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French Legion of Honor

HONOR

French award, the "Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur", created 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. The order is generally although not exclusively awarded for military service. While it is the highest decoration bestowed by the nation, a rather large count of individuals have received it.

55,000 were awarded during WWI.

As of 2000, nearly 114,000 individuals who had won the award were still living.

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Edwin Abbey
Painter
1-Apr-1852 1-Aug-1911 American artist in London
Umberto Agnelli
Business
1-Nov-1934 27-May-2004 Chairman of Fiat, 2003-04
Maurice Allais
Economist
31-May-1911 9-Oct-2010 Monopoly pricing and the Allais effect
Pedro Almodóvar
Film Director
25-Sep-1951   Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Jorge Amado
Novelist
10-Aug-1912 6-Aug-2001 Dona Flor and her Two Husbands
Robert Anderson
Diplomat
6-Jan-1922 5-Apr-1996 US Ambassador to Morocco, 1976-78
Walter Annenberg
Business
13-Mar-1908 1-Oct-2002 Media mogul, created TV Guide
Ernest Ansermet
Conductor
11-Nov-1883 20-Feb-1969 Founder, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Leo Apotheker
Business
18-Sep-1953   CEO of Hewlett-Packard, 2010-11
Edward Victor Appleton
Physicist
6-Sep-1892 21-Apr-1965 Ionosphere, shortwave radio
Louis Aragon
Poet
3-Oct-1897 24-Dec-1982 Communistic French poet
Denys Arcand
Film Director
25-Jun-1941   The Barbarian Invasions
Edwin H. Armstrong
Inventor
18-Dec-1890 31-Jan-1954 Inventor of FM radio
Fernando Arrabal
Playwright
11-Aug-1932   Viva la muerte
Claudio Arrau
Pianist
6-Feb-1903 9-Jun-1991 Chilean virtuoso pianist
Pierre Auger
Physicist
14-May-1899 25-Dec-1993 Auger effect
Jean-Pierre Aumont
Actor
5-Jan-1911 30-Jan-2001 La Machine Infernale
Vincent Auriol
Head of State
27-Aug-1884 1-Jan-1966 President of France, 1947-54
Leo Baekeland
Scientist
14-Nov-1863 23-Feb-1944 Father of plastics
Josephine Baker
Dancer
3-Jun-1906 12-Apr-1975 Sensual dancer turned WWII spy
Donald K. Bandler
Diplomat
1947   US Ambassador to Cyprus, 1999-2002
Albert C. Barnes
Curator
2-Jan-1872 24-Jul-1951 Barnes Foundation
Georges Barrère
Musician
31-Oct-1876 14-Jun-1944 Franco-American flautist
Derek Barton
Chemist
8-Sep-1918 16-Mar-1998 Conformational analysis
Jacques Barzun
Historian
30-Nov-1907   From Dawn to Decadence
Shirley Bassey
Singer
8-Jan-1937   Goldfinger
Emile Baudot
Inventor
11-Sep-1845 28-Mar-1903 Baudot Code
Claude Bébéar
Business
29-Jul-1935   CEO of AXA, 1985-2000
James M. Beck
Politician
9-Jul-1861 12-Apr-1936 US Solicitor General, 1921-25
Emil von Behring
Doctor
15-Mar-1854 31-Mar-1917 Created diptheria innoculation
Alexander Graham Bell
Inventor
3-Mar-1847 2-Aug-1922 Inventor of the telephone
Lawrence Bell
Business
5-Apr-1894 20-Oct-1956 Founder of Bell Helicopter
Vincent Bendix
Inventor
12-Aug-1881 27-Mar-1945 Founder of Bendix Corporation
Henri Bergson
Philosopher
18-Oct-1859 4-Jan-1941 L'Évolution Créatrice
C. Fred Bergsten
Economist
23-Apr-1941   Institute for International Economics
Hector Berlioz
Composer
11-Dec-1803 8-Mar-1869 French romantic composer
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Military
20-Feb-1753 1-Jun-1815 Napoleon's chief of staff
Georges Berthoin
Politician
17-May-1925   Trilateral Commission Euro Chair, 1973-92
Albert Bierstadt
Painter
8-Jan-1830 18-Feb-1902 Western landscape painter
Carl Bildt
Head of State
15-Jul-1949   Foreign Minister of Sweden
George David Birkhoff
Mathematician
21-Mar-1884 12-Nov-1944 Modern theory of dynamical systems
Alfred Blalock
Doctor
5-Apr-1899 15-Sep-1964 "Blue baby" operation
Hans Blix
Government
28-Jun-1928   Weapons inspector before Iraq War
Anthony Blunt
Historian
26-Sep-1907 26-Mar-1983 Art historian, Soviet spy
Paul Bocuse
Chef
11-Feb-1926   Bocuse d'Or, nouvelle cuisine
Emperor Bokassa I
Royalty
22-Feb-1921 3-Nov-1996 Central African Emperor
Jules Bordet
Scientist
13-Jun-1870 6-Apr-1961 Researched antibodies and antigens
Jorge Luis Borges
Author
24-Aug-1899 14-Jun-1986 The Garden of Forking Paths
Paul Boucherot
Engineer
3-Oct-1869 7-Aug-1943 Ocean thermal energy conversion
Adolphe-William Bouguereau
Painter
30-Nov-1835 19-Aug-1905 The Abduction of Psyche
Georges Boulanger
Military
29-Apr-1837 30-Sep-1891 French general-turned-politician
Philippe Bourguignon
Business
1948   Revolution Resorts
Daniel Bouton
Business
10-Apr-1950   CEO of Société Générale
Daniel Bovet
Scientist
23-Mar-1907 8-Apr-1992 Anti-histamines, muscle relaxants, sulfanilamide
Omar Bradley
Military
12-Feb-1893 8-Apr-1981 US Army Chief of Staff
Georges Braque
Painter
13-May-1882 31-Aug-1963 Co-Founded Cubism
Claude Brasseur
Actor
15-Jun-1936   Chouchou
Thierry Breton
Business
15-Jan-1955   CEO of France Telecom, 2002-05
Jean-Claude Brialy
Actor
30-Mar-1933 30-May-2007 Une femme est une femme
Philippe de Broca
Film Director
15-Mar-1933 26-Nov-2004 King of Hearts
Louis de Broglie
Physicist
15-Aug-1892 19-Mar-1987 Discovered the wave nature of electrons
Louis Bromfield
Author
27-Dec-1896 18-Mar-1956 Early Autumn
Edgar Bronfman, Sr.
Business
20-Jun-1929   CEO of Seagram's until 1994
Molly Brown
Activist
18-Jul-1867 26-Oct-1932 Unsinkable
Charles F. Brush
Inventor
17-Mar-1849 15-Jun-1929 Street lights
John H. Bryan
Business
5-Oct-1936   CEO of Sara Lee, 1975-2000
William C. Bullitt
Diplomat
25-Jan-1891 15-Feb-1967 US Ambassador to the USSR, 1933-36
Jefferson Caffery
Diplomat
1-Dec-1886 13-Apr-1974 US Ambassador to Egypt, France, Brazil, Cuba
René Caillié
Explorer
19-Sep-1799 17-May-1838 First European to return from Timbuktu
Philippe Camus
Business
28-Jun-1948   Partner, Groupe Lagardere
Alexis Carrel
Doctor
28-Jun-1873 5-Nov-1944 Sutured blood vessels
Henri Cartan
Mathematician
8-Jul-1904 13-Aug-2008 Leader of the math Bourbakistes
Robert Casadesus
Pianist
7-Apr-1899 19-Sep-1972 French pianist/composer
Adolfo Bioy Casares
Author
15-Sep-1914 8-Mar-1999 La invención de Morel
Mary Cassatt
Painter
22-May-1843 14-Jun-1926 American impressionist, lived in Paris
Patrick Cescau
Business
1948   Group Chief Executive of Unilever
Ernst B. Chain
Scientist
19-Jun-1906 12-Aug-1979 Isolated penicillin
Anne Cox Chambers
Business
1-Dec-1919   Billionaire, former US Ambassador to Belgium
Charlie Chaplin
Actor
16-Apr-1889 25-Dec-1977 Silent film comedian
Julia Child
Chef
15-Aug-1912 13-Aug-2004 Haute cuisine with a unique voice
Mark Clark
Military
1-May-1896 17-Apr-1984 US Army Chief of Staff
Wesley Clark
Military
23-Dec-1944   Supreme Allied Commander, 1997-2000
Jackie Cochran
Aviator
11-May-1906 9-Aug-1980 First woman to break the sound barrier
Paulo Coelho
Novelist
24-Aug-1947   The Alchemist
Herman Cohen
Diplomat
10-Feb-1932   US Ambassador to Senegal, Gambia 1977-80
Colette
Novelist
28-Jan-1873 3-Aug-1954 Gigi
Karl T. Compton
Physicist
15-Sep-1887 22-Jun-1954 Bikini Island atomic tests
André F. Cournand
Scientist
24-Sep-1895 19-Feb-1988 Cardiac catheterization
Jacques Cousteau
Activist
11-Jun-1910 25-Jun-1997 Oceanographer, environmentalist
Merce Cunningham
Dancer
16-Apr-1919 26-Jul-2009 Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Walter J. P. Curley
Business
17-Sep-1922   US Ambassador to France, 1989-93
Harvey Cushing
Doctor
8-Apr-1869 7-Oct-1939 Cushing's Syndrome
Georges Cuvier
Zoologist
23-Aug-1769 13-May-1832 Comparative anatomist, paleontologist
Louis Daguerre
Inventor
18-Nov-1787 10-Jul-1851 Invented Daguerreotype photography
Walter Damrosch
Conductor
30-Jan-1862 22-Dec-1950 Conductor, popularizer of music
George David
Business
7-Apr-1942   CEO of United Technologies
Jacques-Louis David
Painter
30-Aug-1748 29-Dec-1825 French Neoclassical painter
Jacques de Larosiere
Government
12-Nov-1929   IMF Director 1978-87
Robert De Niro
Actor
17-Aug-1943   The Godfather: Part II
Gerard Debreu
Economist
4-Jul-1921 31-Dec-2004 Supply and demand theorist
Margaret Deland
Author
23-Feb-1857 13-Jan-1945 Old Chester Tales
Gerard Depardieu
Actor
27-Dec-1948   Cyrano de Bergerac
Chauncey Depew
Politician
23-Apr-1834 5-Apr-1928 Co-Founder of the Pilgrims Society
Marlene Dietrich
Actor
27-Dec-1901 6-May-1992 The Blue Angel
Ernst von Dohnányi
Composer
27-Jul-1877 9-Feb-1960 Opus 25
Placido Domingo
Singer
21-Jan-1941   Tenorissimo!
James Doolittle
Aviator
14-Dec-1896 27-Sep-1993 Doolittle Raid against Tokyo in 1942
Donald W. Douglas
Business
6-Apr-1892 1-Feb-1981 Founder of Douglas Aircraft Co.
Alfred Dreyfus
Victim
9-Oct-1859 12-Jul-1935 Dreyfus Affair scapegoat
Allen B. DuMont
Inventor
29-Jan-1901 14-Nov-1965 TV picture tube and TV network
Jules Dupré
Painter
5-Apr-1811 6-Oct-1889 Barbizon school
Charles Durning
Actor
28-Feb-1923   The Muppet Movie
Clint Eastwood
Actor
31-May-1930   The Man With No Name
Ralph E. Eberhart
Military
c. 1946   Commander of NORAD, 2002-05
Umberto Eco
Author
5-Jan-1932   Foucault's Pendulum, The Name of the Rose
Thomas Edison
Inventor
11-Feb-1847 18-Oct-1931 Invented the light bulb
Blake Edwards
Film Director
26-Jul-1922 15-Dec-2010 The Pink Panther
Karl W. Eikenberry
Military
1951   US Ambassador to Afghanistan
Stuart Eizenstat
Diplomat
15-Jan-1943   US Ambassador to the EU, 1993-96
Duke Ellington
Jazz Musician
29-Apr-1899 24-May-1974 It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
Christoph Eschenbach
Conductor
20-Feb-1940   Music Director, Orchestre de Paris
Auguste Escoffier
Chef
28-Oct-1846 12-Feb-1935 Emperor of chefs
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Actor
9-Dec-1909 7-May-2000 Sinbad the Sailor
Michael Faraday
Physicist
22-Sep-1791 25-Aug-1867 Discovered electrical induction
Pierre Fatou
Mathematician
28-Feb-1878 10-Aug-1929 Complex analytic dynamics
Arthur Fiedler
Conductor
17-Dec-1894 10-Jul-1979 Conductor of the Boston Pops
Gustave Flaubert
Novelist
12-Dec-1821 8-May-1880 Realist novelist, Madame Bovary
Howard Florey
Scientist
24-Sep-1898 21-Feb-1968 Isolated penicillin
Robert Florey
Film Director
14-Sep-1900 16-May-1979 Tarzan and the Mermaids
Tom Foley
Politician
6-Mar-1929   Speaker of the House, 1989-95
Glenn Ford
Actor
1-May-1916 30-Aug-2006 Gilda, Blackboard Jungle
Léon Foucault
Physicist
19-Sep-1819 11-Feb-1868 Measured the speed of light
Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier
Mathematician
21-Mar-1768 16-May-1830 Fourier series
Pierre Fournier
Cellist
24-Jun-1906 8-Jan-1986 French cello virtuoso
William A. Fowler
Astronomer
9-Aug-1911 14-Mar-1995 Element generation within stars
Zino Francescatti
Violinist
9-Aug-1902 17-Sep-1991 French violin virtuoso
Maurice Fréchet
Mathematician
2-Sep-1878 4-Jun-1973 Fréchet differential
Arthur Freed
Film/TV Producer
9-Sep-1894 12-Apr-1973 MGM producer, big budget musicals
Christopher B. Galvin
Business
21-Mar-1950   CEO of Motorola, 1995-2003
Robert W. Galvin
Business
9-Oct-1922 11-Oct-2011 CEO of Motorola, 1959-90
Gabriel García Márquez
Author
6-Mar-1928   One Hundred Years of Solitude
Mary Garden
Singer
20-Feb-1874 3-Jan-1967 Operatic soprano
Jean-Pierre Garnier
Business
31-Oct-1947   CEO of GlaxoSmithKline
Cass Gilbert
Architect
24-Nov-1859 17-May-1934 Woolworth Building
Jean Giraudoux
Novelist
29-Oct-1882 31-Jan-1944 The Madwoman of Chaillot
Eugene Goossens III
Conductor
24-May-1893 13-Jun-1962 Cincinnati Symphony, 1931-46
William C. Gorgas
Doctor
3-Oct-1854 3-Jul-1920 Malaria and yellow fever
Susan Greenfield
Scientist
1-Oct-1950   Brain Story
Alan Greenspan
Economist
6-Mar-1926   Federal Reserve Chairman, 1987-2006
Victor Grignard
Chemist
6-May-1871 13-Dec-1935 Grignard Reaction
Charles Édouard Guillaume
Physicist
15-Feb-1861 13-Jun-1938 Invented alloys Invar and Elinvar
Roger Guillemin
Scientist
11-Jan-1924   Hypothalamic hormones (brain peptides)
Alice Guy
Film Director
1-Jul-1873 24-Mar-1968 First female film director
Asaph Hall
Astronomer
15-Oct-1829 22-Nov-1907 Discovered the moons of Mars
John L. Hall
Physicist
21-Aug-1934   Quantum optics
Joyce C. Hall
Business
29-Aug-1891 29-Oct-1982 Founder of Hallmark Cards
Johnny Hallyday
Singer
15-Jun-1943   French rock star, Souvenirs, Souvenirs
L. B. Hanna
Politician
9-Aug-1861 23-Apr-1948 Governor of North Dakota, 1913-17
Arthur A. Hartman
Diplomat
12-Mar-1926   US Ambassador to the USSR, 1981-87
Salma Hayek
Actor
2-Sep-1966   Frida
Conrad Hilton
Business
25-Dec-1887 3-Jan-1979 Founder, Hilton Hotels
Leo A. Hoegh
Politician
30-Mar-1908 15-Jul-2000 Governor of Iowa, 1955-57
Jacobus H. van 't Hoff
Chemist
30-Aug-1852 1-Mar-1911 Three-dimensional molecular properties
James L. Holloway III
Military
23-Feb-1922   Chief of Naval Operations, 1974-78
Julius C. Holmes
Diplomat
24-Apr-1899 15-Jul-1968 US Ambassador to Iran, 1961-65
Charles W. Hostler
Diplomat
12-Dec-1919   US Ambassador to Bahrain, 1989-93
Jean-Antoine Houdon
Sculptor
20-Mar-1741 15-Jul-1828 French Rococo sculptor
Elias Howe
Inventor
9-Jul-1819 3-Oct-1867 Inventor of the sewing machine
John Hume
Politician
18-Jan-1937   Northern Ireland pol, Nobel recipient
Joris-Karl Huysmans
Author
5-Feb-1848 12-May-1907 Decadent author, À Rebours
John N. Irwin II
Diplomat
31-Dec-1913 28-Feb-2000 US Deputy Secretary of State, 1970-73
Eugene Istomin
Pianist
26-Nov-1925 10-Oct-2003 American piano prodigy
Edmond Jabès
Poet
6-Apr-1912 2-Jan-1991 The Book of Resemblances
Henry B. Jackson
Military
21-Jan-1855 14-Dec-1929 Radio telegraphy
Richard Jenrette
Business
5-Apr-1929   Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Frédéric Joliot
Physicist
19-Mar-1900 14-Aug-1958 Artificial radioactivity
Irène Joliot-Curie
Physicist
12-Sep-1897 17-Mar-1956 Artificial radioactivity
James L. Jones
Military
19-Dec-1943   US National Security Advisor, 2009-10
John P. Jumper
Military
4-Feb-1945   USAF Chief of Staff, 2001-05
Paul G. Kaminski
Military
16-Sep-1942   CEO of Technovation, Inc.
Bruce Karatz
Business
1945   CEO of KB Home, 1986-2006
Paul Karrer
Chemist
21-Apr-1889 18-Jun-1971 Synthesized vitamins A, B2, E, and K
Alfred Kastler
Physicist
3-May-1902 7-Jan-1984 Optical pumping
Philip Kearny
Military
2-Jun-1815 1-Sep-1862 US Civil War general
Helen Keller
Activist
27-Jun-1880 1-Jun-1968 Deaf and blind activist
Frank B. Kelso II
Military
11-Jul-1933   Chief of Naval Operations, 1990-94
Wolfgang Ketterle
Physicist
21-Oct-1957   Bose-Einstein condensates
Jeff Koons
Sculptor
21-Jan-1955   Artistic hack, Cicciolina's ex-husband
Serge Koussevitzky
Conductor
26-Jul-1874 4-Jun-1951 Music Director, Boston Symphony, 1924-49
Neelie Kroes
Government
19-Jul-1941   EU Commissioner of Competition
Akira Kurosawa
Film Director
23-Mar-1910 6-Sep-1998 Yojimbo
John La Farge
Painter
31-Mar-1835 14-Nov-1910 Painter, muralist, stained-glass designer
René Laënnec
Doctor
17-Feb-1781 13-Aug-1826 Stethoscope
Christine Lagarde
Politician
1-Jan-1956   Managing Director, IMF
Émile Lahoud
Head of State
12-Jan-1936   President of Lebanon, 1998-2007
Édouard Lalo
Composer
27-Jan-1823 22-Apr-1892 Le Roi d'Ys
Carlos Saavedra Lamas
Diplomat
1-Nov-1878 5-May-1959 Diplomat, Nobel Prize recipient
Pascal Lamy
Politician
8-Apr-1947   WTO Director-General
Wanda Landowska
Musician
5-Jul-1879 16-Aug-1959 Harpsichord virtuoso
Mary Lasker
Activist
30-Nov-1900 21-Feb-1994 Health care advocate
Estée Lauder
Business
1-Jul-1908 24-Apr-2004 Cosmetics magnate
Leonard Lauder
Business
c. 1933   Chairman of Estee Lauder
Max von Laue
Physicist
9-Oct-1879 23-Apr-1960 X-ray crystallography
Alphonse Laveran
Doctor
18-Jun-1845 18-May-1922 Found the parasite that causes malaria
Ernest Lawrence
Physicist
8-Aug-1901 27-Aug-1958 Inventor of the cyclotron
T. E. Lawrence
Author
16-Aug-1888 19-May-1935 Lawrence of Arabia
Paul LeClerc
Administrator
28-May-1941   CEO of New York Public Library
Jean-Marie Lehn
Chemist
30-Sep-1939   Synthesis of molecules
Luis Leloir
Chemist
6-Sep-1906 2-Dec-1987 Conversion of carbohydrates
Curtis LeMay
Military
15-Nov-1906 1-Oct-1990 USAF General
Wassily Leontief
Economist
5-Aug-1906 5-Feb-1999 Structure of the American Economy
Wolf Lepenies
Sociologist
11-Jan-1941   Melancholy and Society
Ferdinand de Lesseps
Architect
19-Nov-1805 7-Dec-1894 Built the Suez Canal
Edward H. Levi
Government
26-Jun-1911 7-Mar-2000 US Attorney General, 1975-77
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Anthropologist
28-Nov-1908 1-Nov-2009 French anthropologist
Maurice Lévy
Business
18-Feb-1942   CEO of Publicis
Jerry Lewis
Comic
16-Mar-1926   Muscular Dystrophy Association
Charles Lindbergh
Aviator
4-Feb-1902 26-Aug-1974 Transatlantic soloist
Martin Lipton
Attorney
22-Jun-1931   Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
John Davis Lodge
Politician
20-Oct-1903 29-Oct-1985 Governor of Connecticut, 1951-55
Gina Lollobrigida
Actor
4-Jul-1927   Beautiful but dangerous
Jim Lovell
Astronaut
25-Mar-1928   Apollo 13
Rilwanu Lukman
Government
26-Aug-1938   Secretary General of OPEC, 1995-2000
Auguste Lumière
Inventor
19-Oct-1862 10-Apr-1954 Co-Inventor of motion pictures
Louis Lumière
Inventor
5-Oct-1864 6-Jun-1948 Inventor of motion pictures
André Lwoff
Scientist
8-May-1902 30-Sep-1994 Operon theory of genetic control
Douglas MacArthur
Military
26-Jan-1880 5-Apr-1964 General of the Army
Benoit Mandelbrot
Mathematician
20-Nov-1924 14-Oct-2010 Fractal mathematician
Edouard Manet
Painter
23-Jan-1832 30-Apr-1883 French Realist/Impressionist painter
Klaus J. Mangold
Business
6-Jun-1943   Executive Advisor to Diamler Chrysler
Marcel Marceau
Performance Artist
22-Mar-1923 22-Sep-2007 Mime, created Bip the clown
Stanley Marcus
Business
20-Apr-1905 22-Jan-2002 CEO of Neiman-Marcus, 1950-72
George C. Marshall
Military
31-Dec-1880 16-Oct-1959 US Army Chief of Staff, 1939-45
Jean Martinon
Conductor
10-Jan-1910 1-Mar-1976 Music Director, Chicago Symphony, 1963-68
Kurt Masur
Conductor
18-Jul-1927   Conductor, NY Philharmonic, 1991-2002
Mireille Mathieu
Singer
22-Jul-1946   Internationally renown French chanteuse
Matthew Fontaine Maury
Military
14-Jan-1806 1-Feb-1873 Father of modern oceanography
Harrison McCain
Business
3-Nov-1927 18-Mar-2004 Frozen french fry billionaire
John P. McConnell
Military
7-Feb-1908 21-Nov-1986 USAF Chief of Staff, 1965-69
John McCormack
Singer
14-Jun-1884 16-Sep-1945 Operatic tenor, Irish balladeer
George McGovern
Politician
19-Jul-1922   US Senator from South Dakota, 1963-81
Mike Medavoy
Business
21-Jan-1941   TriStar, Orion, Phoenix Pictures chairman
Yehudi Menuhin
Violinist
22-Apr-1916 12-Mar-1999 Child prodigy violinist, conductor
Jean-Marie Messier
Business
13-Dec-1956   CEO of Vivendi, 1996-2000
Pierre Messmer
Head of State
20-Mar-1916 29-Aug-2007 Prime Minister of France, 1972-74
Adam Michnik
Activist
17-Oct-1946   Gazeta Wyborcza
Franklin C. Miller
Government
Oct-1950   National Security Council, 2001-05
Robert A. Millikan
Physicist
22-Mar-1868 19-Dec-1953 Determined the charge of an electron
Nathan Milstein
Violinist
31-Dec-1904 21-Dec-1992 Virtuoso violinist, interpreter of Bach
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Conductor
1-Mar-1896 2-Nov-1960 Conductor, NY Philharmonic, 1949-58
Henri Moissan
Chemist
28-Sep-1852 20-Feb-1907 Isolated fluorine
Robert Mondavi
Business
12-Jun-1913 16-May-2008 Vintner
Egas Moniz
Scientist
29-Nov-1874 13-Dec-1955 Pre-frontal lobotomy and cerebral arteriography
Jacques Monod
Scientist
9-Feb-1910 31-May-1976 Operon theory of genetic control
Luc Montagnier
Scientist
18-Aug-1932   Co-Discoverer of HIV
Pierre Monteux
Conductor
4-Apr-1875 1-Jul-1964 Music Director, SF Symphony, 1935-52
Grace Moore
Singer
5-Dec-1898 26-Jan-1947 One Night of Love
Anne Morgan
Philanthropist
25-Jul-1873 29-Jan-1952 Friend of the French
Henry Morgenthau, Jr.
Government
11-May-1891 6-Feb-1967 US Secretary of the Treasury, 1934-45
Samuel F. B. Morse
Inventor
27-Apr-1791 2-Apr-1872 Telegraph inventor and publicist
Lord Mountbatten
Military
25-Jun-1900 27-Aug-1979 Last Viceroy of India
David C. Mulford
Business
1937   US Ambassador to India
Charles Münch
Conductor
26-Sep-1891 6-Nov-1968 Conductor, Orchestre National de France, 1962-68
Carl E. Mundy, Jr.
Military
16-Jul-1935   USMC Commandant, 1991-95
Audie Murphy
Actor
20-Jun-1924 28-May-1971 War hero turned cowboy actor
Ilie Nastase
Tennis
19-Jul-1946   Winner, 7 Grand Slam titles
Louis Néel
Physicist
22-Nov-1904 17-Nov-2000 Magnetic properties of solids
Marilyn Carlson Nelson
Business
c. 1939   CEO of Carlson Companies, 1998-2008
Robert G. Neumann
Diplomat
2-Jan-1916 18-Jun-1999 US Ambassador to Afghanistan, 1969-73
Chester W. Nimitz
Military
24-Feb-1885 20-Feb-1966 WWII Commander of US Pacific Navy
Lauris Norstad
Military
24-Mar-1907 12-Sep-1988 Supreme Allied Commander, 1956-63
Eugene Ormandy
Conductor
18-Nov-1899 12-Mar-1985 Music Director, Philadelphia Orchestra, 1938-80
Seiji Ozawa
Conductor
1-Sep-1935   Music Director, Vienna State Opera
Maurice Papon
Criminal
3-Sep-1910 17-Feb-2007 Vichy war criminal
Paul Paray
Conductor
24-May-1886 10-Oct-1979 Music Director, Detroit Symphony, 1951-62
Robert M. Parker
Critic
23-Jul-1947   The Wine Advocate
George S. Patton
Military
11-Nov-1885 21-Dec-1945 American WWII Army commander
I. M. Pei
Architect
26-Apr-1917   Designed Louvre's glass pyramid
Claiborne Pell
Politician
22-Nov-1918 1-Jan-2009 US Senator from Rhode Island, 1961-97
Jacques Pépin
Chef
18-Dec-1935   Frequent Julia Child collaborator
Saint-John Perse
Poet
31-May-1887 20-Sep-1975 Exile
John J. Pershing
Military
13-Sep-1860 15-Jul-1948 General of the Armies of the United States
Renzo Piano
Architect
14-Sep-1937   Designed the Pompidou Center rehab
Philippe Pinel
Psychiatrist
20-Apr-1745 25-Oct-1826 Unchained the insane
Michel Platini
Soccer
21-Jun-1955   Exceptional French midfielder
Elena Poniatowska
Journalist
19-May-1932   Mexican feminist writer, journalist
Lily Pons
Singer
12-Apr-1898 13-Feb-1976 French-American coloratura soprano
Ilya Prigogine
Chemist
25-Jan-1917 28-May-2003 Theory of dissipative structures
Isidor Isaac Rabi
Physicist
29-Jul-1898 11-Jan-1988 Magnetic beam resonances
Prince Rainier
Royalty
31-May-1923 6-Apr-2005 Monarch of Monaco, 1949-2005
C. N. R. Rao
Chemist
30-Jun-1934   Chemistry of superconductivity
Satyajit Ray
Film Director
2-May-1921 23-Apr-1992 Pather Panchali
Lord Rayleigh
Physicist
12-Nov-1842 30-Jun-1919 Why the sky is blue
Pauline Réage
Author
23-Sep-1907 27-Apr-1998 Histoire d'O
Raj Reddy
Educator
13-Jun-1937   Professor of Computer Science, CMU
Robert Redford
Actor
18-Aug-1936   The Sundance Kid
Odilon Redon
Artist
22-Apr-1840 6-Jul-1916 Symbolist charcoal artist
Louis Renault
Engineer
15-Feb-1877 24-Oct-1944 Founder of Renault
Jean Renoir
Film Director
15-Sep-1894 12-Feb-1979 La Grande Illusion
Dickinson W. Richards
Scientist
30-Oct-1895 23-Feb-1973 Cardiac catheterization
Theodore W. Richards
Chemist
31-Jan-1868 2-Apr-1928 Atomic weights
Charles Richet
Scientist
26-Aug-1850 4-Dec-1935 Studied anaphylaxis and ectoplasm
Paul Craig Roberts
Economist
1939   The Supply-Side Revolution
Elmer E. Robinson
Politician
3-Oct-1894 9-Jun-1982 Mayor of San Francisco, 1948-56
Sir Robert Robinson
Chemist
13-Sep-1886 8-Feb-1975 Researcher of alkaloids
Comte de Rochambeau
Military
1-Jul-1725 12-May-1807 French hero of American Revolution
Joe M. Rodgers
Business
12-Nov-1933 2-Feb-2009 US Ambassador to France, 1985-89
Auguste Rodin
Sculptor
12-Nov-1840 17-Nov-1917 Sculptor in bronze
Felix Rohatyn
Business
29-May-1928   Financier, Lazard Frères
Mstislav Rostropovich
Cellist
27-Mar-1927 27-Apr-2007 Cellist and conductor
J. K. Rowling
Author
31-Jul-1965   Author of Harry Potter series
Artur Rubinstein
Pianist
28-Jan-1887 20-Dec-1982 Polish-American piano virtuoso
Michael E. Ryan
Military
24-Dec-1941   USAF Chief of Staff, 1997-2001
Paul Sabatier
Chemist
5-Nov-1854 14-Aug-1941 Heterogeneous catalysis
Yves Saint Laurent
Fashion Designer
1-Aug-1936 1-Jun-2008 Christian Dior protege
Malcolm Sargent
Conductor
29-Apr-1895 3-Oct-1967 Conductor, BBC Symphony, 1950-57
Nicolas Sarkozy
Politician
28-Jan-1955   President of France, 2007-12
Jean-Paul Sartre
Philosopher
21-Jun-1905 15-Apr-1980 Nausea, No Exit
Charles M. Schwab
Business
18-Feb-1862 19-Sep-1939 Founder of Bethlehem Steel
Tokyo Sexwale
Business
5-Mar-1953   Mvelaphanda Holdings
J. Marion Sims
Doctor
25-Jan-1813 13-Nov-1883 Father of gynecology
John F. Smith, Jr.
Business
6-Apr-1938   CEO of General Motors, 1992-2000
Roger Smith
Business
12-Jul-1925 29-Nov-2007 CEO of General Motors, 1980-90
Walter Bedell Smith
Government
5-Oct-1895 9-Aug-1961 CIA Director, 1950-53
Georg Solti
Conductor
21-Oct-1912 5-Sep-1997 Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Albert Spalding
Violinist
15-Aug-1888 26-May-1953 American violin virtuoso
Steven Spielberg
Film Director
18-Dec-1946   E.T.
Philip Sporn
Engineer
25-Nov-1896 23-Jan-1978 American Electric Power Company
Robert G. Sproul
Educator
22-May-1891 10-Sep-1975 President, University of California, 1930-58
Chauncey Starr
Physicist
14-Apr-1912 17-Apr-2007 Electric Power Research Institute
Francis Steegmuller
Author
3-Jul-1906 20-Oct-1994 Cocteau: A Biography
Barbra Streisand
Singer
24-Apr-1942   You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Bruce Sundlun
Politician
19-Jan-1920 21-Jul-2011 Governor of Rhode Island, 1991-95
Peter Sutherland
Government
25-Apr-1946   First Director General of the WTO
George Szell
Conductor
7-Jun-1897 30-Jul-1970 Conductor, Cleveland Orchestra, 1946-70
Burton M. Tansky
Business
c. 1938   CEO of Neiman Marcus
Sidney Taurel
Business
9-Feb-1949   CEO of Eli Lilly, 1998-2008
Helen B. Taussig
Doctor
24-May-1898 20-May-1986 Mother of pediatric cardiology
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Philosopher
1-May-1881 10-Apr-1955 The Phenomenon of Man
Elihu Thomson
Inventor
29-Mar-1853 13-Mar-1937 Electric welding and A/C motors
Charles Lewis Tiffany
Business
15-Feb-1812 18-Feb-1902 Founder of Tiffany & Co.
William R. Timken, Jr.
Diplomat
c. 1938   US Ambassador to Germany
Dimitri Tiomkin
Composer
10-May-1894 11-Nov-1979 Wild Is the Wind
Alexis de Tocqueville
Historian
29-Jul-1805 16-Apr-1859 Democracy in America
Charles H. Townes
Physicist
28-Jul-1915   Invention of the maser and laser
John Townsend
Mathematician
7-Jun-1868 16-Feb-1957 Electron's charge
Marvin S. Traub
Business
14-Apr-1925 11-Jul-2012 CEO of Bloomingdale's, 1978-92
Jack Valenti
Business
5-Sep-1921 26-Apr-2007 Presidential advisor, headed the MPAA
Melvin Van Peebles
Film Director
21-Aug-1932   Watermelon Man
Daniel Vasella
Business
c. 1954   CEO of Novartis
Jules Verne
Author
8-Feb-1828 24-Mar-1905 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Selman A. Waksman
Scientist
22-Jul-1888 16-Aug-1973 Streptomycin and other antibiotics
Arthur K. Watson
Business
23-Apr-1919 26-Jul-1974 Past President of IBM World Corp.
Thomas J. Watson
Business
17-Feb-1874 19-Jun-1956 Led IBM into the computer era
Eudora Welty
Author
13-Apr-1909 23-Jul-2001 The Optimist's Daughter
Arsène Wenger
Soccer
22-Oct-1949   Arsenal manager
George Westinghouse
Inventor
6-Oct-1846 12-Mar-1914 Air brake and A/C power
Earle G. Wheeler
Military
13-Jan-1908 18-Dec-1975 Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1964-70
Elie Wiesel
Activist
30-Sep-1928   Anti-Holocaust and human-rights activist
Simon Wiesenthal
Activist
31-Dec-1908 20-Sep-2005 Nazi hunter
David L. Wolper
Film/TV Producer
11-Jan-1928 10-Aug-2010 Roots
Carroll D. Wright
Sociologist
25-Jul-1840 20-Feb-1909 The Industrial Evolution of the United States
Michelle Yeoh
Actor
6-Aug-1962   Hong Kong action movie star
Alvin York
Military
13-Dec-1887 2-Sep-1964 Highly decorated WWI veteran
Hans Zinsser
Scientist
17-Nov-1878 4-Sep-1940 Typhus vaccine
Elmo R. Zumwalt
Military
29-Nov-1920 2-Jan-2000 US Chief of Naval Operations, 1970-74
Vladimir Zworykin
Inventor
30-Jul-1889 29-Jul-1982 Patented color televison


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