Biography

Biographies of notable people — their path, achievements and key facts.

Chiang Kai-shek

Born: October 30, 1887 Ch'i-k'ou, Chekiang, China Died: April 5, 1975 Taiwan Chinese president and political leader C...

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Madame Chiang Kai-shek

Born Soong Mei-ling, December 2, 1898, in Kwangtung, China; died October 23, 2003, in New York, NY. Politician. Articulate, charismatic, and beautiful, Madame Chiang Kai-shek was the wife ...

Dean Kamen

1951 • Long Island, New York Inventor, entrepreneur Dean Kamen is a leading American scientist and inventor whose products include the ...

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Gerome Kamrowski

Though not as widely known as his contemporaries, American artist Gerome Kamrowski (1914–2004) was an important figure in American art's transitional phase into Abstract Expression...

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Melina Kanakaredes

Actress Born April 23, 1967, in Akron, OH; daughter of Harry (a candy factory owner and insurance agent) and Connie (a homemaker) Kanakaredes; married Peter Constantinides (...

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Eric Kandel

Neurobiologist and professor Born Eric Richard Kandel, November 7, 1929, in Vienna, Austria; son of Herman Kandel and Charlotte Zimels; married Denise Bystryn, c. 1956; chil...

Wassily Kandinsky

Born: December 4, 1866 Moscow, Russia Died: December 13, 1944 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France Russian painter and graphic artist ...

Immanuel Kant

Born: April 22, 1724 Königsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) Died: February 12, 1804 Königsberg, East Prussia ...

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Mel Karmazin

Chief Executive Officer of Sirius Satellite Radio Born Melvin Alan Karmazin, August 24, 1943, in New York, NY; married Sharon (a librarian and theatrical producer), 1971 (divorced...

Hamid Karzai

December 24, 1957 • Karz, Kandahar, Afghanistan President of Afghanistan For most of his life Hamid Karzai has dedicated himself to bringing peace and unity to his home...

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M. Farooq Kathwari

Chief Executive Officer of Ethan Allen and philanthropist Born August 16, 1944, in Srinagar, Kashmir; married Farida Khan, 1968; children: three (one deceased). Ed...

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Charlie Kaufman

Screenwriter and producer Born Charles Stewart Kaufman, November, 1958, in New York; son of Myron (an engineer) and Helen (a homemaker) Kaufman; married Denise; children: tw...

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Elia Kazan

Born Elia Kazanjoglous, September 7, 1909, in Constantinople, Turkey; died of natural causes, September 28, 2003, in Manhattan, NY. Director and author. Director of stage and screen, Elia ...

John Keats

Born: October 31, 1795 London, England Died: February 23, 1821 Rome, Italy English poet The English Romantic poet Joh...

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Charles Keeling

Born Charles David Keeling, April 20, 1928, in Scranton, PA; died of a heart attack, June 20, 2005, at his summer home, in Hamilton, MT. Climate scientist. When Charles Keeling made resear...

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Bob Keeshan

Born Robert J. Keeshan, June 27, 1927, in Lynbrook, NY; died after a long illness on January 23, 2004, in Windsor, VT. Television personality. Bob Keeshan spent almost four decades on the ...

Helen Keller

Born: June 27, 1880 Tuscumbia, Alabama Died: June 1, 1968 Westport, Connecticut American activist for the physically disabled ...

Gene Kelly

Born: August 23, 1912 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Died: February 2, 1996 Beverly Hills, California American dancer, actor, and choreogr...

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Maureen Kelly

Founder and president of Tarte Cosmetics Born c. 1972; daughter of a judge and a board of elections commissioner; married Mark Ludvigsen (a bond salesman; died, 2001); remarried, ...

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Florynce Kennedy

American civil rights attorney, political activist, and pioneer in second-wave feminism, Florynce Rae Kennedy (1916–2000) was an outspoken advocate for liberal causes. ...