Biographies of notable people — their path, achievements and key facts.
Ruud Kleinpaste
Entomologist and television personality Born in 1952 in Indonesia; immigrated to Holland, then New Zealand, 1978; married Julie (a teacher); children: Tristan, another son, two ...
F. W. de Klerk
Born: March 18, 1936 Johannesburg, South Africa South African president and politician F. W. de Klerk was state president of South Africa from 1989 to ...
Klaus von Klitzing
The Von Klitzing constant, which looks like this: RK = h / e2 = 25812.807449(86)Ω, was named in honor of Klaus Von Klitzing's (born 1943) discovery of the Quantum Hall Effect. ...
Heidi Klum
Model and television show host Born June 1, 1973, in Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany; daughter of Gunther (a cosmetics company executive) and Erna (a hairdresser) Klum; married Ric ...
Keira Knightley
Actress Born March 26, 1985, in Teddington, Middlesex, England; daughter of Will Knightley (an actor) and Sharman Macdonald (a playwright). Addresses: ...
Don Knotts
Born Jesse Donald Knotts, July 21, 1924, in Morgan-town, WV; died of lung cancer, February 24, 2006, in Los Angeles, CA. Actor. During a half-century acting career, Don Knotts appeared on ...
Beyoncé Knowles
September 4, 1981 • Houston, Texas Singer/actress From her early childhood, Beyoncé Knowles wanted to be more than a performer: she wan...
Jim Koch
President of Boston Beer Born C. James Koch, May 27, 1949, in Cincinnati, OH; married first wife (divorced); married Cynthia A. Fisher (a biotechnology entrepreneur); childr...
Walter Kohn
Theoretical physicist Walter Kohn (born 1923) received the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the density functional theory. The revolutionary theory, which became widely...
Rem Koolhaas
November 17, 1944 • Rotterdam, Netherlands Architect Rem Koolhaas is considered by his many followers to be the coolest, hippest, and most cutting-edge architect on the...
Mike Korchinsky
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wildlife Works Born Michael Korchinsky, September 21, 1961, in Brookville, Ontario, Canada; son of Walter (a chemical engineering professor)...
Elizabeth Kostova
Author Born Elizabeth Johnson in 1964 in New London, CT; daughter of David (a professor of urban planning) and Eleanor (a university employee) Johnson; married Gyorgi Kostov...
Bernard Kouchner
Physician and humanitarian aid worker Born November 1, 1939, in Avignon, France; married Christine Ockrent (a television journalist); children: one son. Education:...
Dick Kovacevich
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Wells Fargo & Co. Born Richard M. Kovacevich in 1943, in Enumclaw, WA; married Mary Jo; children: three. ...
Heinz Krogner
Deputy Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Esprit Holdings Ltd. Born Heinz Jü Krogner–Kornalik, c. 1941, in Czechoslovakia. Education: Ea...
John Agyekum Kufuor
President of Ghana Born December 8, 1938, in Kumasi, Ghana; son of Nana Kwadwo Agyekum (a clan leader) and Ama Paa (a political activist); married Theresa Mensah; children: ...
Ken Kutaragi
Group Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Born in August of 1950 in Tokyo, Japan; son of a printing plant owner. Addresses: Office ...
Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Polish politician Aleksander Kwaśniewski (born 1954) served two terms as president of his country between 1995 and 2005, disproving critics who claimed that the former Communist wo...
Aung San Suu Kyi
Born: June 19, 1945 Rangoon, Burma (present-day Myanmar) Burmese political leader I n 1988 Aung San Suu Kyi became the major leader of the movement tow...
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Born Elisabeth Kübler, July 8, 1926, in Zurich, Switzerland; died August 24, 2004, in Scottsdale, AZ. Psychiatrist and author. Early in her medical career, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed ...