingly crooked smile, and, of course, his strong acting talent

Peter Cook, the British comedian and satirist, helped establish anti-establishment comedy in the U.K., an irony he most likely enjoyed

Andrae Crouch was also known as the Father of Modern Gospel Music to contemporary Christian and gospel music professionals

Syd Barrett was a pioneer of psychedelic rock

Legendary dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey was born Jan. 5, 1931. Learn more about Ailey and other notable people born this day in history

Sorrell Booke is remembered best for one iconic role: Boss Hogg, the overblown, comic villain of TV's "The Dukes of Hazzard." We remember Booke's life today as

Country music singer Roger Miller was one of the stars of country's Nashville sound era

Hank Williams died New Year's Day in 1953 at the young age of 29. He became a country music legend with his songs about heartbreak

Davy Jones was one of the top teen idols of the 1960s and '70s, thanks to his role as one of the Monkees

Freddie Hubbard was a highly influential jazz trumpeter. He was known best for playing in the bebop, hard-, and post-bop styles

Actress Marlene Dietrich started out as a star of silent movies in her native Germany

Curtis Mayfield provided the soundtrack to the civil rights movement

It would be awfully hard to replace the great Walter Matthau in a role he seemed to be made for, but Jack Klugman made Oscar Madison his own onstage and on the