Famous 20th Century Publishers

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 1 
Martha Stewart
(Businesswoman)
Martha Stewart
4
Birthdate: August 3, 1941
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States

The founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Martha Stewart has found success with several business ventures. She is also the publisher of a magazine called Martha Stewart Living and has written many bestselling books. Although she was convicted of charges pertaining to the ImClone stock trading case, she made a comeback and became chairwoman of her company.

 2 
Julian Assange
(Computer programmer)
Julian Assange
6
Birthdate: July 3, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Townsville, Australia

Julian Assange made headlines all over the world in 2010 when WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization founded by him, gained international attention after publishing leaks, such as the Afghanistan war logs and Iraq war logs. After dodging arrest for several years, he was finally arrested in 2019 and is currently imprisoned in HM Prison Belmarsh.

 3 
Mark Twain
(Lauded as the 'Greatest Humorist' the United States Has Produced)
Mark Twain
6
Birthdate: November 30, 1835
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Florida, Missouri, United States
Died: April 21, 1910

Mark Twain, “the father of American literature,” was one of the world’s greatest 19-th century humorists and authors. His novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were drawn from his childhood experiences in Missouri. In his later life, he sunk into bankruptcy and also recovered.

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 4 
Hugh Hefner
(Founder of 'Playboy' Magazine)
Hugh Hefner
8
Birthdate: April 9, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: September 27, 2017

As the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner changed the way people viewed nudity. Known for his enviable lifestyle, he resided in luxury mansions along with his Playboy Playmates. Also a well-known philanthropist, Hefner made significant donations to various causes. He also supported freedom of expression and sexual liberation.

 5 
Katharine Graham
(American Newspaper Publisher and Heiress Who Led 'The Washington Post' (1963 - 1991))
Katharine Graham
4
Birthdate: June 16, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: July 17, 2001

The daughter of American publisher and financier Eugene Meyer, Katharine Graham later carried forward her family’s newspaper, The Washington Post. While the newspaper was initially handed over to her husband, Philip Graham, by her father, she took over as the owner, following Philip’s suicide. She later penned a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir.

 6 
Rupert Murdoch
(American Media Tycoon and Chairman & CEO of 'News Corp')
Rupert Murdoch
4
Birthdate: March 11, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Rupert Murdoch’s company News Corp owns hundreds of publishing outlets and TV channels around the world, including The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and Fox News. His media houses have been accused of hacking the phones of celebrities and public citizens. He has also had to face allegations of bribery and corruption in the UK and the US.

 7 
Carter Woodson
(Historian)
Carter Woodson
4
Birthdate: December 19, 1875
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Canton, Virginia, United States
Died: April 3, 1950

Historian Carter Woodson was is remembered for pioneering Black studies in schools and colleges. He began the Negro History Week, which is now celebrated as the Black History Month. Poverty had pushed him to work in the coal mines initially, and he couldn’t join high school before 20.

 8 
Bennett Cerf
(American Publisher and Co-Founder of Publishing Firm 'Random House')
Bennett Cerf
4
Birthdate: May 25, 1898
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: August 27, 1971

Bennett Cerf was an American publisher and writer. He is credited with co-founding the popular publishing firm, Random House. Cerf was also a TV personality, appearing regularly on a panel game show titled What's My Line for over 17 years.

 9 
Alison Tyler
(Author, Editor and Publisher of Contemporary Erotica)
Alison Tyler
4
Birthdate: 1969 AD
Birthplace: Los Angeles County, California, United States

Alison Tyler is the pen name of an American writer, editor, and publisher. The publisher of erotica, Tyler is credited with writing over 20 explicit novels. She has also edited over 60 erotic anthologies and is credited with founding her own publishing company called Pretty Things Press. Her work, which focuses on erotic themes, has been translated into many languages.

 10 
Jann Wenner
(Co-Founder and Publisher of the Popular Culture Magazine 'Rolling Stone')
Jann Wenner
6
Birthdate: January 7, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, United States

Jann Wenner is an American magazine mogul best known as the co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine. He is also credited with co-founding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other popular publications like Outside. During the 1970s and 1980s, Wenner played a key role in popularizing several writers like Greil Marcus, Hunter S. Thompson, and Cameron Crowe.

 11 
Bob Guccione
(Founder the Popular Adult Magazine 'Penthouse')
Bob Guccione
4
Birthdate: December 17, 1930
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: October 20, 2010

Porn tycoon Bob Guccione was the founder of the iconic Penthouse adult magazine. While he initially managed a laundromat chain and then drew cartoons for various publications, he later soared to fame with Penthouse and even photographed his models. A string of bad investments, including a failed casino, brought about his downfall.

 12 
Jim Lee
(Comic Book Artist, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of 'DC Comics')
Jim Lee
8
Birthdate: August 11, 1964
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea

Korean-American comic-book artist Jim Lee began his career with Marvel and then soared to fame with his X-Men series. Though initially trained in psychology, he skipped medical school and became a comic writer instead. Apart from co-founding Image Comics, he also created WildStorm, which he sold to DC later.

 13 
Randolph Apperson Hearst
(Business People)
Randolph Apperson Hearst
4
Birthdate: December 2, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, United States
Died: December 18, 2000
 14 
Robert Bernard Sherman
(Songwriter)
Robert Bernard Sherman
4
Birthdate: December 19, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, US
Died: March 6, 2012
 15 
Malcolm Forbes
(Businessperson)
Malcolm Forbes
4
Birthdate: August 19, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: February 24, 1990
 16 
Porter Stansberry
(Writer)
Porter Stansberry
4
Birthdate: February 2, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Not known
 17 
Will Eisner
(Cartoonist)
Will Eisner
4
Birthdate: March 16, 1917
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: January 3, 2005
 18 
Phil Graham
(Publisher)
Phil Graham
4
Birthdate: July 18, 1915
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Terry, South Dakota, United States
Died: August 3, 1963
 19 
Kevin Eastman
(American Comic Book Artist and Writer)
Kevin Eastman
4
Birthdate: May 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Portland, Maine, United States
 20 
Joe Simon
(Writer)
Joe Simon
3
Birthdate: October 11, 1913
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Died: December 14, 2011
 21 
Larry Flynt
(American Publisher and the President of 'Larry Flynt Publications')
Larry Flynt
4
Birthdate: November 1, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lakeville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died: February 10, 2021
Larry Flynt, owner of Larry Flynt Publications and editor of Hustler magazine, gained fame after publishing some photos of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sunbathing naked on a vacation. He was paralyzed from the waist down after an assassination attempt in 1978. He has also faced many legal battles related to obscenity.
 22 
Elbert Hubbard
(Writer)
Elbert Hubbard
4
Birthdate: June 19, 1856
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bloomington, Illinois, United States
Died: May 7, 1915
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 23 
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
(Newspaper publisher)
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
4
Birthdate: May 25, 1879
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Maple, Vaughan, Canada
Died: June 9, 1964
 24 
Richard Elfman
(Actor)
Richard Elfman
4
Birthdate: March 6, 1949
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Watts, California, United States
 25 
Robert Maxwell
(British Politician and Member of Parliament for Buckingham from 1964 to 1970)
Robert Maxwell
4
Birthdate: June 10, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Solotvyno, Ukraine
Died: November 5, 1991
Media magnate Robert Maxwell set up Pergamon Press, served as a Labour MP, and acquired media houses such as the Mirror Group and Macmillan. Apart from his lavish lifestyle, he is remembered for embezzling the Mirror Group pension funds. He died after falling off his yacht in the Atlantic Ocean.
 26 
Hugo Gernsback
(Inventor)
Hugo Gernsback
4
Birthdate: August 16, 1884
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Died: August 19, 1967
 27 
John W. Henry
(American Businessman and Primary Owner of Sports Teams 'Liverpool FC', 'Boston Red Sox' and 'The Boston Globe')
John W. Henry
4
Birthdate: September 13, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Quincy, Illinois, United States

Businessman John W. Henry initially acquired immense wealth from his trading firm J.W. Henry & Co. and later built a huge sports empire. He now owns several sports-related businesses, including the Liverpool Football Club and the baseball team Boston Red Sox. He also owns the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper The Boston Globe.

 28 
Stan Lee
(Primary Creative Leader of Marvel Comics and Characters such as 'Spider-Man', 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man')
Stan Lee
0
Birthdate: December 28, 1922
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Died: November 12, 2018

Stan Lee was one of the most popular comic book writers, thanks to his appearances in several Marvel movies. He is well-known as the co-creator of many famous superheroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. He pioneered a naturalistic method to writing superhero comics and challenged the Comics Code Authority, which ultimately led to changes in its policies.

 29 
George DiCaprio
(American Writer, Editor, Publisher and Father of Actor Leonardo DiCaprio)
George DiCaprio
4
Birthdate: October 2, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: United States

Writer, editor, and publisher, George DiCaprio, is known for his work in the underground comix world. He was a popular figure in the 1970s and published comics like Greaser Comics and Forbidden Knowledge. His son, Leonardo DiCaprio, is a famous actor. George played a significant role in his son’s early career and used to screen scripts for him.

 30 
Iain Dale
(British Broadcaster, Author and Political Commentator)
Iain Dale
3
Birthdate: July 15, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 31 
Jared Taylor
(American White Supremacist and Editor of 'American Renaissance')
Jared Taylor
4
Birthdate: September 15, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kobe, Japan

Jared Taylor is a white supremacist who is credited with founding an online magazine named American Renaissance for which he serves as the editor. He also serves as the president of New Century Foundation, the magazine's parent organization, through which he has published many of his books. Over the years Jared Taylor has been accused of propagating racist ideologies.

 32 
Jack Chick
(American Cartoonist and Publisher)
Jack Chick
3
Birthdate: April 13, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 23, 2016
 33 
Michael Shermer
(Science Writer, Historian of Science and Founder of the 'Skeptic' Magazine)
Michael Shermer
4
Birthdate: September 8, 1954
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Michael Shermer is an American historian of science and science writer. He is credited with founding The Skeptics Society, a nonprofit organization that aims at promoting scientific skepticism. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the organization's magazine Skeptic. From 2001 to 2019, he was a major contributor to Scientific American magazine.

 34 
Chris Anderson
(Entrepreneur)
Chris Anderson
4
Birthdate: 1957 AD
Birthplace: Pakistan
 35 
Richard M. Sherman
(Songwriters)
Richard M. Sherman
4
Birthdate: June 12, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
 36 
Richard Desmond
(British Publisher and Businessman)
Richard Desmond
3
Birthdate: December 8, 1951
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
 37 
John H. Johnson
(Publisher, Entrepreneur)
John H. Johnson
3
Birthdate: January 19, 1918
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arkansas City, Arkansas, United States
Died: August 8, 2005
 38 
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
(Officer, Poet, Writer, Publisher, Painter, Journalist)
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
4
Birthdate: March 24, 1919
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Yonkers
 39 
Eugene Meyer
(Financier)
Eugene Meyer
3
Birthdate: October 31, 1875
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: July 17, 1959
 40 
Jim Shooter
(Comics artist, Publisher, Screenwriter)
Jim Shooter
3
Birthdate: September 27, 1951
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pittsburgh
 41 
G. Willow Wilson
(Journalist, Writer, Comics writer, Science fiction writer)
G. Willow Wilson
3
Birthdate: August 31, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New Jersey
 42 
Alfred Harmsworth
(British publisher)
Alfred Harmsworth
3
Birthdate: July 15, 1865
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chapelizod, Ireland
Died: August 14, 1922
 43 
Felix Dennis
(Publisher)
Felix Dennis
3
Birthdate: May 27, 1947
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England
Died: June 22, 2014
 44 
Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
(Publisher)
Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
3
Birthdate: April 26, 1868
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hampstead, England
Died: November 26, 1940
 45 
Sylvia Beach
(Bookseller)
Sylvia Beach
3
Birthdate: March 14, 1887
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died: October 5, 1962
 46 
Joseph Medill Patterson Albright
(Businessman)
Joseph Medill Patterson Albright
3
Birthdate: 1937 AD
Birthplace: United States
 47 
Walter Annenberg
(Businessman)
Walter Annenberg
3
Birthdate: March 13, 1908
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Died: October 1, 2002
 48 
Ishmael Reed
(Poet)
Ishmael Reed
3
Birthdate: February 22, 1938
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
 49 
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
(Entrepreneur, Writer)
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
3
Birthdate: January 7, 1890
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Greeneville, Tennessee, United States
Died: September 21, 1965
 50 
William Gaines
(Publisher)
William Gaines
3
Birthdate: March 1, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: June 3, 1992