* Michelangelo (1475-1564): Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer who is considered one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance period. His best-known works include the Pietà, the David, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
* Raphael (1483-1520): Italian painter and architect who is considered one of the great masters of the High Renaissance period. His best-known works include the Sistine Madonna, the School of Athens, and the Transfiguration.
* Martin Luther (1483-1546): German theologian and religious reformer who is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation. He is best known for his Ninety-Five Theses, which he posted on the door of the Wittenberg church in 1517.
* John Calvin (1509-1564): French theologian and religious reformer who is considered one of the founders of Calvinism. He is best known for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, which was first published in 1536.
* Elizabeth I (1533-1603): Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death. She was the last of the Tudor monarchs. Her reign was marked by political stability, economic prosperity, and cultural flourishing.
* William Shakespeare (1564-1616): English playwright, poet, and actor who is considered the greatest writer in the English language. His works include the tragedies Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth; the comedies A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest; and the histories Richard III, Henry IV, and Henry V.