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Jack Johnson

Matthew Syed chooses the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.

• 30 mins

Carl Sagan

Physicist Brian Cox reveals how Carl Sagan's Cosmos TV show changed his life.

• 30 mins

Charlotte Guest

Sarah Hogg chooses as her champion Lady Charlotte Guest.

• 30 mins

Harold Pinter

Matthew Parris introduces the life of writer Harold Pinter, chosen by Diane Abbott MP.

• 30 mins

Arthur Wharton

Viv Anderson champions the life of Arthur Wharton, the first black professional footballer

• 30 mins

John Lennon

John Lennon is the life nominated by writer John Harris. Matthew Parris presents.

• 30 mins

Sappho

Greek poet Sappho - intellectual or vamp?

• 30 mins

Richard Nixon

Historian Dominic Sandbrook discusses the life of Richard Nixon.

• 30 mins

Mary Carpenter

Camila Batmanghelidjh discusses the life of her Victorian equivalent, Mary Carpenter.

• 30 mins

Simone Weil

Eleanor Bron discusses the life of French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.

• 30 mins

Winston Churchill

Lord Digby Jones chooses Winston Churchill, with contribution from Prof David Reynolds.

• 30 mins

Golda Meir

Edwina Currie discusses the life of former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir.

• 30 mins

Walt Disney

Gerald Scarfe, merciless political cartoon satirist, chooses an icon who created icons.

• 30 mins

Michel de Montaigne

Professor Robert Winston chooses a famous writer from the French Renaissance.

• 30 mins

Malcolm McLaren

Public relations expert Mark Borkowski discusses the life of the Sex Pistols' manager.

• 28 mins

Samuel Beckett

Business guru Sir Gerry Robinson chooses playwright Samuel Beckett.

• 30 mins

DH Lawrence

Poet John Hegley chooses the author of Lady Chatterley's Lover, DH Lawrence.

• 30 mins

Sammy Davis Jr

Dancer and actor Lionel Blair chooses his friend, Sammy Davis Jr.

• 30 mins

Aneurin Bevan

Lord Kinnock chooses the life of Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the NHS.

• 30 mins

JB Priestley

Comedian Barry Cryer nods to his Yorkshire roots by choosing JB Priestley.

• 30 mins

Marcus Garvey

Playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah on Marcus Garvey, the inspirational 20th-century black leader.

• 30 mins

Gertrude Bell

Physicist Jim al-Khalili nominates Gertrude Bell who shaped modern-day Iraq.

• 30 mins

Mary Stott

Katharine Whitehorn chooses journalist and campaigner Mary Stott.

• 30 mins

Thomas Edison

Sir Clive Sinclair discusses fellow inventor Thomas Edison with Matthew Parris.

• 30 mins

Leonard Bernstein

Conductor Charles Hazlewood chooses Leonard Bernstein.

• 30 mins

Simone de Beauvoir

Actress Diana Quick selects philosopher Simone de Beauvoir for Great Lives.

• 30 mins

Lewis Carroll

Writer Lynne Truss chooses the creator of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll.

• 30 mins

Kathleen Ferrier

Broadcaster Sue MacGregor nominates singer Kathleen Ferrier who died tragically young.

• 30 mins

Paul Robeson

Anna Ford nominates singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson.

• 30 mins

Richard Pryor

Skills minister David Lammy puts the case for the revolutionary comedian Richard Pryor.

• 26 mins