Who Was Alive in 1981

Georgia O'KeeffeAge 94

1887–1986 · Art

Mother of American modernism

Jorge Luis BorgesAge 82

1899–1986 · Literature

Labyrinths, master of magical realism

HirohitoAge 80

1901–1989 · Politics & Leadership

Emperor of Japan during WWII

Bob HopeAge 78

1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment

Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years

Salvador DalíAge 77

1904–1989 · Art

The Persistence of Memory, surrealist

Simone de BeauvoirAge 73

1908–1986 · Philosophy & Thought

The Second Sex, feminist existentialist

Dorothy HodgkinAge 71

1910–1994 · Science & Invention

Nobel Prize for X-ray crystallography of biochemical substances

Mother TeresaAge 71

1910–1997 · Activism & Social Change

Missionary of Charity in Calcutta

Akira KurosawaAge 71

1910–1998 · Film & Entertainment

Seven Samurai, master filmmaker

Jacques CousteauAge 71

1910–1997 · Exploration

Ocean explorer, pioneered scuba diving

Rosa ParksAge 68

1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change

Mother of the civil rights movement

Hedy LamarrAge 67

1914–2000 · Science & Invention

Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping

Orson WellesAge 66

1915–1985 · Film & Entertainment

Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds broadcast

Frank SinatraAge 66

1915–1998 · Music

My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes

Roald DahlAge 65

1916–1990 · Literature

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Ella FitzgeraldAge 64

1917–1996 · Music

First Lady of Song, jazz icon

Indira GandhiAge 64

1917–1984 · Politics & Leadership

First female Prime Minister of India

Ingmar BergmanAge 63

1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment

The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema

Nelson MandelaAge 63

1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership

Anti-apartheid hero, South African President

Richard FeynmanAge 63

1918–1988 · Science & Invention

Quantum electrodynamics, bongo-playing physicist

Edmund HillaryAge 62

1919–2008 · Exploration

First to summit Mount Everest

Stan LeeAge 59

1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment

Co-created Spider-Man, X-Men, Marvel

Marlon BrandoAge 57

1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather, method acting pioneer

James BaldwinAge 57

1924–1987 · Literature

Go Tell It on the Mountain, civil rights essayist

Margaret ThatcherAge 56

1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership

The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister

B.B. KingAge 56

1925–2015 · Music

King of the Blues

Fidel CastroAge 55

1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership

Cuban revolutionary leader

Gabriel García MárquezAge 54

1927–2014 · Literature

One Hundred Years of Solitude

James WatsonAge 53

1928–present · Science & Invention

Co-discovered the structure of DNA

Andy WarholAge 53

1928–1987 · Art

Pop art icon, Campbell's Soup Cans

Stanley KubrickAge 53

1928–1999 · Film & Entertainment

2001: A Space Odyssey, perfectionist auteur

Maya AngelouAge 53

1928–2014 · Literature

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Vera RubinAge 53

1928–2016 · Science & Invention

Discovered evidence for dark matter

Noam ChomskyAge 53

1928–present · Philosophy & Thought

Father of modern linguistics, political activist

Audrey HepburnAge 52

1929–1993 · Film & Entertainment

Breakfast at Tiffany's, humanitarian

Grace KellyAge 52

1929–1982 · Film & Entertainment

Hollywood star turned Princess of Monaco

Chinua AchebeAge 51

1930–2013 · Literature

Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature

Neil ArmstrongAge 51

1930–2012 · Exploration

First human to walk on the Moon

Ray CharlesAge 51

1930–2004 · Music

The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind

Tu YouyouAge 51

1930–present · Science & Invention

Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine

Desmond TutuAge 50

1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change

Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize

Toni MorrisonAge 50

1931–2019 · Literature

Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature

Johnny CashAge 49

1932–2003 · Music

The Man in Black, country music legend

Elizabeth TaylorAge 49

1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment

Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star

Yoko OnoAge 48

1933–present · Art

Avant-garde artist, peace activist

Wole SoyinkaAge 47

1934–present · Literature

First African Nobel laureate in Literature

Carl SaganAge 47

1934–1996 · Science & Invention

Cosmos, pale blue dot, science communicator

Jane GoodallAge 47

1934–present · Science & Invention

World's foremost expert on chimpanzees

Dalai LamaAge 46

1935–present · Philosophy & Thought

Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Woody AllenAge 46

1935–present · Film & Entertainment

Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker

Pope FrancisAge 45

1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought

First pope from the Americas

Francis Ford CoppolaAge 42

1939–present · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now

PeléAge 41

1940–2022 · Sports

The King of Football, 3 World Cups

Wangari MaathaiAge 41

1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change

Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate

Bob DylanAge 40

1941–present · Music

Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Muhammad AliAge 39

1942–2016 · Sports

The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion

Aretha FranklinAge 39

1942–2018 · Music

Queen of Soul, Respect

Stephen HawkingAge 39

1942–2018 · Science & Invention

Black holes, A Brief History of Time

Billie Jean KingAge 38

1943–present · Sports

Tennis champion, gender equality advocate

George HarrisonAge 38

1943–2001 · Music

The Beatles, My Sweet Lord

Aung San Suu KyiAge 36

1945–present · Activism & Social Change

Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate

Bob MarleyAge 36

1945–1981 · Music

Reggae icon, One Love

Freddie MercuryAge 35

1946–1991 · Music

Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody

Steven SpielbergAge 35

1946–present · Film & Entertainment

Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director

David BowieAge 34

1947–2016 · Music

Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Haruki MurakamiAge 32

1949–present · Literature

Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction

Robin WilliamsAge 30

1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment

Good Will Hunting, comedy genius

Oprah WinfreyAge 27

1954–present · Film & Entertainment

Media mogul, cultural icon

Steve JobsAge 26

1955–2011 · Business & Industry

Co-founded Apple, changed technology

Ai WeiweiAge 24

1957–present · Art

Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds

Michael JacksonAge 23

1958–2009 · Music

King of Pop, Thriller

PrinceAge 23

1958–2016 · Music

Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Keith HaringAge 23

1958–1990 · Art

Pop art and graffiti-inspired works

Rigoberta MenchúAge 22

1959–present · Activism & Social Change

Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Jean-Michel BasquiatAge 21

1960–1988 · Art

Neo-expressionist street art icon

Princess DianaAge 20

1961–1997 · Activism & Social Change

People's Princess, humanitarian

Wayne GretzkyAge 20

1961–present · Sports

The Great One, greatest ice hockey player

Barack ObamaAge 20

1961–present · Politics & Leadership

44th US President, first African American president

Whitney HoustonAge 18

1963–2012 · Music

The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Michael JordanAge 18

1963–present · Sports

Greatest basketball player of all time

Jeff BezosAge 17

1964–present · Business & Industry

Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur

Kurt CobainAge 14

1967–1994 · Music

Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit

Elon MuskAge 10

1971–present · Business & Industry

Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur

Tupac ShakurAge 10

1971–1996 · Music

Influential rapper, Changes

BanksyAge 7

1974–present · Art

Anonymous street artist, subversive murals

Kobe BryantAge 3

1978–2020 · Sports

NBA legend, Mamba Mentality

Heath LedgerAge 2

1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment

The Dark Knight's Joker

Roger FedererAge 0

1981–present · Sports

Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles

BeyoncéAge 0

1981–present · Music

Global pop icon, Lemonade

Serena WilliamsAge 0

1981–present · Sports

Greatest female tennis player of all time