Biographies

Eleni Kounalakis — U.S. diplomat, businesswoman, and California lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis Eleni Kounalakis (born 1966) is an American businesswoman and politician. She has served as California's 50th lieutenant governor since 2019 and was U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from…

Elfriede Brüning: German journalist, novelist and political activist Elfriede Brüning Elfriede Brüning (1910–2014) was a German journalist and novelist who wrote under her name and the pseudonym Elke Klent. A Communist Party member persecuted under Nazism, she remai…

Elfriede Ott: Austrian Actress, Singer, Stage Director and Teacher Elfriede Ott Biography of Elfriede Ott (1925–2019), an influential Austrian stage and screen performer, director and educator whose career spanned more than seven decades.

Elgin Baylor Elgin Baylor (1934–2021) was an American basketball player, coach and executive known for his athletic scoring, rebounding and passing during a 13-season NBA career with the Minnea…

Eli Cohen: Israeli Spy, Infiltrator in Syria, and Enduring Legacy Eli Cohen Eli (Eliyahu) Cohen (1924–1965) was an Israeli intelligence agent who penetrated the Syrian political and military elite. Arrested in 1965, executed in Damascus, and remembered for…

Eli Grba — American Major League Baseball pitcher Eli Grba Eli Grba (1934–2019) was an American right‑handed pitcher who appeared in the major leagues with the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels before retiring in the early 1960s.

Eli Manning Eli Manning is a retired American football quarterback who played 16 seasons with the New York Giants, won two Super Bowls (earning two Super Bowl MVPs), and is part of a prominent…

Eli Roth: Filmmaker, Actor, and Prominent Voice in Contemporary Horror Eli Roth Overview of Eli Roth’s life and career: American director, writer, producer and actor known for provocative horror films, notable acting roles, television work, and influence on mo…

Eli Thayer: New England Emigrant Aid Company founder and Free-State organizer Eli Thayer Eli Thayer (1819–1899), educator and politician who founded the New England Emigrant Aid Company to promote Free-State settlement in Kansas during Bleeding Kansas; later served in…

Eli Wallach (1915–2014) — American character actor Eli Wallach Eli Wallach was a versatile American actor whose seven-decade career encompassed stage, film, television and voice work; remembered for roles such as Tuco in The Good, the Bad and…

Eli Whitney Eli Whitney (1765–1825), American inventor best known for the cotton gin and early advocacy of interchangeable parts, whose work affected manufacturing, agriculture and the expansi…

Eli Zelkha — entrepreneur, investor and pioneer of ambient intelligence Eli Zelkha Elias “Eli” Zelkha (1950–2017) was an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and educator credited with advancing the idea of ambient intelligence and its application to computi…

Elia Kazan: director, actor and influential figure in American theatre and film Elia Kazan Turkish-born Greek-American director and actor Elia Kazan (1909–2003) shaped mid-20th century stage and screen with realist direction, the Actors Studio, landmark films and a contr…

Eliaquim Mangala French central defender known for physical strength and a high‑profile move from FC Porto to Manchester City; later spells at Valencia and appearances for France at youth and senio…

Elias Burstein (1917–2017) — experimental condensed matter physicist Elias Burstein American experimental condensed-matter physicist known for pioneering studies of the optical properties of solids, association with the Burstein–Moss shift, long career as research…

Elias Canetti Elias Canetti (1905–1994) was a Bulgarian-born, German-writing author and Nobel laureate, best known for Crowds and Power, the novel Auto-da-Fé, and his wide-ranging reflections on…

Elias Gleizer — Brazilian actor known for telenovelas and character roles Elias Gleizer Elias Gleizer (1934–2015) was a Brazilian actor whose long career spanned theatre, film and television; he is remembered for roles in many popular telenovelas and as a veteran char…

Elias Howe — inventor of the American sewing machine Elias Howe Elias Howe (1819–1867) was an American inventor whose patented lockstitch sewing machine and successful patent enforcement helped modernize garment manufacture.

Elias James Corey (E. J. Corey) Elias James Corey American organic chemist and Nobel laureate known for founding retrosynthetic analysis and advancing methods for constructing complex organic molecules.

Elias Lönnrot — compiler of the Kalevala and Finnish philologist Elias Lönnrot Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884), Finnish philologist, physician and collector of oral poetry. Compiler of the Kalevala, author of Flora Fennica, and a key figure in the development of wr…

Elías Yanes Álvarez Spanish Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop (1928–2018) who led the dioceses of Oviedo and Zaragoza and guided local church life through Spain's late-20th-century social and polit…

Élie Brousse French rugby league second-row forward Élie Brousse played for several major clubs and earned 31 caps for France between 1946 and 1953.

Élie Ducommun — Swiss peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Élie Ducommun Élie Ducommun (1833–1906) was a Swiss organizer and pacifist who directed the International Peace Office and shared the 1902 Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting arbitration an…

Elie Wiesel: Writer, Holocaust Survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) was a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, Holocaust survivor, teacher and activist. Best known for the memoir Night, he won the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for…

Elihu Root: Lawyer, Statesman, and Architect of International Arbitration Elihu Root Elihu Root (1845–1937) was an American lawyer, cabinet official and senator who modernized the U.S. Army, promoted international arbitration at The Hague, and received the 1912 Nob…

Elijah (Eliyahu): Prophet in Abrahamic Traditions Elijah Elijah, a central prophetic figure from 9th-century BCE Israel, appears across Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Baha'i writings; famed for the contest on Mount Carmel and being taken…

Elijah Burke: American professional wrestler and performer Elijah Burke Elijah Burke (born May 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestler known for his work on WWE's ECW brand and in TNA as “The Pope” D'Angelo Dinero; he later returned to work with…

Elijah Cummings: U.S. Representative, Civil Rights Advocate, and Oversight Leader Elijah Cummings Elijah Cummings (1951–2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who represented Maryland's 7th district in the U.S. House from 1996 to 2019 and chaired the House O…

Elijah McCoy Elijah McCoy (1844–1929) was a Canadian-born African American engineer and inventor best known for an automatic lubrication system for steam engines and for holding more than 50 pa…

Elijah Muhammad (1897–1975) Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, shaping a Black nationalist religious movement, mentoring prominent figures, and provoking debate over separatist doctrin…

Elijah Wood Elijah Wood (born 1981) is an American actor and producer best known for portraying Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy; his career spans child acting, v…

Elin Ek: Swedish cross-country specialist and Vasaloppet winner Elin Ek Overview of Elin Ek (born 1973), a Swedish cross-country skier who competed in three Winter Olympics, won Tjejvasan twice, the Vasaloppet, national titles and the Worldloppet serie…

Elin Nordegren Swedish former model and public figure (born 1980). Known for her marriage to Tiger Woods (2004–2010), subsequent focus on family and education, and long-standing preference for pr…

Elina Bystritskaya — Soviet and Russian actress, famed for Aksinya Elina Bystritskaya Elina Bystritskaya (1928–2019) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actress best known for playing Aksinya in the 1958 adaptation of And Quiet Flows the Don; People's Artist of…

Elinor Donahue — American actress best known from Father Knows Best Elinor Donahue Elinor Donahue (born 1937) is an American actress best known for playing the daughter on the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best. She sustained a long television career and was married…

Elinor Ostrom: Nobel laureate on the governance of common-pool resources Elinor Ostrom Elinor Ostrom (1933–2012) was an American political economist who showed how communities can self-organize to manage shared resources. She won the 2009 Nobel Prize and developed th…

Elinor Wylie: American poet and novelist Elinor Wylie Elinor Wylie (1885–1928) was an American poet and novelist celebrated in the 1920s for her lyrical craftsmanship, classical influences, and glamorous public persona.

Elio Berhanyer — Spanish fashion designer (1929–2019) Elio Berhanyer Elio Berhanyer (Elio Berenguer Úbeda) was a leading Spanish designer known for elegant eveningwear, tailored daywear and high-profile uniform commissions. Active from the postwar p…

Elio Di Rupo — Belgian politician and former Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo Belgian socialist leader, Prime Minister from 2011–2014, mayor of Mons, and the first openly gay man to lead a sovereign state. Born in Wallonia to Italian parents and trained as a…

Elio Sgreccia: Italian Cardinal and Leading Bioethicist Elio Sgreccia Biography and overview of Elio Sgreccia (1928–2019), Italian priest, cardinal and a prominent figure in Catholic bioethics, his roles, ideas, and legacy.

Elio Toaff — Chief Rabbi of Rome (1951–2002) Elio Toaff Italian rabbi Elio Toaff (1915–2015) led Rome's Jewish community for five decades, fostered Jewish-Catholic dialogue and served earlier in Venice; noted for rebuilding community li…

Eliot Spitzer American lawyer and politician; served as New York Attorney General and briefly as Governor of New York; later worked in media. Resigned in 2008 following a personal scandal.

Elis Regina (1945–1982) — Brazilian singer and icon of MPB Elis Regina Elis Regina, celebrated Brazilian singer (1945–1982), famed for expressive phrasing and versatility across samba, bossa nova and MPB; known for Elis & Tom and songs such as "Arrast…

Elisa Mainardi — Italian actress known for stage and Fellini films Elisa Mainardi Overview of Elisa Mainardi (1930–2016), Italian stage, film and television actress, frequent collaborator of Federico Fellini and performer in Satyricon, Roma and And the Ship Sail…

Elisabeta Polihroniade — Romanian chess player, arbiter and journalist Elisabeta Polihroniade Elisabeta Polihroniade (1935–2016) was a prominent Romanian chess player, seven-time national champion, Woman Grandmaster (1982), International Arbiter and influential chess journa…

Elisabeth Andersen (Anna Elisabeth de Bruijn) — Dutch theatre actress Elisabeth Andersen Dutch stage actress Elisabeth Andersen (Anna Elisabeth de Bruijn, 1920–2018) was a prominent figure in Dutch theatre, noted for her long association with the Hague Comedy and for w…

Elisabeth Andreassen — Scandinavian singer and Eurovision performer Elisabeth Andreassen Elisabeth Andreassen (born 28 March 1958) is a Norwegian–Swedish singer known for pop, country and schlager; she represented both Sweden and Norway at Eurovision and won in 1985.

Elisabeth Berge: Norwegian civil servant and energy sector executive Elisabeth Berge Elisabeth Berge (1954–2020) was a Norwegian businessperson and senior civil servant who held executive communications roles at Statoil and served as permanent under-secretary in th…