America has a rich and diverse history which shows itself in its music, politics, film, and culture. The power of biography helps to illuminate larger questions of war, peace, and justice and in exploring the lives of the figures that helped shape America’s history we can discover more about our past.
The American National Biography Online (ANB Online) allows you to discover the lives of over 18,700 men and women who have helped to shape American history. This April, 41 new lives have been added to the resource including radical feminist Andrea Dworkin, chess genius Bobby Fischer, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and singer and actress Peggy Lee. We are also delighted to announce a new partnership between the ANB Online and the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution to allow National Portrait Gallery images to be used alongside ANB Online biographies.
Browse through the portraits and discover the famous and, not so famous, lives of some of the key figures who have been added this April.
Lucy Burns, (28 July 1879-22 Dec. 1966), suffragist and vice chairman of the Congressional Union. Courtesy of the Library of Congress (LC-DIG-hec-03870)
Florence FOSTER JENKINS
Florence Foster Jenkins, (19 May 1868-26 Nov. 1944), singer. Courtesy of Library of Congress (LC-DIG-ggbain-33928).
Orville Freeman, (9 May 1918-20 Feb. 2003), governor and secretary of agriculture. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mrs. Boris Chaliapin
John Kenneth GALBRAITH
John Kenneth Galbraith, (15 Oct. 1908-29 Apr. 2006), economist and author. Courtesy of the Library of Congress (LC-USE6-D-000368)
Paulette Goddard, (3 June 1910-23 Apr. 1990), actress. Courtesy of Library of Congress (LC-USE6-D-001602)
Martha Griffiths, (29 Jan. 1912-22 Apr. 2003), U.S. congresswoman, lawyer, and women’s rights advocate. Courtesy of Library of Congress (LC-U9-23069-20)
Peggy Lee, (26 May 1920-21 Jan. 2002), jazz and pop singer, songwriter, and actress. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Creative Commons License.
Robert S. McNamara, (9 June 1916-6 July 2009), business executive, president of Ford Motor Company, U.S. secretary of defense, and president of the World Bank. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the artist.
James A. VAN ALLEN
James A. Van Allen, (7 Sept. 1914-9 Aug. 2006), astrophysicist. Courtesy of NASA