Special English

Learn American English and Much More

Read   Listen  Learn

Text Only
Search

People in America

Every Sunday, Special English broadcasts a fifteen-minute program about influential people in American history. For earlier programs, enter the name "People in America" with quotation marks in the search box at the top right.


Isaac Stern
On PEOPLE IN AMERICA: The famous violinist was an international cultural ambassador.  He was a major supporter of the arts in America and in other countries.  And he was a teacher and activist.

  • Barbara McClintock, 1902-1992: She Made Important Discoveries About Genes and Chromosomes  Audio Clip Available
  • Bella Abzug, 1920-1998: Activist for Women’s Rights Was Known for Her Large Hats and Strong Opinions  Audio Clip Available
  • Charlton Heston, 1923-2008: An Actor Famous for Playing Heroic Roles  Audio Clip Available
  • Langston Hughes, 1902-1967: The African-American Poet was a Leader of the Harlem Renaissance  Audio Clip Available
  • Langston Hughes, 1902-1967: The Poet Voice of African-Americans  Audio Clip Available
  • Lou Gehrig, 1903-1941: The Great Baseball Player Considered Himself 'The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth'  Audio Clip Available
  • Mary Kay Ash, 1918-2001: She Started a Skin Care Company That Has Sales of More Than $2 Billion a Year  Audio Clip Available
  • Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961: One of the Most Famous Writers of the 20th Century  Audio Clip Available
  • Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961: He created a New Kind of Writing. He Was Able to Paint in Words What He Saw and Felt.   Audio Clip Available
  • Shirley Chisholm, 1924-2005: The First Black Woman Elected to the U.S. Congress  Audio Clip Available
  • Annie Oakley, 1860-1926: One of the Most Famous Sharpshooters in American History  Audio Clip Available
  • Cole Porter, 1891-1964: He Wrote Songs for Broadway Musicals and Movies That Are Still Popular Today  Audio Clip Available
  • Cole Porter, 1891-1964: His Songs From the Nineteen Twenties, Thirties and Forties Remain as Fresh as When He Wrote Them  Audio Clip Available
  • Lucille Ball, 1911-1989: She Was the Funniest Woman on Television  Audio Clip Available
  •