40.7586° N, 78.2112° W

ALBANY

Most Famous People Born in Albany, United States

Notable people
625
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1923
Most distinctive
Baseball 4.8×
Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Albany during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 52 notable births.

What Albany Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Albany's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (81).

Albany over-indexes on baseball4.8× the global rate.

Albany under-produces painter — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Politician81
  2. Football52
  3. Lawyer50
  4. Actor49
  5. Baseball34
  6. Writer21
  7. Officer18
  8. Basket17
  1. Baseball344.8×
  2. Lawyer504.6×
  3. Officer184.4×
  4. Basket172.2×
  5. Judge62.0×
  1. Painter90.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Albany's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

1650170017501800185019001950
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Military
  • Other
All625
Sort By

625 notable people

0001 PIANIST

Ray Charles

1930 - 2004

Preview
0002 ECONOMIST

Paul Krugman

Born 1953

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0003 WRITER

Marion Zimmer Bradley

1930 - 1999

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0004 OFFICER

Philip Sheridan

1831 - 1888

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0005 POLITICIAN

Kirsten Gillibrand

Born 1966

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0006 FILM

John McTiernan

Born 1951

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0007 ARMY

Leslie Groves

1896 - 1970

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0008 ACTOR

Pamela Adlon

Born 1966

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0009 PHYSICIST

Joseph Henry

1797 - 1878

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0010 SINGER

Phillip Phillips

Born 1990

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0011 TRUMPET

Harry James

1916 - 1983

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0012 ACTOR

William Devane

Born 1937

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0013 POET

Bret Harte

1836 - 1902

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0014 WRITER

Charles Fort

1874 - 1932

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0015 PSYCHOLOGIST

Martin Seligman

Born 1942

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0016 INVENTOR

Robert S. Langer

Born 1948

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0017 POLITICIAN

Philip Schuyler

1733 - 1804

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0018 JUDGE

Learned Hand

1872 - 1961

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0019 POLITICIAN

William Livingston

1723 - 1790

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0020 SCULPTOR

Walter De Maria

1935 - 2013

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0021 ACTOR

Ashton Holmes

Born 1978

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0022 CORRESPONDENT

Andy Rooney

1919 - 2011

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0023 POLITICIAN

Elise Stefanik

Born 1984

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0024 WRITER

William Kennedy (author)

Born 1928

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0025 ACTOR

Paula Deen

Born 1947

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0026 POLITICIAN

Roscoe Conkling

1829 - 1888

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0027 WIFE OF

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton

1757 - 1854

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0028 ACTOR

John Litel

1892 - 1972

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0029 WRITER

Gregory Maguire

Born 1954

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0030 POLITICIAN

Bobby Rush

Born 1946

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0031 ACTOR

Michael Wong (actor)

Born 1965

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0032 MATHEMATICIAN

Jean Bartik

1924 - 2011

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0033 ACTOR

Charlayne Woodard

Born 1953

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0034 ACADEMIC

Theobald Smith

1859 - 1934

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0035 HIGH JUMP

Alice Coachman

1923 - 2014

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0036 MUSIC

Kenny Aronoff

Born 1953

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0037 ACTOR

Chad Michael Collins

Born 1979

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0038 HURDLER

Angelo Taylor

Born 1978

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0039 WRITER

Luke Rhinehart

1932 - 2020

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0040 ARTIST

Gerald Brom

Born 1965

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0041 BASSIST

Matt Freeman

Born 1966

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0042 MODEL

Lil Debbie

Born 1990

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0043 ACTOR

Bert Sommer

1949 - 1990

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0044 ACTOR

Reid Scott (actor)

Born 1977

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0045 POLITICIAN

Philip Livingston

1716 - 1778

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0046 ACTOR

James Carpinello

Born 1975

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0047 ACTOR

Joe Roberts

1871 - 1923

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0048 WRESTLER

Bobby Fish

Born 1976

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0049 PHYSICIST

Marshall Rosenbluth

1927 - 2003

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0050 NOVELIST

David Markson

1927 - 2010

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0051 WRITER

Jan Kerouac

1952 - 1996

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0052 ACTOR

Adam LeFevre

Born 1950

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0053 ACTOR

Jo Marie Payton

Born 1950

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0054 CONDUCTOR

Wallingford Riegger

1885 - 1961

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0055 POLITICIAN

William C. Redfield

1858 - 1932

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0056 ACTOR

Carolee Carmello

Born 1962

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0057 BIOLOGIST

Leigh Van Valen

1935 - 2010

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0058 MUSIC

Russell Malone

Born 1963

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0059 DIPLOMAT

Henry Rathbone

1837 - 1911

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0060 SINGER

Bernice Johnson Reagon

Born 1942

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0061 BASKET

Lionel Chalmers

Born 1980

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0062 HUSBAND

Jane Stanford

1828 - 1905

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0063 FILM

Michael Patrick Jann

Born 1970

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0064 POLITICIAN

Daniel Manning

1831 - 1887

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0065 MUSIC

Stefon Harris

Born 1973

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0066 DAUGHTER

Angelica Schuyler Church

1757 - 1814

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0067 BASKET

Kevin Huerter

Born 1998

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0068 ACTOR

Christian Finnegan

Born 1973

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0069 POLITICIAN

William L. Dawson (politician)

1886 - 1970

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0070 SONGWRITER

Kim Walker-Smith

Born 1981

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0071 LAWYER

John Lansing Jr.

1754 - 1829

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0072 POLITICIAN

William Lemke

1878 - 1950

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0073 BIOLOGIST

Stanley Falkow

1934 - 2018

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0074 POET

Ai (poet)

1947 - 2010

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0075 FOOTBALL

Deion Branch

Born 1979

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0076 BASEBALL

Ray Knight

Born 1952

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0077 FOOTBALL

Dion Lewis

Born 1990

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0078 FILM

Edwin J. Burke

1889 - 1944

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0079 PLAYER

T. J. Cloutier

Born 1939

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0080 PHOTOGRAPHER

Pete Turner (photographer)

1934 - 2017

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0081 ACTOR

Myron McCormick

1908 - 1962

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0082 POLITICIAN

Edward Hand

1744 - 1802

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0083 LAWYER

A. Oakey Hall

1826 - 1898

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0084 SEXOLOGIST

Clelia Duel Mosher

1863 - 1940

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0085 LINGUIST

Allen Mandelbaum

1926 - 2011

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0086 ASTRONAUT

Nicole Stott

Born 1962

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0087 NOVELIST

Paul Preuss (author)

Born 1942

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0088 FOOTBALL

Ricardo Lockette

Born 1986

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0089 PAINTER

Homer Dodge Martin

1836 - 1897

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0090 POLITICIAN

Pieter Schuyler

1657 - 1724

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0091 WRESTLER

Dalton Castle (wrestler)

Born 1986

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0092 ACTOR

Brooke Mueller

Born 1977

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0093 GOVERNOR

Preston Leslie

1819 - 1907

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0094 SCULPTOR

Wadsworth Jarrell

Born 1929

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0095 MILITAR

James Livingston (American Revolution)

1747 - 1832

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0096 ACTOR

Sara Berner

1912 - 1969

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0097 MUSIC

Nate Walcott

Born 1978

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0098 ACTOR

Florence Auer

1880 - 1962

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0099 ENGINEER

Harold Chestnut

1917 - 2001

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0100 POLITICIAN

Ginny Brown-Waite

Born 1943

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0101 PAINTER

Charles Warren Eaton

1857 - 1937

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0102 WRITER

Shane Jones (author)

Born 1980

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0103 PHOTOGRAPHER

William Gedney

1932 - 1989

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0104 OFFICER

Joseph Bradford Carr

1828 - 1895

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0105 BASKET

Lavor Postell

Born 1978

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0106 ASTRONOMER

Benjamin Boss

1880 - 1970

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0107 THEOLOGIAN

Henry James Sr.

1811 - 1882

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0108 POLITICIAN

Eli P. Ashmun

1770 - 1819

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0109 THEATRE

Clara Harris

1834 - 1883

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0110 ACTOR

Russell Todd

Born 1958

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0111 PAINTER

William Page (painter)

1811 - 1885

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0112 COLONEL

Peter Gansevoort

1749 - 1812

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0113 BASKET

Alexander Johnson

Born 1983

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0114 ANTHROPOLOGIST

David H. Kelley

1924 - 2011

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0115 PHYSICIST

Gregory Jaczko

Born 1970

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0116 OFFICER

Champ Ferguson

1821 - 1865

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0117 PRODUCER

Harry Ackerman

1912 - 1991

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0118 HOCKEY

Brian Lashoff

Born 1990

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0119 BOTANIST

Edith Clements

1877 - 1971

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0120 BASEBALL

Brendan Harris

Born 1980

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0121 LAWYER

Rufus W. Peckham

1838 - 1909

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0122 RABBI

Emanuel Rackman

1910 - 2008

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0123 OFFICER

Charles Dwight Sigsbee

1845 - 1923

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0124 SPORT

Chann McRae

Born 1971

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0125 WRITER

Dorothy P. Lathrop

1891 - 1980

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0126 ACTOR

Robyn Adele Anderson

Born 1989

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0127 WRITER

Paul Edwin Zimmer

1943 - 1997

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0128 POLITICIAN

Sam C. Ford

1882 - 1961

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0129 POLITICIAN

Hamilton Fish II

1849 - 1936

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0130 ACTOR

Charles Williams (actor)

1898 - 1958

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0131 BASKET

Dontonio Wingfield

Born 1974

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0132 POLITICIAN

Philip Jeremiah Schuyler

1768 - 1835

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0133 POLITICIAN

Henry S. Thibodaux

1769 - 1827

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0134 ACTOR

Erica Schroeder

Born 1975

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0135 WRITER

Jon Bogdanove

Born 1958

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0136 MATHEMATICIAN

Mark Mahowald

1931 - 2013

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0137 PHOTOGRAPHER

Mark Klett

Born 1952

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0138 POLITICIAN

Henry Bell Van Rensselaer

1810 - 1864

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0139 VIDEO GAME

Robin Hunicke

Born 1973

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0140 POLITICIAN

Philip Livingston (1686–1749)

1686 - 1749

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0141 LAWYER

John McKeon

1808 - 1883

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0142 ASTRONAUT

Thomas J. Hennen

Born 1952

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0143 ACTOR

Ward Crane

1890 - 1928

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0144 HOCKEY

Peter Ciavaglia

Born 1969

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0145 SCULPTOR

Edward McCartan

1879 - 1947

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0146 BOTANIST

Romeyn Beck Hough

1857 - 1924

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0147 ACTOR

Amelia Marshall

Born 1958

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0148 ACADEMIC

Martin S. Weinberg

Born 1939

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0149 BASKET

Chick Halbert

1919 - 2013

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0150 VIOLIN

Caroline Campbell

Born 1980

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0151 BASKET

Carol Menken-Schaudt

Born 1957

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0152 SCREENWRITER

John Twist

1898 - 1976

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0153 LAWYER

John V. L. Pruyn

1811 - 1877

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0154 POLITICIAN

John Schuyler Crosby

1839 - 1914

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0155 POLITICIAN

J. Arthur Younger

1893 - 1967

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0156 ACTOR

Robert F. Lyons (actor)

Born 1939

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0157 PLAYWRIGHT

William J. Florence

1831 - 1891

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0158 PAINTER

Will Hicok Low

1853 - 1933

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0159 ATTORNEY

Harmanus Bleecker

1779 - 1849

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0160 POLITICIAN

Peter Van Brugh Livingston

1710 - 1792

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0161 LAWYER

Loretta Preska

Born 1949

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0162 WRITER

Joseph F. Girzone

1930 - 2015

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0163 ACTOR

Martha Quinn

Born 1959

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0164 BASEBALL

Cy Seymour

1872 - 1919

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0165 POLITICIAN

Henry Waldron

1819 - 1880

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0166 HAMMER THROWER

Rudy Winkler

Born 1994

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0167 COXSWAIN

Kent Mitchell

Born 1939

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0168 ECONOMIST

John P. Lewis

1921 - 2010

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0169 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Winifred Goldring

1888 - 1971

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0170 LAWYER

Abraham Yates Jr.

1724 - 1796

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0171 ACTOR

Reginald D. Hunter

Born 1969

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0172 ACADEMIC

Jeanne L. Noble

1926 - 2002

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0173 MILITAR

John Bahnsen

Born 1934

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0174 ROWER

Donald Johnston (rower)

1899 - 1984

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0175 MUSIC

Sanford A. Moeller

1879 - 1961

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0176 ACADEMIC

Robert Chazan

Born 1936

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0177 SCHOLAR

Menachem Kellner

Born 1946

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0178 LAWYER

Gerrit Y. Lansing

1783 - 1862

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0179 ASTRONOMER

James B. Kaler

Born 1938

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0180 SUFFRAGIST

Alice Morgan Wright

1881 - 1975

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0181 DAUGHTER

Theodosia Burr Alston

1783 - 1813

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0182 JOURNALIST

James Mann (writer)

Born 1946

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0183 PAINTER

Sarah Cain

Born 1979

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0184 PRIEST

James Steven Rausch

1928 - 1981

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0185 FOOTBALL

Lee Ziemba

Born 1989

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0186 AUDITOR

Alida Schuyler

1656 - 1727

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0187 FOOTBALL

Kregg Lumpkin

Born 1984

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0188 ACTOR

Emily Axford

-

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0189 NOVELIST

Homer Eon Flint

1888 - 1924

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0190 LAWYER

William Allen Butler

1825 - 1902

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0191 LAWYER

Leonard Gansevoort

1751 - 1810

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0192 ZOOLOGIST

Jim Fowler

1932 - 2019

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0193 BASKET

Larry Turner (basketball)

Born 1982

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0194 SINGER

Travis Richter

Born 1981

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0195 CHILD

Philip Hamilton

1782 - 1801

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0196 LAWYER

Abraham Lansing

1835 - 1899

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0197 LAWYER

Robert H. Pruyn

1815 - 1882

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0198 JUDGE

Abraham G. Lansing

1756 - 1834

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0199 BASKET

Ben Clyde

Born 1951

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0200 ASSEMBLY

Robert Livingston (1688–1775)

1688 - 1775

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0201 LAWYER

Herman Knickerbocker

1779 - 1855

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0202 BASEBALL

Hal Breeden

Born 1944

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0203 POLITICIAN

Charles W. Bell

1857 - 1927

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0204 POLITICIAN

William Alvord

1833 - 1904

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0205 ACTOR

John Furlong (American actor)

1933 - 2008

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0206 ACTOR

Jessie Busley

1869 - 1950

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0207 POLITICIAN

Parker Corning

1874 - 1943

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0208 BASEBALL

Asa Brainard

1841 - 1888

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0209 FENCER

Norman C. Armitage

1907 - 1972

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0210 GOVERNMENT

Kevin Warsh

Born 1970

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0211 NOVELIST

Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Born 1969

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0212 LAWYER

John Van Ness Yates

1779 - 1839

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0213 POLITICIAN

Edwin Durno

1899 - 1976

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0214 LAWYER

Rensselaer Westerlo

1776 - 1851

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0215 POLITICIAN

Charles Tracey

1847 - 1905

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0216 FOOTBALL

Fernando Bryant

Born 1977

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0217 POLITICIAN

Gerard Bancker

1740 - 1799

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0218 OFFICER

Stephen Luce

1827 - 1917

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0219 SENATE

Kathleen Vinehout

Born 1958

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0220 PRELATE

Joseph T. Ryan

1913 - 2000

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0221 OFFICER

Thomas Williams (Union general)

1815 - 1862

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0222 ZOOLOGIST

Andrew Garrett (explorer)

1823 - 1887

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0223 POLITICIAN

John L. Schoolcraft

1806 - 1860

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0224 POLITICIAN

Robert Wyche Davis

1849 - 1929

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0225 LAWYER

Simon W. Rosendale

1842 - 1937

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0226 MILITAR

Donald Prentice Booth

1902 - 1993

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0227 HISTORIAN

John Rathbone Oliver

1872 - 1943

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0228 WRITER

Charles King (general)

1844 - 1933

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0229 OFFICER

William E. Dyess

1916 - 1943

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0230 JUDGE

Henry B. Metcalfe

1805 - 1881

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0231 CINEMA

Walter Strenge

1898 - 1974

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0232 POLITICIAN

Erastus Corning 2nd

1909 - 1983

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0233 BASKET

Marcus Campbell (basketball)

Born 1982

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0234 FOOTBALL

John Hilton (American football)

1942 - 2017

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0235 LAWYER

Peter W. Yates

1747 - 1826

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0236 ACTOR

Walter P. Lewis

1866 - 1932

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0237 DIPLOMAT

Gene Cretz

Born 1950

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0238 AUTHOR

Clifford Goldstein

Born 1955

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0239 FILM

Alvin Ganzer

1911 - 2009

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0240 ACTOR

Angel Tompkins

Born 1942

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0241 POLITICIAN

James Cochran (New York politician)

1769 - 1848

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0242 WRITER

Louis Slobodkin

1903 - 1975

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0243 POLITICIAN

Edwin Corning

1883 - 1934

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0244 POLITICIAN

Alexander Boyd

1764 - 1857

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0245 POLITICIAN

Gerald Jennings

Born 1948

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0246 POLITICIAN

Mark Taylor (American politician)

Born 1957

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0247 RESTAURATEUR

Bobby Deen

Born 1970

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0248 CHOREOGRAPHER

Danny Daniels

1924 - 2017

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0249 FOOTBALL

Daryl Smith

Born 1982

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0250 PAINTER

Edmund H. Garrett

1853 - 1929

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0251 MISSING

Elizabeth Hughes Gossett

1907 - 1981

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0252 HOCKEY

Marc Cavosie

Born 1981

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0253 FILM

Doug Jeffries

Born 1966

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0254 BASKET

Demetric Bennett

Born 1985

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0255 LAWYER

John C. Coffee

Born 1944

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0256 POLITICIAN

George N. Southwick

1863 - 1912

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0257 WIFE OF

Catherine Van Rensselaer

1734 - 1803

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0258 ACADEMIC

Edward Smith Deevey Jr.

1914 - 1988

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0259 ARCHITECT

Dwight Hooker

1928 - 2015

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0260 POLITICIAN

Terence J. Quinn

1836 - 1878

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0261 STOCKBROKER

Frederic P. Olcott

1841 - 1909

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0262 TOPOGRAPHER

Verplanck Colvin

1847 - 1920

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0263 BASEBALL

Joe Mahoney

Born 1987

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0264 MISSING

Stephen Van Rensselaer IV

1789 - 1868

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0265 VICTIM

Lisa Beamer

Born 1969

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0266 POLITICIAN

Gerrit L. Dox

1784 - 1847

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0267 WRESTLER

Kristie Marano

Born 1979

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0268 PHYSICIAN

James Eights

1798 - 1882

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0269 POLITICIAN

T. Garry Buckley

1922 - 2012

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0270 POET

D. A. Powell

Born 1963

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0271 LAWYER

John K. Kane

1795 - 1858

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0272 BASKET

Andre Young (basketball)

Born 1990

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0273 ACTOR

Bryant Haliday

1928 - 1996

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0274 ACTOR

Michael Mastro (actor)

Born 1962

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0275 BOXER

Amir Imam

Born 1990

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0276 POET

Gregory Orr (poet)

Born 1947

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0277 ARMY

Garlin Murl Conner

1919 - 1998

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0278 POLITICIAN

Marian Van Landingham

Born 1937

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0279 WRITER

Gordon Ackerman

Born 1931

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0280 LAWYER

Wheeler Hazard Peckham

1833 - 1905

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0281 POLITICIAN

John McEneny

Born 1943

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0282 PAINTER

Walter Launt Palmer

1854 - 1932

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0283 FINANCIER

Roger McNamee

Born 1956

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0284 POLITICIAN

John C. Davies II

1920 - 2002

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0285 WRESTLER

Iris Smith (wrestler)

Born 1979

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0286 LAWYER

Harmanus Peek

1782 - 1838

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0287 WRITER

Frederick Townsend Martin

1849 - 1914

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0288 ARTIST

Fred Guardineer

1913 - 2002

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0289 FOOTBALL

Donald Laster

Born 1958

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0290 POLITICIAN

Charles Christopher Trowbridge

1800 - 1883

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0291 BUSINESS

Thomas Welton Stanford

1832 - 1918

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0292 MUSIC

Bonnie J. Blackburn

Born 1939

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0293 EXPLORER

John Wesley Hillman

1832 - 1915

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0294 CORPORATE / EXECUTIVE / BUSINESS (LARGE)

Robert Livingston (1708–1790)

1708 - 1790

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0295 DAUGHTER

Peggy Schuyler

1758 - 1801

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0296 ENTREPRENEUR

Thomas E. Murray

1860 - 1929

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0297 WRITER

Paul Fenimore Cooper

1899 - 1970

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0298 GOLF

Tim Thelen

Born 1961

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0299 PHOTOGRAPHER

Catharine Weed Barnes

1851 - 1913

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0300 BASEBALL

Jaime Schultz

Born 1991

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