Biographies

William Clito (1102–1128), Norman prince and claimant to Normandy and Flanders William Clito William Clito (1102–1128), son of Robert Curthose, was a Norman royal claimant who opposed King Henry I of England, briefly became Count of Flanders and figured prominently in Angl…

William Cobbett: English journalist, rural reformer and Radical MP William Cobbett William Cobbett (1763–1835) was an influential English pamphleteer, journalist and politician who campaigned for rural labourers, edited the Political Register and recorded his jou…

William Conrad (American actor, producer and voice artist) William Conrad American actor and producer known for his deep voice and lead television roles in Cannon and Jake and the Fatman; began in radio and worked across stage, film, television and behin…

William K. Coors William Coors William K. Coors (1916–2018) was an American brewing executive and Coors family scion. He worked for Coors Brewing for over six decades, promoted modernization in brewing and packa…

William Dalrymple: British historian and writer on South Asia William Dalrymple Profile of William Dalrymple (born 1965), a British historian and travel writer known for narrative histories of South Asia and founding role in the Jaipur Literature Festival.

William de Wiveleslie Abney English astronomer, chemist and pioneering photographic scientist (1843–1920) known for the Abney effect and major advances in photographic chemistry, instruments, and spectral sen…

William Dean Howells American novelist, critic and editor (1837–1920) who championed literary realism and shaped late 19th-century American letters; best known for The Rise of Silas Lapham.

William Demarest: American character actor and television patriarch William Demarest Biography of Carl William Demarest (1892–1983), a prolific American character actor known for film work with Preston Sturges and his role as Uncle Charley on My Three Sons.

William Dobell: Australian portrait painter and landmark Archibald controversy William Dobell Biography of Sir William Dobell (1899–1970), his art, the 1943 Archibald Prize court case, stylistic traits, later life by Lake Macquarie, and his place in Australian art history.

William Duborgh Jensen — Norwegian fashion and costume designer William Duborgh Jensen Norwegian fashion and costume designer (1935–2017). Regarded as Norway's first haute couturier, he later created costumes for television and film and was named Knight, First Class…

William Dufris — American Voice Actor and Audiobook Narrator William Dufris American voice actor and audiobook narrator noted for English dubbing of anime and children's animation, with credits including Patlabor, Rocky and the Dodos and Bob the Builder. B…

William Dunlop (motorcyclist) Northern Irish road racer from the Dunlop family; notable for Isle of Man TT podiums and a career across major international road-racing events. Killed in a 2018 practice crash at…

William E. Miller American Republican politician from New York; seven-term U.S. Representative (1951–1965), Republican National Committee chair in the early 1960s, and Barry Goldwater’s running mate…

William Ellery: Rhode Island Delegate and Signer of the Declaration William Ellery William Ellery (1727–1820) was a merchant and statesman from Rhode Island who signed the United States Declaration of Independence and served his state in the Continental Congress…

William F. Goodling — U.S. Congressman and education advocate William F. Goodling Longtime Republican U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania (1975–2001) known for his work on education and family literacy and for founding the Goodling Institute.

William Fawcett (1894–1974): American character actor William Fawcett American character actor William Fawcett (1894–1974) worked in film and television from the mid‑20th century and was a regular on the TV western Fury (1955–1960).

William Floyd (1734–1821), New York signer of the Declaration of Independence William Floyd William Floyd (1734–1821) was a Long Island landowner and delegate from New York who signed the Declaration of Independence and participated in Revolutionary and early republic pol…

William French Smith American lawyer and public official who served as U.S. Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1985.

William G. Morgan: Inventor of Volleyball and YMCA Physical Educator William G. Morgan William G. Morgan (1870–1942) was an American physical educator who created the game originally called "Mintonette" in 1895, later known as volleyball, to provide a less strenuous…

William G. Stewart — English television producer, director and quizmaster William G. Stewart William G. Stewart (1933–2017) was an English television producer, director and presenter, best known for creating, producing and hosting the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One.

William Godwin: Philosopher, Novelist, and Radical Thinker (1756–1836) William Godwin Overview of William Godwin, his political philosophy, novels, personal life with Mary Wollstonecraft, and his influence on anarchism, utilitarianism, and 19th-century literature.

William Golding English novelist, poet and playwright (1911–1993), best known for Lord of the Flies. Nobel Prize winner in 1983 whose work examines human nature, civilization, and moral conflict.

William Goldman American novelist, playwright and screenwriter; two-time Academy Award winner behind Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men.

William Christie Gosse (1842–1881) — explorer of central Australia William Gosse British-born surveyor and colonial explorer who led a notable 1873 expedition into central Australia, recorded Uluru (Ayers Rock) for European maps, and worked on South Australian…

William "Wild Bill" Guarnere William Guarnere American paratrooper and author, member of Easy Company (506th PIR, 101st Airborne) who fought in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge and was portrayed in HBO's Band of Brothers.

William H. Gass American novelist, essayist, critic and philosophy professor known for dense, experimental prose; author of Omensetter's Luck, The Tunnel and Middle C; influential teacher and crit…

William H. Keeler American cardinal and Archbishop of Baltimore (1989–2007), elevated to the cardinalate in 1994; a senior U.S. Catholic leader who served until his 2007 retirement and died in 2017.

William Hanna — Animator, Producer, and Co‑founder of Hanna‑Barbera William Hanna American animator, director and producer William Hanna co‑founded Hanna‑Barbera and helped create Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Scooby‑Doo, profoundly shaping TV…

William Hartnell — first Doctor and English character actor William Hartnell English actor William Hartnell (1908–1975) was the original Doctor in Doctor Who (1963–1966). A seasoned stage and screen character actor, his portrayal shaped the series and intro…

William Harvey: Pioneer of Blood Circulation and Cardiac Physiology William Harvey English physician William Harvey (1578–1657) demonstrated that the heart pumps blood in a closed circulation, transforming physiology and establishing experimental methods still ce…

William Hawkins: Canadian poet, songwriter and journalist William Hawkins (writer) William Hawkins (1940–2016) was a Canadian poet, songwriter, musician and journalist best known for the song "Gnostic Serenade" and his role in the 1960s folk-rock and poetry scene…

William Herschel 18th–19th century German-born British astronomer and musician who discovered Uranus, infrared radiation, catalogued nebulae and double stars, built large telescopes and advanced ob…

William Hickey: character actor and distinctive voice William Hickey Overview of William Hickey (1927–1997), the American character actor known for his Oscar-nominated film work, distinctive vocal delivery and memorable roles on stage, screen and in…

William Hjortsberg — American novelist and screenwriter William Hjortsberg William Hjortsberg (1941–2017) was an American novelist and screenwriter best known for the novel Falling Angel and for writing the screenplay of the fantasy film Legend.

William Huggins — pioneer of astronomical spectroscopy William Huggins English astronomer (1824–1910) who pioneered the spectroscopic and photographic study of stars and nebulae, revealing chemical signatures and the gaseous nature of some nebulae.

William III of Aquitaine Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers (r. 935–963), known as 'Towhead'. Father of Adelaide, queen consort of Hugh Capet; a 10th‑century noble whose alliances shaped regional powe…

William J. Livsey (1931–2016): U.S. Army General and Commander in Korea William J. Livsey William James “Lipp” Livsey (1931–2016) was a U.S. Army four-star general who led United Nations Command, ROK–U.S. Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea and the Eighth U.S. Ar…

William James (1842–1910) William James American philosopher and psychologist (1842–1910) who shaped pragmatism and functional psychology; author of Principles of Psychology and The Varieties of Religious Experience.

William Jay Smith (1918–2015) — American poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate William Jay Smith William Jay Smith (1918–2015) was an American poet, translator, and teacher who served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (U.S. Poet Laureate) from 1968 to 1970. He…

William John Coffee: English modeller and sculptor (1774–1846) William John Coffee Summary of William John Coffee, an English modeller and sculptor known for work in porcelain, plaster and terracotta; began at Derby porcelain works and later practised in North Am…

William John Wills: English surveyor and member of the Burke and Wills expedition William John Wills William John Wills (1834–1861) was an English surveyor and astronomer who took part in the Burke and Wills expedition, the first south-to-north crossing of Australia, which ended i…

William J. McDonough: U.S. central banker and financial executive William Joseph McDonough William J. McDonough (1934–2018) was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1993–2003) and later a vice chairman and adviser at Merrill Lynch. He played a central role…

William Joseph Nealon Jr.: U.S. District Judge and Longest-Serving Federal District Judge William Joseph Nealon Jr. Biography and legacy of William J. Nealon Jr., a federal judge appointed by President Kennedy who served on the Middle District of Pennsylvania bench for decades and became the lon…

William Kemmler William Kemmler was the first person executed by electric chair in 1890; his case and execution influenced U.S. legal rulings on capital punishment and the adoption of electrocutio…

William Kidd (Captain Kidd): Scottish privateer turned pirate and his legacy William Kidd Scottish seafarer William Kidd (c.1645–1701) was a privateer whose voyage ended in a notorious piracy trial and execution. His life inspired treasure myths and debate over piracy,…

William Krehm Canadian author, journalist, political activist and real estate developer (1913–2019). Early Trotskyist activist who went to Spain during the Civil War and later co-founded COMER t…

William Langland Medieval English poet traditionally credited with Piers Plowman, an influential Middle English allegory critiquing social and ecclesiastical corruption; authorship and textual hist…

William Laud: Archbishop of Canterbury and Advisor to Charles I William Laud English churchman (1573–1645). Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633, influential proponent of high‑church reforms (Laudianism) and close adviser to Charles I; impeached and executed…