Leading Figures in History

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

62247 persons found

Mary McLeod Bethune

American educator and civil rights leader (1875–1955)

Mary Midgley

b. 1919

English philosopher (1919–2018)

Mary Miles Minter

b. 1902

American actress (1902–1984)

Mary Millar

English actress (1936–1998)

Mary Mohler

b. 1984

American swimmer

Mary Moser

English painter

Mary O'Connor (runner)

b. 1955

New Zealand long-distance runner

Mary O'Rourke

Irish politician (1937–2024)

Mary of Enghien

Countess of Lecce

Mary of Guise

Queen of Scotland from 1538 to 1542

Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)

b. 1505

Queen of Hungary and Bohemia from 1516 to 1526

Mary of Jesus of Ágreda

Spanish nun (1602–1665)

Mary of Modena

Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1685 to 1688

Mary of Teck

b. 1867

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1910 to 1936

Mary of the Divine Heart

19th-century German religious sister

Mary of Waltham

b. 1344

Duchess of Brittany from 1361 to 1362

Mary Oliver

b. 1935

American poet (1935–2019)

Mary Osborne

b. 1921

American jazz musician (1921–1992)

Mary Peters (athlete)

b. 1939

British athlete (born 1939)

Mary Petty

b. 1899

American cartoonist

Mary Philbin

b. 1902

American silent film actress (1902–1993)

Mary Pickford

Canadian actress and producer (1892–1979)

Mary Portas

b. 1960

English retail consultant

Mary Prior

b. 1942

Lord Lieutenant of Bristol (born 1942)