Welcome to American National Biography Online
The life of a nation is told by the lives of its people
- Over 19,000 biographies of significant, influential or notorious figures from American history written by prominent scholars
- Life of the day now available as an email to your inbox or by RSS feed
- Learn about our editors and the Letter from the General Editor Susan Ware.
What's new
What's new: February 2023
The February update of the American National Biography features five new essays, including Robert Indiana, the artist behind the LOVE image; R&B singer Luther Vandross; art critic John Edwin Canaday; Al Swearingen, the violent brothel owner from Deadwood, South Dakota; and Gladys Heldman, tennis player, founder of World Tennis magazine, and organizer of the Virginia Slims Circuit women’s tennis tour.
Featured
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana (1928–2018) was a painter and sculptor at the forefront of American Pop Art. He created LOVE, which remains one of the most recognizable images American art has ever produced. Indiana’s word-image style has exerted a lasting influence on global visual culture.
Latest Tweets