39.2868° N, 76.6201° W

BALTIMORE

Most Famous People Born in Baltimore, United States

Notable people
2,329
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1939
Most distinctive
Baseball 7.0×

A port city whose distinctive professions are baseball at seven times the global rate, basketball, and an unusually thick column of officers, novelists, and lawyers — the shape of a Mid-Atlantic city that has always sat at the meeting point of the Navy yard, the courts, and the literary establishment. Frank Zappa, Babe Ruth, Michael Phelps, and Edgar Allan Poe (who died here, not born) all belong to this bench, and the 19th-century tail is heavier than in most American cities its size.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 245 notable births.

What Baltimore Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Baltimore's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (255).

Baltimore over-indexes on baseball7.0× the global rate.

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

  1. Politician255
  2. Actor189
  3. Baseball186
  4. Football149
  5. Basket102
  6. Lawyer88
  7. Writer66
  8. Music54
  1. Baseball1867.0×
  2. Basket1023.5×
  3. Officer422.7×
  4. Novelist232.5×
  5. Lawyer882.2×
  6. Music541.6×
  7. Actor1891.5×
  1. Painter350.6×
  2. Football1490.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
All2,329
Sort By

2,329 notable people

0001 GUITAR

Frank Zappa

1940 - 1993

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0002 BASEBALL

Babe Ruth

1895 - 1948

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0003 WRITER

Tom Clancy

1947 - 2013

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0004 SWIMMER

Michael Phelps

Born 1985

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0005 COMPOSER

Philip Glass

Born 1937

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0006 PHILOSOPHER

John Rawls

1921 - 2002

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0007 ACTOR

David Hasselhoff

Born 1952

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0008 ACTOR

Jada Pinkett Smith

Born 1971

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0009 WRITER

Upton Sinclair

1878 - 1968

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0010 POLITICIAN

Nancy Pelosi

Born 1940

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0011 WRITER

Dashiell Hammett

1894 - 1961

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0012 ACTOR

Anna Faris

Born 1976

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0013 POLITICIAN

Spiro Agnew

1918 - 1996

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0014 ACTOR

John Waters

Born 1946

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0015 ACTOR

Parker Posey

Born 1968

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0016 FILM

Barry Levinson

Born 1942

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0017 ARTIST

Thomas Jane

Born 1969

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0018 ACTOR

Divine (performer)

1945 - 1988

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0019 ACTOR

Penn Badgley

Born 1986

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0020 MATHEMATICIAN

Edward Witten

Born 1951

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0021 ACTOR

Mo'Nique

Born 1967

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0022 JUDGE

Thurgood Marshall

1908 - 1993

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0023 SATIRIST

H. L. Mencken

1880 - 1956

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0024 ACTOR

Julie Bowen

Born 1970

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0025 SINGER

Cass Elliot

1941 - 1974

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0026 ATTORNEY

John R. Bolton

Born 1948

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0027 POET

Adrienne Rich

1929 - 2012

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0028 LAWYER

Alger Hiss

1904 - 1996

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0029 ACTOR

John Astin

Born 1930

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0030 ACTOR

Dwight Schultz

Born 1947

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0031 POLITICIAN

Barbara Mikulski

Born 1936

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0032 PROFESSOR

Randy Pausch

1960 - 2008

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0033 MUSIC

Lloyd Banks

Born 1982

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0034 OFFICER

Raymond A. Spruance

1886 - 1969

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0035 ACTOR

Josh Charles

Born 1971

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0036 POET

Frank O'Hara

1926 - 1966

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0037 SCREENWRITER

Matthew Weiner

Born 1965

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0038 POLITICIAN

Ben Cardin

Born 1943

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0039 ACTOR

Kevin Clash

Born 1960

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0040 ACTOR

Lance Reddick

Born 1962

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0041 ACTOR

Charles S. Dutton

Born 1951

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0042 ACTOR

Tracie Thoms

Born 1975

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0043 COMPOSER

Howard Ashman

1950 - 1991

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0044 ACTOR

Stacy Keibler

Born 1979

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0045 ACTOR

Nicole Ari Parker

Born 1970

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0046 GUITAR

Bill Frisell

Born 1951

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0047 ACTOR

Mildred Natwick

1905 - 1994

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0048 WRITER

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Born 1975

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0049 SINGER

Sisqó

Born 1978

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0050 ACTOR

Hans Conried

1917 - 1982

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0051 ACTOR

Anna Deavere Smith

Born 1950

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0052 ACTOR

Bess Armstrong

Born 1953

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0053 WRITER

Leon Uris

1924 - 2003

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0054 VIROLOGIST

Francis Peyton Rous

1879 - 1970

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0055 ACTOR

Penny Johnson Jerald

Born 1961

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0056 COMPOSER

Larry Adler

1914 - 2001

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0057 ARCHITECT

Charles Jencks

1939 - 2019

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0058 ACTOR

Mark Rolston

Born 1956

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0059 SCREENWRITER

Charley Chase

1893 - 1940

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0060 ARTIST

Bernie Wrightson

1948 - 2017

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0061 ACTOR

Francis X. Bushman

1883 - 1966

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0062 ACTOR

Kevin Chamberlin

Born 1963

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0063 PHILOSOPHER

Nancy Fraser

Born 1947

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0064 BANDLEADER

Chick Webb

1905 - 1939

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0065 POLITICIAN

Charles Joseph Bonaparte

1851 - 1921

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0066 SINGER

Ric Ocasek

1949 - 2019

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0067 ACTOR

James Ransone

Born 1979

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0068 ACTOR

Montel Williams

Born 1956

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0069 PLAYER

Pam Shriver

Born 1962

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0070 ACTOR

Brendan Hines

Born 1976

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0071 ACTOR

Mildred Dunnock

1901 - 1991

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0072 JOURNALIST

Robert M. Parker Jr.

Born 1947

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0073 ACTOR

Mona Freeman

1926 - 2014

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0074 ARTIST

Eubie Blake

1887 - 1983

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0075 ZIONIST

Henrietta Szold

1860 - 1945

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0076 FILM

Mark Pellington

Born 1962

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0077 WRITER

Tom Peters

Born 1942

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0078 ENTREPRENEUR

Jim Rogers

Born 1942

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0079 ACTOR

Andy San Dimas

Born 1986

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0080 BOOKSELLER

Sylvia Beach

1887 - 1962

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0081 MATHEMATICIAN

Solomon W. Golomb

1932 - 2016

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0082 AUTHOR

Frances Harper

1825 - 1911

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0083 POLITICIAN

Elijah Cummings

1951 - 2019

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0084 ACTOR

Howard Rollins

1950 - 1996

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0085 DRUMMER

Chester Thompson

Born 1948

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0086 LAWYER

William Walker Atkinson

1862 - 1932

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0087 BIOCHEMIST

Martin Rodbell

1925 - 1998

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0088 SINGER

John Patrick Amedori

Born 1987

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0089 BASEBALL

Al Kaline

1934 - 2020

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0090 PAINTER

Morris Louis

1912 - 1962

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0091 SINGER

Mario Winans

Born 1974

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0092 AUTHOR

Walter Lord

1917 - 2002

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0093 BASKET

Gary Neal

Born 1984

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0094 WRITER

Joni Eareckson Tada

Born 1949

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0095 ACTOR

Tamara Dobson

1944 - 2006

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0096 INVENTOR

Danny Hillis

Born 1956

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0097 ACTOR

John Kassir

Born 1957

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0098 ACTOR

Kevin Kilner

Born 1958

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0099 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Ian Bremmer

Born 1969

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0100 ACTOR

Geoffrey Blake (actor)

Born 1962

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0101 BASKET

Joey Dorsey

Born 1983

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0102 NURSE

Dorothea Orem

1914 - 2007

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0103 PRIEST

James Gibbons

1834 - 1921

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0104 DAUGHTER

Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte

1785 - 1879

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0105 POLITICIAN

John P. Kennedy

1795 - 1870

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0106 DRUMMER

Dennis Chambers

Born 1959

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0107 FILM

Chris Renaud

Born 1966

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0108 ACTOR

Miriam Cooper

1891 - 1976

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0109 FILM

Michael Gordon (film director)

1909 - 1993

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0110 OFFICER

Franklin Buchanan

1800 - 1874

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0111 ACTOR

Jameson Parker

Born 1947

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0112 ACTOR

Paul Ford

1901 - 1976

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0113 ACTOR

Mink Stole

Born 1947

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0114 SINGER

Adam Duritz

Born 1964

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0115 BASKET

Rudy Gay

Born 1986

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0116 BASKET

Muggsy Bogues

Born 1965

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0117 POET

Joan D. Vinge

Born 1948

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0118 PRODUCER

Ira Glass

Born 1959

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0119 THEOLOGIAN

John Gresham Machen

1881 - 1937

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0120 POLITICIAN

Diane Black

Born 1951

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0121 ACTOR

Rye Rye

Born 1990

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0122 BASKET

Dontaye Draper

Born 1984

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0123 ACTOR

Anita Gillette

Born 1936

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0124 ACTOR

Michael O'Neill (actor)

Born 1947

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0125 BASKET

Malcolm Delaney

Born 1989

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0126 WRESTLER

James Ellsworth (wrestler)

Born 1984

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0127 ACTOR

Ernie Lively

Born 1947

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0128 ACTOR

Nicholas Pryor

Born 1935

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0129 LAWYER

Pauli Murray

1910 - 1985

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0130 SPY

Virginia Hall

1906 - 1982

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0131 ACTOR

Felicia Pearson

Born 1980

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0132 ACTOR

Leah Ayres

Born 1957

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0133 FILM

James Parrott

1897 - 1939

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0134 NOVELIST

Olen Steinhauer

Born 1970

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0135 DRIVER

Henry Segrave

1896 - 1930

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0136 NOVELIST

Jack L. Chalker

1944 - 2005

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0137 ONCOLOGIST

Bert Vogelstein

Born 1949

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0138 AUTHOR

George Weigel

Born 1951

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0139 BOXER

Joe Gans

1874 - 1910

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0140 COMPOSER

Gary Bartz

Born 1940

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0141 ACTOR

Casey Calvert (actress)

Born 1990

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0142 WRITER

Munro Leaf

1905 - 1976

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0143 PRIEST

James Stafford

Born 1932

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0144 WRESTLER

Rich Swann

Born 1991

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0145 POLITICIAN

Dutch Ruppersberger

Born 1946

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0146 PHOTOGRAPHER

Susan Meiselas

Born 1948

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0147 POLITICIAN

John Sarbanes

Born 1962

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0148 NOVELIST

Emily Post

1872 - 1960

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0149 FOOTBALL

Kenny Cooper

Born 1984

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0150 ACTOR

Carolyn Lawrence

Born 1964

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0151 BASKET

Reggie Lewis

1965 - 1993

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0152 SINGER

George Fisher (musician)

Born 1969

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0153 COMPOSER

Clarence Muse

1889 - 1979

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0154 MUSIC

Ian Carey

Born 1975

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0155 THEOLOGIAN

E. Stanley Jones

1884 - 1973

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0156 ACTOR

Mike Rowe

Born 1962

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0157 FILM

Arthur Rankin Jr.

1924 - 2014

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0158 COMPOSER

Christopher Rouse (composer)

1949 - 2019

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0159 BASKET

Will Barton

Born 1991

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0160 MILITAR

Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II

1830 - 1893

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0161 ACTOR

Inara George

Born 1974

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0162 SINGER

Kurt Hugo Schneider

Born 1988

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0163 ACTOR

Brandon Hardesty

Born 1987

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0164 FILM

Charles Marquis Warren

1912 - 1990

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0165 CHEMIST

Eli Lilly

1838 - 1898

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0166 ACTOR

Greg Plitt

1977 - 2015

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0167 COMEDIAN

Garry Moore

1915 - 1993

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0168 BASKET

DaJuan Summers

Born 1988

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0169 ACTOR

Abigail Mac

Born 1988

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0170 ACTOR

Minna Gombell

1892 - 1973

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0171 POLITICIAN

William Donald Schaefer

1921 - 2011

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0172 GUITAR

Evan Taubenfeld

Born 1983

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0173 ACTOR

Claudia McNeil

1917 - 1993

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0174 PHYSICIST

James Hartle

Born 1939

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0175 SINGER

James Morris (bass-baritone)

Born 1947

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0176 ACTOR

Louise Glaum

1888 - 1970

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0177 SOCIOLOGIST

E. Franklin Frazier

1894 - 1962

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0178 ACTOR

Russell Hicks

1895 - 1957

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0179 SINGER

Avey Tare

Born 1979

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0180 ASTRONAUT

Thomas David Jones

Born 1955

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0181 MUSIC

Skylar Spence

Born 1993

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0182 FOOTBALL

Todd Gurley

Born 1994

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0183 MATHEMATICIAN

Edward F. Moore

1925 - 2003

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0184 PHOTOGRAPHER

Martha Cooper

Born 1943

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0185 PLAYER

Brian Gottfried

Born 1952

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0186 BASKET

Angel McCoughtry

Born 1986

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0187 BUSINESS

Samuel J. Palmisano

Born 1951

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0188 SCULPTOR

Anne Truitt

1921 - 2004

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0189 PHILOSOPHER

Edmund Gettier

Born 1927

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0190 BASKET

Juan Dixon

Born 1978

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0191 ACTOR

Monica Dogra

Born 1982

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0192 ASTRONOMER

George Coyne

1933 - 2020

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0193 MATHEMATICIAN

Nick Katz

Born 1943

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0194 BASKET

Sam Cassell

Born 1969

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0195 LAWYER

David K. E. Bruce

1898 - 1977

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0196 ACTOR

Margaret Hayes

1916 - 1977

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0197 PAINTER

William McGregor Paxton

1869 - 1941

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0198 POLITICIAN

Scott Taylor (politician)

Born 1979

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0199 MUSIC

John Hall (New York politician)

Born 1948

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0200 WRESTLER

Axl Rotten

1971 - 2016

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0201 PHYSICIAN

Philippe Ricord

1800 - 1889

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0202 SINGER

Anne Brown

1912 - 2009

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0203 NOVELIST

Fulton Oursler

1893 - 1952

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0204 PHYSICIST

Joseph O. Hirschfelder

1911 - 1990

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0205 ACTOR

Michael Tucker (actor)

Born 1945

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0206 MUSIC

Alex Somers

Born 1984

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0207 POET

Karl Shapiro

1913 - 2000

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0208 BASKET

Daniel Ochefu

Born 1993

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0209 SINGER

6lack

Born 1992

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0210 PHYSICIST

Robert Resnick

1923 - 2014

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0211 ACTOR

Brandon Novak

Born 1978

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0212 FILM

James Young (director)

1872 - 1948

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0213 COMPOSER

Blanche Calloway

1902 - 1978

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0214 BASKET

Corsley Edwards

Born 1979

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0215 BASKET

Danny Ferry

Born 1966

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0216 BOXER

Gervonta Davis

Born 1994

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0217 WRESTLER

Lester Speight

Born 1963

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0218 CHEMIST

Norman Hackerman

1912 - 2007

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0219 PRIEST

Lawrence Shehan

1898 - 1984

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0220 REPUBLICAN

J. William Middendorf

Born 1924

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0221 POLITICIAN

Dan Patrick (politician)

Born 1950

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0222 FILM

Walon Green

Born 1936

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0223 POLITICIAN

Kweisi Mfume

Born 1948

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0224 POLITICIAN

Marvin Mandel

1920 - 2015

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0225 SCREENWRITER

Millard Kaufman

1917 - 2009

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0226 DIPLOMAT

Henry White (diplomat)

1850 - 1927

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0227 ACTOR

Kimberly Brooks

Born 1981

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0228 PIANIST

Jessica Williams (musician)

Born 1948

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0229 BASKET

Kim English (basketball)

Born 1988

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0230 CIRCUS

Johnny Eck

1911 - 1991

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0231 POLITICIAN

Gordon Gray (politician)

1909 - 1982

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0232 WRITER

Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe

1822 - 1847

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0233 FOOTBALL

Santino Quaranta

Born 1984

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0234 ACTOR

Kurt Lockwood

Born 1970

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0235 BASKET

Candice Wiggins

Born 1987

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0236 ACTOR

Karin Konoval

Born 1961

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0237 FILM

Harry Solter

1873 - 1920

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0238 PIANIST

Cyrus Chestnut

Born 1963

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0239 ACTOR

Noelle Beck

Born 1968

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0240 SECRET SERVICE AGENT

William J. Burns

1861 - 1932

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0241 ACTOR

Norman Chaney

1914 - 1936

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0242 EXPLORER

Christopher Gist

1706 - 1759

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0243 FILM

Robert Pirosh

1910 - 1989

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0244 HISTORIAN

David Hackett Fischer

Born 1935

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0245 BIOLOGIST

Simon A. Levin

Born 1941

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0246 PLAYER

Aaron Russell

Born 1993

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0247 ACTOR

Dorothy Phillips

1889 - 1980

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0248 BOTANIST

Alexander Skutch

1904 - 2004

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0249 BANJOIST

Elmer Snowden

1900 - 1973

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0250 POLITICIAN

Theodore McKeldin

1900 - 1974

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0251 ECONOMIST

Narayana Kocherlakota

Born 1963

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0252 SINGER

Greg Kihn

Born 1949

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0253 NOVELIST

William Lindsay Gresham

1909 - 1962

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0254 POLITICIAN

Gordon R. England

Born 1937

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0255 ACTOR

Cookie Mueller

1949 - 1989

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0256 BASKET

Henry Sims

Born 1990

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0257 SEISMOLOGIST

Harry Fielding Reid

1859 - 1944

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0258 SINGER

Bob Lind

Born 1942

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0259 POLITICIAN

Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.

1903 - 1987

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0260 BASKET

Bootsy Thornton

Born 1977

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0261 POLITICIAN

Parren Mitchell

1922 - 2007

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0262 PHYSICIAN

Jesse William Lazear

1866 - 1900

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0263 RAPPER

Spank Rock

-

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0264 SINGER

Mitch Allan

Born 1972

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0265 ENVIRONMENTALIST

Judi Bari

1949 - 1997

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0266 LINGUIST

M. Carey Thomas

1857 - 1935

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0267 NEUROLOGIST

Bernard Sachs

1858 - 1944

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0268 FILM

Frank McDonald (director)

1899 - 1980

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0269 ENGINEER

Edith Clarke

1883 - 1959

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0270 PAINTER

Alfred Jacob Miller

1810 - 1874

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0271 ACTOR

PJ DeBoy

Born 1971

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0272 ASTRONAUT

Marsha Ivins

Born 1951

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0273 IMMUNOLOGIST

Paul Offit

Born 1951

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0274 SINGER

Greg Puciato

Born 1980

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0275 POLITICIAN

Herbert O'Conor

1896 - 1960

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0276 ACTOR

Holter Graham

Born 1972

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0277 BASKET

Gene Shue

Born 1931

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0278 FOOTBALL

Tavon Austin

Born 1991

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0279 SPRINT

Deajah Stevens

Born 1995

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0280 PIANIST

Martha Goldstein

1919 - 2014

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0281 ACTOR

David Lochary

1944 - 1977

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0282 BASKET

Will Thomas (basketball)

Born 1986

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0283 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

George McTurnan Kahin

1918 - 2000

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0284 BOXER

Hasim Rahman

Born 1972

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0285 MUSIC

Ammo (musician)

Born 1987

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0286 SCREENWRITER

Ed Burns

Born 1946

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0287 COMPOSER

Hank Levy

1927 - 2001

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0288 OFFICER

William H. French

1815 - 1881

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0289 PAINTER

Richard Caton Woodville

1825 - 1855

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0290 PIANIST

Ellis Larkins

1923 - 2002

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0291 BASKET

Temi Fagbenle

Born 1992

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0292 BASKET

C. J. Fair

Born 1991

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0293 ACTOR

Mignon Anderson

1892 - 1983

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0294 PHYSICIST

Louis Witten

Born 1921

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0295 COMPOSER

John La Touche (lyricist)

1915 - 1956

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0296 MUSIC

John Christ

Born 1965

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0297 ASTRONAUT

Gregory R. Wiseman

Born 1975

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0298 ACTOR

Avon Long

1910 - 1984

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0299 OPERA

John Aler

Born 1949

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0300 SCREENWRITER

David Jacobs (writer)

Born 1939

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