Lin-Manuel Miranda

Most people don’t think of American history as the coolest and most riveting topic ever, but Lin-Manuel Miranda knew it was. Miranda is the composer of the Broadway musical Hamilton , a work that has inspired people of all ages — and all over the world — to obsess over the founders of the United States of America.

Born in 1980, Miranda grew up in the largely Hispanic New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights. For one month each year, he lived in Puerto Rico with his grandparents, and that exposure to his heritage has stayed with him throughout his career. His father, Luis A. Miranda, is a political consultant. His mother, Luz Towns-Miranda, is a clinical psychologist.