As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the remarkable individuals whose contributions have shaped not only the Latino community but also the world at large. In this blog, we are proud to highlight 31 remarkable figures who have left a lasting mark on history.

• Luis Álvarez - An experimental physicist, Luis joined the Manhattan Project in 1943, which is known for producing the first atomic bombs. The transformational scientist went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1968.
• Desi Arnaz - Cuban American actor, musician, producer and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, in which he co-starred with his wife Lucille Ball. Arnaz and Ball are credited as the innovators of the syndicated rerun, which they pioneered with the I Love Lucy series.
• Cesar Chavez - A civil rights activist, Latino and organizer of migrant American farmworkers. Cofounded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) with Dolores Huerta in 1962.
• Roberto Clemente - The first Latin American player to collect 3,000 career hits before his death in a plane crash. Clemente was also the first player born in Latin America to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Olga E. Custodio - Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she served in the United States Air Force for 24 years. She made history as the first Latina U.S. Military pilot.
• Oscar de la Hoya - Also known as the “Golden Boy,” he is one of the most successful and popular boxers in history, winning 10 world titles across six different weight classes during his career.
• Oscar de la Renta - Dominican-born American fashion designer whose work, blending European luxury with American ease, helped define standards of elegance among mass society and socialites, U.S. first ladies and celebrities alike over the course of a career that spanned 50 years.
• Gloria Estefan - Cuban American superstar Gloria Estefan fronted the band Miami Sound Machine. Songs like "Conga" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" topped the charts in the 1980s and 1990s and became pop classics.
• Frida Kahlo - Considered one of Mexico's greatest artists, she is admired as a feminist icon. Kahlo mostly painted self-portraits. She eventually became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera.
• Jennifer Lopez - A singer, actress and businesswoman of Puerto Rican decent, J-Lo has achieved international fame. She has become a pop icon and one of the most influential Latina entertainers in the world.
• Nancy Lopez - U.S. golfer, the first notable professional Latina in the sport and one of the most successful female golfers in the twentieth century. In 1987, she was inducted into the Golf World Hall of Fame and became the youngest player to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
• Cheech Marin - A Chicano comedian, actor, musician, activist and art collector who gained recognition in the 1970s as part of the comedy duo “Cheech and Chong.” 
• Ricky Martin - Pop singer Ricky Martin was a member of Menudo as a teenager and later exploded onto the pop charts as a solo artist with "Livin' La Vida Loca."
• Ynes Mexia - A Hispanic American scientist who discovered two new plant genera and 500 new plant species.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda - An American composer, lyricist and actor of Puerto Rican decent, he is celebrated for creating and staring in the Broadway hit Hamilton, which revolutionized musical theater by blending hip-hop with historical storytelling.
• Rita Moreno - Born in Puerto Rico, Rita is a highly accomplished actress who became the first Hispanic American woman to win an Academy Award, which she won for her performance as Anita in West Side Story in 1961.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - The youngest woman and youngest Latina to ever serve in the U.S. Congress. She is most well known for her progressive politics, community activism and wide-reaching social media presence.
• Dr. Ellen Ochoa - She flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery and became the first Latina to go to space in 1993. Her inspirational journey includes a 30-year career with NASA and serving as Johnson Space Center’s first Hispanic director.
• Severo Ochoa - Born and educated in Spain, Ochoa is a brilliant scientist who received a Nobel Prize for his research on bacterial enzymes, which has supported inventions related to synthesizing RNA.
• Pablo Picasso - A Spanish born painter and sculptor, who deeply influenced the development of modern and contemporary art. His work spans many decades and artistic movements including Realism, Abstraction, Cubism, Neoclassicism, Surrealism and Expressionism.
• Pitbull - Cuban American rapper and singer determined to help the Latino community in his hometown, Miami, Pitbull's social impact focus for the last decade has been helping closing the poverty gap through educational initiatives.
• Selena Quintanilla - A Mexican American singer born in Texas, she was known as the Queen of Tejana music and had a profound impact on Latin American music and culture. In 1994, she won a Grammy award for Best Mexican American Album, making her the first Tejana to win in this category.
• Sylvia Rivera - A Puerto Rican-Venezuelan activist, Sylvia was a loud voice in the fight for gay and transgender communities. She criticized racism and economic exclusion within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Alex Rodriguez - Born in New York City to Dominican immigrant parents, he became a noted power hitter who was considered one of the greatest talents in the history of baseball. He won three MVP awards and hit nearly 700 home runs over his 22-year career.
• Chi Chi Rodriguez - Puerto Rican professional golfer and winner of eight PGA Tour events, he was the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Born in Cuba, Ileana became a trailblazer as the first Latina elected to the U.S. Congress. She served as a representative from Florida from 1989 to 2019.
• Carlos Santana - A Mexican born guitarist, composer, singer and bandleader. He founded the musical group Santana, which pioneered the fusion of rock and roll with Latin American jazz. He is still creating music today.
• Andrés Segovia - A Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist, his expressive styling and his technique are largely responsible for the guitar becoming a serious orchestral instrument.
• Shakira - A Columbian singer, songwriter and dancer, Shakira is an international superstar known for her unique voice blending Latin, rock and pop influences.
• Sonia Sotomayor - In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor broke boundaries by becoming the first Latina, and the third woman, to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.
• Robert Unanue - Grandson of the founders of Goya Foods, a company focused on manufacturing and distributing Hispanic food products, Unanue is the organization’s current CEO.

MKP communications inc. is a New York-based marketing communications agency specializing in merger/change communications for the financial services industry.