Mitchell David Albom

(born May 23, 1958) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster, and musician.

Hank Greenburg (January 1, 1911-September 4, 1986)

Born Hyman Greenberg to Romanian-born Jewish immigrants in New York, Hank Greenburg is considered the first Jewish superstar in any American team sport. Greenberg played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers and led the American League in home runs and RBIs four separate times. He won two MVPs and was the first Jewish Inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954.

Jonas Salk (October 28, 1914-June 23, 1995)

Jonas Salk was an American physician and medical researcher who developed the first safe and effective vaccine for polio. Until 1957, when the Salk vaccine was introduced, polio was considered one of the most frightening public health threats in the world. Salk launched his own research organization known as the Salk Center for Biological Studies in 1963. He will always be remembered as the man who stopped polio.

Harvey Kurtzman (October 23, 1924-February 21, 1993)

Raised in Brooklyn by immagrant parents, Harvey Kurtzman was an editor, a writer, and a cartoonist best known for being the founding editor of the comic book MAD and the long-running playboy magazine strip, Little Annie Fannie. One of the major awards in the comic industry, the Harvey award is named in his honor.

Lou Ferrigno

-- American actor, fitness trainer, fitness consultant and retired professional bodybuilder -- was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk. Happy birthday, Lou!

Nancy F. Koehn

(born 1959) is a historian of business at the Harvard Business School in Allston, Massachusetts, where she is James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration.

Alexander Murray Palmer “Alex” Haley

(August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family and as the co-author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.