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: November 2021
The November update of the American National Biography features seven new essays, including legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor; football broadcaster Keith Jackson; Jack Kevorkian, who became famous for his support of assisted suicide; influential Puerto Rican mycologist Carlos E. Chardón; Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause; sports columnist Dave Anderson; and Robert Leslie Wharton, a Presbyterian missionary and teacher in Cuba.
Featured
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011) was one of the country’s biggest film and popular culture stars, both for her work on-screen and for her eight marriages, which were covered extensively in the media. Taylor won two Academy Awards for best actress, for her performances in Butterfield 8 (1961) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1967). Taylor was also the first major celebrity to raise funds for HIV/AIDS research. In 1985, she co-founded the Foundation for AIDS Research (AMfar), and in 1991 she launched the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Latest Tweets
