TIMELINER

History's most surprising connections

Who Was Alive in 1991

79 of 328 historical figures were alive in 1991

Bob Hope
Bob HopeAge 88
1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment
Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years
Dorothy Hodgkin
Dorothy HodgkinAge 81
1910–1994 · Science & Invention
Nobel Prize for X-ray crystallography of biochemical substances
Mother Teresa
Mother TeresaAge 81
1910–1997 · Activism & Social Change
Missionary of Charity in Calcutta
Akira Kurosawa
Akira KurosawaAge 81
1910–1998 · Film & Entertainment
Seven Samurai, master filmmaker
Jacques Cousteau
Jacques CousteauAge 81
1910–1997 · Exploration
Ocean explorer, pioneered scuba diving
Rosa Parks
Rosa ParksAge 78
1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change
Mother of the civil rights movement
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy LamarrAge 77
1914–2000 · Science & Invention
Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping
Frank Sinatra
Frank SinatraAge 76
1915–1998 · Music
My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella FitzgeraldAge 74
1917–1996 · Music
First Lady of Song, jazz icon
Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar BergmanAge 73
1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment
The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema
Nelson Mandela
Nelson MandelaAge 73
1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership
Anti-apartheid hero, South African President
Edmund Hillary
Edmund HillaryAge 72
1919–2008 · Exploration
First to summit Mount Everest
Stan Lee
Stan LeeAge 69
1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment
Co-created Spider-Man, X-Men, Marvel
Marlon Brando
Marlon BrandoAge 67
1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment
The Godfather, method acting pioneer
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret ThatcherAge 66
1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership
The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister
B.B. King
B.B. KingAge 66
1925–2015 · Music
King of the Blues
Fidel Castro
Fidel CastroAge 65
1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership
Cuban revolutionary leader
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García MárquezAge 64
1927–2014 · Literature
One Hundred Years of Solitude
James Watson
James WatsonAge 63
1928–present · Science & Invention
Co-discovered the structure of DNA
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley KubrickAge 63
1928–1999 · Film & Entertainment
2001: A Space Odyssey, perfectionist auteur
Maya Angelou
Maya AngelouAge 63
1928–2014 · Literature
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Vera Rubin
Vera RubinAge 63
1928–2016 · Science & Invention
Discovered evidence for dark matter
Noam Chomsky
Noam ChomskyAge 63
1928–present · Philosophy & Thought
Father of modern linguistics, political activist
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey HepburnAge 62
1929–1993 · Film & Entertainment
Breakfast at Tiffany's, humanitarian
Chinua Achebe
Chinua AchebeAge 61
1930–2013 · Literature
Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature
Neil Armstrong
Neil ArmstrongAge 61
1930–2012 · Exploration
First human to walk on the Moon
Ray Charles
Ray CharlesAge 61
1930–2004 · Music
The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind
Tu Youyou
Tu YouyouAge 61
1930–present · Science & Invention
Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine
Desmond Tutu
Desmond TutuAge 60
1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change
Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize
Toni Morrison
Toni MorrisonAge 60
1931–2019 · Literature
Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature
Johnny Cash
Johnny CashAge 59
1932–2003 · Music
The Man in Black, country music legend
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth TaylorAge 59
1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment
Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star
Yoko Ono
Yoko OnoAge 58
1933–present · Art
Avant-garde artist, peace activist
Wole Soyinka
Wole SoyinkaAge 57
1934–present · Literature
First African Nobel laureate in Literature
Carl Sagan
Carl SaganAge 57
1934–1996 · Science & Invention
Cosmos, pale blue dot, science communicator
Jane Goodall
Jane GoodallAge 57
1934–present · Science & Invention
World's foremost expert on chimpanzees
Dalai Lama
Dalai LamaAge 56
1935–present · Philosophy & Thought
Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize
Woody Allen
Woody AllenAge 56
1935–present · Film & Entertainment
Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker
Pope Francis
Pope FrancisAge 55
1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought
First pope from the Americas
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford CoppolaAge 52
1939–present · Film & Entertainment
The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now
Pelé
PeléAge 51
1940–2022 · Sports
The King of Football, 3 World Cups
Wangari Maathai
Wangari MaathaiAge 51
1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change
Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate
Bob Dylan
Bob DylanAge 50
1941–present · Music
Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad AliAge 49
1942–2016 · Sports
The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion
Aretha Franklin
Aretha FranklinAge 49
1942–2018 · Music
Queen of Soul, Respect
Stephen Hawking
Stephen HawkingAge 49
1942–2018 · Science & Invention
Black holes, A Brief History of Time
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean KingAge 48
1943–present · Sports
Tennis champion, gender equality advocate
George Harrison
George HarrisonAge 48
1943–2001 · Music
The Beatles, My Sweet Lord
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu KyiAge 46
1945–present · Activism & Social Change
Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate
Freddie Mercury
Freddie MercuryAge 45
1946–1991 · Music
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody
Steven Spielberg
Steven SpielbergAge 45
1946–present · Film & Entertainment
Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director
David Bowie
David BowieAge 44
1947–2016 · Music
Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon
Haruki Murakami
Haruki MurakamiAge 42
1949–present · Literature
Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction
Robin Williams
Robin WilliamsAge 40
1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment
Good Will Hunting, comedy genius
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah WinfreyAge 37
1954–present · Film & Entertainment
Media mogul, cultural icon
Steve Jobs
Steve JobsAge 36
1955–2011 · Business & Industry
Co-founded Apple, changed technology
Ai Weiwei
Ai WeiweiAge 34
1957–present · Art
Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds
Michael Jackson
Michael JacksonAge 33
1958–2009 · Music
King of Pop, Thriller
Prince
PrinceAge 33
1958–2016 · Music
Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta MenchúAge 32
1959–present · Activism & Social Change
Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize
Princess Diana
Princess DianaAge 30
1961–1997 · Activism & Social Change
People's Princess, humanitarian
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne GretzkyAge 30
1961–present · Sports
The Great One, greatest ice hockey player
Barack Obama
Barack ObamaAge 30
1961–present · Politics & Leadership
44th US President, first African American president
Whitney Houston
Whitney HoustonAge 28
1963–2012 · Music
The Voice, I Will Always Love You
Michael Jordan
Michael JordanAge 28
1963–present · Sports
Greatest basketball player of all time
Jeff Bezos
Jeff BezosAge 27
1964–present · Business & Industry
Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur
Kurt Cobain
Kurt CobainAge 24
1967–1994 · Music
Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit
Elon Musk
Elon MuskAge 20
1971–present · Business & Industry
Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac ShakurAge 20
1971–1996 · Music
Influential rapper, Changes
Banksy
BanksyAge 17
1974–present · Art
Anonymous street artist, subversive murals
Kobe Bryant
Kobe BryantAge 13
1978–2020 · Sports
NBA legend, Mamba Mentality
Heath Ledger
Heath LedgerAge 12
1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment
The Dark Knight's Joker
Roger Federer
Roger FedererAge 10
1981–present · Sports
Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles
Beyoncé
BeyoncéAge 10
1981–present · Music
Global pop icon, Lemonade
Serena Williams
Serena WilliamsAge 10
1981–present · Sports
Greatest female tennis player of all time
Amy Winehouse
Amy WinehouseAge 8
1983–2011 · Music
Back to Black, soulful voice
Usain Bolt
Usain BoltAge 5
1986–present · Sports
Fastest man in history
Lionel Messi
Lionel MessiAge 4
1987–present · Sports
Greatest footballer of all time
Taylor Swift
Taylor SwiftAge 2
1989–present · Music
Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Notable World Events in 1991

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