J. Kenneth Galbraith
1908–2006 - Canadian
Economist. He served as president of the American Economic Association, wrote best-selling books, and was appointed by President Kennedy to be ambassador to India. But events largely overtook his principal economic thesis, laid out in the 1950's and 1960's, that American businesses had developed into vast monopolies that were invulnerable to competition.
Galileo
1564–1642 - Italian
Astronomer. He used a new telescope of his own design to confirm and expand on Copernicus's theory that the earth was a satellite of the sun, not the center of the solar system or universe. This led to conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, a forced recantation, and continuing imprisonment.
Thomas Gallaudet
1787–1851 - American
Researcher and teacher. He helped the deaf and especially deaf-mutes.
Mohandas Gandhi
1869–1948 - Indian
Spiritual and political leader. He grounded the Indian independence movement on the principle of Satyagraha, which incorporated the search for the truth (satya), humility, pacifist or non-violent methods of struggle and resistance, and personal self-sacrifice for ideals greater than ourselves.
Gandhi was very complicated, and his life involves paradoxes, such as the virtual abandonment of his wife and children.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
1807–1882 - Italian
Revolutionary, military leader. With Cavour, he founded an independent Italy.
John Garner
1868–1967 - American
He broke with President Franklin Roosevelt whom he considered too radical. He also memorably said that the vice-presidency was not worth a bucket of warm piss.
David Garrick
1717–1779 - English
Actor, theatre manager, and playwright. Famous as an actor, then theater owner, he came to epitomize the English stage.
Pierre Gassendi
1592–1655 - French
Philosopher. He defended the empirical position, requiring close observation and experiment, against the "rationalists" (logicians) and thus helped to develop modern science.
Bill Gates
Born 1955 - American
Computer software entrepreneur, the richest person in the world. He started his computer software company on a shoestring and came to exemplify entrepreneurship.























