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Biography Research Guide: Free Biography Sites

WSU Online Resources and free sites that contain researched and reliable information on people from all countries, time periods and professions, as well as information on biography as a literary form.

Why Use These Free Sites

It is difficult to find verified, research material freely available on the open web (internet). Many results returned from a search engine give you unrelaible, duplicate information that is rarely backed up by research. The sites listed here are the best to use if you need to supplement what you found in our subscription databases. 

Links to More Free Sites

  • Internet Public Library - annotated links to hundreds of general and highly specialized biography sites around the Web  
  • Ref Desk - links to 32 of the best biographical sites, including many sites specifically by subject categories

Best of the Free Biography Sites

  • Awesome Library - great site for kids; categories such as heroes, composers, ethnic groups, politicians, scientists etc.
  • American President - This website offers in-depth biographies of all US presidents. For each president, the biography starts with a Life in Brief profile, then proceeds to sections about Campaigns and Elections, Foreign Affairs, Impact and Legacy, and other topics.   
  • Biography.com - 25,000 of the greatest lives past and present. Presented by A & E Television Networks
  • Collective Biographies of Women - thousands of women who were included in collective biographies
  • Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Available in English or French 
  • Encyclopedia of World Biography - This website offers lengthy biographies of thousands of people from around the world, with an emphasis on famous people of the 20th century. 
  • Info Please - 30,000 biographical profiles and special features about newsworthy people around the world; searchable by name or subject category  
  • Presidents of the U. S. - from the White House history site
  • POTUS: Presidents of the United States - background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents. Links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites are also included to enrich this site from the Internet Public Library
  • Social Networks and Archival Context  - over 3.7 million biographical descriptions of people, both individuals and groups
  • Well Known People Who Happen to Be Canadian - actors, artists, journalists, etc.
  • Women's International Center - brief biographies, most with color picture
  • World of Scientific Biography - search by branch of science, gender, nationality, historical periods.