Famous First Names

Samuel Cody

(1861-1913), in 1908 he became the first man to fly an aeroplane in Britain.

Elizabeth Fry

(1780 - 1845), English prison reformer. She was a Quaker and preacher, and campaigned for prison reform and founded hostels for the homeless.

Richard Strauss

(1864 - 1949), German composer and conductor. His works include "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and the operas, "Elektra" and "Der Rosenkavalier".

Denis Winston Healey

(1917 - ), English Labour politician. He was Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.

James Grover Thurber

(1894 - 1961), American humorist, cartoonist and essayist. His most famous story is "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

Benny Goodman

[Benjamin David Goodman], (1909 - 86), American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. He was known as the 'King of Swing'.

Walter Raleigh

[Sir], (1552 - 1618), English courtier, poet and explorer. He organized unsuccessful attempts to colonize Virginia with English settlers in the 1580s. In 1595, he travelled to the Orinoco. He was imprisoned after Queen Elizabeth's death, but was released to search for treasure on the Orinoco in 1616, and was executed on his return.

Richard Milhous Nixon

(1913 - 94), American Republican politician. In 1969 he became the 37th president of the USA. He became the first president to resign from office, in 1974, following the 'Watergate' scandal.

James Matthew Barrie

[Sir], (1860 - 1937), Scottish dramatist and novelist. He is better known as J M Barrie. His most famous work is 'Peter Pan'.

James Cagney

(1899 - 1986), American film actor. He is best remembered for his many portrayals of gangsters in movies such as 'The Public Enemy' and 'Angels with Dirty Faces'.