Apart from dreaded epidemics such as AIDS and cancer, polio is another disease which has been plaguing the world since a really long time. Although the disease doesn’t have fatal consequences, it physically handicaps a person, preventing him/her from leading a normal life. The world has also witnessed many famous people who became victims of polio during their childhood. While a few overcame the disease at later stages of their lives, many others had to deal with problems caused by polio even in adulthood. Perhaps, many people still didn’t know that the former American president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola are a few celebrities who had to deal with this challenge. Coppola, who is known for being the mastermind behind iconic movies such as ‘The Godfather’, is believed to be currently suffering from the disease, and is bed-ridden. However, a few others had to deal with problems like stuttering and limping, due to the impact caused by polio. Explore these biographies of famous people who had to deal with Polio. Go through this section to learn about their life stories, timelines, and interesting trivia & facts related to them.

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 1 

Neil Young

(Rock Singer-Songwriter Famous As The 'Godfather of Grunge')

Birthdate: November 12, 1945

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

One of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers of all time, Neil Young has worked both solo as well with bands like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The Grammy award winning musician’s notable albums include After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Harvest Moon and Ragged Glory. He strongly backs environmental and disability issues too.

Birthdate: February 12, 1884

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: New York City

Died: February 20, 1980

Author and socialite Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the eldest child of American president Theodore Roosevelt, and his only child with his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. Though Alice was married to Republican leader Nicholas Longworth III, she had a child through an affair with Senator William Edgar Borah. 

 3 

Walter Scott

(Novelist and Poet known for his Works Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and The Lady of the Lake)

Birthdate: August 15, 1771

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland

Died: September 21, 1832

Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and playwright. Scott's ability as a writer and his knowledge of history made him a pioneering figure in the formation of the historical novel genre. An influential writer, many of his works remain classics of Scottish as well as English-language literature. Scott was admired by other prominent writers like Letitia Elizabeth Landon.

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 4 

Ida Lupino

(Actress)

Birthdate: February 4, 1918

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Camberwell, London, England, UK

Died: August 3, 1995

Height: 5'4" (163 cm)

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 5 

Judy Collins

(Singer-songwriter)

Birthdate: May 1, 1939

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 6 

James Drury

(Actor Known for Having Played the Title Role in the 90-Minute Weekly Western Television Series 'The Virginian')

Birthdate: April 18, 1934

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: April 6, 2020

James Drury was the quintessential tall, dark, and handsome Western hero of Hollywood in the 1950s and the 1960s. he had started his acting career at age 12. Interestingly he graduated in horticulture and animal husbandry. He is best remembered for his role in the NBC series The Virginian.

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 7 

Apolinario Mabini

(Filipino Revolutionary and the 1st Prime Minister of the Philippines)

Birthdate: July 23, 1864

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Talaga, Tanauan, Philippines

Died: May 13, 1903

The 1st prime minister of the Philippines, Apolinario Mabini led the Philippine Revolution and helped in drafting the Malolos Constitution. Born into a family of illiterate peasants, he became a lawyer, before joining the forces of revolutionary Emilio Aguinaldo. He spent most of his later years in exile, targeted by the US.

 8 

Kerry Packer

(Australian Media Tycoon and One of Australia’s Most Powerful Media Proprietors of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: December 17, 1937

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Sydney, Australia

Died: December 26, 2005

Australian media mogul Kerry Packer was the son of media pioneer Sir Frank Packer and later managed the Nine Network and the Australian Consolidated Press. Known for his flamboyant lifestyle and his love for gambling, he also established the competition known as World Series Cricket.

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 9 

Robin Cavendish

(British Advocate for Disabled People, Medical Aid Developer, and One of the Longest-Lived Responauts in Britain)

Birthdate: March 12, 1930

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Middleton, Derbyshire, England

Died: August 8, 1994

Robin Cavendish was an English medical aid developer and advocate for disabled people. He is credited with aiding the development of medical devices aimed at providing independence to paralyzed people. One of Britain's longest-lived responauts, Cavendish was given three months to live at the age of 28. He lived for 64 years and his story inspired the 2017 film Breathe.

 10 

Bill Cullen

(Television personality)

Birthdate: February 18, 1920

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: July 7, 1990

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 11 

Paul Winchell

(Actor, Inventor, Voice actor, Television actor)

Birthdate: December 21, 1922

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: New York City

Died: June 24, 2005

 12 

Doc Pomus

(Singer)

Birthdate: June 27, 1925

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, United States

Died: March 14, 1991

 13 

Hans-Georg Gadamer

(Philosopher)

Birthdate: February 11, 1900

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Marburg, Germany

Died: March 13, 2002

Birthdate: July 25, 1941

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: August 28, 1955

In the 1950s, a teenage African-American boy, Emmett Till was kidnapped, tortured and brutally killed for allegedly misbehaving with a white woman. Those responsible were never convicted but the brutality of the crime brought focus on racial discrimination and African-American Civil Rights Movement. It eventually played a crucial role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

 15 

Thomas Midgley, Jr.

(American Mechanical and Chemical Engineer)

Birthdate: May 18, 1889

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: November 2, 1944

Thomas Midgley Jr. was an American chemical and mechanical engineer. Midgley played a key role in the development of leaded gasoline and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were later banned due to their negative impact on the environment and human health. Thomas Midgley Jr. was granted over 100 patents during his lifetime.

 16 

Laurent Schwartz

(Mathematician, University teacher, Entomologist)

Birthdate: March 5, 1915

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Paris

Died: July 4, 2002

 17 

Robert Anton Wilson

(Writer, Novelist, Philosopher, Essayist, Playwright, Psychologist, Science fiction writer)

Birthdate: January 18, 1932

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Brooklyn

Died: January 11, 2007

 18 

Tenley Albright

(American Former Figure Skater and Surgeon)

Birthdate: July 18, 1935

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Newton Centre, Newton, Massachusetts, United States

Olympic figure-skating champion Tenley Albright was also a Harvard Medical School alumna and a qualified surgeon. A bout of mild polio in childhood couldn’t deter her spirit, and she ended up becoming the first female figure skater from the U.S. to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

 19 

David Starkey

(Historian, Radio personality, Writer)

Birthdate: January 3, 1945

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Kendal

 20 

Ken Robinson

(Author and Speaker Best Known for Preaching Creativity in Teaching)

Birthdate: March 4, 1950

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Liverpool, England

Died: August 21, 2020

Ken Robinson was a British author and speaker. An influential figure, Robinson served as an international advisor to several non-profits, education and arts bodies, and government. From 1989 to 2001, he served as a professor at the University of Warwick. Born into a working class family from Liverpool, Robinson went on to win many honors including the George Peabody Medal.

 21 

Odette Hallowes

(British 'Special Operations Executive' in France During the Second World War)

Birthdate: April 28, 1912

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Amiens, France

Died: March 13, 1995

Odette Hallowes was a Special Operations Executive agent during the Second World War. She was arrested by spy-hunter Hugo Bleicher on 16 April 1943 and was imprisoned in Ravensbrück for the rest of the war. Odette Hallowes was honored by the United Kingdom with the prestigious George Cross, becoming the first woman to receive the honor.

 22 

Ray Ewry

(American Track and Field Athlete and All-time Most Successful Olympian)

Birthdate: October 14, 1873

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Died: September 29, 1937

Height: 6'1" (185 cm)

 23 

Agata Buzek

(Actress & Model)

Birthdate: September 20, 1976

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Pyskowice, Poland

Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

 24 

B. S. Chandrasekhar

(Former cricketer who played as a leg spinner)

Birthdate: May 17, 1945

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Mysuru, Karnataka, India

 25 

Milton H. Erickson

(Psychotherapist, Hypnotist, Hypnotherapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Writer)

Birthdate: December 5, 1901

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Aurum

Died: March 25, 1980

 26 

Avery Dulles

(Jesuit Priest, Theologian and Cardinal of the Catholic Church)

Birthdate: August 24, 1918

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Auburn, New York, United States

Died: December 12, 2008

Avery Dulles was a Jesuit priest, cardinal of the Catholic Church, and theologian. Renowned for his skills as an author and lecturer, Dulles was associated with Woodstock College and the Catholic University of America from 1960 to 1974 and from 1974 to 1988, respectively. Over the course of his illustrious career, Avery Dulles received several prestigious honors and awards.

 27 

DuBose Heyward

(Author)

Birthdate: August 31, 1885

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Died: June 16, 1940

 28 

Howard W. Hunter

(Lawyer)

Birthdate: November 14, 1907

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Boise, Idaho, United States

Died: March 3, 1995

 29 

Francis George

(Archbishop Emeritus of Chicago)

Birthdate: January 16, 1937

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Died: April 17, 2015

Francis Eugene Cardinal George was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. From 1997 to 2014, he served as the Archbishop of Chicago. He also served as the Bishop of Yakima from 1990 to 1996. In 1998, he was created a cardinal and later served as president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) between 2007 and 2010.

 30 

Hildegard Knef

(Actress)

Birthdate: December 28, 1925

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Ulm, Germany

Died: February 1, 2002

 31 

Florence B. Seibert

(American Biochemist Known for Isolating a Pure Form of 'Tuberculin')

Birthdate: October 6, 1897

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Easton, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: August 23, 1991

Florence B. Seibert is remembered for developing the tuberculin test, which became the standard test for detecting TB. Defeating polio at age 3, she went on to win scholarships and made it to Yale. One of the greatest women biochemists of the U.S., she also contributed to intravenous drug therapy.

 32 

Philip Morrison

(Professor)

Birthdate: November 7, 1915

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Somerville, New Jersey, United States

Died: April 22, 2005

 33 

Pauline Campanelli

(Artist)

Birthdate: January 25, 1943

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States

Died: November 29, 2001

 34 

Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla

(Indian International Para Athlete)

Birthdate: July 6, 1958

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kota, Karnataka, India

 35 

Zenta Maurina

(Writer)

Birthdate: December 15, 1897

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Lejasciems, Latvia

Died: April 25, 1978