Many people throughout history have not believed in a god or gods. Famous atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins are well known. There are many other famous people who don’t believe in any of the gods either. Below is a short list of famous atheists along with a short biography.
Christopher Hitchens (1949) is an author and journalist. His books include God Is Not Great and The Missionary Position. Hitchens became a US citizen on April 13, 2007. His most recent book is Hitch-22: A Memoir.
Richard Dawkins (1941) is an evolutionary biologist, ethologist, and author. Sometimes referred to in the media as “Darwin’s Rottweiler,” Dawkins is the author of many books, including the bestselling The God Delusion, in which he argues that there is almost certainly no supernatural creator. In his latest book The Greatest Show on Earth, Dawkins presents the evidence for biological evolution. At its annual conference, Atheists Alliance International presents the Richard Dawkins Award to an atheist who has been influential in raising public awareness of atheism.
Sam Harris (1967) is an author, neuroscientist, and executive director of Project Reason. His books include The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian. His third book The Moral Landscape Harris argues that science can be a source of morality. Sam writes on many subjects, including science, religion, philosophy, and morality.
PZ Myers (1957) is a biology professor and author of the Pharyngula blog where he addresses topics such as creationism, Intelligent Design, science education, and atheism. PZ describes Pharyngula as “Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations of a godless liberal.”
Penn and Teller are magicians, comedians, illusionists, and hosts of the television show Bullshit! which deals with topics such as creationism, pseudoscience, alternative medicine and animal rights.
James Randi (1928) is an author, magician, and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Randi often appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and is the author of many books, including The Truth About Uri Geller.
Ricky Gervais (1961) is a comedian, actor, director and writer. Gervais is the author of several children’s books, including Flanimals.
Jodie Foster (1962) is an actress, producer and film director. Foster has starred in many movies, including Contact and The Silence of the Lambs.
Douglas Adams (1952 – 2001) was a writer who authored many books, including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (1969) is a writer, feminist, politician and critic of Islam. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Infidel.
Lance Armstrong (1971) is a seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor.
Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) was a professor of biochemistry at Boston University and the author of numerous books.
Peter Atkins (1940) is a writer and chemist.
Bruce Lee (1940 – 1973) was a martial arts expert, actor, film director, film producer, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement.
Dan Barker (1949) was a Christian preacher for 19 years. After leaving Christianity, Barker became an atheist and is the author of the books Godless and Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist. Dan is the co-chairman of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
James Cameron (1954) is a producer, film director, editor and screenwriter. Cameron wrote and directed the films Titanic and Avatar.
George Carlin (1937 – 2008) was a comedian, author, and actor. He won a total of five Grammy Awards and was a frequent performer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Bjork (1965) is a singer, songwriter, music producer and actress. She has recorded seven solo albums and three albums with the group Sugarcubes.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1918 – 2008) was a science fiction writer and inventor. Some of his works include 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Fountains of Paradise.
Seth MacFarlane (1973) is a writer, producer, director and actor. Seth is best known for creating the television show Family Guy. He supports gay rights and the legalization of marijuana.
Steven Pinker (1954) is a scientist, psychologist, author, and linguist. Pinker has written many books, including Stuff of Thought and The Blank Slate.
Daniel Radcliffe (1989) is an actor best known for his role as Harry Potter in the film series.
Ron Reagan (1958) was a radio show host and is currently a political pundit for MSNBC.