21st-century American non-fiction writers

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

George Walker Bush is an American politician, businessman, and former United States Air Force officer who was the 43rd president of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009. The eldest son of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, he was the governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.

George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. Bush was Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. He was the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States.

Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States, the first to hold either U.S. or Peruvian citizenship, the first from the Order of Saint Augustine, and the second from the Americas.

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, politician, and former professional bodybuilder who served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

United States Senator from Vermont

American economist and statistician (1912–2006)

Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 (born 1948)

American politician (1936–2018)

African American novelist, essayist, and academic (1931–2019)

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in primarily mid-budget and period films during the 1990s and early 2000s, before transitioning to blockbusters and franchises. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Richard Bruce Cheney was an American politician and businessman who was the vice president of the United States under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. Cheney was a leading advocate for the Iraq War, and has been called the most powerful vice president in the history of the United States.

American former professor, co-founder of Wikipedia, founder of Citizendium and other projects (born 1968)

American politician and diplomat (born 1943)

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris was an American martial artist, actor, screenwriter, and author. He held black belts in karate, taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, he won numerous martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Norris began working in the American film industry as a martial arts instructor for celebrities before making his screen debut with a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1968). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in The Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested he take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star.

American fantasy and science fiction author (1929–2018)

Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s and early 2000s established her as a prominent sex symbol and one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and in 2013, Diaz was named the highest-paid actress over 40. She has received various accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award and four Golden Globe Awards.

Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor (1928-2016)

American actress, comedian, author and television personality

American politician and businessman (born 1947)

George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist. As of May 2025, he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations, of which $15 billion has already been distributed, representing 64% of his original fortune. In 2020, Forbes called Soros the "most generous giver" in terms of percentage of net worth.

Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series The X-Files, socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film The House of Mirth (2000), DSU Stella Gibson in the BBC/RTÉ crime drama television series The Fall, sex therapist Jean Milburn in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of Netflix drama series The Crown. Among other honors, she has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has resided in London since 2002, after earlier years divided between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Bahamian and American actor and diplomat (1927–2022)

American film critic and author (1942–2013)

American musician (born 1969)

American economist (1915–2009)

American actor (1923–2008)

American political economist (1933-2012)

American comedy musician and actor (born 1959)

Palestinian-American professor (1935–2003)

American lawyer and jurist (1933–2020)

American film director, screenwriter, and producer (born 1946)

American basketball player

American general and diplomat (1937–2021)

Ivana Marie "Ivanka" Trump is an American businesswoman. She is the second child of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and his first wife, Ivana Trump. Ivanka was a presidential advisor in her father's first administration (2017–2021).

American television and radio host (1933–2021)

American actress, singer, and dancer (1932–2016)

American author, screenwriter, film director (1942–2008)

American Roman Catholic singer-songwriter

American fitness instructor and video producer (1948–2024)

American economist, professor, and recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics

American Christian evangelist (1918–2018)

American political scientist, political economist, and author

American political scientist (1927–2008)

Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, was an American professional wrestler and media personality. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most recognized wrestlers of all time, Hogan won multiple championships worldwide, most notably being a six-time WWF/WWE Champion. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Hogan also competed in promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

American author (1947–2013)

American activist and journalist (born 1934)

Israeli-American psychologist and economist (1934–2024)

American filmmaker and author (born 1954)

Patricia Lee Smith is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album Horses made her an influential member of the New York City–based punk rock movement. Smith has fused rock and poetry in her work. In 1978, her most widely known song, "Because the Night," co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart.

Hong Kong-British-American physicist

American spiritual writer

American actor

American actor, author and activist (born 1937)

First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981

U.S.-American theoretical physicist, futurist and author (1947-)

First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977

American finance author and investor (born 1947)

American actor (born 1973)

American economist (1921–2017)