Who Was Alive in 2001

Bob HopeAge 98

1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment

Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years

Rosa ParksAge 88

1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change

Mother of the civil rights movement

Ingmar BergmanAge 83

1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment

The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema

Nelson MandelaAge 83

1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership

Anti-apartheid hero, South African President

Edmund HillaryAge 82

1919–2008 · Exploration

First to summit Mount Everest

Stan LeeAge 79

1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment

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

Marlon BrandoAge 77

1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather, method acting pioneer

Margaret ThatcherAge 76

1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership

The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister

B.B. KingAge 76

1925–2015 · Music

King of the Blues

Fidel CastroAge 75

1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership

Cuban revolutionary leader

Gabriel García MárquezAge 74

1927–2014 · Literature

One Hundred Years of Solitude

James WatsonAge 73

1928–present · Science & Invention

Co-discovered the structure of DNA

Maya AngelouAge 73

1928–2014 · Literature

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Vera RubinAge 73

1928–2016 · Science & Invention

Discovered evidence for dark matter

Noam ChomskyAge 73

1928–present · Philosophy & Thought

Father of modern linguistics, political activist

Chinua AchebeAge 71

1930–2013 · Literature

Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature

Neil ArmstrongAge 71

1930–2012 · Exploration

First human to walk on the Moon

Ray CharlesAge 71

1930–2004 · Music

The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind

Tu YouyouAge 71

1930–present · Science & Invention

Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine

Desmond TutuAge 70

1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change

Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize

Toni MorrisonAge 70

1931–2019 · Literature

Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature

Johnny CashAge 69

1932–2003 · Music

The Man in Black, country music legend

Elizabeth TaylorAge 69

1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment

Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star

Yoko OnoAge 68

1933–present · Art

Avant-garde artist, peace activist

Wole SoyinkaAge 67

1934–present · Literature

First African Nobel laureate in Literature

Jane GoodallAge 67

1934–present · Science & Invention

World's foremost expert on chimpanzees

Dalai LamaAge 66

1935–present · Philosophy & Thought

Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Woody AllenAge 66

1935–present · Film & Entertainment

Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker

Pope FrancisAge 65

1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought

First pope from the Americas

Francis Ford CoppolaAge 62

1939–present · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now

PeléAge 61

1940–2022 · Sports

The King of Football, 3 World Cups

Wangari MaathaiAge 61

1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change

Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate

Bob DylanAge 60

1941–present · Music

Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Muhammad AliAge 59

1942–2016 · Sports

The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion

Aretha FranklinAge 59

1942–2018 · Music

Queen of Soul, Respect

Stephen HawkingAge 59

1942–2018 · Science & Invention

Black holes, A Brief History of Time

Billie Jean KingAge 58

1943–present · Sports

Tennis champion, gender equality advocate

George HarrisonAge 58

1943–2001 · Music

The Beatles, My Sweet Lord

Aung San Suu KyiAge 56

1945–present · Activism & Social Change

Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate

Steven SpielbergAge 55

1946–present · Film & Entertainment

Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director

David BowieAge 54

1947–2016 · Music

Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Haruki MurakamiAge 52

1949–present · Literature

Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction

Robin WilliamsAge 50

1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment

Good Will Hunting, comedy genius

Oprah WinfreyAge 47

1954–present · Film & Entertainment

Media mogul, cultural icon

Steve JobsAge 46

1955–2011 · Business & Industry

Co-founded Apple, changed technology

Ai WeiweiAge 44

1957–present · Art

Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds

Michael JacksonAge 43

1958–2009 · Music

King of Pop, Thriller

PrinceAge 43

1958–2016 · Music

Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Rigoberta MenchúAge 42

1959–present · Activism & Social Change

Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Wayne GretzkyAge 40

1961–present · Sports

The Great One, greatest ice hockey player

Barack ObamaAge 40

1961–present · Politics & Leadership

44th US President, first African American president

Whitney HoustonAge 38

1963–2012 · Music

The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Michael JordanAge 38

1963–present · Sports

Greatest basketball player of all time

Jeff BezosAge 37

1964–present · Business & Industry

Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur

Elon MuskAge 30

1971–present · Business & Industry

Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur

BanksyAge 27

1974–present · Art

Anonymous street artist, subversive murals

Kobe BryantAge 23

1978–2020 · Sports

NBA legend, Mamba Mentality

Heath LedgerAge 22

1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment

The Dark Knight's Joker

Roger FedererAge 20

1981–present · Sports

Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles

BeyoncéAge 20

1981–present · Music

Global pop icon, Lemonade

Serena WilliamsAge 20

1981–present · Sports

Greatest female tennis player of all time

Amy WinehouseAge 18

1983–2011 · Music

Back to Black, soulful voice

Usain BoltAge 15

1986–present · Sports

Fastest man in history

Lionel MessiAge 14

1987–present · Sports

Greatest footballer of all time

Taylor SwiftAge 12

1989–present · Music

Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Malala YousafzaiAge 4

1997–present · Activism & Social Change

Youngest Nobel Prize laureate, education advocate

Billie EilishAge 0

2001–present · Music

Bad Guy, youngest Album of the Year winner