Who Was Alive in 1997

Bob HopeAge 94

1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment

Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years

Mother TeresaAge 87

1910–1997 · Activism & Social Change

Missionary of Charity in Calcutta

Akira KurosawaAge 87

1910–1998 · Film & Entertainment

Seven Samurai, master filmmaker

Jacques CousteauAge 87

1910–1997 · Exploration

Ocean explorer, pioneered scuba diving

Rosa ParksAge 84

1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change

Mother of the civil rights movement

Hedy LamarrAge 83

1914–2000 · Science & Invention

Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping

Frank SinatraAge 82

1915–1998 · Music

My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes

Ingmar BergmanAge 79

1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment

The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema

Nelson MandelaAge 79

1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership

Anti-apartheid hero, South African President

Edmund HillaryAge 78

1919–2008 · Exploration

First to summit Mount Everest

Stan LeeAge 75

1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment

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

Marlon BrandoAge 73

1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather, method acting pioneer

Margaret ThatcherAge 72

1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership

The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister

B.B. KingAge 72

1925–2015 · Music

King of the Blues

Fidel CastroAge 71

1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership

Cuban revolutionary leader

Gabriel García MárquezAge 70

1927–2014 · Literature

One Hundred Years of Solitude

James WatsonAge 69

1928–present · Science & Invention

Co-discovered the structure of DNA

Stanley KubrickAge 69

1928–1999 · Film & Entertainment

2001: A Space Odyssey, perfectionist auteur

Maya AngelouAge 69

1928–2014 · Literature

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Vera RubinAge 69

1928–2016 · Science & Invention

Discovered evidence for dark matter

Noam ChomskyAge 69

1928–present · Philosophy & Thought

Father of modern linguistics, political activist

Chinua AchebeAge 67

1930–2013 · Literature

Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature

Neil ArmstrongAge 67

1930–2012 · Exploration

First human to walk on the Moon

Ray CharlesAge 67

1930–2004 · Music

The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind

Tu YouyouAge 67

1930–present · Science & Invention

Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine

Desmond TutuAge 66

1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change

Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize

Toni MorrisonAge 66

1931–2019 · Literature

Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature

Johnny CashAge 65

1932–2003 · Music

The Man in Black, country music legend

Elizabeth TaylorAge 65

1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment

Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star

Yoko OnoAge 64

1933–present · Art

Avant-garde artist, peace activist

Wole SoyinkaAge 63

1934–present · Literature

First African Nobel laureate in Literature

Jane GoodallAge 63

1934–present · Science & Invention

World's foremost expert on chimpanzees

Dalai LamaAge 62

1935–present · Philosophy & Thought

Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Woody AllenAge 62

1935–present · Film & Entertainment

Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker

Pope FrancisAge 61

1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought

First pope from the Americas

Francis Ford CoppolaAge 58

1939–present · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now

PeléAge 57

1940–2022 · Sports

The King of Football, 3 World Cups

Wangari MaathaiAge 57

1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change

Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate

Bob DylanAge 56

1941–present · Music

Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Muhammad AliAge 55

1942–2016 · Sports

The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion

Aretha FranklinAge 55

1942–2018 · Music

Queen of Soul, Respect

Stephen HawkingAge 55

1942–2018 · Science & Invention

Black holes, A Brief History of Time

Billie Jean KingAge 54

1943–present · Sports

Tennis champion, gender equality advocate

George HarrisonAge 54

1943–2001 · Music

The Beatles, My Sweet Lord

Aung San Suu KyiAge 52

1945–present · Activism & Social Change

Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate

Steven SpielbergAge 51

1946–present · Film & Entertainment

Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director

David BowieAge 50

1947–2016 · Music

Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Haruki MurakamiAge 48

1949–present · Literature

Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction

Robin WilliamsAge 46

1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment

Good Will Hunting, comedy genius

Oprah WinfreyAge 43

1954–present · Film & Entertainment

Media mogul, cultural icon

Steve JobsAge 42

1955–2011 · Business & Industry

Co-founded Apple, changed technology

Ai WeiweiAge 40

1957–present · Art

Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds

Michael JacksonAge 39

1958–2009 · Music

King of Pop, Thriller

PrinceAge 39

1958–2016 · Music

Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Rigoberta MenchúAge 38

1959–present · Activism & Social Change

Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Princess DianaAge 36

1961–1997 · Activism & Social Change

People's Princess, humanitarian

Wayne GretzkyAge 36

1961–present · Sports

The Great One, greatest ice hockey player

Barack ObamaAge 36

1961–present · Politics & Leadership

44th US President, first African American president

Whitney HoustonAge 34

1963–2012 · Music

The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Michael JordanAge 34

1963–present · Sports

Greatest basketball player of all time

Jeff BezosAge 33

1964–present · Business & Industry

Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur

Elon MuskAge 26

1971–present · Business & Industry

Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur

BanksyAge 23

1974–present · Art

Anonymous street artist, subversive murals

Kobe BryantAge 19

1978–2020 · Sports

NBA legend, Mamba Mentality

Heath LedgerAge 18

1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment

The Dark Knight's Joker

Roger FedererAge 16

1981–present · Sports

Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles

BeyoncéAge 16

1981–present · Music

Global pop icon, Lemonade

Serena WilliamsAge 16

1981–present · Sports

Greatest female tennis player of all time

Amy WinehouseAge 14

1983–2011 · Music

Back to Black, soulful voice

Usain BoltAge 11

1986–present · Sports

Fastest man in history

Lionel MessiAge 10

1987–present · Sports

Greatest footballer of all time

Taylor SwiftAge 8

1989–present · Music

Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Malala YousafzaiAge 0

1997–present · Activism & Social Change

Youngest Nobel Prize laureate, education advocate