Alexander Graham Bell is universally accepted as the inventor of the telephone, though he was forced to fight numerous patent battles to protect his rights. He also taught and worked with the deaf. Helen Keller was one of his more famous students. Born in Scotland, Bell lived much of his life in the nationÕs capital. Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland.
Duke Ellington was one of the great jazz bandleaders during the Thirties and Forties. A prolific composer, some of his more famous compositions include "Mood Indigo" and "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing." Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1924 to 1972, J. Edgar Hoover personified national security. He was instrumental in cleaning up scandals and fighting organized crime in the early years. However later on, his brutal methods and terror tactics brought the FBI under much criticism. Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
John Philip Sousa is best known for his stirring marches and military music. He was bandmaster of the U.S. Marine Corps Band from 1880 to 1892, and wrote the famous Marine song, "Semper Fidelis", which means 'always faithful.' Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
