Sir Isaac Newton
Born: 1642
Birthplace: Lincolnshire, England 

One of the original science nerds, Newton explained all the things you learned in high school. His three laws of motion may sound obvious to us today (take, for example, law No. 2: acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass) but he didn't read about it in any books, he just figured it out. Oh, yes, and he also invented calculus, so, math wizards can thank him for that too.  

Humphrey Bogart 
Born: 1899 
Birthplace: New York, N.Y. 

He embodied cool no matter the character, no matter the medium — radio, stage, or film. He's probably endeared to most classic movie watchers for reminding Ilsa Lund to seize the moment because "we will always have Paris."

Quentin Crisp 
Born: 1908 
Birthplace: Surrey, England

Quentin was an English writer and raconteur. From a conventional suburban background, Crisp grew up with effeminate tendencies, which he flaunted by parading the streets in make-up and painted nails, and working as a rent-boy. He then spent thirty years as a professional model for life-classes in art colleges.

Sissy Spacek 
Born: 1949 
Birthplace: Quitman, Texas 

Famous for playing Carrie, the shy, troubled student who uses her telekinetic powers to get the ultimate revenge on her high school bullies in the eponymous 1970s horror film. She really could have stopped there, but the talented Spacek continued to shine in less crazy roles in the decades to follow.

Annie Lennox 
Born: 1954 
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland 

She epitomized the 1980s androgynous style, and was in a number of bands before going solo in the early 2000s. Her most popular collaboration, however, was The Eurythmics, the moody British music duo who taught us what sweet dreams are made of.

Shane Macgowan 
Born: 1957 
Birthplace: Kent, England

Shane is a musician and singer, best known as the singer and songwriter of The Pogues and for the infamous Christmas classic Fairytale of New York. He was born in England but to Irish parents.

Helena Christensen 
Born: 1968 
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark 

The Dutch model threw a come-hither stare and romped around topless in Chris Isaak's uber sexy 1991 music video "Wicked Game." She has since hawked perfume, makeup, clothing, and Victoria's many Secrets.

Dido 
Born: 1971 
Birthplace: London, England 

In the 1990s, Dido became the new Sarah McLachlan, making music for teenage girls to cry to. Though she upped her street cred with a collaboration with Eminem in 2000, her somber musical presence has since faded from the airwaves (though not from our broken hearts).