Biographies

Charles Byron Renfrew: U.S. District Judge and Deputy Attorney General Charles Byron Renfrew Biography of Charles B. Renfrew (1928–2017), his education, federal judgeship in Northern California, service as U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and later career and legacy.

Charles C. Campbell (U.S. Army General) Charles C. Campbell Charles C. “Hondo” Campbell (1948–2016) was a senior U.S. Army officer who served as the 17th Commanding General of United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), leading force readi…

Charles C. McDonald (United States Air Force general) Charles C. McDonald United States Air Force general who led Air Force Logistics Command (1989–1992) and commanded the 320th Bombardment Wing; noted for logistics leadership and bomber wing excellence.

Charles C. Pattillo — US Air Force leader and founding Thunderbird pilot Charles C. Pattillo Charles C. Pattillo (1924–2019) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general, a founding member of the Thunderbirds demonstration team, and a senior commander at MacDill Air Fo…

Charles Cahill (1904–1954), Canadian NHL right winger for the Boston Bruins Charles Cahill Profile of Charles Cahill (1904–1954), a Canadian right winger from Summerside, PEI, who played one NHL season with the Boston Bruins; overview of his early life, playing career an…

Charles Caldwell Ryrie American evangelical theologian and author; longtime Dallas Theological Seminary professor and editor of the Ryrie Study Bible, known for promoting classic premillennial dispensati…

Charles Carroll of Carrollton: American Founding Figure and Signer Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832) was a wealthy Maryland planter, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, a delegate in the Revolution, and a complex f…

Charles Ceccaldi-Raynaud French lawyer and centre-right politician; long-serving mayor of Puteaux (1969–2004), deputy (1993–1995) and senator (1995–2004), and author of a book on the Algerian War.

Charles W. Chesnutt: African American Writer on Race, Passing, and the Postwar South Charles Chesnutt Profile of Charles W. Chesnutt, African American writer who examined race, racial passing, and post–Civil War Southern society through novels, stories, and essays including The Hou…

Charles Clarke (British politician) Charles Clarke Charles Clarke (born 1950) is a British Labour politician who represented Norwich South (1997–2010) and served in cabinet, most notably as Home Secretary from 2004 to 2006.

Charles Colson American lawyer, Nixon aide, and later evangelical leader who became a prison-reform advocate after the Watergate conviction and founded Prison Fellowship.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738–1805) Charles Cornwallis British Army officer and colonial administrator who commanded forces in the American Revolution, later reformed East India Company rule in India and served as Lord Lieutenant of Ir…

Charles Court Sir Charles Court (1911–2007) was a Liberal Party leader and the 21st Premier of Western Australia (1974–1982), known for promoting the state's resource development and for his lon…

Charles Curtis (1860–1936): U.S. Vice President and Kansas statesman Charles Curtis Charles Curtis (1860–1936) served as the 31st U.S. Vice President under Herbert Hoover. A long-time Kansas legislator and the only person of Native American descent to hold the vic…

Charles Cyphers American character actor born July 28, 1939, known for playing Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Halloween (1978) and reprising the role in Halloween Kills (2021). Long career in film, tel…

Charles Dance: English actor and director known for authoritative and villainous roles Charles Dance Charles Dance, OBE, is an English actor, screenwriter and director known for imposing authority and villainous roles on stage and screen, notably Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones…

Charles Darwin: Naturalist and architect of evolutionary theory Charles Darwin English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. His evidence-based work, including On the Origin of Species, reshaped biology…

Charles de Beauvau, Prince of Beauvau (1793–1864) Charles de Beauvau, Prince of Beauvau French aristocrat, military officer and politician. Served in the Napoleonic campaigns and later held office under Napoleon III; head of the House of Beauvau and styled Prince of B…

Charles de Gaulle French general and statesman who led Free France in WWII, headed the provisional government, founded the Fifth Republic and served as president (1959–1969), known for Gaullism and…

Charles de Tornaco Belgian racing driver who competed in early Formula One World Championship Grands Prix; fatally injured in a 1953 practice crash in Modena, Italy at age 28.

Charles Dickens: Life, Major Works, Themes, and Legacy Charles Dickens Concise encyclopedia overview of Charles Dickens (1812–1870), his life, principal novels, literary style, social concerns, and enduring cultural impact.

Charles Doolittle Walcott American geologist and invertebrate paleontologist (1850–1927) best known for discovering the Burgess Shale fossils and for leadership of the US Geological Survey and the Smithsoni…

Charles Drummond Ellis British physicist and scientific administrator (1895–1980) known for experimental studies of radioactivity and beta decay that contributed to understanding nuclear structure.

Charles Duke — Apollo 16 lunar module pilot and USAF brigadier general Charles Duke American astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general. Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 16 (1972); the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon. Test pilot with thousand…

Charles Durning American character actor and World War II veteran known for a long career on stage, film, and television, with many memorable supporting roles and multiple major award nominations.

Charles Edward Russell: Progressive Journalist, Reformer, and Biographer Charles Edward Russell Profile of Charles Edward Russell (1860–1941), American muckraker, author of 27 books, NAACP founder and long-serving director, and 1928 Pulitzer Prize winner for The American Orch…

Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) Charles Edward Stuart Jacobite claimant and leader of the 1745 rising; famed as Bonnie Prince Charlie for his failed attempt to restore the Stuart monarchy and for his dramatic escape and later life in…

Charles Edward Trevelyan (1807–1886) Charles Edward Trevelyan British civil servant and administrator known for his role in managing relief during the Irish Potato Famine, his writings on the crisis, and a contested legacy shaped by 19th‑cent…

Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (1634–1675) Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel II (1634–1675) ruled Savoy after a long minority under his mother. He reformed administration, strengthened the army, promoted Turin, and left the duchy to his son…

Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia (1701–1773) Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III (1701–1773) was Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730. His long reign combined military leadership, administrative reforms, and stewardship of the House…

Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia: life, reign and legacy Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel IV (1751–1819) was King of Sardinia (1796–1802). His short reign faced the French Revolutionary wars, loss of mainland Piedmont, abdication to his brother and late…

Charles Evans Hughes (1862–1948) Charles Evans Hughes American statesman, lawyer and jurist who served as Governor of New York, Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Secretary of State and international j…

Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton British barrister and Labour life peer; served as Lord Chancellor, first Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and briefly as the inaugural Secretary of State for Justice.

Charles Felix of Sardinia King of Sardinia from 1821 to 1831. A member of the House of Savoy, he upheld conservative, restoration-era policies, rejected constitutional change, and died childless, leading to…

Charles Fleischer American actor, stand-up comedian and voice artist best known as the voice of Roger Rabbit; active in film, television, stage and web series since the 1970s.

Charles Howe Fremantle — Royal Navy officer and namesake of Fremantle Charles Fremantle British naval officer (1800–1869) who claimed the western coast of Australia for Britain and lent his name to the city of Fremantle; a figure with notable achievements and historic…

Charles Gain — American police chief and reform advocate Charles Gain Charles Gain (1923–2018) was an American police official who led departments in Oakland and San Francisco. Appointed by Mayor George Moscone, he promoted modernization and communit…

Charles George Gordon: British officer, administrator and the fall of Khartoum Charles George Gordon Overview of Charles George Gordon (1833–1885), his military career, governorship in the Sudan, death during the Mahdist uprising, and his complex Victorian legacy.

Charles Gérard: French actor and director, frequent collaborator with Claude Lelouch Charles Gérard Charles Gérard (1922–2019) was a French actor and director whose six-decade screen career included more than fifty films. He was a regular collaborator of Claude Lelouch and a life…

Charles Gibson (television journalist and anchor) Charles Gibson American broadcast journalist Charles deWolf "Charlie" Gibson (born 1943), longtime ABC News anchor; hosted Good Morning America (1987–1998, 1999–2006) and anchored World News (200…

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond English peer and landowner (1929–2017), head of the Gordon-Lennox family, Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex (1990–1994) and steward of the Goodwood estate.

Charles Gounod: French composer of opera and sacred song Charles Gounod Charles Gounod (1818–1893) was a French composer best known for the operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette and for the popular Ave Maria melody set to Bach’s prelude.

Charles Grandison Finney: Revivalist Leader of the Second Great Awakening Charles Grandison Finney American revivalist (1792–1875) who reshaped Protestant revivalism with new methods, emphasized human responsibility in salvation, and linked evangelical religion with antebellum s…

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764–1845) Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey British Whig statesman and Prime Minister (1830–1834) best known for the 1832 Reform Act and as the namesake of Earl Grey tea.

Charles Grodin American actor, comedian, author and television host known for deadpan humor, film roles from Catch-22 to Beethoven, and an Emmy for writing in 1978.

Charles Kumi Gyamfi: Ghanaian football pioneer and three-time Africa Cup-winning coach Charles Gyamfi Charles Kumi Gyamfi (1929–2015) was a Ghanaian footballer and coach who helped professionalize the sport in West Africa and led Ghana to three Africa Cup of Nations titles.

Charles H. Pitman — United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General Charles H. Pitman Biography of Charles H. Pitman (1935–2020), a U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general, aviator, Vietnam War veteran and Deputy Chief of Staff for Aviation; overview of career, honors,…

Charles Hard Townes — Physicist and Pioneer of the Maser and Laser Charles Hard Townes American physicist Charles H. Townes (1915–2015) developed the maser, shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics, and advanced quantum electronics, earning the National Medal of Scienc…