Biographies

Joseph Cotten (1905–1994) — American film and stage actor Joseph Cotten Joseph Cotten was a leading American actor of stage, radio, film and television, noted for collaborations with Orson Welles and roles in Citizen Kane, The Third Man and Shadow of a…

Joseph Cottet (1923–2019), Swiss politician Joseph Cottet Swiss politician from Bossonnens who served in the Grand Council of Fribourg (1957–1971) and later in the National Council (1983–1987); affiliated with the Party of Farmers, Trader…

Joseph Dalton Hooker: British botanist, explorer and pioneer of plant geography Joseph Dalton Hooker British botanist (1817–1911), pioneer of geographical botany, close friend of Charles Darwin, director of Kew Gardens, and author of major regional floras and expedition reports.

Joseph Deiss — Swiss Federal Councillor, economist and UN General Assembly president Joseph Deiss Swiss economist and politician Joseph Deiss (born 1946). Federal Councillor 1999–2006 (Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs), President of the Swiss Confederation 2004, and President…

Joseph Djida (1945–2015), Cameroonian Roman Catholic Bishop of Ngaoundéré Joseph Djida Cameroonian Catholic prelate Joseph Djida OMI (1945–2015) served as the second bishop of Ngaoundéré. Ordained in 1976, he led pastoral and missionary work in central Cameroon from…

Joseph E. Johnston: Confederate General and Career Army Officer Joseph E. Johnston Biography of Joseph E. Johnston (1807–1891), U.S. Army graduate and Confederate general. Covers his early career, major Civil War commands and battles, controversies, surrender and…

Joseph Engelberger — pioneer of industrial robotics Joseph Engelberger Joseph F. Engelberger (1925–2015) was an American physicist, engineer and entrepreneur who helped create and commercialize the first industrial robot and promoted robotics in indus…

Joseph Erlanger American physiologist Joseph Erlanger (1874–1965) shared the 1944 Nobel Prize with Herbert S. Gasser for showing that different nerve fibers have distinct conduction properties and…

Joseph Estrada Filipino actor-turned-politician who served as the 13th President of the Philippines (1998–2001), later convicted and pardoned, and returned to local office as Mayor of Manila (201…

Joseph Fiennes English actor Joseph Fiennes (born 1970) is known for film and television roles including Shakespeare in Love, and later work in TV drama. He is a member of the creative Fiennes fa…

Joseph Fourier: heat theory, Fourier series, and scientific legacy Joseph Fourier French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier (1768–1830) developed Fourier series and analytic methods for heat flow, influenced climate science, and left a lasting legacy in…

Joseph G. Clemons Jr. Joseph G. Clemons American Army officer noted for leadership at the 1953 Battle of Pork Chop Hill; served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was portrayed in a 1959 film. Born in Cleveland; died 201…

Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945) Joseph Goebbels German Nazi politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda (1933–1945), chief organizer of state information and cultural policy under Adolf Hitler; died by suicide in 1945 after a fi…

Joseph Gordon-Levitt American actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt (born 1981) began as a child actor and later gained recognition for varied film and television roles. He also founde…

Joseph H. Boardman American railroad executive who served as President and CEO of Amtrak from 2008 to 2016; led the national passenger railroad through a period of operational and capital challenges.

Joseph Hannesschläger: German actor and musician (1962–2020) Joseph Hannesschläger Joseph Hannesschläger was a German stage, film and television actor and musician, best known as Chief of Police Korbinian Hofer in the long-running series Die Rosenheim-Cops.

Joseph Haydn: Austrian composer and key figure of the Classical era Joseph Haydn Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was an Austrian composer who shaped the Classical style, pioneered the symphony and string quartet, served the Esterházy court, and influenced Mozart and B…

Joseph Heller American novelist and playwright best known for Catch-22 (1961), noted for satirical dark humor and influence on modern notions of bureaucratic absurdity and the term “catch-22.”

Joseph Hewes: Merchant, North Carolina Patriot and Signer of the Declaration Joseph Hewes Joseph Hewes (1730–1779), a Princeton-educated merchant who settled in Edenton, North Carolina, represented his state in the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Indepen…

Joseph Hooker Union Army major general in the American Civil War, commander of the Army of the Potomac known for organizational reforms and his defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Joseph Joffo: French memoirist and author of Un sac de billes Joseph Joffo Joseph Joffo (1931–2018) was a French author best known for his childhood memoir Un sac de billes, an account of survival and identity during World War II that became widely transl…

Joseph Jouthe — Haitian politician and former prime minister Joseph Jouthe Overview of Joseph Jouthe, born 1961 in Thomonde; served as Haiti's Minister of the Environment, acting Minister of Economy and Finance, and as the 22nd Prime Minister (Mar 2020–Ap…

Joseph Kabila: President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001–2019) Joseph Kabila Profile of Joseph Kabila, Congolese politician who became president in 2001, served two elected terms, faced conflict and controversy, and remained influential after leaving office…

Joseph Kamaru: Kenyan Musician, Songwriter, and Political Commentator Joseph Kamaru Joseph Kamaru (1938–2018) was a leading Kenyan rock and gospel artist and political singer-songwriter in the Kikuyu language, noted for social commentary, record sales and influenc…

Joseph Karl Stieler (1781–1858) — German Portrait Painter Joseph Karl Stieler German portraitist best known for court portraits, the Munich 'Gallery of Beauties' and the widely reproduced 1820 portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Joseph Kobzon: Soviet and Russian singer, public figure, and controversial political activist Joseph Kobzon Biography of Iosif (Joseph) Kobzon (1937–2018), his musical career, signature songs, public roles, political involvement with Crimea and Donetsk, and later life and legacy.

Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army Joseph Kony Profile of Joseph Kony, founder and leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA): background, ideology, tactics, regional impact, alleged crimes, and international efforts to apprehe…

Joseph Lombardo — Chicago Outfit figure known as 'Joey the Clown' Joseph Lombardo Overview of Joseph P. Lombardo (1929–2019), a reputed high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit who was convicted in a major federal investigation and died in prison at age 90.

Joseph E. Lowery: Civil Rights Leader and United Methodist Minister Joseph Lowery Joseph E. Lowery (1921–2020) was a United Methodist minister and a prominent leader in the American Civil Rights Movement, serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership…

Joseph Luns: Dutch statesman, long-serving foreign minister and NATO Secretary General Joseph Luns Biography of Joseph Luns (1911–2002), his roles as the Netherlands' foreign minister and NATO Secretary General, his diplomatic style, major themes of his tenure, and his legacy.

Joseph Lyons (1879–1939) — Australian prime minister Joseph Lyons Joseph Lyons, Tasmanian-born politician who led a party realignment in the 1930s and served as Australia's tenth Prime Minister from 1932 until his death in 1939.

Joseph Maguire — U.S. Navy vice admiral and former acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire Overview of Joseph Maguire, a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral who led the National Counterterrorism Center and served as acting Director of National Intelligence (Aug 2019–Feb 2020)…

Joseph Mascolo (1929–2016) Joseph Mascolo American actor and musician best known for creating the villain Stefano DiMera on NBC's Days of Our Lives; a long career across film, television and stage from the 1950s to 2016.

Joseph McCarthy (1908–1957): U.S. senator and central figure in Cold War anti‑communism Joseph McCarthy Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph R. McCarthy became the leading public face of 1950s anti‑communist campaigns—his tactics coined the term 'McCarthyism' and left a las…

Joseph Mercieca — Archbishop of Malta (1928–2016) Joseph Mercieca Joseph Mercieca was a Maltese Catholic prelate who led the Archdiocese of Malta from 1976 to 2006, recognized for stabilizing church–society relations and guiding pastoral renewal…

Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man: life, condition, and legacy Joseph Merrick Joseph Merrick (1862–1890), called the Elephant Man, was an Englishman with severe deformities who performed in Victorian exhibitions and later lived at the London Hospital; his ca…

Joseph Monier and the development of reinforced concrete Joseph Monier Joseph Monier (1823–1906) was a French gardener and inventor who pioneered embedding iron reinforcement in concrete, creating early reinforced concrete products that influenced lat…

Joseph Mukasa Zuza — Malawian Roman Catholic Bishop (1945–2015) Joseph Mukasa Zuza Overview of Joseph Mukasa Zuza, his life as a Malawian Roman Catholic bishop, key dates, duties as bishop of Mzuzu, and his legacy within the Church and local community.

Joseph E. Murray — pioneering transplant surgeon Joseph Murray American plastic and transplant surgeon who performed the first successful human kidney transplant in 1954 and shared the 1990 Nobel Prize for advances in organ transplantation.

Joseph Muscat (Maltese politician) Joseph Muscat Joseph Muscat, Maltese politician who led the Labour Party and served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2020; remembered for economic growth, a pro-EU stance and major controversies t…

Joseph Dion Ngute: Cameroon's Ninth Prime Minister Joseph Ngute Profile of Joseph Dion Ngute, Cameroonian politician appointed prime minister in January 2019. Overview of his background, appointment context, duties, and notable aspects of his t…

Joseph S. Nye Jr. Joseph Nye Joseph S. Nye Jr. (b. 1937) is an American political scientist noted for the concepts of soft power and smart power, major works on power and interdependence, and service in US gov…

Joseph Paul Franklin Joseph Paul Franklin (1950–2013) was an American white supremacist and convicted serial killer responsible for a series of racially motivated attacks and high‑profile assassination…

Joseph Pilato: actor best known as Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead Joseph Pilato American character actor Joseph Pilato (1949–2019) is remembered for his intense performance as Captain Rhodes in George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead and a memorable cameo in Pulp F…

Joseph Polchinski (1954–2018) Joseph Polchinski American theoretical physicist known for his work in string theory, especially D-branes, author of the standard textbook 'String Theory', and recipient of major awards including th…

Joseph Priestley (1733–1804): chemist, clergyman, and discoverer of oxygen Joseph Priestley English natural philosopher and Unitarian minister known for isolating oxygen, advancing pneumatic chemistry, promoting religious dissent, and emigrating to the United States.

Joseph Pulitzer: Publisher, Reformer, and Founder of the Pulitzer Prizes Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911) was a Hungarian-born American newspaper publisher whose editorial crusades, competitive sensationalism, and endowment shaped modern American journalism…

Joseph Romm: Climate Writer and Energy Policy Advocate Joseph Romm American physicist, author and policy analyst known for work on climate change mitigation, energy efficiency and clean energy advocacy; author of Hell and High Water and founder of…