Who Was Alive in 2008

Nelson MandelaAge 90

1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership

Anti-apartheid hero, South African President

Edmund HillaryAge 89

1919–2008 · Exploration

First to summit Mount Everest

Stan LeeAge 86

1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment

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

Margaret ThatcherAge 83

1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership

The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister

B.B. KingAge 83

1925–2015 · Music

King of the Blues

Fidel CastroAge 82

1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership

Cuban revolutionary leader

Gabriel García MárquezAge 81

1927–2014 · Literature

One Hundred Years of Solitude

James WatsonAge 80

1928–present · Science & Invention

Co-discovered the structure of DNA

Maya AngelouAge 80

1928–2014 · Literature

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Vera RubinAge 80

1928–2016 · Science & Invention

Discovered evidence for dark matter

Noam ChomskyAge 80

1928–present · Philosophy & Thought

Father of modern linguistics, political activist

Chinua AchebeAge 78

1930–2013 · Literature

Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature

Neil ArmstrongAge 78

1930–2012 · Exploration

First human to walk on the Moon

Tu YouyouAge 78

1930–present · Science & Invention

Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine

Desmond TutuAge 77

1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change

Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize

Toni MorrisonAge 77

1931–2019 · Literature

Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature

Elizabeth TaylorAge 76

1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment

Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star

Yoko OnoAge 75

1933–present · Art

Avant-garde artist, peace activist

Wole SoyinkaAge 74

1934–present · Literature

First African Nobel laureate in Literature

Jane GoodallAge 74

1934–present · Science & Invention

World's foremost expert on chimpanzees

Dalai LamaAge 73

1935–present · Philosophy & Thought

Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Woody AllenAge 73

1935–present · Film & Entertainment

Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker

Pope FrancisAge 72

1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought

First pope from the Americas

Francis Ford CoppolaAge 69

1939–present · Film & Entertainment

The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now

PeléAge 68

1940–2022 · Sports

The King of Football, 3 World Cups

Wangari MaathaiAge 68

1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change

Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate

Bob DylanAge 67

1941–present · Music

Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature

Muhammad AliAge 66

1942–2016 · Sports

The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion

Aretha FranklinAge 66

1942–2018 · Music

Queen of Soul, Respect

Stephen HawkingAge 66

1942–2018 · Science & Invention

Black holes, A Brief History of Time

Billie Jean KingAge 65

1943–present · Sports

Tennis champion, gender equality advocate

Aung San Suu KyiAge 63

1945–present · Activism & Social Change

Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate

Steven SpielbergAge 62

1946–present · Film & Entertainment

Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director

David BowieAge 61

1947–2016 · Music

Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon

Haruki MurakamiAge 59

1949–present · Literature

Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction

Robin WilliamsAge 57

1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment

Good Will Hunting, comedy genius

Oprah WinfreyAge 54

1954–present · Film & Entertainment

Media mogul, cultural icon

Steve JobsAge 53

1955–2011 · Business & Industry

Co-founded Apple, changed technology

Ai WeiweiAge 51

1957–present · Art

Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds

Michael JacksonAge 50

1958–2009 · Music

King of Pop, Thriller

PrinceAge 50

1958–2016 · Music

Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius

Rigoberta MenchúAge 49

1959–present · Activism & Social Change

Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize

Wayne GretzkyAge 47

1961–present · Sports

The Great One, greatest ice hockey player

Barack ObamaAge 47

1961–present · Politics & Leadership

44th US President, first African American president

Whitney HoustonAge 45

1963–2012 · Music

The Voice, I Will Always Love You

Michael JordanAge 45

1963–present · Sports

Greatest basketball player of all time

Jeff BezosAge 44

1964–present · Business & Industry

Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur

Elon MuskAge 37

1971–present · Business & Industry

Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur

BanksyAge 34

1974–present · Art

Anonymous street artist, subversive murals

Kobe BryantAge 30

1978–2020 · Sports

NBA legend, Mamba Mentality

Heath LedgerAge 29

1979–2008 · Film & Entertainment

The Dark Knight's Joker

Roger FedererAge 27

1981–present · Sports

Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles

BeyoncéAge 27

1981–present · Music

Global pop icon, Lemonade

Serena WilliamsAge 27

1981–present · Sports

Greatest female tennis player of all time

Amy WinehouseAge 25

1983–2011 · Music

Back to Black, soulful voice

Usain BoltAge 22

1986–present · Sports

Fastest man in history

Lionel MessiAge 21

1987–present · Sports

Greatest footballer of all time

Taylor SwiftAge 19

1989–present · Music

Best-selling music artist of the 2020s

Malala YousafzaiAge 11

1997–present · Activism & Social Change

Youngest Nobel Prize laureate, education advocate

Billie EilishAge 7

2001–present · Music

Bad Guy, youngest Album of the Year winner

Greta ThunbergAge 5

2003–present · Activism & Social Change

Youth climate activist, Fridays for Future