Biographies

Edward Everett: American orator, statesman, and educator Edward Everett Edward Everett (1794–1865) was a Massachusetts Whig politician, noted orator and educator who served in national office, led Harvard, and delivered the principal Gettysburg oration…

Edward Fadeley (American jurist and politician) Edward Fadeley Edward Fadeley (1929–2015) was an Oregon attorney, state legislator and the 88th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, who also served as President of the Oregon Senate du…

Edward Feigenbaum — pioneer of expert systems and knowledge engineering Edward Feigenbaum American computer scientist Edward A. Feigenbaum (born 1936), a leader in artificial intelligence, best known for creating expert systems like DENDRAL and MYCIN and sharing the 199…

Edward Fox (English actor) Edward Fox English stage, film and television actor (born 1937), known for his restrained, aristocratic screen presence; best known for The Day of the Jackal and for portraying Edward VIII in…

Edward Fuller — Mayflower passenger and early Plymouth settler Edward Fuller Edward Fuller (c.1575–winter 1620/21) sailed on the Mayflower, signed the Mayflower Compact, and died in the colony’s first winter; his sons survived. He had lived in Leiden with E…

Edward Furlong — American actor best known as John Connor in Terminator 2 Edward Furlong Actor Edward Furlong (born 1977) rose to prominence as the young John Connor in Terminator 2. This article summarizes his career, notable roles, later work and public reception.

Edward Gierek — Polish leader who opened the 1970s economy to the West Edward Gierek Edward Gierek (1913–2001) led Poland's communist party in the 1970s, pursuing Western loans and industrial modernization that brought short-term growth but ended with debt, unrest,…

Edward Greenspan — Canadian criminal defence lawyer and broadcaster Edward Greenspan Edward Greenspan (1944–2014) was a prominent Canadian criminal defence lawyer, broadcaster and author, known for high-profile advocacy, public legal education and the CBC series Th…

Edward Guinan American astronomer and professor at Villanova University noted for observational research and for co-discovering the ring system of Neptune; active in teaching and stellar/planeta…

Edward Heath (1916–2005) — British Prime Minister and Conservative leader Edward Heath Summary of Sir Edward Heath, Conservative politician who led the UK 1970–1974, took Britain into the European Communities, and was known as a musician and yachtsman.

Edward "Babe" Heffron — Easy Company paratrooper and author Edward Heffron Edward "Babe" Heffron (1923–2013) was an American paratrooper of Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne in World War II. He served in Normandy, Market Garden and the Bulge and lat…

Edward Higgins White II — American astronaut and first U.S. spacewalker Edward Higgins White Edward H. White II (1930–1967) was an American Air Force test pilot and NASA astronaut who made the first U.S. extravehicular activity (EVA) on Gemini 4 and died in the Apollo 1 fi…

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (1882–1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker, celebrated for stark compositions of light, urban solitude, and iconic works such as Nighthawks and Chop S…

Edward I of England (Longshanks): king, lawgiver and military ruler Edward I of England Plantagenet king (1272–1307) known as Longshanks; reformed royal government and law, conquered Wales, fought in Scotland, held the Model Parliament and expelled Jews from England.

Edward II of England: reign, favourites, political conflict and legacy Edward II of England King of England from 1307 to 1327; notable for his close relationships with favourites, conflict with the nobility, military setbacks and a forced abdication that ended in his cont…

Edward III of England: king, soldier and architect of dynastic politics Edward III of England Edward III (1312–1377) reigned fifty years, led England through the early Hundred Years' War, founded the Order of the Garter and shaped royal government amid plague, military triu…

Edward IV of England (1442–1483): Yorkist ruler during the Wars of the Roses Edward IV of England Edward IV, leader of the Yorkist cause, reigned twice as King of England (1461–1470, 1471–1483). A soldier-king, his victories and marriage shaped late medieval politics and the pa…

Edward James Olmos Profile of Edward James Olmos, American actor and director known for Stand and Deliver, Blade Runner, Miami Vice and Battlestar Galactica; overview of career, roles, awards and leg…

Edward Jenner and the Invention of Smallpox Vaccination Edward Jenner English physician Edward Jenner pioneered vaccination against smallpox using cowpox material, establishing practices that led to modern immunology and eventually the disease's erad…

Edward Joseph McManus — Iowa politician and long-serving U.S. federal judge Edward Joseph McManus Edward J. McManus (1920–2017) was an Iowa Democrat who served as lieutenant governor (1959–61) and then as a United States federal judge from 1962 until his death, one of the longe…

Edward L. Feightner: U.S. Navy Ace, Naval Aviator and Aviation Innovator Edward L. Feightner Overview of Rear Admiral Edward L. 'Whitey' Feightner (1919–2020): World War II flying ace, carrier aviator, naval commander and contributor to postwar fighter development.

Edward Lunn Young Edward Lunn Young (1920–2017) was a Republican U.S. Representative from South Carolina (1973–1975). He later ran for governor and sought other offices before retiring from politics…

Edward M. Abroms — American film and television editor and director Edward M. Abroms Profile of Edward M. Abroms, an American film and TV editor and director, noted for an Academy Award nomination for Blue Thunder and an Emmy for Columbo; born and died in Los Angel…

Edward W. Morley (1838–1923): precision experiments in optics and chemistry Edward Morley American chemist and physicist Edward W. Morley is best known for the Michelson–Morley experiment, precise determinations of the speed of light, and accurate measurements of oxygen…

Edward Natapei: Vanuatu Statesman and Two-Term Prime Minister Edward Natapei Edward Natapei (1954–2015) was a senior Vanuatuan politician, leader of the Vanua'aku Pati, who served two terms as Prime Minister and held several top constitutional and ministeri…

Edward Nixon: businessman, naval instructor, and youngest brother of President Nixon Edward Nixon Biography of Edward C. Nixon (1930–2019): entrepreneur and consultant, longtime president of Nixon World Enterprises, memoir co-author, naval science instructor, and the youngest o…

Edward Norton: actor, filmmaker, and cultural figure Edward Norton American actor and filmmaker Edward Norton; known for Primal Fear, American History X, Fight Club, directing work, awards, and his blend of mainstream and independent film roles.

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453–1471) Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Edward of Westminster, only legitimate son of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, was the Lancastrian heir who died at the Battle of Tewkesbury, ending the direct Lancastrian line.

Edward Platt (1916–1974), American actor Edward Platt Edward C. Platt was an American character actor best known as “The Chief” on the 1960s television comedy Get Smart. He worked on stage, in films and TV and died in 1974 amid disput…

Edward Porter Alexander: Confederate Artillery Officer, Engineer, and Memoirist Edward Porter Alexander Edward P. Alexander (1835–1910) was a U.S.-trained engineer who became a Confederate general, notable for artillery and signal work during the American Civil War and for later writ…

Edward N. Rappaport — Acting Director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center Edward Rappaport Edward N. "Ed" Rappaport, Ph.D., is a tropical meteorologist who served as acting director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center after replacing Bill Proenza on July 9, 2007, with…

Edward L. Rowny Edward Rowny United States Army Lieutenant General, World War II and Korean War commander, longtime presidential military advisor and negotiator on strategic arms reduction, of Polish descent (…

Edward Schreyer — Premier of Manitoba (1969–1977) and Governor General of Canada (1979–1984) Edward Schreyer Edward Schreyer, Canadian politician who led Manitoba as its 16th Premier (1969–1977) and served as Canada's 22nd Governor General (1979–1984); overview of his life, political care…

Edward Seaga (1930–2019) Edward Seaga Jamaican political leader who served as prime minister (1980–1989), long-time head of the Jamaica Labour Party, and an influential figure in the country's late 20th-century politic…

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c.1506–1552) Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, was Lord Protector for his nephew Edward VI (1547–1552). A powerful Tudor noble, he led government, military campaigns and Protestant reforms…

Edward Shotter — Anglican priest and medical ethics educator Edward Shotter Edward F. Shotter (1933–2019) was an Anglican priest, Director of Studies of the London Medical Group (1966–1989), Dean of Rochester (1989–2003), and a leading figure in bringing m…

Edward J. Smith (1850–1912): Captain of the RMS Titanic Edward Smith (sea captain) Biography of Edward John Smith, the English sea captain best known for commanding the RMS Titanic on her 1912 maiden voyage; career, sinking, conflicting accounts of his fate, and…

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby British statesman (1799–1869), Conservative leader and three-time prime minister who headed short minority governments and presided over the 1867 Reform Act.

Edward Snowden: whistleblower behind NSA surveillance disclosures Edward Snowden Profile of Edward Snowden, the former U.S. intelligence contractor who disclosed classified NSA surveillance programs, his exile to Russia, legal consequences, and the public debat…

Edward Stratemeyer and the Stratemeyer Syndicate Edward Stratemeyer Edward L. Stratemeyer (1862–1930), American creator of mass-market children's series who founded the Stratemeyer Syndicate and developed a system of outlined, ghostwritten books.

Edward Tarr: Trumpeter, Musicologist and Advocate for Historical Trumpet Performance Edward Tarr Edward Tarr (1936–2020) was an American trumpeter and musicologist who revived historical trumpet repertoire, prepared scholarly editions, taught in Europe, directed the Bad Säckin…

Edward L. Tatum Edward Tatum Edward L. Tatum (1909–1975), American geneticist who established the genetic control of metabolism and helped launch bacterial genetics; co-winner of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physio…

Edward Teach (Blackbeard) Edward Teach Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, was an early 18th-century English pirate active in the Caribbean and along the American Atlantic seaboard; his life blends recorded events and la…

Edward Teller: Physicist and Architect of the Thermonuclear Age Edward Teller Concise encyclopedia entry on Edward Teller (1908–2003), a Hungarian‑born American theoretical physicist noted for his role in thermonuclear weapons development, science policy, an…

Edward the Confessor: King of England (c. 1003–1066) Edward the Confessor Anglo-Saxon king known for piety, Norman connections, Westminster Abbey, and a childless death that triggered the 1066 succession crisis and the Norman Conquest.

Edward the Elder (c. 874–924) — King of the Anglo‑Saxons Edward the Elder Son of Alfred the Great; king from 899 to 924 who consolidated West Saxon power, extended control over Mercia and eastern England, and helped create the foundations for a unified E…

Edward the Exile (Edward Ætheling) Edward the Exile English prince, son of King Edmund Ironside; lived most of his life abroad after 1016, returned at Edward the Confessor's request but died soon after in 1057. Father of Saint Marga…

Edward the Martyr King of England from 975 to 978, remembered for his short reign, violent death and later veneration as Saint Edward the Martyr. His murder reshaped succession and inspired a mediev…