Biography books
Biographies of the famous, influential, and inspirational.
100 people who changed the world
People throughout history who influenced and changed the world, from Socrates and Plato to Sir Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy.
Famous women who changed the world
Over 50 influential women who helped to shape the world in which we live. Including; Sappho, Malala Yousafzai, Indira Gandhi, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Princess Diana, Joan d’Arc, Greta Thunberg and Mother Teresa.
Inspirational people
A selection of inspirational people who have helped create a better world. Includes Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Albert Einstein.
Civil and human rights
Famous men and women who have campaigned for, and promoted human and civil rights. Includes Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
Artists and great paintings
Great artists such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso.
Greatest works of art: Mona Lisa, Statue of David
Scientists
The great scientists who have changed our world from Archimedes to Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. Also; list of famous inventors.
Writers
Famous poets and authors. Great writers including J. R. R. Tolkien, George Orwell, Ernst Hemingway, g and C.S. Lewis
Spiritual biographies
Saints and sages from different religious and spiritual traditions. Including The Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammed and the Dalai Lama.
Sporting personalities
100 great sporting personalities from the fields of football, athletics, tennis, gymnastics, boxing and more.
Famous Africans
A list of famous Africans, including Nelson Mandela, Haile Selassie, Kofi Annan, Tegla Laroupe, and Wangari Maathai.
Great military leaders
Famous military leaders from Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon to modern military commanders.
Featured biographies
Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013 ) Campaigned for justice and freedom in his South Africa. Spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. After his release, he became the first President of democratic South Africa.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th President of the US from 1861-1865. He led the Union forces during the American civil war. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and passed an amendment to abolish slavery.
Rosa Parks (1913–2005) Civil Rights activist. Parks started the Montgomery bus boycott (1955). She became a prominent spokesperson and figurehead for the American civil rights movement.
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) German/US physicist. Einstein revolutionised modern physics with his general theory of relativity. Won Nobel Prize in Physics (1921) for his discovery of the Photoelectric effect, which formed the basis of Quantum Theory.
Helen Keller (1880–1968) Deaf-blind from early childhood, Keller overcame her disability to campaign tirelessly on behalf of deaf and blind people.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) Foremost political leader of the Indian Independence movement. Gandhi adopted a policy of non-violent resistance. Sought to alleviate the plight of women and the ‘untouchable’ caste.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Author, politician, diplomat, scientist and statesman. Franklin urged the colonies to join together and one of the strongest supporters of the idea for the United States.
Mother Teresa (1910-1997) – Albanian Catholic nun. Mother Teresa devoted her life to the care and service of the poor, especially in India where she founded her Missionaries of Charity organisation.
Recently added pages
About Biography Online. A collection of biographies about famous, inspirational and influential people, who have helped to shape and change the world. We are continuing to add more biographies over time. The main author of Biography Online is Tejvan Pettinger from Oxford, UK. The site was founded in April 2006.
Deposit Photos – I use some photos from this source of stock images.