Then there are literally hundreds of more specialized handbooks or dictionaries. You can search Socrates for these sorts of materials using the subject index combining the term biography with a country, profession, or field of interest. Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Dictionaries, etc. Green Library Ref. Articles on people in all fields.
Emphasis is on celebrities.
The Yearbook has cumulative indexes by name and occupation. 16 volumes that cover all time periods with the last 4 volumes being a 20th Century Supplement . Indexes by name, ideas, place, profession. Who's Who Among Black Americans , Black Writers , Hispanic Writers , Major 20th Century Writers , Contemporary Black Biography , and Who's Who in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. A full text database covering science, politics, and the arts.