Harry Houdini was the most famous magician and escape artist in history, whose death-defying acts — escaping from locked handcuffs, submerged water tanks, and straitjackets — made him a worldwide sensation. He was also a passionate debunker of fraudulent spiritualists and mediums, using his knowledge of stagecraft to expose their tricks. He died on Halloween 1926 from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix, possibly the result of punches to the stomach.

Ub Iwerks was the brilliant animator who drew Mickey Mouse's earliest films alongside Walt Disney, and is credited with designing Mickey's iconic appearance. He was one of the most technically innovative animators in Hollywood history, developing techniques including the multiplane camera. He later won two Academy Honorary Awards for his technical contributions to filmmaking.

Steve McQueen was one of the most popular film stars of the 1960s and 70s, known for his roles in Bullitt, The Great Escape, and The Magnificent Seven. His cool, laconic screen presence and love of racing made him a defining figure of 1960s masculinity. He was Hollywood's highest-paid star at the peak of his fame.

Joseph Priestley was an 18th-century polymath best known for his discovery of oxygen in 1774, which he called "dephlogisticated air." He was also a theologian, political theorist, and educator whose radical views forced him to emigrate to America after a Birmingham mob burned his house. His friendship with Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers contributed to the intellectual ferment of the age.

William Morris was the central figure of the British Arts and Crafts movement, whose textile and wallpaper designs celebrating natural forms and medieval craftsmanship remain iconic. He was also a poet, novelist, and passionate socialist activist who believed that beautiful design should be accessible to all. His Kelmscott Press revived fine book printing as an art form.