Biographical Resources

General

Biographical Dictionary - 28,000+ notable men and women from ancient times to the present day. Searched by birth years, death years, positions held, professions, literary and artistic works, achievements, and other keywords.

Biography.com - 25,000+ of the greatest lives, past and present. Click here for the search screen.

Biography Center - 5400+ biographies in English.

BluPete.com - Links to biographies for Economists, Essayists, for Fiction, Law, Philosophy, Politics, for Poets and Scientists.

International Who's Who - Online version of the print edition. A username and password are required to use this site. Please contact Library staff for details.

Lives : the Biography Resource - 'Links to thousands of biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, letters, narratives, oral histories and more. Individual lives of the famous, the infamous, and the not so famous. Group biographies about people who share a common profession, historical era or geography. Also general collections, resources on biographical criticism and special collections'. NB: This site only includes biographies of people who have died.

Who2 - 'Find famous people fast' - For each famous figure, Who2 gives you the key facts: birth and death dates, famous works, notorious trivia.Also gives four additional websites for each person.

Specialist biographical resources

Art

These are just a selection of resources. More resources can be found on the Library's Artists page

The artists.org - The major 20th century & contemporary visual artists, and with links to articles, essays and interviews.

PBS American Masters: Visual Arts - A series of specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of the USA's most outstanding cultural artists.

Literature

These are just a selection of resources. More resources can be found on the Library's Literary Writers page

PBS American Masters: Literature - A series of specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of the USA's most outstanding cultural artists.

Music

All Music.com - Information on all types of 'pop' musicians and musical styles, from rock-n-roll, to hip-hop, from country to gospel etc.

PBS American Masters: Music - A series of specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of the USA's most outstanding cultural artists.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum - Honors legendary performers, producers, songwriters, disc jockeys and others. For biographical information go to the Inductess section.

Performing arts

These are just a selection of resources. More resources can be found on the Library's Theatre page.

PBS American Masters: Film and Television - A series of specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of the USA's most outstanding cultural artists.

PBS American Masters: Performing arts - A series of specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of the USA's most outstanding cultural artists.

Business

BluPete.com - Links to biographies for Economists.

FT.com - News on people in the business sector under 'People in Focus' and 'People on the move'. Also has an alphabetical list of Dossiers on business and company personnel.

Science

BluPete.com - links to biographies for Scientists

Inventors - from About.com and National Inventors 'Hall of Fame' - search by name or by invention

Mathematicians - from the University of St. Andrews

Women

Distinguished Women of Past and Present - Created and maintaines by Danuta Bois, this site has biographies of women 'writers, educators, scientists, heads of state, politicians, civil rights crusaders, artists, entertainers, and others. Some were alive hundreds of years ago and some are living today. We've heard of some of them, while many more have been ignored by history book writers'.