Leading Figures in History

Discover the people who shaped our world — from rulers and scientists to artists and activists.

24408 persons found

Wolfgang Schwanitz

b. 1930

German intelligence official (1930–2022)

Wolfgang Unzicker

b. 1925

German chess grandmaster (1925–2006)

Wolfman Jack

American DJ and music TV host (1938–1995)

Wolfram Müller

b. 1981

German middle-distance runner

Wolfram Sievers

German war criminal (1905–1948)

Wolraad Woltemade

Cape Dutch dairy farmer; famous for saving lives in a shipwreck in 1773

Wolrad IV, Count of Waldeck-Eisenberg

b. 1588

German count (1588–1640)

Wonder Mike

b. 1957

Musical artist

Wong Ho Leng

Malaysian politician

Wong Ka Kui

b. 1962

Hong Kong musician (1962–1993)

Wonpil

b. 1994

South Korean musician (born 1994)

Woo Jin-young

b. 1997

South Korean singer and rapper (born 1997)

Woo Seung-yeon

South Korean model and actress (1983–2009)

Woodall Rodgers

American politician

Woody Herman

b. 1913

American jazz musician and bandleader (1913–1987)

Wop May

Canadian flying ace (1896–1952)

Worthington Whittredge

b. 1820

American painter

Wouter Hamel

b. 1977

Dutch singer

Wouter Weylandt

Belgian road bicycle racer

Wreckless Eric

b. 1954

English singer-songwriter (born 1954)

Wright brothers

b. 1867

American aviation pioneers, inventors of the airplane

Wright Morris

American photographer and novelist

Wu Peifu

b. 1874

Chinese general and warlord (1874–1939)

Wu Zhengyi

b. 1916

Chinese botanist (1916–2013)