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

Showing 245 of 2,329 notable people

0007 ACTOR

David Hasselhoff

Born 1952

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0020 MATHEMATICIAN

Edward Witten

Born 1951

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0041 ACTOR

Charles S. Dutton

Born 1951

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0043 COMPOSER

Howard Ashman

1950 - 1991

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0046 GUITAR

Bill Frisell

Born 1951

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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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0058 ACTOR

Mark Rolston

Born 1956

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0068 ACTOR

Montel Williams

Born 1956

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0083 POLITICIAN

Elijah Cummings

1951 - 2019

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0084 ACTOR

Howard Rollins

1950 - 1996

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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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0106 DRUMMER

Dennis Chambers

Born 1959

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0118 PRODUCER

Ira Glass

Born 1959

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0120 POLITICIAN

Diane Black

Born 1951

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0132 ACTOR

Leah Ayres

Born 1957

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0138 AUTHOR

George Weigel

Born 1951

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0180 ASTRONAUT

Thomas David Jones

Born 1955

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0185 PLAYER

Brian Gottfried

Born 1952

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0187 BUSINESS

Samuel J. Palmisano

Born 1951

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0221 POLITICIAN

Dan Patrick (politician)

Born 1950

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0272 ASTRONAUT

Marsha Ivins

Born 1951

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0273 IMMUNOLOGIST

Paul Offit

Born 1951

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0312 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Paul Hudak

1952 - 2015

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0321 SINGER

Damon Harris

1950 - 2013

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0327 PIANIST

Gil Goldstein

Born 1950

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0335 WRITER

Carole Boston Weatherford

Born 1956

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0347 BOXER

Dwight Muhammad Qawi

Born 1953

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0378 POET

Rodger Kamenetz

Born 1950

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0390 BASKET

Norman Black

Born 1957

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0391 ASTRONOMER

Robert Kennicutt

Born 1951

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0414 SINGER

Joniece Jamison

Born 1956

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0454 BASKET

Dudley Bradley

Born 1957

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0474 EDITOR

Shirley R. Steinberg

Born 1952

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0488 FILMMAKER

Ric Burns

Born 1955

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0497 NOVELIST

Bradford Morrow

Born 1951

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0510 PIANIST

Gregg Karukas

Born 1956

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0522 ACTOR

Jack Blessing

1951 - 2017

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0533 NOVELIST

Sharon Lee (writer)

Born 1952

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0534 SINGER

Billy Griffin

Born 1950

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0539 MUSIC

Steuart Smith

Born 1952

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0544 BASKET

Marvin Webster

1952 - 2009

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0554 SCREENWRITER

Rafael Alvarez

Born 1958

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0562 AUTHOR

Laura Amy Schlitz

Born 1955

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0564 ACTOR

Grant Aleksander

Born 1959

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0568 PLAYER

Steve Krulevitz

Born 1951

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0576 ENGINEER

Gilbert Levin

Born 1950

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0606 WRITER

Charles Belfoure

Born 1954

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0607 MAYOR

Laura Miller

Born 1958

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0612 BASKET

Dave Batton

Born 1956

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0617 LAWYER

Amy Berman Jackson

Born 1954

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0620 WRITER

Mary Claire Helldorfer

Born 1954

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0623 ACADEMIC

George Zinkhan

1952 - 2009

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0630 LAWYER

Michael Peroutka

Born 1952

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0646 POLITICIAN

Sheila Dixon

Born 1953

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0698 ACTOR

Jonathan Meath

Born 1955

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0722 BUSINESS

Jamie McCourt

Born 1953

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0724 POLITICIAN

John S. Pistole

Born 1956

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0726 WRITER

Steve Miller (science fiction writer)

Born 1950

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0731 LITERARY

Stuart Moulthrop

Born 1957

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0736 ORNITHOLOGIST

Bruce Beehler

Born 1951

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0747 MUSIC

Sara Davis Buechner

Born 1959

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0766 PRIEST

Mitchell T. Rozanski

Born 1958

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0767 ACTOR

Scott Wentworth

Born 1955

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0783 WRITER

Karen Hesse

Born 1952

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0788 FOOTBALL

Steve Watson (wide receiver)

Born 1957

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0793 COACH

Mike Nolan

Born 1959

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0800 POLITICIAN

Gary Gensler

Born 1957

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0806 BASEBALL

Moose Haas

Born 1956

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0822 SCREENWRITER

Tim Cockey

Born 1955

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0826 MUSIC

Gina Schock

Born 1957

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0834 SCHOLAR

Diana Butler Bass

Born 1959

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0854 ARTIST

Greg LaRocque

Born 1954

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0857 CRIMINAL

Donnie Andrews

1954 - 2012

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0869 SWIMMER

Wendy Weinberg

Born 1958

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0872 THEOLOGIAN

R. R. Reno

Born 1959

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0877 FOOTBALL

Michel Faulkner

Born 1957

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0878 OFFICER

John C. Inglis

Born 1954

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0895 DIPLOMAT

David M. Satterfield

Born 1954

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0899 LAWYER

Tom Rothman

Born 1954

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0900 SON

Jon Garth Murray

1954 - 1995

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0911 MUSIC

Debbie Jacobs

Born 1955

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0914 MUSIC

Douglas Purviance

Born 1952

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0918 WRITER

Phillip Sandifer

Born 1959

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0937 NOVELIST

Steve Geppi

Born 1950

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0949 POLITICIAN

Mutulu Shakur

Born 1950

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0957 BIOLOGIST

Sharon Matola

Born 1954

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0981 ACTOR

Arthur Simms

1953 - 1987

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0989 WRITER

Joseph Monninger

Born 1953

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0992 FOOTBALL

Mike Collier

Born 1953

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0996 LINGUIST

William Lamb (professor)

Born 1950

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0997 BASEBALL

Mike Bielecki

Born 1959

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1007 SPORT

Mike Woicik

Born 1956

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1016 CEO

Loretta J. Mester

Born 1958

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1021 RABBI

David Samson (rabbi)

Born 1956

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1028 JOURNALIST

Gus Russo

Born 1950

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1031 POET

Afaa M. Weaver

Born 1951

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1035 EDITOR

John Strausbaugh

Born 1951

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1051 MUSIC

Nana Simopoulos

Born 1958

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1058 ARTIST

F. Scott Hess

Born 1955

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1068 DIPLOMAT

Eric S. Edelman

Born 1951

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1072 FOOTBALL

Lindsey Mason

Born 1955

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1076 ARTIST

Claire Pentecost

Born 1956

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1085 DIPLOMAT

Liliana Ayalde

Born 1956

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1087 FOOTBALL

Jean Fugett

Born 1951

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1104 FOOTBALL

Ray Snell

Born 1958

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1116 ENTREPRENEUR

Bob Parsons

Born 1950

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1178 POLITICIAN

Samuel I. Rosenberg

Born 1950

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1192 POLITICIAN

H. Wayne Norman Jr.

1955 - 2018

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1195 PAINTER

Sandra Meigs

Born 1953

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1202 BASKET

Larry Gibson

Born 1956

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1221 FENCER

Paul Friedberg

Born 1959

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1230 PHILANTHROPIST

David Gobel

Born 1952

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1238 ECOLOGIST

Charles A. Munn III

Born 1954

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1268 ARTIST

Shan Goshorn

1957 - 2018

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1289 ACTOR

James Shanklin

Born 1957

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1310 FOOTBALL

Charles Johnson (defensive tackle)

Born 1957

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1319 FOOTBALL

John Ellinger

Born 1951

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1320 POET

Jane Mead

1958 - 2019

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1322 ACTOR

Willy Conley

Born 1958

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1329 NOVELIST

Susan Glickman

Born 1953

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1336 PSYCHIATRIST

Pamela Sklar

1959 - 2017

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1339 POLITICIAN

C. Anthony Muse

Born 1958

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1342 LACROSSE

Don Zimmerman (lacrosse)

Born 1953

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1343 JOCKEY

Ron Franklin (jockey)

1959 - 2018

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1354 ENGINEER

Phil Karn

Born 1956

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1364 POLITICIAN

Teresa Jacobs

Born 1958

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1378 POLITICIAN

Joan Carter Conway

Born 1951

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1382 POLITICIAN

Bonnie Cullison

Born 1954

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1384 CURATOR

Rebecca Alban Hoffberger

Born 1952

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1387 HISTORIAN

Lauren Benton (historian)

Born 1956

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1398 CLARINET

Eric Hoeprich

Born 1955

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1403 SCREENWRITER

Calvin Burke

Born 1950

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1411 POLITICIAN

Cheryl Glenn

Born 1951

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1412 LAWYER

Mary Ellen Barbera

Born 1951

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1423 NOVELIST

Thomas Moran (author)

Born 1957

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1425 BASEBALL

Dave Johnson (1987–93 pitcher)

Born 1959

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1431 FILM

Richard Ledes

Born 1956

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1433 POLITICIAN

Susan W. Krebs

Born 1959

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1442 AUTHOR

Sandra Magsamen

Born 1959

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1444 BASEBALL

Chuck Porter (baseball)

Born 1955

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1448 CHEMIST

Michael J. Sofia

Born 1958

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1452 POLITICIAN

James N. Mathias Jr.

Born 1951

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1455 FENCER

Ruth White (fencer)

Born 1951

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1457 POLITICIAN

David Frizzell (politician)

Born 1950

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1459 POLITICIAN

Katherine A. Klausmeier

Born 1950

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1460 CITY COUNCIL

Robert W. Curran

Born 1950

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1466 BASSIST

Tim Wells

Born 1951

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1470 PRIEST

Michael William Fisher

Born 1958

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1474 POLITICIAN

Alfred W. Redmer Jr.

Born 1956

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1477 AUTHOR

Lauren Wolk

Born 1956

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1492 COACH

Mike Santiago

Born 1955

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1506 FOOTBALL

Tom Gatewood

Born 1950

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1515 POLITICIAN

Dana Stein

Born 1958

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1517 PRODUCER

Susan Rose (producer)

Born 1957

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1525 WRITER

Leonard Rosen

Born 1954

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1528 POLITICIAN

Chuck McGrady

Born 1953

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1531 BUSINESS

Michael J. Ward

Born 1950

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1540 PHOTOGRAPHER

Elizabeth Siegfried

Born 1955

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1550 MUSIC

Myron Romanul

Born 1954

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1564 LAWYER

Shirley M. Watts

Born 1959

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1575 TEACHING

Devorah Lieberman

Born 1952

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1579 LAWYER

Louis Guirola Jr.

Born 1951

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1581 LAWYER

Alvin W. Thompson

Born 1953

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1613 POLITICIAN

C. Edward Middlebrooks

Born 1955

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1616 WRITER

Peter Baida

1950 - 1999

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1620 FOOTBALL

Greg Schaum

Born 1954

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1622 ACTOR

Lily Knight

Born 1956

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1623 PRIEST

Jim Kelsey

1952 - 2007

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1626 COLUMNIST

Bernie Miklasz

Born 1959

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1638 ECONOMIST

John G. Walsh

Born 1950

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1653 ACTOR

Paul DeBoy

Born 1955

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1658 MUSIC

Tony Bunn

Born 1957

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1661 POLITICIAN

Timothy R. Ferguson

Born 1955

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1666 COACH

Donnie Henderson

Born 1957

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1674 JUDGE

Margaret M. Sweeney

Born 1955

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1678 BIOLOGIST

Dale Brown Emeagwali

Born 1954

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1680 SINGER

Tony Sciuto

Born 1952

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1686 FOOTBALL

Tom Seabron

Born 1957

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1691 SONGWRITER

Woody Lissauer

Born 1959

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1699 ZOOLOGIST

Peter Kaestner

Born 1953

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1703 OFFICER

Sean Stackley

Born 1957

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1709 FOOTBALL

Bob Nelson (defensive tackle)

Born 1959

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1713 LAWYER

Stuart O. Simms

Born 1950

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1753 FOOTBALL

Maurice Tyler

Born 1950

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1760 POLITICIAN

Michael W. Burns

Born 1958

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1786 HISTORIAN

James Naylor Green

Born 1951

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1788 POLITICIAN

John W. E. Cluster Jr.

Born 1954

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1789 POLITICIAN

Verna L. Jones

Born 1955

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1797 SKIER

Steve McKinney (skier)

1953 - 1990

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1800 POLITICIAN

John G. Trueschler

Born 1957

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1812 POLITICIAN

Nancy Dahlstrom

Born 1957

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1815 POLITICIAN

Nina R. Harper

Born 1950

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1824 SECRETARY

Broderick D. Johnson

Born 1956

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1835 BASEBALL

Rusty Gerhardt

Born 1950

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1838 BASEBALL

Bill Schroeder (baseball)

Born 1958

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1853 POLITICIAN

Michael G. Comeau

Born 1956

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1864 SINGER

Dana Kletter

Born 1959

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1877 POLITICIAN

James F. Ports Jr.

Born 1958

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1880 NEUROLOGIST

Phillip L. Pearl

Born 1958

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1882 BUSINESS

Rick Shangraw

Born 1959

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1891 ACTOR

James Michael Gregary

Born 1953

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1898 POLITICIAN

Michael D. Smigiel Sr.

Born 1958

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1905 POLITICIAN

Brian K. McHale

Born 1954

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1925 POLITICIAN

Jo Ann Hardesty

Born 1957

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1935 POLITICIAN

Michael U. Gisriel

Born 1951

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1938 POLITICIAN

Tony Fulton (Maryland politician)

1951 - 2005

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1949 OFFICER

John C. Harvey Jr.

Born 1951

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1952 BALLET

Amy Sue Rosen

1955 - 2003

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1956 FOOTBALL

Sonny Askew

Born 1957

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1970 CITY COUNCIL

Nicholas D'Adamo Jr.

Born 1958

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1974 WRITER

John Shields (chef)

Born 1951

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1978 POLITICIAN

James E. Malone Jr.

Born 1957

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2009 FOOTBALL

Dean Wurzberger

Born 1953

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2012 SPORT

Sam Kouvaris

Born 1955

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2015 POLITICIAN

Steven J. DeBoy Sr.

Born 1956

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2023 POLITICIAN

Elizabeth Burmaster

Born 1954

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2030 BASEBALL

Rick Steirer

Born 1956

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2055 COMMANDER

Robert G. Hale

Born 1956

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2065 MUSIC

Carl Filipiak

Born 1950

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2070 POLITICIAN

Eric Ebersole

Born 1958

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2103 FOOTBALL

Dennis Wit

Born 1951

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2107 FOOTBALL

John Houska

Born 1956

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2138 JOURNALIST

Gregory Kane (journalist)

1951 - 2014

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2161 FOOTBALL

Pete Caringi Jr.

Born 1955

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2162 PHILOSOPHER

Benjamin F. Ward

1954 - 2013

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2165 PLAYWRIGHT

Linda Chambers (playwright)

Born 1954

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2174 PROFESSOR

William E. Cooper

Born 1951

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2195 FOOTBALL

Al Johnson (defensive back)

Born 1950

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2203 COMPOSER

Wall Matthews

Born 1950

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2206 FOOTBALL

John Borozzi

Born 1954

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2214 MISSING

Jill E. Brown

Born 1950

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2237 POLITICIAN

Chris West (politician)

Born 1950

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2241 ARTIST

Will Wilson (artist)

Born 1957

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2245 NEUROSCIENTIST

Ed Connor

Born 1955

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2248 FOOTBALL

Peter Notaro

Born 1957

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2256 FOOTBALL

Steve Zerhusen

Born 1957

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2273 FOOTBALL

Brooks Williams (American football)

1954 - 2008

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2296 POLITICIAN

Mary Ekstrom

Born 1951

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2298 POLITICIAN

Joseph Bartenfelder

Born 1957

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2300 SCREENWRITER

Christoph Hartmann

Born 1959

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2318 NAÇÕES UNIDAS

Paula Kerger

Born 1957

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2329 POLITICIAN

Robert B. Long

Born 1957

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