42.3449° N, 71.0753° W

BOSTON

Most Famous People Born in Boston, United States

Notable people
3,663
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1926
Most distinctive
Novelist 3.5×

America's oldest civic intelligentsia. Boston's notables are unusually concentrated in the 1700s and 1800s by American standards, and the distinctive shelves still read like a Yankee almanac — novelists, lawyers, military officers, mathematicians, and diplomats, the trades of a city where Harvard, the State House, and the Old North Church share a few square miles. The modern half tilts more conventionally toward Red Sox baseball, actors, and a deep college-bred music scene.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 348 notable births.

What Boston Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Boston's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (314).

Boston over-indexes on novelist3.5× the global rate.

Boston under-produces football — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Actor314
  2. Politician312
  3. Writer149
  4. Lawyer135
  5. Baseball110
  6. Painter106
  7. Music102
  8. Football87
  1. Novelist503.5×
  2. Baseball1102.6×
  3. Officer632.6×
  4. Mathematician452.5×
  5. Lawyer1352.1×
  6. Music1021.9×
  7. Diplomat371.7×
  8. Actor3141.6×
  1. Football870.2×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Sports
  • Writing
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Music
  • Other
All3,663
Sort By

3,663 notable people

2701 LAWYER

Frederick G. Katzmann

1875 - 1953

Preview
2702 NAVAL

Philip Rounsevile Alger

1859 - 1912

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2703 WRITER

Marianne Monson

Born 1975

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2704 BASKET

Chris Flores (basketball)

Born 1990

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2705 COLLECTOR

Martha Codman Karolik

1858 - 1948

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2706 ACTOR

Virginia Walker

1916 - 1946

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2707 OFFICER

Thomas G. Kelley

Born 1939

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2708 SPORT

Robert Treat Paine Storer

1893 - 1962

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2709 FOOTBALL

Robert Emmons

1872 - 1928

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2710 LAWYER

Sidney Sugarman

1904 - 1974

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2711 ACTOR

Daniel Harkins

1836 - 1902

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2712 POLITICIAN

Thomas Coffin (pre-confederation Canadian politician)

1762 - 1841

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2713 LAWYER

George Fingold

1908 - 1958

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2714 HOCKEY

Westcott Moulton

1906 - 1983

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2715 FOOTBALL

Will Grant

Born 1954

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2716 POLITICIAN

Louis Kafka

Born 1945

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2717 FILM

Chris McGurk

Born 1957

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2718 PHILOLOGIST

John E. Rexine

1929 - 1993

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2719 BASEBALL

Harry Pattee

1882 - 1971

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2720 GEOLOGIST

Elizabeth F. Fisher

1873 - 1941

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2721 LIBRARIAN

Anita Florence Hemmings

1872 - 1943

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2722 MILITAR

Robert Shaw Oliver

1847 - 1935

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2723 MUSIC

Rocky Boyd

Born 1936

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2724 SAILOR

Frank Elmer Smith

1864 - 1943

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2725 SINGER

Jacquelyn Piro Donovan

Born 1965

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2726 MUSIC

Chris Julian (musician)

Born 1957

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2727 POLITICIAN

Samuel Gay

1755 - 1847

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2728 GEOLOGIST

James Duncan Hague

1836 - 1908

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2729 PRODUCER

Dory Lobel

Born 1980

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2730 MUSIC

Michael Kanan

-

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2731 SPORT

Jim McCormick (American football)

1884 - 1959

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2732 POLITICIAN

Charles Flaherty (politician)

Born 1938

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2733 ACTOR

Bob DeSimone

Born 1945

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2734 OPERATOR

Matthew Weigman

Born 1990

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2735 BUSINESS

John Harrington (baseball)

Born 1930

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2736 LAWYER

Edward C. Johnson II

1898 - 1984

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2737 BASKET

Ken Scalabroni

Born 1956

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2738 ENGINEER

Charles Harding Loring

1828 - 1907

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2739 ARCHITECT

Joachim Pfeufer

Born 1935

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2740 POLITICIAN

David B. Cohen (mayor)

Born 1947

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2741 SCREENWRITER

Hector Dion

1880 - 1942

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2742 OFFICER

Robert M. Webster

1892 - 1972

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2743 PRODUCER

Bob Markell

1924 - 2020

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2744 BUSINESS

Arie L. Kopelman

Born 1938

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2745 POLITICIAN

Maryanne Lewis

Born 1963

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2746 WRESTLER

Steve Bradley

1975 - 2008

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2747 MODEL

Michael Sands (media)

1945 - 2012

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2748 WRITER

John Trowbridge

1845 - 1923

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2749 BIOLOGIST

Beatrice M. Sweeney

1914 - 1989

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2750 WRITER

Jennifer Skiff

Born 1961

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2751 RACEHORSE

Sol Kumin

Born 1975

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2752 OFFICER

Charles W. Adams (Confederate general)

1817 - 1878

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2753 BASEBALL

James Donnelly (baseball)

1867 - 1933

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2754 BASEBALL

George Twombly

1892 - 1975

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2755 ARMY

Charles W. Turner (Medal of Honor)

1921 - 1950

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2756 ART HISTORIAN

Draper Hill

1935 - 2009

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2757 LAWYER

George W. Richardson

1808 - 1886

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2758 MURDER

Paul Rico

1925 - 2004

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2759 OFFICER

George Francis McGinnis

1826 - 1910

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2760 COMPOSER

Alfred Fisher

1942 - 2016

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2761 MUSIC

Bob Gullotti

1949 - 2020

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2762 LAWYER

Joshua Hall Bates

1817 - 1908

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2763 SINGER

Turner Cody

Born 1980

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2764 FOOTBALL

Chris Keating

Born 1957

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2765 OFFICER

John J. McGinty III

1940 - 2014

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2766 MISSIONARY

Henry A. Homes

1812 - 1887

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2767 PERFORMER

Mimi Chan

-

Preview
2768 BASKET

Stephen Silas

Born 1973

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2769 ZOOLOGIST

Edith Grace White

1890 - 1975

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2770 ACTOR

George Ferguson (actor)

1890 - 1961

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2771 MILITAR

Francis Kelly (Medal of Honor)

1860 - 1938

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2772 SONGWRITER

Murray Mencher

1898 - 1991

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2773 PHYSICIAN

J. B. S. Jackson

1806 - 1879

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2774 FOOTBALL

John LoVetere

1936 - 2012

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2775 PRODUCER

Sam Reich

Born 1984

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2776 POLITICIAN

George A. Hibbard

1864 - 1910

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2777 ORNITHOLOGIST

Herbert K. Job

1864 - 1933

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2778 PAINTER

Deborah Martin

Born 1961

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2779 SINGER

Louise Gunning

1879 - 1960

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2780 BASEBALL

Fred Newman (baseball)

1942 - 1987

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2781 BASKET

Kevin Mackey

Born 1946

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2782 BUSINESS

Laurence Boschetto

Born 1954

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2783 POLITICIAN

James Colt

1932 - 2008

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2784 FOOTBALL

Bob Margarita

1920 - 2008

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2785 ATHLETIC

Bill Byrne (athletic director)

-

Preview
2786 CHEMIST

Leonora Bilger

1893 - 1975

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2787 POLITICIAN

Daniel A. Whelton

1872 - 1953

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2788 ARMY

Frederick C. Anderson

1842 - 1882

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2789 FILM

Ethan Vogt

Born 1974

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2790 SINGER

Bryan McPherson

Born 1978

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2791 BIOLOGIST

Franklin Story Conant

1870 - 1897

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2792 ECONOMIST

Abraham Wickelgren

Born 1969

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2793 DIPLOMAT

Richard Wayne Bogosian

Born 1937

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2794 BASKET

Lew Perkins

Born 1945

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2795 ARTIST

Anna Von Mertens

Born 1973

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2796 MATHEMATICIAN

Roxana Vivian

1871 - 1961

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2797 ROWER

David Weinberg

Born 1952

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2798 PAINTER

Gertrude Nason

1890 - 1969

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2799 AMBASSADOR

Linton Brooks

Born 1938

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2800 SKATER

Lorraine Hanlon

Born 1946

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2801 COMPOSER

Frederick Field Bullard

1864 - 1904

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2802 ACTOR

Wadsworth Harris

1864 - 1942

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2803 POLITICIAN

Marjorie Clapprood

Born 1949

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2804 JUDGE

Gregory K. Orme

Born 1953

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2805 FOOTBALL

Roger Ellis

1938 - 1977

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2806 POLITICIAN

Elizabeth Brater

Born 1951

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2807 HISTORIAN

Margaret Mills

Born 1946

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2808 WRITER

Denyse Woods

Born 1958

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2809 SINGER

Charlemaine

Born 1967

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2810 FOOTBALL

Dick King (American football)

1895 - 1930

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2811 BASKET

Darius Bazley

Born 2000

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2812 ARCHITECT

James Sturgis Pray

1871 - 1929

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2813 MINISTER

John Larkin (Deacon of Charlestown)

1735 - 1807

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2814 SINGER

Wally Peterson

1917 - 2011

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2815 WRITER

Eleanor Ruggles

1916 - 2008

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2816 ICE HOCKEY

Al Morganti

-

Preview
2817 WRESTLER

Dukes Dalton

-

Preview
2818 LIBRARIAN

Samuel Cooper Thacher

1785 - 1818

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2819 MAGIC

Matt the Knife

Born 1981

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2820 ACTOR

Deni Gordon

-

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2821 ARTIST

John Terelak

Born 1942

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2822 MUSIC

Joyce Wein

1928 - 2005

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2823 RESEARCH

Barbara Burlingame

Born 1950

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2824 CLARINET

Paul Martin Zonn

1938 - 2000

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2825 PHILOLOGIST

Henry W. Prescott

1874 - 1943

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2826 WRITER

Kempster Blanchard Miller

1870 - 1933

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2827 MILITAR

Michael J. Perkins

1899 - 1918

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2828 LECTURER

Aldridge Bousfield

1941 - 2020

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2829 ACTOR

Casey Walters

1916 - 1991

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2830 LAWYER

Peter Bynoe

Born 1951

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2831 POLITICIAN

John Copp

1673 - 1751

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2832 POLITICIAN

Francis H. Woodward

Born 1939

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2833 BALLOONIST

Mary Myers

1849 - 1932

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2834 LAWYER

Harvey Rosenfield

Born 1952

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2835 NOVELIST

John D. Harvey

Born 1968

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2836 HOCKEY

Peter Brown (ice hockey)

Born 1954

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2837 MUSIC

Keith Dunn (musician)

-

Preview
2838 OFFICER

William P. Driscoll

Born 1947

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2839 LAWYER

Herbert Parker (Massachusetts politician)

1856 - 1939

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2840 LAWYER

Tamara W. Ashford

Born 1968

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2841 WRITER

David J. Smith (author)

-

Preview
2842 PRODUCER

Breyan Isaac

Born 1980

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2843 NAVY

James Seanor

Born 1833

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2844 PLAYER

Edith Sigourney

1895 - 1982

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2845 BASEBALL

Sam Gentile

1916 - 1998

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2846 ACADEMIC

Edward Billings Ham

1902 - 1965

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2847 ACADEMIC

Michael Cohen (doctor)

1937 - 2018

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2848 CHEMIST

Henry Paul Talbot

1864 - 1927

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2849 POLITICIAN

Sanford Bates

1884 - 1982

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2850 BASEBALL

Javier Ortiz (outfielder)

Born 1963

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2851 BASEBALL

Bill Anderson (1920s pitcher)

1895 - 1983

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2852 DIPLOMAT

Alexander Watson (diplomat)

Born 1939

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2853 POLITICIAN

Matthew Sherman

1827 - 1898

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2854 WRITER

Tom Lampert

Born 1962

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2855 MATHEMATICIAN

Arthur Veinott

1934 - 2012

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2856 MILITAR

Arthur L. Andrews

1934 - 1996

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2857 POLITICIAN

Jim Miceli

1935 - 2018

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2858 PLAYER

Fudge Mabeta

Born 1987

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2859 BOTANIST

Walter Deane

1848 - 1930

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2860 BASKET

John Corbett (coach)

1869 - 1947

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2861 PAINTER

Frank A. Brown

1876 - 1962

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2862 LAWYER

John Tye (whistleblower)

Born 1976

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2863 ZOOLOGIST

James Francis Lynch

1942 - 1998

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2864 SPORT

Dan Simonds

Born 1965

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2865 MATHEMATICIAN

Theodore W. Palmer

Born 1935

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2866 POLITICIAN

Francis Roache

Died 2018

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2867 POLITICIAN

Jim Coburn

Born 1944

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2868 POLICE

Paul F. Evans

-

Preview
2869 BASKET

Dan Callahan

Born 1970

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2870 ACTIVIST

Jay Ruderman

Born 1966

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2871 DIPLOMAT

Theodore L. Eliot Jr.

1928 - 2019

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2872 PHOTOGRAPHER

Andrea Robbins

Born 1963

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2873 ACADEMIC

Harriet Elam-Thomas

Born 1941

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2874 BUSINESS

Samuel Cabot Jr.

1784 - 1863

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2875 AUTHOR

Charlotte von Graffenried

1930 - 2013

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2876 POLITICIAN

Julie Belaga

Born 1930

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2877 POLITICIAN

Pasquale Caggiano

1909 - 1972

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2878 ACTOR

Vedah Bertram

1891 - 1912

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2879 BASEBALL

Herman Young

1886 - 1966

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2880 COMPOSER

Jimmy Newquist

Born 1970

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2881 BASEBALL

Mike Slattery (baseball)

1866 - 1904

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2882 WRESTLER

Steve DiSalvo

Born 1949

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2883 LAWYER

Thomas C. Wales

1952 - 2001

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2884 PERCUSSIONIST

Marco Giovino

-

Preview
2885 SCREENWRITER

Topper Carew

Born 1943

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2886 ACTOR

John Keefe (actor)

Born 1979

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2887 FOOTBALL

Bert Waters

1871 - 1930

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2888 PAINTER

Hugh Cabot III

1930 - 2005

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2889 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jon Lowenstein

Born 1970

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2890 NAVY

Richard Dennis (Medal of Honor)

1826 - 1889

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2891 ARTIST

Miss Lasko-Gross

Born 1977

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2892 NAVY

James Horton (Medal of Honor)

Born 1850

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2893 DRUMMER

Eric Doob

-

Preview
2894 ARCHITECT

Ruth Bancroft

1908 - 2017

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2895 WRESTLER

The Pink Assassin

-

Preview
2896 LITERARY

Edwin M. Eigner

Born 1931

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2897 PHILOLOGIST

Charles Pomeroy Parker

1852 - 1916

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2898 SCIENCE

Robert J. Shillman

Born 1946

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2899 ACTOR

Mae Gaston

1885 - 1965

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2900 ANATOMIST

William Fiske Whitney

1850 - 1921

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2901 POLITICIAN

Frank Cousins (American politician)

Born 1958

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2902 POLITICIAN

John Coffin Jones Jr.

1796 - 1861

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2903 SOCIOLOGIST

Karen Shire

Born 1959

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2904 COACH

Alonzo Edwin Branch

1874 - 1925

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2905 WRITER

Alice Wellington Rollins

1847 - 1897

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2906 INVESTIGATOR

Jack Palladino

Born 1950

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2907 BASEBALL

Daisy Davis

1858 - 1902

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2908 MUSIC

Rob Schneiderman

Born 1957

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2909 ACTOR

Louise Lorimer

1898 - 1995

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2910 SINGER

Bettina Freeman

Born 1889

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2911 CIVIL SERVICE

Denis P. Galvin

Born 1938

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2912 ACTOR

Richard McNamara

1915 - 1998

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2913 ENTREPRENEUR

Greg Selkoe

Born 1975

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2914 POLITICIAN

Susan Tracy

Born 1960

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2915 ARCHITECT

Edward Gardiner

1825 - 1859

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2916 LYRICIST

Joe Cocuzzo

1937 - 2008

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2917 SPORT

Harold McDevitt

Born 1885

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2918 ICE HOCKEY

Peter Luukko

Born 1959

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2919 ACTOR

Al Lee

Born 1893

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2920 IMMIGRANT

Charles R. Apted

1873 - 1941

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2921 PHOTOGRAPHER

Menzies Dickson

1840 - 1891

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2922 LAWYER

Adolphus W. Green

1844 - 1917

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2923 CHEMIST

Millard H. Alexander

Born 1943

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2924 SPORT

Bob DeBesse

Born 1959

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2925 OFFICER

Frederick T. Moore Jr.

1914 - 1969

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2926 NOBLE

William Lobkowicz

Born 1961

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2927 LIEUTENANT

William Troy

1848 - 1907

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2928 POLITICIAN

David Linsky

Born 1957

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2929 JAZZ

Rob Bargad

Born 1962

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2930 POLITICIAN

Michael G. Bellotti

Born 1963

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2931 BASEBALL

Jim Sullivan (1890s pitcher)

1867 - 1901

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2932 SPORT

Sashi Brown

Born 1976

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2933 HISTORIAN

Charles C. McLaughlin

1929 - 2005

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2934 RADIO

Christopher Lydon

Born 1940

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2935 WRESTLER

Tony Rumble

1956 - 1999

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2936 POLITICIAN

Daniel Koh

Born 1985

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2937 SCENOGRAPHER

Peter Larkin (Filmarchitekt)

1926 - 2019

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2938 ACTOR

Nancy O'Meara

-

Preview
2939 ENGINEER

Joe Grand

Born 1975

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2940 POET

Eliza Townsend

1788 - 1854

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2941 FOOTBALL

Jessie Small

Born 1966

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2942 ACTOR

Maurice Tarplin

1911 - 1975

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2943 PUBLIC SERVANT

Franklin Seaver Pratt

1829 - 1894

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2944 FOOTBALL

Rick Sapienza

Born 1936

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2945 JOURNALIST

Kevin Cullen

Born 1959

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2946 LAWYER

John R. Murphy

1856 - 1932

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2947 BASEBALL

Paul Howard (baseball)

1884 - 1968

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2948 MISSING

Albert J. Simone

Born 1935

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2949 BASEBALL

Miah Murray

1865 - 1922

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2950 POET

Caroline Sturgis Tappan

1818 - 1888

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2951 COACH

William Joy (American football)

1888 - 1969

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2952 HOCKEY

Bill Flynn (Eishockeyspieler)

Born 1950

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2953 WRITER

Matthew Kepnes

Born 1981

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2954 JOURNALIST

David Barstow

Born 1963

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2955 CHOREOGRAPHER

Derick K. Grant

Born 1973

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2956 GOLF

David Merkow

Born 1985

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2957 PRODUCER

Prince Charles Alexander

Born 1958

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2958 SONGWRITER

Jessie Chris

Born 1998

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2959 COLLECTOR

Brian P. Burns

Born 1936

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2960 POLICE

Esteban Carpio

Born 1978

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2961 LINGUIST

Leroy Vail

1940 - 1999

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2962 BISHOP

Robert Codman

1859 - 1915

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2963 ACTOR

Erik Betts

Born 1967

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2964 JOURNALIST

Jay Blotcher

Born 1960

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2965 NAVY

William Sweeney (Medal of Honor)

Born 1856

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2966 ARTIST

Nancy Worden

Born 1954

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2967 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jesse Freidin

Born 1981

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2968 ARTIST

Mary Fraser Wesselhoeft

1873 - 1971

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2969 BASEBALL

Jim Hunter (baseball)

Born 1964

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2970 PAINTER

Edward Brodney

1910 - 2002

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2971 LAWYER

David E. Harrison

Born 1933

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2972 PHYSICIST

A. Brooks Harris

Born 1935

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2973 JOURNALIST

Joseph Kahn (journalist)

Born 1964

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2974 POLITICIAN

John E. Powers

1910 - 1998

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2975 JOURNALIST

Frances Sweeney

1908 - 1944

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2976 SCREENWRITER

Bob Tzudiker

Born 1953

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2977 ARCHITECT

Edgar Allen Poe Newcomb

1846 - 1923

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2978 WORKER

Charles Franklin Sparrell

1852 - 1934

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2979 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Sarah Birch

Born 1963

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2980 RAPPER

Omega Red (rapper)

Born 1978

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2981 INVENTOR

William J. A. Bailey

1884 - 1949

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2982 BASEBALL

Bill Cooney

1883 - 1928

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2983 BIOLOGIST

Judith Goslin Hall

Born 1939

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2984 BUSINESS

Patrick Sweeney (entrepreneur)

Born 1970

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2985 OFFICER

Richard Dunleavy

Born 1933

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2986 BUSINESS

Melvin Swig

1917 - 1993

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2987 FOOTBALL

Dick Cunningham (American football)

Born 1944

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2988 POLITICIAN

James Dana (mayor)

1811 - 1890

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2989 WRITER

Carla DeSantis Black

Born 1958

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2990 ROWER

Roger W. Cutler Jr.

1916 - 1986

Preview
2991 ACTOR

Matt Leisy

-

Preview
2992 POLITICIAN

Mary Z. Connaughton

Born 1960

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2993 BASEBALL

Hank Garrity (baseball)

1908 - 1962

Preview
2994 FOOTBALL

Moody Sarno

1914 - 1997

Preview
2995 DRUMMER

Shelly Rusten

Born 1938

Preview
2996 FOOTBALL

Aaron Kelton

Born 1974

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2997 CLIMB

Henry Barber (rock climber)

Born 1953

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2998 BASEBALL

Tom Raftery (baseball)

1881 - 1954

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2999 ACADEMIC

William B. N. Berry

Born 1931

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3000 POLITICIAN

James Adams (Massachusetts politician)

1810 - 1880

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