George Bush (born in 1946) (1998)

George W Bush is the 43^rd President of the United States. He was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, re-elected on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005. Prior to his Presidency, President Bush served for 6 years as the 46^th Governor of the State of Texas. As a compassionate conservative he pursued public policy based on the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, strong families, and local control. President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas. He received a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. On November 8, 1994, President Bush was elected Governor of Texas.

Since becoming President of the United States in 2001, President Bush has worked with the Congress to create an ownership society and build a future of security, prosperity, and opportunity for all Americans. He signed into law tax relief that helps workers keep more of their hard-earned money, as well as the most comprehensive education reforms in a generation. The reforms provide a new era of accountability, flexibility, local control, and more choices for parents, affirming our Nation's fundamental belief in the promise of every child. President Bush has also worked to improve healthcare and modernize Medicare, providing the first-ever prescription drug benefit for seniors; increase homeownership, especially among minorities; conserve our environment; and increase military strength, pay, and benefits.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the Nation. Since then, President Bush has taken unprecedented steps to protect their homeland and create a world free from terror. The President is confident that by helping build free and prosperous societies, the Nation and its friends and allies will succeed in making America more secure and the world more peaceful.

President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian, and they have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes two dogs, Barney and Miss Beazley, and a cat, Willie.

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7. Martin Luther King (1929-1968) – Famous Public Figure (1649)

Martin Luther King was born into a black family in 1929 in Atlanta. As a child Martin saw that black people were not-allowed to work or live in the same places as whites and were often treated badly. He was deeply hurt by this but mother told him, "You are as good as anyone else, don't you forget it".

Martin won a place at college and trained to be a minister in the church. He got married in 1953 and started work in Alabama. However, in December 1955 his peaceful life ended suddenly. Rosa Parks, a black woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. M. King joined the black civil-rights movement to protest against discrimination.

African-Americans were not only segregated on buses throughout the south. Equal housing was denied to them, and seating in many hotels and restaurants was refused. Demonstrations which began peacefully often ended up in violence and Martin and many others were often arrested.

Martin believed strongly in non-violent action and led peaceful marches throughout the United States. In 1963 a crowd of 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. and marched to the Capitol Building to support the passing of laws that guar anteed every American equal civil rights. Martin made his most famous speech: "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream..."

One year later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. The act guaranteed equal rights in housing, public facilities, voting and public schools. A civil rights commission would ensure that these laws were enforced. Martin Luther King and thousands of other supporters of civil-rights movement now knew that they had not straggled in vain.

In 1964 Martin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He continued to campaign for black rights but in 1968 he was tragically shot by a white man. On his gravestone are the words 'Free at last'.

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