At seven, d'Amboise's mother insisted he attend his sister's dance classes—to keep him from joining a gang. Six months later, in 1942 he joined George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. By 15 he was a member of the New York City Ballet. By 17 he was a principal dancer, and by 21 he had made movies (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel) and danced in Broadway shows. He first choreographed for NYCB in 1963, and several of his works continue in the repertory. In 1976, while still a principal with NYCB, d'Amboise founded the National Dance Institute. He started with 30 boys, $3,000 of his own money, and convinced Balanchine let him use the stage of the New York State Theater between performances.

In 1876, Shaw traveled to London and embarked on a literary career, finding early success as a music critic for the Star newspaper. In 1895 he became the drama critic for the Saturday Review. Though he earned a living critiquing others' plays, his own first plays received brief runs or none at all. Eventually, Three Plays for Puritans and The Devil's Disciple were successful. Man and Superman, in 1903, tackled the legend of Don Juan. Shaw's 1913 masterpiece, Pygmalion, was later popular as a film and served as the basis for the musical My Fair Lady.

Though he appeared in a few previous cartoons, including a debut in Porky's Hare Hunt, the character now known as Bugs Bunny didn't come into his own—in a form recognizable today—until he popped out of his rabbit hole in Tex Avery's A Wild Hare and greeted hunter Elmer Fudd with the now familiar catch phrase "What's up, Doc?".

The recipient of the first singing telegram was singer Rudy Vallee—named "the Vagabond Lover," after one of his songs. Vallee received the telegram in honor of his 32nd birthday.

Taylor grew up near Washington, D.C. and attended Syracuse University where he was a swimmer and an art student before he discovered dance. He continued his dance studies as Julliard. Taylor formed his own company in 1954 and continued to produce his own works even while a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company from 1955 to 1962. Taylor has choreographed more than 90 dances for his own company, which, in its long and distinguished 38-year history, has performed in more than 300 cities in the United States and has made 39 overseas tours to 54 different nations. Taylor's masterpieces, which are known for their wit, warmth, musicality, and excitement, are now also in the repertories dance companies around the world.

Guy was among Chicago's leading blues men—including Otis Rush, Freddy King, and Muddy Waters. He was known for his technique of allowing notes to "hang" in the air until they faded, a technique made possible by the use of electric, amplified instruments. By 22, Guy released his first singles, "This is the End" and "Try to Quit You Baby." Guy gained a following among rock musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and continues to influence musicians today.

Jordan originally studied piano, but switched to guitar at age 11. By his early 20s he was playing alongside jazz greats like Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie. Jordan generated a lot of excitement in jazz circles with his mastery of tapping—a technique in which the finger hammers on the string at the frets to create vibrations. While Jordan was not the first to employ this technique, he is considered the sole virtuoso.