Who shapes the history of the British Isles?

From politicians to psychiatrists, novelists to biologists, and actors to entrepreneurs, the January 2014 update of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography adds a further 219 biographies of men and women who’ve made their mark on British history. When were they born? Where did they start out? To what work did they dedicate their lives? How was this recognized? To get a taste for these notable lives and how they made a mark on the nation, explore the infographic below.

How and where did Alexander McQueen start out in the world of fashion design? Who exactly is the ventriloquist noted above? Visit the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography’s January update feature page to find out more. You can also download a jpg or pdf of the infographic.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online is freely available via public libraries across the UK. Libraries offer ‘remote access’ allowing members to log-on to the complete dictionary, for free, from home (or any other computer) twenty-four hours a day. In addition to 58,800 life stories, the ODNB offers a free, twice monthly biography podcast with over 190 life stories now available. You can also sign up for Life of the Day, a topical biography delivered to your inbox, or follow @ODNB on Twitter for people in the news.

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