Biographies of notable people — their path, achievements and key facts.
Beverly Johnson
Fashion model, actress, and activist Born October 13, 1952, in Buffalo, NY; daughter of an electrician father and Gloria (a surgical technician) Johnson; married Billy Potter, 197...
Al Jolson
Born: May 26, 1886 Srednike, Lithuania Died: October 23, 1950 San Francisco, California Lithuanian-born American entertainer, vaudeville performer, actor, and singer ...
E. Fays Jone
Born January 31, 1921, in Pine Bluff, AR; died of heart and lung failure, August 30, 2004, in Fayetteville, AR. Architect. Though E. Fay Jones was not quite a household name, most American...
William Jones
Sir William Jones (1746–1794) was an English philologist, Orientalist, and jurist. While serving as a judge of the high court at Calcutta, he became a student of ancient India and ...
Edward P. Jones
Author and professor Born Edward Paul Jones, October 5, 1950, in Arlington, VA. Education: Holy Cross College, BA, 1972; University of Virginia, MFA, 1981....
Norah Jones
March 30, 1979 • New York, New York Singer, songwriter In 2002 Norah Jones, age twenty-two, released her debut full-length album, ...
Norah Jones
Singer Born March 30, 1979, in New York, NY; daughter of Ravi Shankar (a world renowned sitar player) and Sue Jones (a nurse). Education: Attended Un...
James Earl Jones
Born: January 17, 1931 Arkabutla, Mississippi African American actor Award-winning actor James Earl Jones has acted on television, stage, and scr...
Quincy Jones
Born: March 14, 1933 Chicago, Illinois African American musician, composer, producer, arranger, and film and television executive Quincy Jones ...
Sarah Jones
Poet and playwright Born c. 1974, in Baltimore, MD; daughter of a physician. Education: Attended Bryn Mawr College, c. 1992-95. Addresses: ...
Lee Jong-Wook
Dr. Lee Jong-Wook (1945–2006) was the sixth general-director of the World Health Organization (WHO), the international health agency of the United Nations (U.N.). When elected to t...
Lee Jong-Wook
Director-general of the World Health Organization Born in 1945 in Seoul, Korea; married Reiko; children: Tad. Education: Seoul National University's Colleg...
Ben Jonson
Born: 1572 London, England Died: August 6, 1637 London, England English writer, playwright, and poet Ben Jonson was a...
Michael Jordan
Born: February 17, 1963 Brooklyn, New York African American basketball player Basketball superstar Michael Jordan is one of the most successful, ...
Wendy Evans Joseph
Architect Born c. 1955; daughter of Melvin and Fran Evans; first marriage ended in divorce; married Peter Joseph (a merchant banker; died c. 1998); married Jeffrey V. Ravetc...
William Joyce
Author, illustrator, and producer Born William Edward Joyce, December 11, 1957, in Shreveport, LA; son of George Edward and Mary Katherine (Hargrove) Joyce; married Frances ...
James Joyce
Born: February 2, 1882 Rathgar, Ireland Died: January 13, 1941 Zurich, Switzerland Irish author James Joyce was an Ir...
Berry Gordy Jr.
Born: November 28, 1929 Detroit, Michigan African American businessman, songwriter, and entrepreneur Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records in 1959. Th...
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Professional race car driver Born Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr., October 10, 1974, in Concord, NC; son of Dale, Sr. (a race car driver and team owner) and Brenda Earnhardt. ...
Martin Luther King Jr.
Born: January 15, 1929 Atlanta, Georgia Died: April 4, 1968 Memphis, Tennessee African American civil rights activist and minister ...