Who Was Alive in 1999

Bob HopeAge 96

1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment

Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years

Rosa ParksAge 86

1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change

Mother of the civil rights movement

Hedy LamarrAge 85

1914–2000 · Science & Invention

Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping

Ingmar BergmanAge 81

1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment

The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema

Nelson MandelaAge 81

1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership

Anti-apartheid hero, South African President

Edmund HillaryAge 80

1919–2008 · Exploration

First to summit Mount Everest

Stan LeeAge 77

1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment

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

Marlon BrandoAge 75

1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather, method acting pioneer

Margaret ThatcherAge 74

1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership

The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister

B.B. KingAge 74

1925–2015 · Music

King of the Blues

Fidel CastroAge 73

1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership

Cuban revolutionary leader

Gabriel García MárquezAge 72

1927–2014 · Literature

One Hundred Years of Solitude

James WatsonAge 71

1928–present · Science & Invention

Co-discovered the structure of DNA

Stanley KubrickAge 71

1928–1999 · Film & Entertainment

2001: A Space Odyssey, perfectionist auteur

Maya AngelouAge 71

1928–2014 · Literature

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Vera RubinAge 71

1928–2016 · Science & Invention

Discovered evidence for dark matter

Noam ChomskyAge 71

1928–present · Philosophy & Thought

Father of modern linguistics, political activist

Chinua AchebeAge 69

1930–2013 · Literature

Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature

Neil ArmstrongAge 69

1930–2012 · Exploration

First human to walk on the Moon

Ray CharlesAge 69

1930–2004 · Music

The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind

Tu YouyouAge 69

1930–present · Science & Invention

Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine

Desmond TutuAge 68

1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change

Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize

Toni MorrisonAge 68

1931–2019 · Literature

Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature

Johnny CashAge 67

1932–2003 · Music

The Man in Black, country music legend

Elizabeth TaylorAge 67

1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment

Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star

Yoko OnoAge 66

1933–present · Art

Avant-garde artist, peace activist

Wole SoyinkaAge 65

1934–present · Literature

First African Nobel laureate in Literature

Jane GoodallAge 65

1934–present · Science & Invention

World's foremost expert on chimpanzees

Dalai LamaAge 64

1935–present · Philosophy & Thought

Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Woody AllenAge 64

1935–present · Film & Entertainment

Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker

Pope FrancisAge 63

1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought

First pope from the Americas

Francis Ford CoppolaAge 60

1939–present · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now

PeléAge 59

1940–2022 · Sports

The King of Football, 3 World Cups

Wangari MaathaiAge 59

1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change

Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate

Bob DylanAge 58

1941–present · Music

Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Muhammad AliAge 57

1942–2016 · Sports

The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion

Aretha FranklinAge 57

1942–2018 · Music

Queen of Soul, Respect

Stephen HawkingAge 57

1942–2018 · Science & Invention

Black holes, A Brief History of Time

Billie Jean KingAge 56

1943–present · Sports

Tennis champion, gender equality advocate

George HarrisonAge 56

1943–2001 · Music

The Beatles, My Sweet Lord

Aung San Suu KyiAge 54

1945–present · Activism & Social Change

Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate

Steven SpielbergAge 53

1946–present · Film & Entertainment

Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director

David BowieAge 52

1947–2016 · Music

Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Haruki MurakamiAge 50

1949–present · Literature

Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction

Robin WilliamsAge 48

1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment

Good Will Hunting, comedy genius

Oprah WinfreyAge 45

1954–present · Film & Entertainment

Media mogul, cultural icon

Steve JobsAge 44

1955–2011 · Business & Industry

Co-founded Apple, changed technology

Ai WeiweiAge 42

1957–present · Art

Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds

Michael JacksonAge 41

1958–2009 · Music

King of Pop, Thriller

PrinceAge 41

1958–2016 · Music

Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Rigoberta MenchúAge 40

1959–present · Activism & Social Change

Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Wayne GretzkyAge 38

1961–present · Sports

The Great One, greatest ice hockey player

Barack ObamaAge 38

1961–present · Politics & Leadership

44th US President, first African American president

Whitney HoustonAge 36

1963–2012 · Music

The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Michael JordanAge 36

1963–present · Sports

Greatest basketball player of all time

Jeff BezosAge 35

1964–present · Business & Industry

Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur

Elon MuskAge 28

1971–present · Business & Industry

Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur

BanksyAge 25

1974–present · Art

Anonymous street artist, subversive murals

Kobe BryantAge 21

1978–2020 · Sports

NBA legend, Mamba Mentality

Heath LedgerAge 20

1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment

The Dark Knight's Joker

Roger FedererAge 18

1981–present · Sports

Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles

BeyoncéAge 18

1981–present · Music

Global pop icon, Lemonade

Serena WilliamsAge 18

1981–present · Sports

Greatest female tennis player of all time

Amy WinehouseAge 16

1983–2011 · Music

Back to Black, soulful voice

Usain BoltAge 13

1986–present · Sports

Fastest man in history

Lionel MessiAge 12

1987–present · Sports

Greatest footballer of all time

Taylor SwiftAge 10

1989–present · Music

Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Malala YousafzaiAge 2

1997–present · Activism & Social Change

Youngest Nobel Prize laureate, education advocate