100 Notable alumni of
University of London
Updated:
The University of London is 4th in the world, 3rd in Europe, and 3rd in the United Kingdom by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of London sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 13 individuals affiliated with the University of London won Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
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Mahatma Gandhi
- Enrolled in the University of London
- In 1888 studied law
- Occupations
- journalisthumanitarianphilosopheressayistwriter
- Biography
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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā (from Sanskrit, meaning great-souled, or venerable), first applied to him in South Africa in 1914, is now used throughout the world.
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John F. Kennedy
- Occupations
- politicianjournalistanti-communistwriternaval officer
- Biography
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy, also known by his initials as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the youngest person elected president at 43 years. Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War, and the majority of his foreign policy concerned relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba. A Democrat, Kennedy represented Massachusetts in both houses of the United States Congress prior to his presidency.
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Nelson Mandela
- Occupations
- political prisonerpoliticianautobiographerlawyerscreenwriter
- Biography
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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
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Elton John
- Occupations
- recording artistmusiciansingercomposerpianist
- Biography
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Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, his music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in history.
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Carrie Fisher
- Occupations
- film actorscreenwritertelevision actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Carrie Frances Fisher was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), a posthumous release that was dedicated to her, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), through the use of unreleased footage from The Force Awakens. Her other film credits include Shampoo (1975), The Blues Brothers (1980), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The 'Burbs (1989), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Soapdish (1991), and The Women (2008). She was nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performances in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2007) and the Channel 4 series Catastrophe (2017).
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Christopher Nolan
- Occupations
- writercinematographeractorscreenwriterfilm producer
- Biography
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Sir Christopher Edward Nolan is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. Nolan's films have earned over $6.6 billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing film director of all time. His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two British Academy Film Awards. Nolan was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2019, and received a knighthood in 2024 for his contributions to film.
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George Soros
- Enrolled in the University of London
- In 1954 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- writerentrepreneurbusiness magnatephilosopherinvestor
- Biography
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George Soros is an American investor and philanthropist. As of October 2023, he had a net worth of US$6.7 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, of which $15 billion has already been distributed, representing 64% of his original fortune. In 2020, Forbes called Soros the "most generous giver" in terms of percentage of net worth. He is a resident of New York.
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Andrew Garfield
- Occupations
- stage actorsingeractortelevision actormodel
- Biography
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Andrew Russell Garfield is an English and American actor. He came to international attention in 2010 with the supporting role of Eduardo Saverin in the drama The Social Network. He gained wider recognition for playing Spider-Man in the superhero films The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), and later in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
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Mick Jagger
- Occupations
- record producersingerpoetcomposersinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English musician. He is best known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of the Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in rock music history. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential front men in the history of rock music. His distinctive voice and energetic live performances, along with Richards' guitar style, have been the Rolling Stones' trademark throughout the band's career. Early in his career, Jagger gained notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and has often been portrayed as a countercultural figure.
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Kit Harington
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Studied in 2008
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Christopher Catesby Harington, known professionally as Kit Harington, is a British actor. He is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination and two nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards and Critics' Choice Television Awards.
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Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
- Years
- 1891-1956 (aged 65)
- Occupations
- theologianoratorautobiographerhumanitarianrevolutionary
- Biography
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Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian economist, jurist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on the debates of the Constituent Assembly of India and the first draft of Sir Benegal Narsing Rau. Ambedkar served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He later renounced Hinduism, converted to Buddhism and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement.
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Chris Martin
- Enrolled in the University of London
- 1996-2000 studied ancient history
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Christopher Anthony John Martin is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the vocalist, pianist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay.
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Natasha Richardson
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actorfilm producer
- Biography
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Natasha Jane Richardson was a British actress. A member of the Redgrave family, Richardson was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director/producer Tony Richardson and the granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr
- Occupations
- radio personalitypoliticianlawyeruniversity teacherbiographer
- Biography
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Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., also known by his initials RFK Jr., is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist. He is the nominee for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in President Donald Trump's second cabinet.
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Brian May
- Occupations
- composeractorYouTuberlyricistphysicist
- Biography
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Sir Brian Harold May is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysicist. He achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen, which he co-founded with singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor. His guitar work and songwriting contributions helped Queen become one of the most successful acts in music history.
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Alfred Hitchcock
- Occupations
- film actorcinematographertelevision directoractorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo appearances in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations.
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Monica Lewinsky
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Graduated with social psychology
- Occupations
- businesspersonfashion designerentrepreneurpsychologistsocial psychologist
- Biography
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Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American activist. Lewinsky became internationally known in the late 1990s after U.S. President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an affair with her during her days as a White House intern between 1995 and 1997. The affair and its repercussions (which included Clinton's impeachment) became known as the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal.
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Rabindranath Tagore
- Occupations
- philosopherfilm directorsingerpainterpoet
- Biography
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Rabindranath Thakur FRAS was an Indian Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renaissance. He reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful" poetry of Gitanjali. In 1913, Tagore became the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize in any category, and also the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; where his elegant prose and magical poetry were widely popular in the Indian subcontinent. He was a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Referred to as "the Bard of Bengal", Tagore was known by the sobriquets Gurudeb, Kobiguru, and Biswokobi.
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David Attenborough
- Occupations
- television writerenvironmentalistwriterbiologistnature photographer
- Biography
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Sir David Frederick Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature documentary series forming the Life collection, a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth.
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Virginia Woolf
- Occupations
- diaristnovelistwriterautobiographerpublisher
- Biography
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Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English writer. She is considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors. She pioneered the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.
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Judi Dench
- Occupations
- film actortheatrical directortelevision actorstage actorfilm director
- Biography
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Dame Judith Olivia Dench is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage. Dench has garnered various accolades throughout a career that spans seven decades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, and seven Olivier Awards.
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Martin Freeman
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorstage actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Martin John Christopher Freeman is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
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Ursula von der Leyen
- Occupations
- politicianphysicianequestrian
- Biography
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Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German politician, serving as the 13th president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding positions in Angela Merkel's cabinet, most recently as Federal Minister of Defence. She is a member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its affiliated European political party, the European People's Party (EPP). On 7 March 2024, the EPP elected her as its Spitzenkandidat to lead the campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections. She was re-elected to head the Commission in July 2024.
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John Deacon
- Occupations
- musiciansongwriterbassistguitarist
- Biography
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John Richard Deacon is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits "You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "I Want to Break Free"; co-wrote "Under Pressure", "Friends Will Be Friends" and "One Vision"; and he was involved in the band's financial management.
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Alexander Graham Bell
- Occupations
- inventorphysicistprofessorbusinesspersonelectrical engineer
- Biography
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Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.
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Ricky Gervais
- Occupations
- film actorwritermusiciantelevision presentertelevision actor
- Biography
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Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, director and musician. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms The Office (2001–2003), Extras (2005–2007), and Life's Too Short (2011–2013) with Stephen Merchant. He also created, wrote and starred in Derek (2012–2014) and After Life (2019–2022).
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Vanessa Redgrave
- Occupations
- film actorscreenwriterstage actorfilm director
- Biography
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Dame Vanessa Redgrave DBE is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Olivier Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. She has also received various honorary awards, including the BAFTA Fellowship Award, the Golden Lion Honorary Award, and an induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
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Jason Isaacs
- Occupations
- television producerfilm actorstage actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Jason Isaacs is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot (2000), Michael D. Steele in Black Hawk Down (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise series (2002–2011), Captain Hook in Peter Pan (2003), James Wolfe in Battle of the Brave (2004), Antonio Pérez in The Escorial Conspiracy (2007), Georgy Zhukov in The Death of Stalin (2017) and John Godfrey in Operation Mincemeat (2021).
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David Rockefeller
- Occupations
- entomologistautobiographerbusinesspersonentrepreneurart collector
- Biography
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David Rockefeller was an American economist and investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of the Rockefeller family, and family patriarch from 2004 until his death in 2017. Rockefeller was the fifth son and youngest child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and a grandson of John D. Rockefeller and Laura Spelman Rockefeller.
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Tsai Ing-wen
- Enrolled in the University of London
- 1980-1984 graduated with Doctor of Laws
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianjuristlawyer
- Biography
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Tsai Ing-wen is a Taiwanese politician and legal scholar who served as the 7th president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2016 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), she intermittently served as chair of the DPP from 2008 to 2012, 2014 to 2018, and 2020 to 2022.
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Joe Alwyn
- Occupations
- film actoractorsongwriter
- Biography
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Joseph Matthew Alwyn is an English actor. Alwyn made his feature film debut as the titular character in Ang Lee's 2016 war drama Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and has since played roles in films such as The Favourite (2018), Boy Erased (2018), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), Harriet (2019), Catherine Called Birdy (2022), and The Brutalist (2024), as well as the Hulu drama series Conversations with Friends (2022).
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Jared Harris
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Jared Francis Harris is a British actor. His roles include Lane Pryce in the drama series Mad Men (2009–2012), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; King George VI in the historical drama series The Crown (2016–2017); and Valery Legasov in the miniseries Chernobyl (2019), for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
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Gary Lineker
- Occupations
- broadcasterassociation football playersports commentatorjournalist
- Biography
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Gary Winston Lineker is an English sports broadcaster and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England. His media career began with the BBC, where he has presented the flagship football programme Match of the Day since the late 1990s, the longest tenure of any MOTD presenter. Lineker is also the BBC's lead presenter for live football matches, including coverage of international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup. He has also worked for Al Jazeera Sports, Eredivisie Live, NBC Sports Network, and BT Sport's coverage of the UEFA Champions League.
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Laurence Olivier
- Occupations
- directorscreenwritertelevision actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career he had considerable success in television roles.
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Annalena Baerbock
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Studied in 2004-2005
- Occupations
- juristpolitician
- Biography
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Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock is a German politician of the Alliance 90/The Greens party serving as Germany's minister for foreign affairs since 2021.
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Alexander Fleming
- Awards
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945
- Born in
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United Kingdom - Years
- 1881-1955 (aged 74)
- Occupations
- inventorphysicianpharmacologistsurgeonbacteriologist
- Biography
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Sir Alexander Fleming FRS FRSE FRCS was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of what was later named benzylpenicillin (or penicillin G) from the mould Penicillium rubens has been described as the "single greatest victory ever achieved over disease". For this discovery, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain.
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H. G. Wells
- Occupations
- screenwriterjournalistwriterhistorianscience fiction writer
- Biography
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Herbert George Wells was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, history, popular science, satire, biography, and autobiography. Wells' science fiction novels are so well regarded that he has been called the "father of science fiction".
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Annie Lennox
- Occupations
- recording artistsingermusic video directorsinger-songwriterHIV/AIDS activist
- Biography
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Ann Lennox OBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Appearing in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" with orange cropped hair and wearing a man's lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".
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Rufus Sewell
- Occupations
- translatorfilm actorstage actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Rufus Frederik Sewell is a British actor. In film, he has appeared in Carrington (1995), Hamlet (1996), Dangerous Beauty (1998), Dark City (1998), A Knight's Tale (2001), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Illusionist (2006), Amazing Grace (2006), The Holiday (2006), The Tourist (2010), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Judy (2019), The Father (2020), and Old (2021).
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Kathleen Turner
- Occupations
- voice actortheatrical directorfilm producerfilm actorstage actor
- Biography
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Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. Known for her distinctive deep husky voice, she is the recipient of two Golden Globes, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards.
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Pierre Trudeau
- Occupations
- memoiristpoliticianlawyerjournalistdiarist
- Biography
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Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau PC CC CH QC FRSC was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his non-consecutive terms as prime minister, he served as the leader of the Opposition from 1979 to 1980.
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Kristin Scott Thomas
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directoractorcharacter actorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Dame Kristin Ann Scott Thomas is a British actress. A five-time BAFTA Award and Olivier Award nominee, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and the Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2008 for the Royal Court revival of The Seagull. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in The English Patient (1996).
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Riz Ahmed
- Occupations
- film actormusicianscreenwritertelevision actorfilm director
- Biography
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Rizwan "Riz" Ahmed is a British actor and rapper. He has received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, he was named in the Time listing of the most influential people in the world.
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Donald J. Harris
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- university teachereconomistacademic
- Biography
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Donald Jasper Harris, OM is a Jamaican-American economist and emeritus professor at Stanford University, known for applying post-Keynesian ideas to development economics. He was a scholar granted tenure in the Stanford Department of Economics, and he is the father of Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, and of Maya Harris, a lawyer, advocate and writer.
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Gael García Bernal
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorscreenwriterfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Gael García Bernal is a Mexican actor and filmmaker. He is known for his performances in the films Amores perros (2000), Y tu mamá también (2001), Bad Education (2004), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), Babel (2006), Coco (2017), Old (2021), and Cassandro (2023). He has also played music conductor Rodrigo de Souza in the television drama series Mozart in the Jungle (2014–2018), and has starred in the Disney+ special Werewolf by Night (2022).
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Lisa Brennan-Jobs
- Occupations
- opinion journalistwriterjournalistessayist
- Biography
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Lisa Nicole Brennan-Jobs is an American writer. She is the daughter of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs and Chrisann Brennan.
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Margrethe II of Denmark
- Occupations
- screenwritermonarchpaintertextile artist
- Biography
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Margrethe II is a member of the Danish royal family who reigned as Queen of Denmark from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. Having reigned for exactly 52 years, she was the second-longest reigning Danish monarch after Christian IV. She is also the world's most recent female reigning monarch.
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Lee Kuan Yew
- Occupations
- politicianlawyerautobiographerstatespersonphilosopher
- Biography
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Lee Kuan Yew GCMG CH SPMJ DK, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman, politician, and lawyer who served as the Minister Mentor between 2004 to 2011, Senior Minister between 1990 to 2004 and first prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He served as the secretary-general of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1954 to 1992 and was the member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in transforming it into a highly developed country during his tenure.
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Tarō Asō
- Occupations
- politicianeconomistentrepreneurdiplomat
- Biography
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Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2021. He was the longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Japanese history, having previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007 and as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications from 2003 to 2005. He leads the Shikōkai faction within the LDP.
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Joseph Morgan
- Occupations
- film screenwriterfilm directortelevision directormodelfilm editor
- Biography
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Joseph Morgan is an English actor. He is known for playing Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson on The CW's The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff The Originals in which he is the lead. He has portrayed CJack60/Elliot in the Peacock series Brave New World, and Brother Blood in the HBO Max series Titans. He recently starred as James Ackerson in the Paramount+ series Halo (2024).
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John Stuart Mill
- Occupations
- politicianegalitarianismeconomistsuffragistphilosopher
- Biography
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John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, he contributed widely to social theory, political theory, and political economy. Dubbed "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century" by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, he conceived of liberty as justifying the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state and social control. He advocated political and social reforms such as proportional representation, the emancipation of women, and the development of labour organisations and farm cooperatives. The Columbia Encyclopedia 5th ed. says of him "at times Mill came close to socialism, a theory repugnant to his predecessors". He was a proponent of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by his predecessor Jeremy Bentham. He contributed to the investigation of scientific methodology, though his knowledge of the topic was based on the writings of others, notably William Whewell, John Herschel, and Auguste Comte, and research carried out for Mill by Alexander Bain. He engaged in written debate with Whewell.
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Feroze Gandhi
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Feroze Jehangir Gandhi was an Indian freedom fighter, politician and journalist. He served as a member of the provincial parliament between 1950 and 1952, and later a member of the Lok Sabha, the Lower house of Indian parliament. He published The National Herald and The Navjivan newspapers. His wife, Indira Gandhi (daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India), and their elder son Rajiv Gandhi were both prime ministers of India. He was a member of Indian National Congress.
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Vincent Price
- Occupations
- stage actorwriterautobiographerart historianactor
- Biography
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Vincent Leonard Price Jr. was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television.
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Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
- Occupations
- businesspersonjockeypoetpoliticianmerchant
- Biography
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Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is an Emirati royal and politician who has been the Crown Prince of Dubai since 2008. He is the Minister of Defence of the UAE since 14 July 2024. He served as deputy ruler of Dubai from 2006 to 2008. He is popularly known as Fazza (Arabic: فزاع), the name under which he publishes his poetry, which means "the one who helps" in Arabic. As an equestrian, Maktoum is a multiple world champion at the World Equestrian Games.
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Rupert Everett
- Occupations
- writernovelistfilm actorstage actorfilm director
- Biography
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Rupert James Hector Everett is a British actor. He first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country (1984) as a gay pupil at an English public school in the 1930s; the role earned him his first BAFTA Award nomination. He received a second BAFTA nomination and his first Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by a second Golden Globe nomination for An Ideal Husband (1999). He voiced Prince Charming in the animated films Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek the Third (2007). He also played John Lamont/Mr. Barron in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016).
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Ben Hardy
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Ben Hardy is an English actor. He is known for playing Peter Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2013–2015). Hardy made his film debut as Archangel in the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and played Roger Taylor in the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
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Arthur C. Clarke
- Occupations
- screenwriterexplorerinventorphysicistnon-fiction writer
- Biography
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Sir Arthur Charles Clarke CBE FRAS was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.
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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorscreenwriterfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Simon Adebisi in Oz, Mr. Eko in Lost, Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, Nykwana Wombosi in The Bourne Identity, Heavy Duty in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Kurse in Thor: The Dark World, Killer Croc in Suicide Squad, Malko in the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Dave Duerson in the NFL biopic drama Concussion, and Ogunwe in His Dark Materials.
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Hannah John-Kamen
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Hannah John-Kamen is an English actress. She is known for her roles as a bounty hunter in the Syfy television series Killjoys, Ava Starr / Ghost in the superhero film Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Thunderbolts* (2025), the title character in the Netflix mystery miniseries The Stranger (2020), and Jill Valentine in the film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021).
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Sarojini Naidu
- Occupations
- independence activistpoliticianpoetfreedom fighter
- Biography
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Sarojini Naidu was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of United Provinces, after India's independence. She played an important role in the Indian independence movement against the British Raj. She was the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress and appointed governor of a state.
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Christopher Eccleston
- Occupations
- stage actorexploreractortelevision actorcharacter actor
- Biography
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Christopher Eccleston is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who (2005). He starred as Matt Jamison in The Leftovers (2014–2017), and has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom.
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Eckhart Tolle
- Occupations
- writerphilosopher
- Biography
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Eckhart Tolle is a German-born spiritual teacher and self-help author. His books include The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (1997), A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (2005) and the picture book Guardians of Being (2009).
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Julie Christie
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Christie's accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has appeared in six films ranked in the British Film Institute's BFI Top 100 British films of the 20th century, and in 1997, she received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement.
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Ken Follett
- Occupations
- writerprose writernovelist
- Biography
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Kenneth Martin Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 195 million copies of his works.
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Natsume Sōseki
- Occupations
- university teacherwriterpoetnovelist
- Biography
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Natsume Sōseki, pen name Sōseki, born Natsume Kin'nosuke (夏目 金之助), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat, Kusamakura and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and writer of haiku, kanshi poetry and fairy tales.
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John Keats
- Occupations
- physicianwriterjudge-rapporteurpoet
- Biography
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John Keats was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculosis at the age of 25. They were indifferently received in his lifetime, but his fame grew rapidly after his death. By the end of the century, he was placed in the canon of English literature, strongly influencing many writers of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1888 described his "Ode to a Nightingale" as "one of the final masterpieces".
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Graham Norton
- Occupations
- television presentermemoiristradio personalityfilm actorcomedian
- Biography
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Graham William Walker, known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. Known for his television work in the UK, Norton is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his British comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show (2007–present). He has received the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance three times for the chat show So Graham Norton (1998–2002). He has been noted for his innuendo-laden dialogue and flamboyant presentation style.
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Desmond Tutu
- Enrolled in the University of London
- 1962-2012 graduated with master's degree in theology
- Occupations
- human rights activistProtestant theologianarchbishopnon-fiction writerAnglican priest
- Biography
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Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from Black theology with African theology.
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Matthew Vaughn
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorscreenwriterfilm directorproducer
- Biography
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Matthew Allard de Vere Drummond, known professionally as Matthew Vaughn, is an English filmmaker. He has produced films including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), and directed Layer Cake (2004), Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), and Argylle (2024). Vaughn also co-created the Kingsman comic book series and resulting franchise, directing, producing and co-writing the films Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and The King's Man (2021).
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DJ Qualls
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Donald Joseph Qualls is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Citizen Z on the Syfy horror series Z Nation (2014–2018) and Ed McCarthy on the Amazon Prime Video series The Man in the High Castle (2015–2018).
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Bob Hoskins
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorcharacter actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Robert William Hoskins was an English actor and film director. Known for his intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters, he began his career on stage before making his screen breakthrough playing Arthur Parker on the 1978 BBC Television serial Pennies from Heaven. He subsequently played acclaimed lead roles in the films The Long Good Friday (1980), Mona Lisa (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Mermaids (1990) and The Good Pope: Pope John XXIII (2002).
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Jerome Flynn
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorsingerdirectortelevision actor
- Biography
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Jerome Patrick Flynn is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Bronn in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011–19). His other roles include Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier (1991–95), Bennet Drake in the BBC mystery series Ripper Street (2012–16), Hector in the Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance (2016), and Banner Creighton in the Paramount+ western series 1923 (2022–present).
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Jennifer Ehle
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Jennifer Anne Ehle is an American actress. She gained recognition and acclaim for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice (1995), for which she received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Known for her roles on Broadway and the West End, she has won two Tony Awards as well as a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award.
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James Purefoy
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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James Brian Mark Purefoy is an English actor. He played Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome, Nick Jenkins in A Dance to the Music of Time, college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series The Following, Solomon Kane in the film of the same name, and Hap Collins in the Sundance series Hap and Leonard. Purefoy also played Lord Phillipe de Clermont in the second season of the hit AMC/Netflix series "A Discovery of Witches". In 2018, he starred as Laurens Bancroft in the first season of Altered Carbon, a Netflix original series. Following an uncredited role as V in the 2006 film V for Vendetta (replaced and dubbed over by Hugo Weaving), he was cast in a main role as Captain Gulliver "Gully" Troy / Captain Blighty in the 2020–2021 second and 2022 third season of the television series Pennyworth, the prequel to both Gotham and V for Vendetta.
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Julian Sands
- Occupations
- screenwritertheatrical directorfilm actorstage actorfilm director
- Biography
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Julian Richard Morley Sands was an English actor.
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Karla Souza
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actormodelstage actor
- Biography
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Karla Susana Olivares Souza is a Mexican actress known for her roles as Laurel Castillo on the ABC legal drama series How to Get Away with Murder and Marina Hayworth on the ABC sitcom Home Economics. She won the International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2023 for her role as Mariel Saenz in the television movie La Caída.
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Hirobumi Itō
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Prince Itō Hirobumi, born Hayashi Risuke (Japanese: 利助 林, Hepburn: Risuke Hayashi), was a Japanese politician who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the genrō, a group of senior statesmen that dictated policy during the Meiji era. Even out of office as head of government, Itō continued to wield vast influence over Japan's policies as a permanent imperial adviser (genkun) and frequent president of the emperor's Privy Council. A staunch monarchist and leading proponent of Japan's Westernization, Itō favored a large, all-powerful bureaucracy that answered solely to the emperor, and opposed the formation of political parties.
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Jun'ichirō Koizumi
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomateconomist
- Biography
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Junichiro Koizumi is a Japanese retired politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is the sixth-longest serving Prime Minister in Japanese history.
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Emma Thomas
- Occupations
- film producer
- Biography
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Dame Emma Thomas, Lady Nolan, DBE is a British film producer. She has produced all of the feature films directed by her husband Christopher Nolan, which have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide and are regarded as some of the greatest films of their respective decades.
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Edward Jenner
- Occupations
- physicianbiologistnaturalist
- Biography
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Edward Jenner was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae ('pustules of the cow'), the term devised by Jenner to denote cowpox. He used it in 1798 in the title of his Inquiry into the Variolae vaccinae known as the Cow Pox, in which he described the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox.
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Thomas Hardy
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Studied in 1865-1866
- Occupations
- screenwriterwriterpoetnovelist
- Biography
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Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain such as those from his native South West England.
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Michael Collins
- Occupations
- politicianstatespersonmilitary officer
- Biography
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Michael Collins was an Irish revolutionary, soldier and politician who was a leading figure in the early-20th century struggle for Irish independence. During the War of Independence he was Director of Intelligence of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a government minister of the self-declared Irish Republic. He was then Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from January 1922 and commander-in-chief of the National Army from July until his death in an ambush in August 1922, during the Civil War.
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Hugh Bonneville
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
- Biography
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Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams DL, known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2015. His performance on the show earned him a nomination at the Golden Globes and two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He reprised his role in the feature films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). He also appeared in the films Notting Hill (1999), Iris (2001), The Monuments Men (2014), and the Paddington films (2014–present).
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Jennifer Saunders
- Occupations
- screenwriterautobiographerteacherfilm actorcomedian
- Biography
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Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English actress, comedian, singer, and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French. With French, she co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, French and Saunders, for which they jointly received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009. Saunders later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character Edina Monsoon in her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.
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G. K. Chesterton
- Occupations
- opinion journalistnovelistautobiographerbiographeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Gilbert Keith Chesterton KC*SG was an English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic.
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Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Studied in 2003
- Occupations
- heir apparent
- Biography
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Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway is the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne. He is the only son of King Harald V and Queen Sonja.
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Jagadish Chandra Bose
- Occupations
- physicistarchaeologistchemistbotanistwriter
- Biography
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Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a polymath with interests in biology, physics and writing science fiction. He was a pioneer in the investigation of radio microwave optics, made significant contributions to botany, and was a major force behind the expansion of experimental science on the Indian subcontinent. Bose is considered the father of Bengali science fiction. A crater on the Moon was named in his honour. He founded the Bose Institute, a premier research institute in India and also one of its oldest. Established in 1917, the institute was the first interdisciplinary research centre in Asia. He served as the Director of Bose Institute from its inception until his death.
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George Eliot
- Occupations
- editorjournalistphilosopherwritertranslator
- Biography
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Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrote seven novels: Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Romola (1862–1863), Felix Holt, the Radical (1866), Middlemarch (1871–1872) and Daniel Deronda (1876). As with Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, she emerged from provincial England; most of her works are set there. Her works are known for their realism, psychological insight, sense of place and detailed depiction of the countryside. Middlemarch was described by the novelist Virginia Woolf as "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people" and by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as the greatest novel in the English language.
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Boris Karloff
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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William Henry Pratt, known professionally as Boris Karloff and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film Frankenstein (1931), his 82nd film, established him as a horror icon, and he reprised the role for the sequels Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He also appeared as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932), and voiced the Grinch in, as well as narrating, the animated television special of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966), which won him a Grammy Award.
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D. H. Lawrence
- Occupations
- screenwriterplaywrightliterary criticwritertranslator
- Biography
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David Herbert Lawrence was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, literary critic, travel writer, essayist, and painter. His modernist works reflect on modernity, social alienation and industrialization, while championing sexuality, vitality and instinct. Four of his most famous novels — Sons and Lovers (1913), The Rainbow (1915), Women in Love (1920), and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928)— were the subject of censorship trials for their radical portrayals of romance, sexuality and use of explicit language.
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Jon Ossoff
- Enrolled in the University of London
- In 2013 graduated with Master of Science in political science
- Occupations
- politicianinvestigative journalistfilm producerchief executive officer
- Biography
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Thomas Jonathan Ossoff is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Ossoff was previously a documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist.
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Roger Penrose
- Enrolled in the University of London
- Studied in 1955
- Occupations
- philosopherphysicistastrophysicistastronomeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Sir Roger Penrose is an English mathematician, mathematical physicist, philosopher of science and Nobel Laureate in Physics. He is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, an emeritus fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, and an honorary fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, and University College London.
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Catherine Tate
- Occupations
- film actorscreenwriterstage actorwritercomedian
- Biography
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Catherine Tate is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show (2004–2007), as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and seven BAFTAs. Tate played Donna Noble in the 2006 Christmas special of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, and reprised her role for the fourth series in 2008, and the 60th anniversary episodes in 2023.
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Asma al-Assad
- Enrolled in the University of London
- In 1996 graduated with Bachelor of Science in computer science
- Occupations
- financial analyst
- Biography
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Asma Fawaz al-Assad is the former first lady of Syria, married to Bashar al-Assad. Her husband was president from 2000 until he was overthrown on 8 December 2024. Born and raised in London, to Syrian parents, she holds dual British and Syrian citizenship. She became first lady when she married al-Assad, then president of Syria, on 13 December 2000.
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Zygmunt Bauman
- Occupations
- sociologistopinion journalistuniversity teacherwriterphilosopher
- Biography
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Zygmunt Bauman was a Polish–British sociologist and philosopher. He was driven out of the Polish People's Republic during the 1968 Polish political crisis and forced to give up his Polish citizenship. He emigrated to Israel; three years later he moved to the United Kingdom. He resided in England from 1971, where he studied at the London School of Economics and became Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds, later emeritus. Bauman was a social theorist, writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity.
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William Somerset Maugham
- Occupations
- screenwriterphysician writerphysiciannovelistarmy scout
- Biography
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William Somerset Maugham CH was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German university. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897. He never practised medicine, and became a full-time writer. His first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), a study of life in the slums, attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. By 1908 he had four plays running at once in the West End of London. He wrote his 32nd and last play in 1933, after which he abandoned the theatre and concentrated on novels and short stories.
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John Ruskin
- Occupations
- poetphilosopherart criticliterary criticjournalist
- Biography
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John Ruskin was an English polymath – a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, political economy, education, museology, geology, botany, ornithology, literature, history, and myth.
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Lucy Punch
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actoractor
- Biography
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Lucy Alice T. Punch is an English actress. She has appeared in the films Ella Enchanted (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Dinner for Schmucks, (both 2010) and Into the Woods (2014). She is also known for her role as Amy in Bad Teacher (2011), Amanda in the BBC sitcoms Motherland and Amandaland. She also played Esmé Squalor in the Netflix black comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
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David Irving
- Occupations
- biographeropinion journalistessayistwriterjournalist
- Biography
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David John Cawdell Irving is an English author who has written on the military and political history of World War II, especially Nazi Germany. He was found to be a Holocaust denier in a UK court in 2000 as a result of a failed libel case.
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Peter Davison
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directorexploreractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett, known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small stories. He subsequently played the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who from 1981 to 1984.
