Anthony van Dyck was one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the 17th century, best known for his elegant, psychologically penetrating portraits of King Charles I of England and the European aristocracy. He served as court painter to Charles I and his style of portraiture defined the visual image of the English monarchy for generations. His influence can be seen in British portrait painting for the next two centuries.

Wilhelm I (William I) became the first Emperor of the unified German Empire in 1871, a transformation engineered by his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck through three carefully managed wars. A Prussian military man, he was initially reluctant to take the imperial title. His long reign of 90 years ended only with his death in 1888, making him one of the longest-lived monarchs in European history.

Marcel Marceau was the world's most celebrated mime, whose white-faced character "Bip the Clown" was recognized globally. He transformed mime from a circus act into a respected art form performed on the world's finest stages. During WWII, as a teenager, he helped smuggle Jewish children across the Swiss border to safety — a heroism rarely discussed during his lifetime.

Karl Malden was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his distinctive large nose and powerful character performances. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and appeared in classics including On the Waterfront. He later became famous to a new generation as the co-star of the TV series The Streets of San Francisco.

Stephen Sondheim is widely considered the greatest and most sophisticated composer-lyricist in the history of American musical theater. His shows including Company, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George combined complex musical structures with psychologically rich storytelling. He won eight Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.