Who's Who
Encyclopedia
Who's Who is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biographical
information on a particular group of people. The title is also used as an expression meaning a collection or group of noted persons; as in the sentence, "The actors in the film were a Who's Who of the great American comedians of the time".
The title "Who's Who" is in the public domain, and thousands of Who's Who compilations of varying scope and quality have been published by various authors and publishers. The oldest and best known is the annual British publication Who's Who
, a reference work on contemporary prominent people. However, many publications using the title are vanity publications, where the inclusion criterion is the biographee's willingness to buy the book, with the business model consisting of selling books directly to the biographees. These are widely considered to be scams
.
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
information on a particular group of people. The title is also used as an expression meaning a collection or group of noted persons; as in the sentence, "The actors in the film were a Who's Who of the great American comedians of the time".
The title "Who's Who" is in the public domain, and thousands of Who's Who compilations of varying scope and quality have been published by various authors and publishers. The oldest and best known is the annual British publication Who's Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
, a reference work on contemporary prominent people. However, many publications using the title are vanity publications, where the inclusion criterion is the biographee's willingness to buy the book, with the business model consisting of selling books directly to the biographees. These are widely considered to be scams
Who's Who scam
A Who's Who scam is a fraudulent Who's Who biographical directory. While there are many legitimate Who's Who directories, some individuals have created Who's Who scams that involve the selling of "memberships" in Who's Who directories that are created online and through instant publishing services...
.
Notable examples
- Who's WhoWho's Who (UK)Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
, a listing of prominent British people since 1849; people who have died since 1897 are listed in Who Was Who - Who's Who in AustraliaWho's Who in AustraliaThe Who's Who in Australia is an Australian biographical reference first published by Fred Johns in 1906 as Johns's Notable Australians. It has been used by academics as a resource that identifies Australia's leading individuals, and has been analysed when studying the social backgrounds –...
, a listing of prominent Australians since 1923 - Who's Who in American ArtWho's Who in American ArtWho's Who in American Art is a biographical hardcover directory of noteworthy individuals in the visual arts community in the United States, published by Marquis Who's Who, formerly by R.R. Bowker Publishing. The directory has also listed some individuals from Canada and Mexico, plus some American...
, a listing of prominent American artists - Kraks Blå BogKraks Blå BogKraks Blå Bog is the Who's Who of Denmark. The first edition was published in 1910 by Ove Krak and included 3,000 "life stories", while the 2009/2010 centennial edition contains life stories of 8127 living Danish, Faroe Island and Greenland women and men...
, Denmark's Who's Who - Who's Who in Europe, a listing of prominent Europeans since 1965
- Who's Who in France, a listing of prominent French or people living in France since 1953
- Who's Who in Hell, a listing of prominent atheists, freethinkers and secular humanists
- Who's Who (UK)Who's Who (UK)Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
- Who's Who in British HistoryWho's Who in British HistoryWho's Who in British History is a multi-volume work composed of:*Who's Who in Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon England, Richard Fletcher. ISBN 0-85683-114-X...
- Who’s Who in NebraskaWho’s Who in NebraskaWho's Who in Nebraska, 1940 is a Who's Who book first published by the Nebraska Press Association in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to its "Forward," the publication includes "life sketches of men and women who have achieved distinction in the fields of economic, civic and cultural endeavor" in the...
- Who's Who in ScotlandWho's Who in ScotlandWho's Who in Scotland , is an annual biographical dictionary, published since 1986 by Carrick Media. It features short biographies of about 5,000 notable Scots....
, a listing of prominent Scots since 1986 - Who's Who, by Metron Publications, a listing of prominent Greeks since 1992
- Canadian Who's Who, a listing of prominent Canadians since 1910
- Who's Who in the DC UniverseWho's Who in the DC UniverseWho's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional characters in their imaginary universe, the DC Universe.-History:Who's Who was the creation of Len Wein, Marv...
a listing of DC Comics characters - Who's Who Among American High School StudentsWho's Who Among American High School StudentsWho's Who Among American High School Students was a web site and publication that listed what it deemed to be high school students "who have excelled in academics, extracurricular activities and community service."-About:Who's Who Among American High School Students compiled and published an...
and Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & CollegesRandall-Reilly Publishing Co., LLCRandall-Reilly Publishing Co., LLC is a company founded in 1934 that operates numerous businesses including publishing trucking, construction and industrial trade magazines and the annual Who's Who Among Students...
, listing what it deems to be American high school and college students who particularly excel in the realm of academic achievement - Who's Who in North American Education, listing of "the most accomplished educatiors who are making a difference in their respective communities" from the US and Canada. Launched in 2006, by Biltmore Who's Who of Hollywood, FL. The publication is distributed through membership (inclusion in the publication).
- Who's Who of Southern AfricaWho's Who of Southern AfricaWho's Who of Southern Africa is the name of an annual print publication distributed in Southern Africa, containing biographical information about prominent professionals in the Southern African region. According to the website, Southern Africa consists of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,...
, a resource tool of noteworthy people in Southern Africa, and a professional networking platform. It is not the same as the official print publication, but a website which anyone may join and create their own profile. - Who's Who Online, an automated web information aggregation service
- Hinterland Who's WhoHinterland Who's WhoHinterland Who's Who is best known as a series of 60-second public service announcements profiling Canadian animals and birds, produced by Environment Canada Wildlife Service and the National Film Board of Canada in the 1960s and 70s, and re-launched by the Canadian Wildlife Federation in the 2000s...
, a series of 60-second public service ads profiling Canadian animals and birds, produced by Environment Canada in the 1960s - International Who's WhoInternational Who's WhoThe International Who's Who is a Who's Who reference book to notable people worldwide. It has been published annually since 1935 by Europa Publications, from 2000 by Routledge an imprint of the UK publishing group Taylor and Francis....
by Europa Publications, a Taylor and Francis imprint - Marquis Who's WhoMarquis Who's WhoMarquis Who's Who, a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc., is the American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies...
, a series of books published by Marquis, primarily listing prominent American people but including Who's Who in the World. - Who’s Who in the CIAWho’s Who in the CIAWho's Who in the CIA was a book written by the East German journalist Julius Mader and published in East Berlin in 1968 purporting to identify about 3,000 active agents of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency...
, a book published in East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in 1968 with the assistance of the KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and the HVA purporting to reveal the identities of thousands of CIA officers. - Hübners Who Is Who, by Who is Who, Verlag für Personenenzyklopädien AG, ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, which has a number of national editions throughout EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
:- one common edition for German-speakingGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
countries (SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, LiechtensteinLiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
): Who is who in dem deutschen Sprachgebiet, as well as the separate national editions for- AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
: Who is Who in Österreich - and GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Who is Who in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland),
- Austria
- PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: Who is Who w Polsce - the business model consists of selling books directly to the biographees: the publication of a biography is for free for a biographee, apart from a publication of a photo by the biography, for which a biographee has to pay if he wants to have his photo published by his biography; a biographee can buy a book containing his biography for a relatively high price. See: "akwizycja prestiżu" by Kamil M. Śmiałkowski - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: Who is ...? (v České republice), - SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
: Who is Who v Slovenskej republike, - HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
: Who is Who Magyarországon, - RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
: Enciclopedia Personalităţilor din România: Who is Who, - GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
: Who is Who στην Ελλάδα, - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: Türkiye’de Who is Who, - RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(including the other Russian-speakingRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
country - BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, and Russians from the other countries of the former USSR): Who is Who в России - VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
: Ai là ai, - YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
: Ko je ko u Jugoslaviji (1970).
- one common edition for German-speaking
Similar publications
Some Who's Who books have a title in the language of the country concerned:- Croatian: Tko je tko u Hrvatskoj - Who is Who in Croatia, single bilingual edition (1993)
- Danish: Kraks Blå BogKraks Blå BogKraks Blå Bog is the Who's Who of Denmark. The first edition was published in 1910 by Ove Krak and included 3,000 "life stories", while the 2009/2010 centennial edition contains life stories of 8127 living Danish, Faroe Island and Greenland women and men...
(since 1910) annually - German: Wer ist's? (1905–1935) and Wer ist wer? (since 1951) almost annually
- Norwegian: Hvem er Hvem?Hvem er hvem?Hvem er hvem? is a Norwegian book series, presenting facts about notable persons from Norway. The first edition was issued in 1912, and the 14th edition came in 1994. In the 2008 edition, edited by Knut Olav Åmås, one thousand persons were selected for presentation...
(since 1912) 14 editions in the 20th century - Swedish: Vem är det? (since 1912) every second year
- South Africa: Who's Who of Southern Africa (since 1910) annually