Biographies

Ralph Giordano German writer, journalist and public intellectual (1923–2014). Holocaust survivor whose books, essays and activism confronted anti‑Semitism, neo‑Nazism and social tensions in postw…

Ralph Guglielmi Ralph Guglielmi (1933–2017) was an American football quarterback who played in college and in the NFL for multiple teams. This article summarizes his life, playing career, style an…

Ralph Hauenstein: businessman, philanthropist and U.S. Army colonel Ralph Hauenstein Ralph Hauenstein (1912–2016) was an American businessman, World War II veteran and philanthropist whose gifts supported presidential studies, neuroscience care, libraries and civic…

Ralph Ketner — Founder of Food Lion and Philanthropist Ralph Ketner Ralph W. Ketner (1920–2016) was an American businessman who founded the grocery chain that became Food Lion and was noted for significant philanthropic giving and local civic invol…

Ralph McGehee — CIA case officer and critic (1928–2020) Ralph McGehee Ralph McGehee was a U.S. intelligence officer who served 25 years in East and Southeast Asia before leaving the CIA and publishing memoirs and critiques about intelligence practice…

Ralph McQuarrie — concept artist and illustrator who shaped modern sci‑fi visuals Ralph McQuarrie American concept artist and illustrator Ralph McQuarrie (1929–2012) created the early visual identity for Star Wars and other films; his paintings guided production design, effects…

Ralph Metzner: Psychologist, writer, and researcher of consciousness Ralph Metzner Ralph Metzner (1936–2019) was an American psychologist and author known for his role in 1960s psychedelic research at Harvard and his lifelong work on consciousness, psychotherapy,…

Ralph Milne: Scottish midfielder and winger Ralph Milne Profile of Ralph Milne (1961–2015), a Scottish attacking midfielder and winger known for his skill at Dundee United and a brief spell at Manchester United, plus his playing style,…

Ralph Nattrass — Canadian NHL defenceman for the Chicago Black Hawks Ralph Nattrass Profile of Ralph William Nattrass (1925–2014), a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 223 NHL games with the Chicago Black Hawks during the late 1940s and later died in Edmont…

Ralph S. Greco American surgeon, surgical educator and sculptor. Stanford professor and longtime advocate for the well‑being of surgical trainees; born 1942 in the Bronx, retired 2017, died 2019.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr.: Founder and Longtime Owner of the Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson Ralph C. Wilson Jr. (1918–2014) was the founding owner of the Buffalo Bills, a charter owner of the American Football League, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee known for his…

Ralph Wolfe Cowan: American Portrait Painter (1931–2018) Ralph Wolfe Cowan Portrait artist known for commissioned likenesses of royalty, heads of state and prominent figures; worked primarily in oil and spent much of his career in Florida.

Ralphie May: American Stand‑up Comedian and Cultural Commentator Ralphie May Overview of Ralphie May (1972–2017), his life, comedic style, career milestones, influences, personal life, and legacy in American stand‑up comedy.

Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) — spiritual teacher and author Ram Dass Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) was an American spiritual teacher and author best known for Be Here Now and for bridging Eastern spirituality and Western psychology.

Ram Jethmalani — Indian lawyer, parliamentarian and former law minister Ram Jethmalani Ram Jethmalani (1923–2019) was an Indian criminal lawyer and political leader, known for high‑profile advocacy, multiple parliamentary terms, service as Law Minister and a long, ou…

K. Ramachandra Babu — Indian cinematographer Ramachandra Babu Profile of K. Ramachandra Babu (1947–2019), an award-recognized Indian cinematographer known for over 125 films, including Dweepu, Chamaram and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha.

Jagadguru Rambhadracharya (Swami Rambhadracharya) Rambhadracharya Indian Hindu religious leader, scholar, poet and founder of Tulsi Peeth and a university for disabled students; noted commentator, katha performer and social educator.

Ramesses II (Ramses the Great) Ramesses II Ramesses II, called Ramses the Great, was a long-reigning pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty (c.1279–1213 BC), famed for military campaigns, ambitious building projects and a lasting…

Ramón Castro Jijón — Ecuadorian naval officer and head of state (1915–1984) Ramón Castro Jijón Admiral Ramón Castro Jijón led a military junta in Ecuador from July 1963 to March 1966 after toppling President Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy. His rule exemplified mid-20th-centur…

Ramón Castro Ruz: Cuban agrarian figure and brother of Fidel and Raúl Castro Ramón Castro Ruz Ramón Eusebio Castro Ruz (1924–2016) was a Cuban farmer and agrarian official who supported the Cuban Revolution and spent his life working in agriculture while maintaining a low p…

Ramón Conde: Puerto Rican third baseman and veteran minor leaguer Ramón Conde Ramón Conde (1934–2020) was a Puerto Rican third baseman who appeared briefly in MLB for the Chicago White Sox in 1962 and enjoyed a long career in professional minor league baseba…

Ramón Echarren Istúriz — Spanish Roman Catholic bishop (1929–2014) Ramón Echarren Istúriz Biography of Ramón Echarren Istúriz, Spanish Catholic bishop who served as auxiliary bishop of Madrid and later as bishop of the Diocese of Canarias (1978–2005).

Ramon Jimenez Jr.: Filipino Advertising Executive and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. Ramon Jimenez Jr. (1955–2020) was a Filipino advertising executive who served as Secretary of Tourism (2011–2016), best known for the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign an…

Ramón Martínez Pérez (Romaní) — Spanish football midfielder Ramón Martínez Pérez Overview of Ramón Martínez Pérez (Romaní), a Spanish midfielder who played for Sevilla, Granada and CD Málaga and earned two caps for Spain in 1952.

Ramón Valdés — Mexican actor and comedian best known as Don Ramón Ramón Valdés Ramón Valdés (1923–1988) was a Mexican actor and comedian, famed for his portrayal of Don Ramón in El Chavo del Ocho and for his long career in film and television across Latin Ame…

Ramón Vega Hidalgo — Chilean Air Force commander and institutional senator Ramón Vega Hidalgo Chilean Air Force commander and appointed institutional senator (1998–2006). Born in Santiago in 1934, he led military aviation forces before serving in the legislature and died in…

Ramón Xirau: Spanish-born Mexican Poet, Philosopher, and Literary Critic Ramón Xirau Ramón Xirau, a Spanish-born Mexican poet, philosopher and literary critic, blended poetry, essays and criticism to explore language, aesthetics and philosophical questions across I…

Rance Howard (1928–2017) Rance Howard American character actor and patriarch of a film family, known for supporting roles in film and television and as the father of Ron and Clint Howard.

Randal Cremer English pacifist, labour activist and Member of Parliament who advanced international arbitration; Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1903 and knighted in 1907.

Randall C. Berg Jr.: Florida civil rights and prisoners'‑rights advocate Randall C. Berg Jr. American lawyer (1949–2019), founding executive director of the Florida Justice Institute and longtime leader in prison reform and civil liberties in Florida.

Randolph L. Braham Historian and political scientist who became a leading scholar of the Holocaust in Hungary; long-time professor at the City College and CUNY Graduate Center, author and editor of m…

Randolph Quirk: British linguist and scholar of English language Randolph Quirk Overview of Charles Randolph Quirk (1920–2017), his life, academic work on descriptive English grammar and corpus study, major publications, honours and public roles.

Randolph Turpin — British middleweight who defeated Sugar Ray Robinson (1951) Randolph Turpin Randolph Turpin, English middleweight from Leamington Spa, won the world title by defeating Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951. His rise to prominence and later tragic death in 1966 shaped…

Randy Jackson (baseball) Ransom Joseph "Randy" Jackson (1926–2019) was an American Major League Baseball infielder of the 1950s who played for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland I…

Randy Jones (jazz drummer) Randy Jones (drummer) British-born American jazz drummer Randy Jones (1944–2016) was best known for his work with Maynard Ferguson and the M.F. Horn recordings. This article outlines his life, style, re…

Randy Rampage: Canadian punk and metal vocalist and bassist Randy Rampage Biography of Randy Rampage (Randall Desmond Archibald), Vancouver-born bassist and singer, founding member of D.O.A., lead singer of Annihilator, and an influential figure in Canad…

Randy Romero (1957–2019), American Thoroughbred Jockey Randy Romero Randy Romero, nicknamed the 'Ragin' Cajun', was an American Hall of Fame jockey noted for multiple Breeders' Cup victories and a long career beginning at Evangeline Downs. He later…

Ranjit Bhatia: Indian Olympian, Rhodes Scholar, and Mathematics Reader Ranjit Bhatia Profile of Ranjit Bhatia (c.1936–2014), an Indian long-distance runner who competed at the 1960 Rome Olympics, a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and a longtime Reader in Mathematics at S…

Ranjit Chowdhry — Indian stage, film and television actor (1955–2020) Ranjit Chowdhry Indian character actor active in theatre, Hindi cinema and American television; known for roles in The Office, Prison Break, Last Holiday and the film Baton Baton Mein. Born and di…

Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire of the Punjab Ranjit Singh Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) united the Punjab into the Sikh Empire, ruling from Lahore and modernizing its army and administration while promoting religious pluralism until h…

Raoul Wallenberg: Swedish diplomat who rescued Jews in Budapest Raoul Wallenberg Raoul Wallenberg (1912–disappeared 1945) was a Swedish diplomat and humanitarian who organized lifesaving rescue efforts for Jews in Budapest during World War II and later disappea…

Raoul Walsh: American director and actor Raoul Walsh Overview of Raoul Walsh — actor turned director, founding member of the Academy, key films and influence from silent era to film noir and westerns.

Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) — Italian High Renaissance painter and architect Raphael Italian High Renaissance master known for balanced compositions, Madonna paintings and the Vatican frescoes; influential painter, draftsman and architect active in early 16th-centu…

Raphael Lemkin: Originator of the Legal Concept of Genocide Raphael Lemkin Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin (1900–1959) coined the term genocide and led the international campaign that shaped the UN Genocide Convention and modern prosecutions against m…

Raphael Ravenscroft: British saxophonist best known for the 'Baker Street' solo Raphael Ravenscroft Profile of Raphael Ravenscroft (1954–2014), British saxophonist, composer and author, noted for the saxophone riff on Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street', his extensive session work, p…

Ratko Janev — Macedonian Atomic Physicist (1939–2019) Ratko Janev Ratko Janev (1939–2019), Macedonian atomic physicist noted for work on atomic and molecular processes in plasmas, contributions to fusion research and membership in the Macedonian…

Ratnakar Matkari — Marathi playwright, writer and director Ratnakar Matkari Ratnakar Matkari (1938–2020) was a prolific Marathi writer, playwright and director from Mumbai whose nearly 100 works span drama, short fiction, children's literature, journalism…

Raúl Baca Carbo — Ecuadorian engineer and political leader Raúl Baca Carbo Oswaldo Raúl Baca Carbo (1931–2014) was an influential Ecuadorian engineer and legislator who led the National Congress and represented Ecuador in regional parliamentary bodies.