Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter and is said to be one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. However, he was not commercially successful in his lifetime and died by suicide at 37 after years of mental health issues and poverty. He gained recognition and respect in the 20th century.
Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens’s breakout roles were Disney Channel’s film High School Musical and Netflix’s The Princess Switch, both in 2006. She subsequently went on to act in a range of films cutting across various genres. She courted controversy in 2007 when her nude photos from her phone were leaked on the internet, for which she apologised to her fans.
The current President of Russia, Vladimir Putin is a popular politician, with the highest approval rating of any leader in the world as of July 2020. As a high-level politician who has the support of his citizens, he is a powerful figure in world politics. He has been accused by human rights organizations of persecuting political critics and activists.
Regarded as one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time, Venus Williams is credited with introducing never seen before power and athleticism to women's tennis along with her sister Serena. She is also credited with changing the long-standing practice of paying male tennis players more than their female counterparts as she won the fight for equal prize money.
French singer and actress, Vanessa Paradis, became a celebrity at the age of 14 with the French song Joe le taxi in 1987. She tasted further success with English songs like Be My Baby and many other French songs. She has also acted in several French films and has modelled regularly for high-end fashion products by Chanel like perfume and handbags.
Vladimir Lenin played a key role in the history of Russian politics by developing a political ideology called Leninism. During and after his lifetime, Lenin had a massive influence over international communist movement. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant personalities of the 20th century.
Vera Farmiga is a famous American actress and filmmaker. She is widely regarded as one of the most popular scream queens of Hollywood, thanks to her roles in movies like The Conjuring, Annabelle Comes Home, Joshua, and Orphan.
Widely regarded as the greatest dunker ever in basketball history, Vince Carter is an American former basketball player. His leaping ability during his playing career often entertained crowds, earning him nicknames like Half Man, Half Amazing and Vinsanity. Also a philanthropist, Carter set up the Embassy of Hope Foundation, which helps children in places like New Jersey, Florida, and Ontario.
Danish-American actor, Viggo Mortensen, is best known for portraying the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Some of his other films are A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, Captain Fantastic and Green Book. He is also an author of various books on poetry, photography and painting.
Valerie Bertinelli, better known as Melanie Moretti from the sitcom Hot in Cleveland and Gloria from Touched by an Angel, has also appeared as a host on several culinary shows on Food Network. Her role as Barbara Cooper Royer in One Day at a Time earned her a Golden Globe.
British actress Vivien Leigh gained popularity with her award winning performance in films Gone with the Wind and A Street Car named Desire and her Musical Broadway Tovarich. The beautiful actress, who went on to feature in films like That Hamilton Woman and Ship of Fools, had a troubled personal life and suffered from physical and mental health issues.
Dutch footballer Virgil van Dijk plays as a defender for Liverpool and has won several titles, such as a Premier League, with them. Starting his senior career with Groningen, he later played for teams such as Celtic and Southampton. He is the only defender to be named the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
English actress, Vanessa Kirby, catapulted to fame as Princess Margaret in the Netflix historical drama series The Crown. The success brought her big films like Mission: Impossible –Fallout. However, Venessa has been a known stage and screen actress for quite some time. Her profile include A Streetcar Named Desire (play), The Frankenstein Chronicles (television series) and Great Expectations (BBC miniseries).
Victor Hugo was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist of the Romantic movement. Regarded as one of the best-known and greatest French writers of all time, Victor Hugo wrote abundantly during his career that spanned over six decades. Thanks to his works, such as Hernani and Cromwell, Victor Hugo was one of the leading figures of the Romantic literary movement.
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was the first to link Europe and Asia through an ocean route, when he reached Calicut in 1498, thus enriching Portuguese trade with Asia. He made a second voyage later. He was made Count of Vidigueira in 1519 and the viceroy of India in 1524.
Valentino Rossi is an Italian motorcycle road racer. Having won nine Grand Prix World Championships, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers ever. Apart from being a famous racer, Valentino Rossi also owns the Sky Racing Team VR46, which competes in the Moto3 and Moto2 classes.
Virginia Woolf was an English writer who pioneered a narrative mode called stream of consciousness to describe the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Regarded as one of the most prominent modernist 20th-century writers, Woolf's works have gained much attention for inspiring feminism. Her life and work have inspired several films, novels, and plays.
Vincent D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, and producer. Apart from playing important roles in popular films, such as Men in Black and Jurassic World, Vincent D'Onofrio is also renowned for his work off-stage. He is credited with co-founding the RiverRun International Film Festival, which continues to showcase best movies offered from the international and independent industry.
Vincent Price was an American actor who was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Remembered for his iconic voice, Price narrated many animation films and documentaries. His life inspired Tim Burton to direct a stop-motion film titled Vincent. Since he was also an ardent art collector, The Vincent Price Art Museum is named in his honor.
Vasyl Lomachenko is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He is widely regarded as the most popular Ukrainian boxer and one of the most successful amateur boxers ever with an impressive record of 396 wins and 1 loss. Known for his exceptional accuracy, creativity, hand speed, athleticism, footwork, and defense, Lomachenko won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Von Miller is an American football player who plays for the Denver Broncos of the NFL. Considered one of the best defenders in the NFL, Miller helped the Broncos beat the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, where he was named Super Bowl MVP. Also known for his dancing skills, Miller competed in the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars.
Counted amongst world’s best batsmen, Virat Kohli is the former captain of Indian national cricket team. Under his captaincy, Indian cricket rose to great heights and he is the most successful Indian Test captain till date. He shot to fame when he led India’s Under-19 team to victory at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. Since then, Virat Kohli has proved his talent in all forms of the game.
Retired Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko, who is now a politician and the current mayor of Kyiv, is also known for his 6’7” frame. He was once the World Boxing Council world heavyweight title winner and earned the nickname Dr. Ironfist. He also holds a PhD from the physical science department of Kyiv University.
Northern Irish singer, Van Morrison, garnered recognition in the 1960s while playing with the band, Them, and then later as a solo singer with the 1967 song Brown Eyed Girl. Over the years, he has released more than 40 albums. Astral Weeks, Moondance, Wavelength, Down the Road and Keep It Simple are some of his acclaimed and commercially successful albums.
Professional basketball player Victor Oladipo currently plays for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He started playing basketball in high school and went to Indiana University Bloomington, where he played for the Indiana Hoosiers. He began his professional playing career in 2013 and has been going strong since then. He is also a singer.
Vanessa Marcil is an American actress. Over the years, Vanessa Marcil has contributed to the success of TV series, such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Las Vegas, and General Hospital. Also known for her good looks, Vanessa Marcil has been honored with awards, such as the Hottest Female Star award at Soap Opera Digest Awards.
Football coach, Vince Lombardi, is best known for being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. Beginning his career as a high school coach, he eventually started coaching National Football League (NFL) teams. As a head coach in the NFL, he never had a losing season. He died of cancer in 1970.
Vince Gill is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He currently holds the record for the most number of Grammy Awards won by a male country music artist with 22 awards under his belt. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Vince Gill also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Virginia Madsen is an American actress. Over the years, Madsen has contributed to the success of several films and TV series, such as Fire with Fire, Modern Girls, Moonlighting, and American Dreams. She is also credited with establishing Title IX Productions, a film production company which she started in 2008.
Vanessa Ferlito is an American actress who started her career as a model. Aspiring to be an actress from an early age, Ferlito took up several recurring roles and guest spots before receiving an NAACP award nomination for her performance in the film, Undefeated. She then went on to appear in popular films like Spider-Man 2 and Julie & Julia.
An internationally recognized fashion designer and style icon, Victoria Beckham is widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in the UK. She was appointed an OBE for services to the fashion industry in the 2017 New Year Honours. Also a popular singer, she was part of the best-selling female group of all time, Spice Girls.