Sonia Sotomayor, born of Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, New York, became a household name when President Barack Obama nominated her to the United States Supreme Court in 2009. Her confirmation made her the country's first Hispanic Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. But even before that, Sonia was an inspiration to others for her hard work and her accomplishments as a student, an attorney, and a judge.

Wayne Gretzky, known to millions of hockey fans as "The Great One," wasn't the biggest, fastest, or strongest hockey player ever, but he was without a doubt the best so far. When he retired from play in 1999, the National Hockey League retired his jersey number as well and inducted him into the NHL Hall of Fame immediately, without the customary waiting period. Wayne's great talent was his ability to read the game and consistently make the right moves,...

"Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and an intellectual giant of the twentieth century. This fascinating biography reveals Einstein's life story, and how his theories changed the way we looked at the universe. Born in Germany in 1879, Einstein focused his studies on science and mathematics. He won a Nobel Prize in Physics and was instrumental in persuading U.S. President Roosevelt to pursue the development of the atomic bomb in World War...

A biography of the South African leader, focusing on his struggle to overthrow the tyrannies of apartheid.

"As a girl, Amelia Earhart aspired to a future that would take her beyond the family and medical problems of her younger years, as well as the restrictions imposed on her because she was female. Widely celebrated for her long-distance flights, she also set records for altitude and speed, and helped develop passenger airline service. As a writer and magazine editor, Earhart also further advanced the cause of flight and of women in aviation. Her disappearance...

"Dian Fossey was known as a highly respected primatologist--a scientist who studies apes and other primates--and a fiercely devoted champion of the safety and preservation of mountain gorillas. Fossey had made powerful enemies because of her opposition to poaching, and in 1985, she was found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda. The case remains unsolved to this day, but her intense love for this endangered species helped created a legacy that survives...