Biographies of notable people — their path, achievements and key facts.
Daniel Webster
Born: January 18, 1782 Salisbury, New Hampshire Died: October 24, 1852 Marshfield, Massachusetts American orator and lawyer ...
Caspar Weinberger
Born Caspar Willard Weinberger, August 18, 1917, in San Francisco, CA; died of pneumonia, March 28, 2006, in Bangor, ME. U.S. Secretary of Defense. Caspar Weinberger was one of the major f...
Jennifer Weiner
Author and journalist Born Jennifer Agnes Weiner, March 28, 1970, in De Ridder, LA; daughter of Lawrence (a psychiatrist) and Fran (a teacher) Weiner; married Adam Bonin (an...
Mike Weir
Professional golfer Born Michael Richard Weir, May 12, 1970, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; son of Richard and Rowie Weir; married Bricia; children: Elle Marisa, Lily. ...
Rachel Weisz
Actress Born March 7, 1971, in London, England; daughter of Georg (an inventor) and Edith (a psychoanalyst) Weisz; children: a son (with Darren Aronofsky, a director). ...
Ezer Weizman
Born Ezer Weizmann, June 15, 1924, in Tel Aviv, Israel; died of respiratory infections, April 24, 2005, in Caesarea, Israel. Politician. For 50 years, as Israel's air force chief, defense ...
William Weldon
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Born November 26, 1948, in New York, New York; son of a union stagehand and a costumer; married Barbara Dearborn; chi...
Orson Welles
Born: May 16, 1915 Kenosha, Wisconsin Died: October 10, 1985 Los Angeles, California American actor, writer, and director ...
Paul Wellstone
Born Paul David Wellstone, July 21, 1944, in Washington, DC; died in a plane crash, October 25, 2002, in Eveleth, MN. United States Senator. Paul Wellstone, a Democratic senator from Minne...
Seth Wescott
Snowboard cross athlete Born June 28, 1976, in Durham, NC; son of Jim Wescott (a college professor and coach) and Margaret Gould-Wescott (a college professor). Edu...
Dorothy West
During a long writing career that began when she was a teenager, Dorothy West (1907–1998) wrote two novels and numerous short stories, and worked as a magazine editor and newspaper...
Kanye West
June 8, 1977 • Atlanta, Georgia Hip-hop artist, music producer Kanye West is a quadruple threat: producer, rapper, songwriter, and record executive. His albums have sol...
Kanye West
Rap musician and record producer Born Kayne Omari West, June 8, 1977; son of Ray (a marriage counselor) and Donda (a professor) West. Education: Atte...
Edith Wharton
Born: January 24, c. 1861 New York, New York Died: August 11, 1937 Paris, France American author Edith Wharton, Ameri...
Joss Whedon
Scriptwriter, television producer, and feature film director Born Joseph Hill Whedon, June 23, 1964, in New York, NY; son of Tom Whedon (a television scriptwriter) and Lee Stearns...
Christopher Wheeldon
Yeovil, Somerset, England Ballet choreographer, dancer Called ballet's hottest choreographer in 2004, Christopher Wheeldon has choreographed more than thirty ballets in...
Tensie Whelan
Executive director of the Rainforest Alliance Born May 20, 1960, in New York, NY; daughter of Sidney S. (an attorney) and Carol (a systems consultant; maiden name, Storke) Whelan;...
Fred L. Whipple
Born November 5, 1906, in Red Oak, IA; died August 30, 2004, in Cambridge, MA. Astrophysicist. Fred L. Whipple "was one of those rare individuals who affected our lives in many ways," Char...
James Whistler
Born: July 10, 1834 Lowell, Massachusetts Died: July 17, 1903 London, England American painter and etcher The America...
E. B. White
Born: July 11, 1899 Mount Vernon, New York Died: October 1, 1985 North Brooklin, Maine American essayist and author E...