Leading Figures in History

Discover the people who shaped our world — from rulers and scientists to artists and activists.

39104 persons found

Ruta Lee

b. 1935

Canadian-born American and Lithuanian actress and dancer

Rutger Hauer

Dutch actor (1944–2019)

Rutger von Ascheberg

b. 1621

Soldier, officer and civil servant in Swedish service

Ruth Aarons

b. 1918

American table tennis player (1918–1980)

Ruth Alexander

b. 1905

American female aviation pioneer

Ruth Ann Swenson

b. 1959

American soprano (born 1959)

Ruth Asawa

American sculptor (1926–2013)

Ruth Atkinson

b. 1918

Canadian American comic book writer and artist

Ruth Bakke

b. 1947

Norwegian organist and composer

Ruth Bonner

b. 1900

Soviet Communist activist

Ruth Buzzi

b. 1936

American actress and comedian (1936–2025)

Ruth Cracknell

b. 1925

Australian actress (1925–2002)

Ruth Crawford Seeger

b. 1901

American composer (1901–1953)

Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech

b. 1943

British academic, lawyer, bioethicist and politician (born 1943)

Ruth Duccini

b. 1918

American actress (1918–2014)

Ruth Ella Moore

b. 1903

American bacteriologist

Ruth Etchells

English poet, literary scholar and churchwoman

Ruth Fernández

b. 1919

Puerto Rican politician and singer

Ruth Fertel

American businesswoman (1927–2002)

Ruth Glick

b. 1942

American writer (born 1942)

Ruth Goldbloom

Canadian philanthropist (1923–2012)

Ruth Gordon

American actress, playwright and screenwriter (1896–1985)

Ruth Graham

American author (1920–2007)

Ruth Graves Wakefield

b. 1903

American chef and inventor (1903–1977)