Athletes
49 people.
Muhammad Ali 1942–2016SportsBoxing legend and cultural icon known for his athletic brilliance and principled stance against the Vietnam War draft.
Michael Jordan b. 1963SportsWidely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, who became a global marketing phenomenon.
Babe Ruth 1895–1948SportsBaseball legend whose home-run hitting transformed the sport and made him a national celebrity.
Jackie Robinson 1919–1972SportsFirst African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era, breaking the color barrier.
LeBron James b. 1984SportsNBA superstar and philanthropist considered one of the greatest basketball players in history.
Serena Williams b. 1981SportsTennis champion with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, widely considered one of the greatest athletes ever.
Tiger Woods b. 1975SportsGolf icon who revolutionized the sport and became one of the most famous athletes in the world.
Hank Aaron 1934–2021SportsBaseball slugger who broke Babe Ruth's home run record amid racist threats and hostility.
Jesse Owens 1913–1980SportsTrack and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defying Nazi ideology.
Tom Brady b. 1977SportsNFL quarterback with seven Super Bowl titles, the most in league history.
Kobe Bryant 1978–2020SportsNBA legend whose 20-year career with the Lakers and Mamba Mentality inspired millions worldwide.
Lou Gehrig 1903–1941SportsYankees star whose durability, performance, and public farewell became enduring symbols of courage.
Simone Biles b. 1997SportsGymnast widely regarded as the greatest of all time, with the most World Championship medals.
Billie Jean King b. 1943SportsTennis champion and advocate for gender equality who defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous Battle of the Sexes.
Joe DiMaggio 1914–1999SportsYankees center fielder whose hitting streak and celebrity made him an enduring symbol of mid-century America.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar b. 1947SportsNBA's all-time leading scorer and six-time champion known for his skyhook and social activism.
Joe Louis 1914–1981SportsHeavyweight boxing champion whose 1938 rematch against Max Schmeling became a symbolic battle against Nazism.
Willie Mays 1931–2024SportsBaseball icon known as the Say Hey Kid, widely considered one of the greatest all-around players ever.
Bill Russell 1934–2022SportsEleven-time NBA champion, pioneering Black coach, and civil-rights advocate whose team-first leadership defined a dynasty.
Michael Phelps b. 1985SportsSwimmer who won 23 Olympic gold medals, the most by any athlete in history.Venus Williams b. 1980SportsSeven-time major singles champion who won women equal prize money at Wimbledon
Magic Johnson b. 1959SportsLakers legend whose Showtime era and HIV advocacy transformed basketball and public health conversations.
Wayne Gretzky b. 1961SportsHockey legend known as The Great One, holding the most records in NHL history.
Roberto Clemente 1934–1972SportsPuerto Rican baseball star whose excellence and humanitarian service made him an enduring Latino and American icon.
Jack Nicklaus b. 1940SportsGolfer whose record in major championships and later course-design career shaped modern golf.
Jim Thorpe 1887–1953SportsNative American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and excelled in multiple professional sports.
Wilt Chamberlain 1936–1999SportsDominant basketball center whose scoring, rebounding, and physical impact forced rule changes and expanded the NBA's appeal.
Jim Brown 1936–2023SportsDominant football player who also became a prominent actor and activist for Black economic empowerment.
Larry Bird b. 1956SportsCeltics forward whose rivalry with Magic Johnson defined the NBA's golden age of the 1980s.
Arthur Ashe 1943–1993SportsTennis champion and activist who broke racial barriers and advocated for education, civil rights, and AIDS awareness.
Mickey Mantle 1931–1995SportsSwitch-hitting Yankees star whose power, championships, and celebrity made him an enduring icon of postwar baseball.
Martina Navratilova b. 1956SportsTennis champion with the most singles and doubles titles in the Open Era and LGBTQ advocate.
Arnold Palmer 1929–2016SportsGolfer whose charisma and television popularity helped turn golf into a mass spectator sport.
Shaquille O'Neal b. 1972SportsDominant NBA center and entertainer whose larger-than-life personality transcended sports.
Carl Lewis b. 1961SportsTrack and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals across four consecutive Games.Cal Ripken Jr. b. 1960SportsBaseball's Iron Man, who played 2,632 consecutive games for the Orioles
Jerry Rice b. 1962SportsWide receiver whose records, consistency, and postseason success made him a standard of NFL excellence.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias 1911–1956SportsMulti-sport athlete who won Olympic gold in track and field and became a golf legend.
Dale Earnhardt 1951–2001SportsSeven-time NASCAR champion whose aggressive style and death at Daytona reshaped stock-car racing and safety.
Sugar Ray Robinson 1921–1989SportsBoxer widely regarded as a model of pound-for-pound excellence and a major figure in postwar sports culture.
Jack Johnson 1878–1946SportsFirst Black world heavyweight boxing champion whose reign provoked national controversy over race and sport.
Wilma Rudolph 1940–1994SportsSprinter who overcame childhood illness to win three Olympic gold medals and become an international symbol of Black women's athletic excellence.
Mia Hamm b. 1972SportsSoccer star whose success helped make women’s soccer a major American sport.
Althea Gibson 1927–2003SportsTennis champion who broke the sport's color barrier and became the first Black player to win major singles titles.
Richard Petty b. 1937SportsSeven-time NASCAR champion whose career helped establish stock-car racing as a national sport.
Tony Hawk b. 1968SportsSkateboarding legend who brought the sport into mainstream culture and the Olympics.
Pete Sampras b. 1971SportsTennis legend who held the record for most Grand Slam men's singles titles for over a decade.
Andre Agassi b. 1970SportsTennis star whose comeback from personal struggles and eight Grand Slam titles inspired millions.
Diana Taurasi b. 1982SportsWNBA's all-time leading scorer and three-time Olympic gold medalist.