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
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3,663 notable people

3301 NAVY

John H. James (sailor)

1835 - 1914

Preview
3302 GOVERNMENT

Marty Linsky

-

Preview
3303 RADIO

Cherry Martinez

Born 1974

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3304 SOLDIER

West Funk

1841 - 1897

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3305 ACTOR

Neil Burgess

1846 - 1910

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3306 LECTURER

Xenos Young Clark

1855 - 1889

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3307 FOOTBALL

Brendan McCarthy (American football)

1945 - 1997

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3308 MILITAR

Freeman Gill

1851 - 1905

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3309 WRITER

Lynne Berry

Born 1972

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3310 POLITICIAN

Bill Gillis

1936 - 2009

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3311 SINGER

Brittany Flickinger

Born 1984

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3312 PHYSICIAN

Calvin Plimpton

1918 - 2007

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3313 ENTREPRENEUR

Neilesh Patel

Born 1981

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3314 ARCHITECT

Bremer Whidden Pond

1884 - 1959

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3315 POLITICIAN

Sid Lovett

Born 1928

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3316 ACTOR

Amy Ricard

1882 - 1937

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3317 SINGER

Madelyn Renee

Born 1950

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3318 POLITICIAN

Betty Jo Nelsen

Born 1935

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3319 POLITICIAN

Alonzo B. Cook

Born 1866

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3320 ACTOR

Herbert Ayling

Born 1853

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3321 POLITICIAN

Charles E. Harwood

1851 - 1924

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3322 LAW

Frank Palmer Speare

1869 - 1954

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3323 BASEBALL

John Butler (baseball)

1879 - 1950

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3324 ARCHITECT

Edwin May (architect)

1823 - 1880

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3325 BASEBALL

Joe Sullivan (shortstop)

1870 - 1897

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3326 LAWYER

Giovanni Prezioso

Born 1957

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3327 SINGER

Andrea Brown

Born 1974

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3328 ENTREPRENEUR

Yasmin Belo-Osagie

Born 1990

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3329 POLITICIAN

Marilyn R. Goldwater

Born 1927

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3330 MERCHANT

Nathaniel Appleton

1731 - 1798

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3331 POLICE

James F. Curtis

1825 - 1914

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3332 BUSINESS

David Paresky

Born 1938

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3333 REMO

Courtney Yates

Born 1981

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3334 HISTORIAN

Helen Sahagian

-

Preview
3335 PUBLISHER

Homer Pierce Clark

1868 - 1970

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3336 PLAYER

Dave Williams (rugby à XV)

Born 1978

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3337 FOOTBALL

Jack Reilly (American football)

Born 1946

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3338 BOXER

Joey DeGrandis

Born 1969

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3339 POLITICIAN

Robert A. Vinal

1821 - 1887

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3340 GUITAR

Allan Jaffe (Gitarrist)

Born 1950

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3341 FOOTBALL

Michael Soboff

Born 1989

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3342 BASEBALL

Helen Nordquist

Born 1932

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3343 FOOTBALL

Tom Woods (American football)

1896 - 1978

Preview
3344 BASEBALL

Tom Sullivan (1920s pitcher)

1895 - 1962

Preview
3345 BREEDER

Grace Sturtevant

1865 - 1947

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3346 ACTIVIST

Lisa Kove

Born 1958

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3347 PRODUCER

Sam Parkins

1926 - 2009

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3348 FOOTBALL

Ken Kaplan

Born 1960

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3349 ACTOR

Frank Dayton

1865 - 1924

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3350 PLAYER

Alfred Codman

Born 1900

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3351 ARTIST

Arnold Kemp

-

Preview
3352 ATHLETE

Lawrence Keyte

Born 1963

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3353 OFFICER

Herman Nickerson Jr.

1913 - 2000

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3354 BUSINESS

Thomas Rattigan

Born 1937

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3355 LAWYER

John Rolly Ross

1899 - 1963

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3356 FOOTBALL

Brian Roper (Gaelic footballer)

-

Preview
3357 DIPLOMAT

Harry E. T. Thayer

1927 - 2017

Preview
3358 POLITICIAN

Ginny Coppola

Born 1949

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3359 POLITICIAN

William H. Dolben

1878 - 1948

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3360 JUDGE

Gerard D. Reilly

1906 - 1995

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3361 JOURNALIST

Samuel Krafsur

1913 - 1983

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3362 POLITICIAN

Carroll Sheehan

1925 - 2016

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3363 POLITICIAN

James Morris Whiton Hall

1842 - 1926

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3364 WRITER

David Crouse

Born 1971

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3365 PAINTER

Paul Shapiro (artist)

Born 1930

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3366 DESIGNER

Lap Chi Chu

-

Preview
3367 FOOTBALL

Ed Brawley

1888 - 1945

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3368 POLITICIAN

William B. Broydrick

Born 1948

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3369 SCIENTIST

Aaron L. Brody

Born 1930

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3370 SCIENTIST

Stephen Selkowitz

Born 1948

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3371 SPORT

Joe Vila

1866 - 1934

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3372 BASEBALL

Ed Callahan (baseball)

1857 - 1947

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3373 BUSINESS

David Nevins Jr.

1839 - 1898

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3374 BIOCHEMIST

Richard März

Born 1947

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3375 POLITICIAN

Elizabeth Metayer

1911 - 1998

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3376 FILM

Mike Stenson

-

Preview
3377 SPORT

Charles Toole

1922 - 2008

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3378 ATHLETIC

Dimitri Zaitz

1917 - 1996

Preview
3379 OFFICER

Greely S. Curtis

1830 - 1897

Preview
3380 BROKER

Arthur Chamberlin Wise

1876 - 1952

Preview
3381 BASEBALL

Joe Walsh (NL infielder)

1917 - 1996

Preview
3382 BASEBALL

Jim Ward (baseball)

1855 - 1886

Preview
3383 BASKET

Scott Flemming

Born 1958

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3384 REPORTER

John W. Schoen

Born 1952

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3385 JUDGE

Catharine F. Easterly

Born 1970

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3386 ACTOR

Lovely Hoffman

-

Preview
3387 MISSING

Jeff A. Weiss

Born 1964

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3388 BUSINESS

Michael L. Iaccarino

-

Preview
3389 OFFICER

John A. Collins

1931 - 2003

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3390 BASEBALL

Art Richardson

-

Preview
3391 SKIPPER

Rich Wilson

Born 1950

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3392 HOCKEY

Donna Lee (field hockey)

Born 1960

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3393 LAWYER

Winfield F. Prime

Born 1860

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3394 OFFICER

Percival C. Pope

1841 - 1922

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3395 FENCER

Frederick Cunningham

1898 - 1978

Preview
3396 FOOTBALL

Steve Trapilo

1964 - 2004

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3397 DRAMA

Tom D'Angora

-

Preview
3398 REFORMER

Kay Bullitt

Born 1925

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3399 POET

London Bridgez

Born 1982

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3400 LAWYER

George A. Scigliano

1874 - 1906

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3401 LIBRARIAN

Hiller Crowell Wellman

1871 - 1956

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3402 OFFICER

Charles Sawyer Russell

1831 - 1866

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3403 PAINTER

Raymond Francis Robbins

1912 - 1980

Preview
3404 BASEBALL

Clarence Dow

1854 - 1893

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3405 ORNITHOLOGIST

E. Alexander Bergstrom

1919 - 1973

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3406 PREACHER

George Whitaker (Oregon educator)

1836 - 1917

Preview
3407 ACTIVIST

Ellen Swepson Jackson

1935 - 2005

Preview
3408 LAWYER

Robert Hagopian

1911 - 1995

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3409 BASEBALL

Art Smith (baseball)

1906 - 1995

Preview
3410 COXSWAIN

Stewart MacDonald (rowing)

Born 1949

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3411 SINGER

Pat Rainey

1925 - 1998

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3412 PHYSICIAN

Fredrik Berglund (läkare)

Born 1924

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3413 ACTOR

Richard De Angelis

1932 - 2005

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3414 PHYSICIAN

David Hurwitz (physician)

1905 - 1992

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3415 BALLET

Kathi Martuza

Born 1979

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3416 POLITICIAN

Henry O. Fairbanks

Born 1852

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3417 BASEBALL

Jerry Sweeney

1857 - 1891

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3418 ABOLITIONIST

John P. Coburn

1811 - 1873

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3419 COMPOSER

Henry F. Williams

1813 - 1903

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3420 JOURNALIST

Ed Fouhy

1934 - 2015

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3421 DRAMA

Ednorah Nahar

Born 1873

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3422 WRITER

Nelson W. Aldrich Jr.

Born 1935

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3423 ORGANIST

Leo Abbott

Born 1950

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3424 MUSIC

Kevin Garant

Born 1963

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3425 PHILANTHROPIST

Benjamin Welles

1857 - 1935

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3426 MUSIC

Larry Roland

Born 1950

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3427 ENTOMOLOGIST

Kenneth Alden Bartlett

Born 1907

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3428 ROWER

Ted Washburn (rowing)

Born 1942

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3429 WRITER

Harriet Abbott Lincoln Coolidge

1849 - 1902

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3430 SWIMMER

Rose Pitonof

1895 - 1984

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3431 ROWER

Charles Mason (rower)

1908 - 1999

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3432 ROWER

Gary Piantedosi

Born 1954

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3433 ROWER

Charles Hewitt (rower)

Born 1949

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3434 ROWER

Steve Brooks (rower)

Born 1948

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3435 PHYSICIAN

Erik Berglund (läkare)

Born 1924

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3436 JOURNALIST

William O. Taylor II

1932 - 2011

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3437 FOOTBALL

A. Austin Tate

1894 - 1943

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3438 ENGINEER

Nathaniel S. Keith

1838 - 1925

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3439 HISTORIAN

Stephen B. Baxter

Died 2020

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3440 POLITICIAN

Daniel H. Coakley Jr.

1906 - 1964

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3441 ROWER

James Lawrence (rower)

1907 - 1995

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3442 ACADEMIC

Clifton Daggett Gray

1874 - 1948

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3443 LAWYER

Charles Stack (lawyer)

Born 1935

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3444 PHOTOGRAPHER

Oliver Noonan

1939 - 1969

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3445 PLAYER

John Mugglebee

Born 1955

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3446 ROWER

Liz Hills

Born 1954

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3447 SCREENWRITER

Greg Johnston

Born 1958

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3448 ENTERTAINER

Amy Height

1866 - 1913

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3449 ROWER

Hughie Pollock

Born 1942

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3450 CHOREOGRAPHER

Sarah Swenson

-

Preview
3451 POLITICIAN

Will Rogers (Maine politician)

Born 1938

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3452 BUSINESS

William Davis Ticknor Sr.

1881 - 1938

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3453 CIVIL RIGHTS

Stan Salett

Born 1936

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3454 EDUCATOR

Richard W. Day (educator)

1916 - 1978

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3455 POLITICIAN

Walter F. Clayton

1865 - 1942

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3456 POLITICIAN

Joseph M. Connolly

1924 - 2007

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3457 SOCCER

Lawrence Briggs

1902 - 1970

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3458 WRESTLER

Drew Donaldson

-

Preview
3459 PHYSICIST

Paul H. Carr (physicist)

Born 1935

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3460 PLAYER

Jake Sprague

Born 1984

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3461 POLITICIAN

Tony Barton (politician)

Born 1961

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3462 SOLDIER

John H. Brown (Medal of Honor)

1842 - 1898

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3463 PHYSICIAN

Joan Reede

Born 1953

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3464 PUBLISHER

William Davis Taylor

Died 2002

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3465 FOOTBALL

Mike Nugent (soccer)

Born 1980

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3466 ARTIST

Mat Rappaport

Born 1971

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3467 ENGINEER

Mark Gardner (inventor)

Born 1955

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3468 FOOTBALL

Dennis Gildea

1898 - 1976

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3469 RADIO

Jim Sampson

Born 1948

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3470 ILLUSTRATOR

Chet Kalm

1925 - 2017

Preview
3471 MILITAR

Liam Madden

-

Preview
3472 WRESTLER

John Olin

1886 - 1920

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3473 OFFICER

Joseph Cushing Edmands

1842 - 1878

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3474 ADVERTISER

Emily Appleton

-

Preview
3475 PRIEST

William F. O'Hare

1870 - 1926

Preview
3476 COMPOSER

Don DiNicola

-

Preview
3477 ARTIST

Eric Fertman

Born 1974

Preview
3478 SWIMMER

Chico Scimone

1911 - 2005

Preview
3479 ACTOR

Jere Shea

Born 1965

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3480 ASTRONOMER

John Rayner Edmands

1850 - 1910

Preview
3481 SPORT

Don Hamilton (sport shooter)

1929 - 1999

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3482 WRITER

Nancy Flagg Gibney

1922 - 1980

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3483 POLITICIAN

Edward F. McLaughlin

1883 - 1953

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3484 BUSINESS

Benjamin Clark Cutler

1756 - 1810

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3485 JUDGE

Herbert N. Maletz

1913 - 2002

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3486 CANOE

Malcolm Hickox

Born 1946

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3487 OFFICER

John P. McDonough (chaplain)

Born 1928

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3488 BASEBALL

George Fair

1856 - 1939

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3489 PHILANTHROPIST

Chuck Longfield

Born 1956

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3490 OFFICER

Arthur R. Curtis

1842 - 1925

Preview
3491 LAWYER

Paul G. Kirk Sr.

1904 - 1981

Preview
3492 WRITER

Robert Perkins (artist)

Born 1949

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3493 SOCCER

Sam Koch (soccer)

1955 - 2014

Preview
3494 NAVY

George Willis (Medal of Honor)

1839 - 1884

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3495 POLITICIAN

Kenneth Weyler

Born 1941

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3496 LAWYER

A. Arthur Giddon

1909 - 2010

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3497 ROCK

Todd Bowie

-

Preview
3498 LAWYER

Michael F. Flaherty Sr.

Born 1936

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3499 LAWYER

James Augustus Fox

1827 - 1901

Preview
3500 POLITICIAN

Henry E. Turner (Massachusetts politician)

1842 - 1911

Preview
3501 ILLUSTRATOR

Celia Calle

-

Preview
3502 POLITICAL

George H. Lyman

1850 - 1945

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3503 BASEBALL

Mike Palm (baseball)

1925 - 2011

Preview
3504 ARTIST

Aisha Cousins

Born 1978

Preview
3505 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Russ Bixler

1927 - 2000

Preview
3506 BASEBALL

Lucille Stone

1925 - 2016

Preview
3507 BASEBALL

Mike Sullivan (pitcher)

1866 - 1906

Preview
3508 ASTRONOMER

Aaron Nichols Skinner

1845 - 1918

Preview
3509 POLITICIAN

Warren E. Barry

1933 - 2016

Preview
3510 POLITICIAN

James E. Hayes

1865 - 1898

Preview
3511 PRIEST

Joseph N. Dinand

1869 - 1943

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3512 FOOTBALL

Clark Tobin

1887 - 1952

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3513 WRITER

Giles Tod

1914 - 1995

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3514 DESIGNER

Grace Lincoln Temple

1865 - 1953

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3515 PHYSICIAN

Frederick Winsor (surgeon)

1829 - 1889

Preview
3516 BUSINESS

Nathaniel Thayer III

1851 - 1911

Preview
3517 SOPRANO

Emma Aline Osgood

1849 - 1911

Preview
3518 POLO

John Elliot Cowdin

1858 - 1941

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3519 ACADEMIC

Gerard T. Indelicato

Born 1946

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3520 DIPLOMAT

Marilyn P. Johnson

Born 1922

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3521 POLITICIAN

Henry Parkman Jr.

1894 - 1958

Preview
3522 POLITICIAN

Mirjam Ballmer

Born 1982

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3523 BASEBALL

John Kiely (baseball)

Born 1964

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3524 ACADEMIC

Angela Bowen

1936 - 2018

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3525 BUSINESS

J. Edwin Ganong

1866 - 1944

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3526 INVENTOR

Richard S. Potember

-

Preview
3527 POLITICIAN

Joseph Lee (American politician)

1901 - 1991

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3528 OFFICER

Anthony T. Shtogren

1917 - 2003

Preview
3529 OFFICER

Samuel Bradford Jones

1826 - 1908

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3530 POLITICIAN

Susan McLane

1929 - 2005

Preview
3531 POLITICIAN

H. James Shea Jr.

1939 - 1970

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3532 BASEBALL

John Bergh

1857 - 1883

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3533 LAWYER

Horace H. Coolidge

1832 - 1912

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3534 POLITICIAN

Kelly Timilty

1962 - 2012

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3535 SPORT

Thomas H. Maguire

1877 - 1915

Preview
3536 MARKETING

Grace Paine Terzian

Born 1952

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3537 POET

Margareta Waterman

Born 1932

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3538 PHYSICIAN

Gertrude Hunter

1926 - 2006

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3539 BUSINESS

Harold Sossen

1924 - 2013

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3540 POLITICIAN

Abraham Edwards

1796 - 1870

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3541 MARINE

David John Scannell

1875 - 1923

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3542 OFFICER

John Joseph Doherty

1919 - 1942

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3543 PAINTER

Frank W. Applebee

1902 - 1988

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3544 PRESENTER

Truman Taylor

-

Preview
3545 FILM

Mary Jirmanus Saba

Born 1983

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3546 PSYCHOLOGIST

Claire Wiseman

Born 1965

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3547 POLITICIAN

Timothy T. Sawyer

1817 - 1905

Preview
3548 LAWYER

Emily Gray Rice

Born 1955

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3549 MILITAR

Henry A. Miley Jr.

1915 - 2010

Preview
3550 ENGINEER

John Souther

1816 - 1911

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3551 NOVELIST

Ray Daniel (author)

Born 1962

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3552 MILITAR

William Moore (Medal of Honor)

1837 - 1918

Preview
3553 INVENTOR

John Emery Harriman

-

Preview
3554 TEACHER

Gustaf Lindskog

1903 - 2002

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3555 MILITAR

George Heyliger

1919 - 1942

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3556 SPORT

Robert Livermore (alpine skier)

1909 - 1991

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3557 ACTOR

Edna Foster

Born 1900

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3558 FOOTBALL

Patrick Grant (American football)

1886 - 1927

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3559 POLITICIAN

Alvin F. Sortwell

1854 - 1910

Preview
3560 SPORT

Maurice H. Palrang

1906 - 1978

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3561 MUSIC

Skipp Whitman

-

Preview
3562 MUSIC

Margaret Kohn (Pianistin)

Born 1928

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3563 PIANIST

Allen Farnham

Born 1961

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3564 LACROSSE

Jennifer Russell (lacrosse)

Born 1987

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3565 SCULPTOR

Nathaniel Taylor (artist)

Born 1969

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3566 DANCER

Alma Yoray

1941 - 2010

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3567 ADMIRAL

Frederick C. Turner

1923 - 2014

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3568 BASKET

Chad Frazier

Born 1992

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3569 SOLDIER

Levi B. Gaylord

1840 - 1900

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3570 SONGWRITER

Seth Malvin

Born 1994

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3571 SCULPTOR

Blane De St. Croix

-

Preview
3572 ARCHITECT

George K. Hooper

1868 - 1939

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3573 POLITICIAN

John I. Fitzgerald

1882 - 1966

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3574 EDITOR

Dana Bullen

1931 - 2007

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3575 COACH

Bud Van Deren

1924 - 2010

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3576 JOURNALIST

Robert S. Capers

Born 1949

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3577 NOVELIST

Nellie Hermann

-

Preview
3578 MILITAR

Michael J. Galvin

1907 - 1963

Preview
3579 POLITICIAN

Peter B. Morin

Born 1955

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3580 PLAYER

Margaret Hunnewell

-

Preview
3581 AUTHOR

Dan Lagana

-

Preview
3582 FOOTBALL

Walter Irving Badger

1859 - 1926

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3583 HORSE TRAINER

Victor J. Nickerson

1928 - 2004

Preview
3584 BISHOP

Alexander Doig Stewart

1926 - 1999

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3585 SINGER

Diamond Donner

-

Preview
3586 BASEBALL

Denny Sullivan (third baseman)

1858 - 1925

Preview
3587 ARTIST

Tuesday Smillie

-

Preview
3588 LAWYER

Frank Fuller

1827 - 1915

Preview
3589 FOOTBALL

William C. Mackie

1870 - 1931

Preview
3590 BASEBALL

Bob Reed (baseball)

Born 1945

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3591 AUTHOR

Daniel Malcolm

1725 - 1769

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3592 ARCHITECT

William B. Colleary

1890 - 1973

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3593 SOLDIER

William Parker (Medal of Honor)

Born 1832

Preview
3594 LAWYER

Edward F. Lyons Jr.

1899 - 1990

Preview
3595 MUSIC

Harry Rogers Pratt

1884 - 1956

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3596 LAWYER

Joseph Lewis Stackpole

1838 - 1904

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3597 POLITICIAN

Robert E. Macdonald

Born 1947

Preview
3598 BASEBALL

Bobby Wheelock

1864 - 1928

Preview
3599 WORLD WAR

Frederic Timothy Murphy

1884 - 1924

Preview
3600 FILM

Beverly Camhe

-

Preview