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

2101 ABOLITIONIST

James George Barbadoes

1796 - 1841

Preview
2102 PRODUCER

Biff Liff

1919 - 2015

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2103 SAXOPHONIST

Sam Margolis

1923 - 1996

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2104 LAWYER

Christine Griffin

Born 1950

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2105 WRITER

Susan Paul

1809 - 1841

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2106 ACADEMIC

Edward E. Salisbury

1814 - 1901

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2107 JOURNALIST

Michael Capuzzo

Born 1957

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2108 SKATER

Curran Oi

Born 1990

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2109 JOURNALIST

Andy Carvin

Born 1971

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2110 MILITAR

George W. Casey Sr.

1922 - 1970

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2111 POET

Joseph Green (poet)

1706 - 1780

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2112 BACTERIOLOGIST

Frederick Parker Gay

1874 - 1939

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2113 FILM

James Dubro

Born 1946

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2114 SONGWRITER

Jesse Dee

Born 1980

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2115 TREASURER

John Francis Kennedy (politician)

1905 - 1994

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2116 MUSIC

Thom Gimbel

Born 1959

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2117 ENGINEER

Henry S. Dennison

1877 - 1952

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2118 OFFICER

Samuel P. Spear

1815 - 1875

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2119 SINGER

Sasha Sloan

-

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2120 LAWYER

Neria Douglass

Born 1952

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2121 FILM

Rod Webber

-

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2122 RABBI

Yehuda Krinsky

Born 1933

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2123 PRIEST

John Thayer (priest)

1755 - 1815

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2124 SUFFRAGETTE

Samuel Edmund Sewall

1799 - 1888

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2125 PHILOSOPHER

Joshua Glenn

Born 1967

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2126 RIDER

Dorothy Morkis

Born 1942

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2127 SPORT

Henry Edward Sears

1870 - 1920

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2128 HOCKEY

Herb Pinder (ice hockey)

Born 1946

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2129 DIPLOMAT

John Temple (diplomat)

1731 - 1798

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2130 POLITICIAN

Willem Draps

Born 1952

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2131 BUSINESS

Dave MacLennan

Born 1950

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2132 PAINTER

Charlotte Gilbertson

1922 - 2014

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2133 COMPOSER

Kay Twomey

1914 - 1995

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2134 DIPLOMAT

Laurence Foley

1942 - 2002

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2135 COMPOSER

Jason Solowsky

Born 1977

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2136 DRUMMER

Robert Williams (drummer)

Born 1955

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2137 LAWYER

Bailey Aldrich

1907 - 2002

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2138 SPORT

Mike Addesa

Born 1945

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2139 ARCHITECT

William Ward Watkin

1886 - 1952

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2140 SPORT

Frederick Bradlee

1892 - 1970

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2141 DRIVER

Kaz Grala

Born 1998

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2142 WRITER

Tina Levitan

1922 - 2014

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2143 HISTORIAN

Peter Hayes (Historiker)

Born 1946

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2144 BASSIST

John Voigt

Born 1939

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2145 PRODUCED

Charles Morris (surveyor general)

1711 - 1781

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2146 BASEBALL

Ed Crane (baseball)

1862 - 1896

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2147 SKATER

George Hill (figure skater)

1907 - 1992

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2148 LAWYER

James T. Austin

1784 - 1870

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2149 HISTORIAN

S. Ilan Troen

Born 1940

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2150 BASKET

B.J. Raymond

Born 1987

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2151 WRITER

Duncan Ball

Born 1941

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2152 FILM

Amy Greenfield

Born 1940

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2153 FILM

Anton Leader

1913 - 1988

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2154 OFFICER

Thomas G. Stevenson

1836 - 1864

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2155 LAWYER

Allison Dale Burroughs

Born 1961

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2156 ARTIST

Liz Glynn

Born 1981

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2157 ENTREPRENEUR

Paul Van Doren

Born 1930

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2158 CURATOR

Gary Russell Libby

Born 1944

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2159 JOURNALIST

Dick Flavin (poet)

Born 1936

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2160 TEACHER

Gary Loveman

Born 1960

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2161 POLITICIAN

Edward P. Barry

1864 - 1936

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2162 POLITICIAN

Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.

1920 - 2005

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2163 PAINTER

Samuel Lancaster Gerry

1813 - 1891

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2164 COMPOSER

Ron Kuivila

Born 1955

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2165 PRODUCER

Mark Driscoll (screenwriter)

Born 1959

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2166 POLITICIAN

Thomas Forese

-

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2167 ATHLETE

Asunción Ocasio

Born 1987

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2168 COACH

Ron Polk

Born 1944

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2169 SURGEON

John Collins Warren Jr.

1842 - 1927

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2170 GOLF

Kathy Cornelius

Born 1932

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2171 WRESTLER

B.J. Annis

Born 1947

Preview
2172 PRIEST

Matthew Harkins

1845 - 1921

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2173 LAWYER

David E. McGiffert

1926 - 2005

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2174 PAINTER

Moses Wight

1827 - 1895

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2175 MANAGER

André Balazs

Born 1957

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2176 WRITER

Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade

1860 - 1945

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2177 SINGER

Ford Pier

Born 1970

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2178 BASEBALL

Joe Bean

1874 - 1961

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2179 MILITAR

Henry Oliver Hansen

1919 - 1945

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2180 ARTIST

Mel Kendrick

Born 1949

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2181 BUSINESS

William Henry Baldwin Jr.

1863 - 1905

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2182 ARTIST

Nathaniel Hurd

1729 - 1777

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2183 PHOTOGRAPHER

Scout Tufankjian

Born 1977

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2184 VIOLIN

Asha Mevlana

-

Preview
2185 LAWYER

Charles Edward Wyzanski Jr.

1906 - 1986

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2186 POLITICIAN

Jeff Miller (California politician)

Born 1963

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2187 ACTOR

Ida Conquest

1876 - 1937

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2188 MOBSTER

Vincent M. Ferrara

Born 1949

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2189 WRITER

Theophilus Parsons (professor)

1797 - 1882

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2190 BANK

Anne Finucane

Born 1950

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2191 POLITICIAN

Shirley Dysart

1928 - 2016

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2192 ASTRONOMER

Alicia M. Soderberg

Born 1977

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2193 WRITER

Guido Giacomo Preparata

Born 1968

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2194 LAWYER

Lelia J. Robinson

1850 - 1891

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2195 PRIEST

Tikhon Mollard

Born 1966

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2196 BUSINESS

Carl J. Shapiro

Born 1913

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2197 POLITICIAN

George Henry Sanderson

1824 - 1893

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2198 ADMINISTRATOR

Edward W. Hooper

1839 - 1901

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2199 ACTOR

William E. Sheridan

1839 - 1887

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2200 FOOTBALL

Steven Silva Rodrigues

Born 1985

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2201 CELLIST

Frank Sumner Dodge

Born 1950

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2202 KARATE

Nicholas Raymond Cerio

1936 - 1998

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2203 BIOGRAPHER

Octavius Frothingham

1822 - 1895

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2204 DIPLOMAT

Marcie Berman Ries

Born 1950

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2205 POLITICIAN

Salvatore DiMasi

Born 1945

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2206 SPORT

Charles Hewett

Born 1929

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2207 PSYCHOLOGIST

John R. P. French

1913 - 1995

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2208 BASEBALL

John Morrill

1855 - 1932

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2209 ACTOR

Stephen O'Reilly (actor)

Born 1973

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2210 BASKET

LeVelle Moton

Born 1974

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2211 FOOTBALL

John Yonakor

1921 - 2001

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2212 FILM

Esther Bell

-

Preview
2213 PRODUCER

Larry S. Miller

Born 1957

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2214 MOBSTER

Vincent Flemmi

1935 - 1979

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2215 CIVIL RIGHTS

Florida Ruffin Ridley

1861 - 1943

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2216 HOCKEY

Red Martin

1938 - 2017

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2217 BIOCHEMIST

Elly Tanaka

Born 1965

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2218 MARINE

John Foster Williams

1743 - 1814

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2219 ARCHITECT

Eben Ezra Roberts

1866 - 1943

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2220 INVENTOR

Joseph Francis

1801 - 1893

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2221 WRITER

Michael DeSisto

1939 - 2003

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2222 POLITICIAN

Mason Sears

1899 - 1973

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2223 ARTIST

Edward French (make-up artist)

Born 1951

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2224 SINGER

Claudia Gonson

Born 1968

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2225 BASEBALL

Joe Coleman (baseball, born 1947)

Born 1947

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2226 BOXING

Tom O'Rourke (boxing manager)

1856 - 1936

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2227 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Jonathan S. Turner

Born 1953

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2228 BUSINESS

Eugenio Lopez III

Born 1952

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2229 AUTHOR

John Gorman (radio)

Born 1950

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2230 MUSIC

Ray Pitts

1932 - 2012

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2231 JOURNALIST

Alessandra Stanley

Born 1955

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2232 BASEBALL

Eddie Pellagrini

1918 - 2006

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2233 SINGER

Norman Foster (bass)

1925 - 2000

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2234 GANGSTER

Angelo Mercurio

1936 - 2006

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2235 ARMY

Henry Jackson (general)

1747 - 1809

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2236 CHEMIST

Charles Robert Sanger

1860 - 1912

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2237 POLITICIAN

John O'Connor (Canadian politician)

1824 - 1887

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2238 PLAYER

Quincy Shaw

1869 - 1960

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2239 BUSINESS

John Alevizos

1919 - 2005

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2240 PAINTER

Richard Yarde

1939 - 2011

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2241 JOURNALIST

Edward Howard House

1836 - 1901

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2242 ACTOR

Collette Lyons

1908 - 1986

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2243 COMPOSER

Tison Street

Born 1943

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2244 AUTHOR

Michael Harvey (author)

Born 1958

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2245 DIPLOMAT

John Gardner Coolidge

1863 - 1936

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2246 BASEBALL

Chuck Essegian

Born 1931

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2247 FOOTBALL

Victoria Folayan

Born 1985

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2248 FOOTBALL

Mariela Jácome

Born 1996

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2249 NOVELIST

Christopher Tilghman

Born 1946

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2250 PAINTER

Stephen Salisbury Tuckerman

1830 - 1904

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2251 COLLECTOR

Rene di Rosa

1919 - 2010

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2252 WRITER

Ella Lyman Cabot

1866 - 1934

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2253 BASEBALL

Adam Ravenelle

Born 1992

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2254 ACTOR

Terrayne Crawford

Born 1945

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2255 HOCKEY

Cleon Daskalakis

Born 1962

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2256 PRINTMAKER

Judith Rothchild

Born 1950

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2257 EXPLORER

Gregory Deyermenjian

Born 1949

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2258 POLITICIAN

Mark F. Miller

Born 1943

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2259 FARMER

Benjamin Bussey

1757 - 1842

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2260 POET

Kate Colby

Born 1950

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2261 SINGER

Barrett Wilbert Weed

Born 1988

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2262 SINGER

Paula Kelley

-

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2263 EXPLORER

Richard Evelyn Byrd III

1920 - 1988

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2264 PHYSICIAN

Nancy M. Hill

1833 - 1919

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2265 TEACHER

Aijalon Gomes

1979 - 2017

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2266 ENGINEER

Julius Walker Adams

1812 - 1899

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2267 SKATER

Louann Donovan

Born 1986

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2268 POLITICIAN

Aaron Michlewitz

Born 1978

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2269 BALLET

Joyce Cuoco

Born 1953

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2270 MOBSTER

Robert F. Carrozza

Born 1940

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2271 TURNER

Phokion Heinrich Clias

1782 - 1854

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2272 POLITICIAN

Nathan Matthews Jr.

1854 - 1927

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2273 POET

Hattie Tyng Griswold

1842 - 1909

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2274 ARTIST

Leslie Dick

Born 1954

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2275 LAWYER

Alberto J. Mora

Born 1951

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2276 FILM

Henry Ferrini

Born 1953

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2277 BIOLOGIST

Mary Lou Clements-Mann

1946 - 1998

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2278 LAWYER

Catherine C. Blake

Born 1950

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2279 MATHEMATICIAN

Daniel Rider

1938 - 2008

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2280 ASTRONOMER

Florence Cushman

1860 - 1940

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2281 MATHEMATICIAN

George W. Brown (academic)

1917 - 2005

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2282 ILLUSTRATOR

Carl Strauss

1873 - 1957

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2283 PHYSICIAN

William J. Morton

1846 - 1920

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2284 JOURNALIST

Meghna Chakrabarti

-

Preview
2285 ENGINEER

Elisha Collier

1788 - 1856

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2286 BANK

Samuel Eliot (banker)

1739 - 1820

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2287 WRITER

Molly Birnbaum

Born 1982

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2288 OFFICER

Thomas Oliver Selfridge Jr.

1836 - 1924

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2289 PRIEST

Edward Thaddeus Lawton

1913 - 1966

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2290 NOVELIST

Augustine Joseph Hickey Duganne

1823 - 1884

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2291 LAWYER

David S. Cohen (attorney)

Born 1963

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2292 JOURNALIST

James Bennet (journalist)

Born 1966

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2293 MATHEMATICIAN

Barbara McMartin

1931 - 2005

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2294 ACTOR

Bill Doherty Jr.

Born 1982

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2295 NOVELIST

Linda Barlow

Born 1948

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2296 COMPOSER

Woolson Morse

1858 - 1897

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2297 PRESENTER

Annisa Pohan

Born 1981

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2298 DANCER

Jean de Koven

1915 - 1937

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2299 LAWYER

Thomas Finneran

Born 1950

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2300 BODYBUILDER

Mike Matarazzo

1965 - 2014

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2301 ACTOR

Linda Carol

Born 1970

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2302 POLITICIAN

Hannah-Beth Jackson

Born 1950

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2303 ACTOR

Frank Scannell

1903 - 1989

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2304 ECONOMIST

Laurence Ball

Born 1959

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2305 MILITAR

Joseph H. De Castro

1844 - 1892

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2306 OFFICER

Caspar Crowninshield

1837 - 1897

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2307 PAINTER

Aaron Fink (artist)

Born 1955

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2308 WRITER

Martin Bookspan

Born 1926

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2309 LAWYER

Edward G. Loring

1802 - 1890

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2310 SCHOLAR

John Caskey

1908 - 1981

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2311 FILM

Andrew Marcus

Born 1960

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2312 BOOKSELLER

Charles Carroll Soule

1842 - 1913

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2313 HOCKEY

Steve Cedorchuk

-

Preview
2314 ART HISTORIAN

James Parker (art historian)

1924 - 2001

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2315 FENCER

Caitlin Bilodeaux

Born 1965

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2316 LAWYER

Raymond P. Moore

Born 1953

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2317 GOLF

Jim Renner

Born 1983

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2318 SOCIAL REFORMER

Robert Treat Paine (philanthropist)

1835 - 1910

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2319 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jack Lueders-Booth

Born 1935

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2320 LIBRARIAN

Clement Walker Andrews

1858 - 1930

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2321 TRADE UNION

Mary Morton Kehew

1859 - 1918

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2322 LECTURER

Juliet Corson

1841 - 1897

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2323 PAINTER

Alexander Pope Jr.

1849 - 1924

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2324 NOVELIST

William C. Hammond

Born 1947

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2325 MINISTER

Joseph Roby

1724 - 1803

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2326 BASEBALL

Jimmy Macullar

1855 - 1924

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2327 ECOLOGIST

Howard P. Boyd

1914 - 2011

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2328 ANIMATOR

Lev Yilmaz

Born 1969

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2329 POET

Julie Agoos

Born 1956

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2330 PROFESSOR

Cosma Shalizi

Born 1974

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2331 ROWER

Will Miller (rower)

Born 1984

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2332 ARTIST

Élodie Pong

Born 1966

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2333 PHILANTHROPIST

Isabel Weld Perkins

1877 - 1949

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2334 FOOTBALL

Bill Brooks (American football)

Born 1964

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2335 SCREENWRITER

Jeff Kline

-

Preview
2336 ACTOR

Jimmy Fowlie

Born 1985

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2337 ACTOR

Al Taylor (actor)

1887 - 1951

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2338 PAINTER

Frank Hill Smith

1842 - 1904

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2339 JOURNALIST

Margaret Green Draper

1727 - 1804

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2340 BUSINESS

Richard F. Syron

Born 1943

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2341 SKATER

Joan Tozzer

1921 - 2012

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2342 CHESS

Sharon Ellen Burtman

Born 1968

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2343 POET

Patricia Goedicke

1931 - 2006

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2344 JOURNALIST

Louis M. Lyons

1897 - 1982

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2345 WRITER

Dave DeWitt

Born 1944

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2346 MARTIAL ART

Alex Karalexis

Born 1977

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2347 ARTIST

Patrick O'Brien (artist)

Born 1960

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2348 VIDEO GAME

Lauren Elliott

Born 1946

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2349 PRINTER

Daniel Fowle (printer)

1715 - 1787

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2350 POLITICIAN

John F. Parker

1907 - 1992

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2351 FOOTBALL

Julian Jenkins

Born 1983

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2352 COLONEL

James Chaplin Beecher

1828 - 1886

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2353 SPORT

Bob Sheridan

Born 1944

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2354 CLERIC

Mather Byles (loyalist)

1734 - 1814

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2355 POET

Phelps Putnam

1894 - 1948

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2356 MEDIA

Gina Keatley

Born 1980

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2357 PLAYER

Irving Wright

1882 - 1953

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2358 LAWYER

Jennie Loitman Barron

1891 - 1969

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2359 ACTOR

William J. Le Moyne

1831 - 1905

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2360 POLITICIAN

Charles Wells (American politician)

1786 - 1866

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2361 ACTOR

Warren Cook

1878 - 1939

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2362 NOVELIST

Mary Catherine Crowley

1856 - 1920

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2363 LAWYER

Paul Edward Plunkett

1935 - 2018

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2364 HOCKEY

Don Parsons (ice hockey)

Born 1969

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2365 CHESS

Elliott Liu

Born 1989

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2366 POET

Joyelle McSweeney

Born 1976

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2367 FILM

Roy Karch

Born 1946

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2368 ABOLITIONIST

Ellis Gray Loring

1803 - 1858

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2369 MARTIAL ART

Tony Fryklund

Born 1971

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2370 ETCHER

Lawrence Kupferman

1909 - 1982

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2371 POLITICIAN

Wilma Chan

Born 1949

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2372 ACTOR

John Gibbs Gilbert

1810 - 1889

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2373 FILM

Amanda Micheli

-

Preview
2374 BASEBALL

Cameron Drew

Born 1964

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2375 MANAGER

Leon Fraser

1889 - 1945

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2376 PRIEST

Percy Stickney Grant

1860 - 1927

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2377 SPORT

Jim Donovan (sportscaster)

Born 1956

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2378 RAPPER

Nosson Zand

Born 1981

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2379 HOCKEY

George V. Brown

1880 - 1937

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2380 POLITICIAN

Andy Kim (politician)

Born 1982

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2381 WORLD WAR

Harold Buckley Willis

1890 - 1962

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2382 ENGINEER

Paul W. Litchfield

1875 - 1959

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2383 MINISTER

Charles Russell Lowell Sr.

1782 - 1861

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2384 FOOTBALL

David Norrie

Born 1963

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2385 WRITER

Debra Spark

Born 1962

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2386 ACTOR

Rusty Stevens

Born 1948

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2387 ENTREPRENEUR

Andrew Perlman

Born 1975

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2388 AUTHOR

Molly Childers

1875 - 1964

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2389 MISSING

Pearl Chase

1888 - 1979

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2390 ARCHITECT

George F. Hammond

1855 - 1938

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2391 OPERA

Paul Franke

1917 - 2011

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2392 POLITICIAN

Shannon O'Brien

Born 1959

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2393 ACTOR

Jill Tasker

Born 1966

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2394 WRITER

Anna Cabot Lowell Quincy Waterston

1812 - 1899

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2395 DRIVER

Tim Pappas

Born 1973

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2396 POET

Augusta Joyce Crocheron

1844 - 1915

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2397 SINGER

Noel Gourdin

Born 1981

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2398 TRADE UNION

William J. McCarthy

1919 - 1998

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2399 SPORT

Jon Anik

Born 1978

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2400 POLITICIAN

William H. Hodgkins

1840 - 1905

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