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

2401 BASEBALL

Dick Donovan

1927 - 1997

Preview
2402 CARTOONIST

Marty Riskin

Born 1958

Preview
2403 ACTOR

Jeffrey Wahlberg

Born 1996

Preview
2404 STATISTICIAN

A. Ross Eckler Jr.

1927 - 2016

Preview
2405 BUSINESS

Landon T. Clay

1926 - 2017

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2406 LAWYER

Robert A. Sherman

Born 1953

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2407 SKATER

Megan Wessenberg

Born 1998

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2408 PAINTER

Harold Anderson (illustrator)

1894 - 1973

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2409 ACTOR

Tom Magliozzi

1937 - 2014

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2410 ACTOR

Frank M. Mayo

1839 - 1896

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2411 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Andrew E. Rice

1922 - 2010

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2412 CONDUCTOR

Ernst Hoffmann (conductor)

1899 - 1956

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2413 WRITER

Fernando Zamora (writer)

Born 1979

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2414 RACER

Gina Bovaird

Born 1949

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2415 COMEDIAN

Abby Rosmarin

Born 1986

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2416 SENATOR

Thomas Hassan

Born 1958

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2417 ACTOR

Gregory Cahill

Born 1982

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2418 ENGINEER

William Herbert Bixby

1849 - 1928

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2419 TRANSLATOR

Mary Ella Waller

1855 - 1938

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2420 POET

Martha Rhodes

-

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2421 JOURNALIST

John Strohmeyer

1924 - 2010

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2422 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jim Dow

Born 1942

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2423 SWIMMER

Scott Jaffe

Born 1969

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2424 PUBLISHER

Thomas G. Osenton

Born 1953

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2425 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Mike Shapiro (programmer)

-

Preview
2426 LAWYER

Patti B. Saris

Born 1951

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2427 ENSEIGNANT

Charles Baldwin

1834 - 1896

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2428 ACTOR

Jimmy Brogan

Born 1948

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2429 AIR FORCE

Albert Francis Hegenberger

1895 - 1983

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2430 POLITICIAN

Francis Bellotti

Born 1923

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2431 FOOTBALL

Len Grant

1906 - 1938

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2432 POLITICIAN

Robert G. Abboud

Born 1956

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2433 WRITER

Lea Wait

Born 1946

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2434 BASKET

Lexie Brown

Born 1994

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2435 ACTOR

Benjamin Byron Davis

Born 1972

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2436 SCREENWRITER

George Burditt (writer)

1923 - 2013

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2437 HISTORIAN

Alessandro Giacone

Born 1975

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2438 ACTOR

Christopher Foley

Born 1988

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2439 POLITICIAN

Stephen W. Doran

Born 1956

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2440 SISTER

Elizabeth Sewall Alcott

1835 - 1858

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2441 FOOTBALL

James Moran Sr.

1912 - 1983

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2442 OFFICER

Kevin Reilly (Louisiana politician)

1928 - 2012

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2443 FILM

Jack O'Connell (filmmaker)

Died 2019

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2444 ARTIST

Steven Hughes

1954 - 2000

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2445 PSYCHOLOGIST

Edith Achilles

1892 - 1989

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2446 FOOTBALL

Lake Dawson

Born 1972

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2447 ACTOR

Betty Miller

1925 - 2004

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2448 RADIO

Steve Sweeney

Born 1948

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2449 EDUCATOR

John D. O'Bryant

1931 - 1992

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2450 COMMANDER

Nathaniel M. Allen

1840 - 1900

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2451 POLITICIAN

Steven McLaughlin

Born 1963

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2452 WRITER

Lisa Jervis

Born 1972

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2453 BUSINESS

Aaron Feuerstein

Born 1925

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2454 ACTOR

Carolina White

1886 - 1961

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2455 OFFICER

Barbara J. Bishop

1920 - 2005

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2456 BIOLOGIST

Robert H. Singer

-

Preview
2457 ACTOR

Virginia Harned

1868 - 1946

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2458 SCREENWRITER

Sada Cowan

1882 - 1943

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2459 SINGER

Stacy Earl

Born 1962

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2460 BASEBALL

Gid Gardner

1859 - 1914

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2461 JUDGE

Philip Nichols Jr.

1907 - 1990

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2462 COMPOSER

James Alexander Brennan

1885 - 1956

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2463 BASEBALL

Bill McGunnigle

1855 - 1899

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2464 PHYSICIST

David L. Webster

1888 - 1976

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2465 BUSINESS

Paul Calello

1961 - 2010

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2466 JOURNALIST

James R. Quirk

1884 - 1932

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2467 NOVELIST

Patricia Clapp

1912 - 2003

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2468 ACTOR

Nicole Axelrod

Born 1997

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2469 JOURNALIST

Geoff Edgers

Born 1970

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2470 POLITICIAN

Cory Atkins

Born 1949

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2471 POLITICIAN

Tackey Chan

Born 1973

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2472 FOOTBALL

Darvell Huffman

Born 1967

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2473 COACH

John Francis Moakley

1863 - 1955

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2474 FOOTBALL

Al Maginnes

1897 - 1966

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2475 ACTOR

Frank Annese

Born 1950

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2476 POLITICIAN

Theodore D. Mann

1922 - 1994

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2477 FOOTBALL

Burleigh Cruikshank

1890 - 1982

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2478 CRIMINOLOGIST

Francis T. Cullen

Born 1951

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2479 POLITICIAN

Cynthia Stone Creem

Born 1942

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2480 POLITICIAN

Warren Tolman

Born 1959

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2481 JOURNALIST

Linda Solomon

Born 1937

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2482 BASEBALL

Dick Mills (baseball)

1945 - 2015

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2483 POLITICIAN

Paul McMurtry

-

Preview
2484 POLITICIAN

Patrick H. McCarren

1849 - 1909

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2485 ROWER

William Newell (rower)

Born 1988

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2486 POLITICIAN

Bruce Ayers

Born 1962

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2487 SCULPTOR

Cristina Córdova

Born 1976

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2488 OCCULTIST

George Winslow Plummer

1876 - 1944

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2489 LITERARY

Marcia Nardi

1901 - 1990

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2490 ACTOR

Alexander Steinert

1900 - 1982

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2491 BASKET

William Grinnell

1909 - 1997

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2492 MINISTER

John Lowell (minister)

1704 - 1767

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2493 HOCKEY

Jeremiah McCarthy

Born 1976

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2494 CRICKET

Ken Weekes

1912 - 1998

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2495 BUSINESS

Benjamin Milliken

1728 - 1791

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2496 OFFICER

Thomas Sherwin

1839 - 1914

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2497 PAINTER

David Kracov

Born 1968

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2498 JOURNALIST

J.M. Flynn

1925 - 1985

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2499 OFFICER

John Flerlage

Born 1958

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2500 NOVELIST

Ann Bauer

Born 1966

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2501 FENCER

Ed Richards (fencer)

1929 - 2012

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2502 NAVY

Alexander Bradley

1851 - 1925

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2503 SINGER

Shea Rose

-

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2504 SINGER

Johnny Angel Wendell

Born 1956

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2505 ACTOR

William Robert Daly

Born 1871

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2506 JOURNALIST

Stephen Kurkjian

-

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2507 ART CRITIC

Dorothy Adlow

1901 - 1964

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2508 TELEVISION

Brian Christie

-

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2509 CARTOONIST

Charles G. Bush

1842 - 1909

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2510 COACH

Bob Fisher (American football coach)

1887 - 1942

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2511 ARCHITECT

Bruce Appleyard

Born 1965

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2512 PSYCHOLOGIST

John Frykman

Born 1932

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2513 ACTOR

Casey Durkin

-

Preview
2514 ABOLITIONIST

Gamaliel Bradford (abolitionist)

1795 - 1839

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2515 DEPUTY

Jeffrey A. Rosen

-

Preview
2516 PASTOR

George Edmands Merrill

1846 - 1908

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2517 THEATRICAL

Jeffrey Finn

Born 1970

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2518 DIPLOMAT

Robert Anderson (diplomat)

1922 - 1996

Preview
2519 PHYSICIST

Angela Olinto

Born 1961

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2520 WRITER

Martha Bayles

Born 1948

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2521 HOCKEY

Paul O'Neil

Born 1953

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2522 ACTOR

Daniel Gilfether

1849 - 1919

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2523 POLITICIAN

Harrison Gray (Treasurer)

1711 - 1794

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2524 RADIO

Dan Rea

-

Preview
2525 ACTOR

Gaston Bell

1877 - 1963

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2526 ATHLETIC

Herbert Gidney

1881 - 1963

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2527 MARTIAL ART

Chris Sanford

Born 1968

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2528 CARTOGRAPHER

Thomas Gamaliel Bradford

1802 - 1887

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2529 LAWYER

Jeremiah Gridley

1702 - 1767

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2530 POLITICIAN

Gloria Fox

Born 1942

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2531 HISTORIAN

Donna F. Ryan

Died 2012

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2532 LAWYER

Dwight Dudley

Born 1954

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2533 PAINTER

James Fitzgerald

1899 - 1971

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2534 DIPLOMAT

David George Newton

Born 1935

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2535 ASTRONOMER

David Louis Band

1957 - 2009

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2536 LAWYER

Thomas Patrick Thornton

1898 - 1985

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2537 BANK

John Donald Daly

1841 - 1923

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2538 BANK

Amelia Fawcett

Born 1956

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2539 ORGANIST

Larry Ferrari

1932 - 1997

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2540 CHEMIST

Richard J. Green

Born 1964

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2541 NAVY

H. Roy Waite

1884 - 1978

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2542 VÍCTIM

Samantha Runnion

1996 - 2002

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2543 POLITICAL

Felix G. Arroyo

Born 1979

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2544 POLITICIAN

Daniel J. Hunt

-

Preview
2545 ACTOR

Kevin DeCoste

Born 1995

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2546 EDUCATOR

John Cranford Adams

1903 - 1986

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2547 SENATE

Lou D'Allesandro

Born 1938

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2548 SINGER

Dennis Kenney

-

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2549 ACADEMIC

Dena F. Dincauze

1934 - 2016

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2550 POLITICIAN

Bradford Hill

Born 1967

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2551 ACTOR

Kenneth Kamal Scott

1940 - 2015

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2552 VIDEOGRAPHER

Lucas Brunelle

Born 1971

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2553 HISTORIAN

Florence Hall (Pulitzer Prize winner)

1845 - 1922

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2554 RESEARCH

William Schafer

Born 1964

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2555 POET

Deborah Warren

Born 1946

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2556 SOCIOLOGIST

Leonard Broom

1911 - 2009

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2557 ARMY

Philip Church

1778 - 1861

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2558 FOOTBALL

Roger Caron (American football)

Born 1962

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2559 JOURNALIST

Horatio Hastings Weld

1811 - 1888

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2560 BUSINESS

Henry Mason (piano manufacturer)

1831 - 1890

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2561 POLICE

John Simpson (police official)

Born 1932

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2562 JOURNALIST

Warren Cassell Jr.

Born 1999

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2563 RABBI

Mayer Alter Horowitz

-

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2564 FOOTBALL

Alfred Henry Miller

1904 - 1967

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2565 FILM

Charles Logue

1889 - 1938

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2566 POLITICIAN

Therese Murray

Born 1947

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2567 WRITER

Julia de Wolf Gibbs

1860 - 1952

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2568 ACADEMIC

Christopher Edley Jr.

Born 1953

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2569 GUITAR

Hy White

1915 - 2011

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2570 MUSIC

Adam Birnbaum

Born 1979

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2571 PRIEST

Joseph John Ruocco

1922 - 1980

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2572 SCREENWRITER

Ian Biederman

-

Preview
2573 PAINTER

Eve Garrison

1903 - 2003

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2574 EDITOR

Paul Coyne

Born 1964

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2575 PIANO

Thomas Edward Chickering

1824 - 1871

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2576 BROADCAST

Salty Brine

1918 - 2004

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2577 MUSIC

Jonathan Anastas

-

Preview
2578 PAINTER

William Jurian Kaula

1871 - 1953

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2579 FOOTBALL

Glenn Hyde

Born 1951

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2580 POLITICIAN

Elizabeth Poirier

Born 1942

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2581 SCIENTIST

Peter Ricchiuti

Born 1957

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2582 OFFICER

Horace Brooks

1814 - 1894

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2583 POLITICIAN

Thomas Leverett

1765 - 1833

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2584 LAWYER

William F. Downes

Born 1946

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2585 PAINTER

Esther Geller

1921 - 2015

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2586 SINGER

Tatiana Menotti

1909 - 2001

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2587 BASKET

Richard Pitino

Born 1982

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2588 COSTUME DESIGNER

Marlene Stewart (costume designer)

Born 1949

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2589 BASEBALL

Chris Petersen (baseball)

Born 1970

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2590 POLITICIAN

J. Michael Houston

Born 1994

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2591 KUNST

James William Pattison

1844 - 1915

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2592 POLITICIAN

Polly Trottenberg

-

Preview
2593 WRITER

William Fuller

Born 1913

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2594 GOLF

Herbert Leeds

1855 - 1930

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2595 POLITICIAN

John E. Kerrigan

1908 - 1987

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2596 ARTIST

David Thorne

Born 1960

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2597 MUSIC

Johnny Catron

1916 - 1998

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2598 BANK

Jes Staley

Born 1956

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2599 ARMY

Charles A. Coolidge

1844 - 1926

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2600 LAWYER

David Sutherland Nelson

1933 - 1998

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2601 COACH

Myron Fuller

1889 - 1949

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2602 HISTORIAN

Andrew Diamond (professor)

Born 1967

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2603 OFFICER

Thomas Kilby Smith

1820 - 1887

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2604 ARTIST

TJ Norris

Born 1965

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2605 ACADEMIC

Harold B. Segel

1930 - 2016

Preview
2606 TEACHER

Sarah Bradford Ripley

1793 - 1867

Preview
2607 MATHEMATICIAN

Webster Wells

1851 - 1916

Preview
2608 WORLD WAR

Frederick C. Murphy

1918 - 1945

Preview
2609 COMEDIAN

Dave Horwitz

Born 1983

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2610 COACH

Duke Nelson

1907 - 1989

Preview
2611 MUSIC

Leonora Jackson McKim

1879 - 1969

Preview
2612 CHEMIST

Stephen F. Heinemann

1939 - 2014

Preview
2613 POLITICIAN

James Otis (politician)

1826 - 1875

Preview
2614 POLITICIAN

Mike Rush

-

Preview
2615 OFFICER

Allen Melancthon Sumner

1882 - 1918

Preview
2616 WORLD WAR

Jean Gordon (Red Cross)

1915 - 1946

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2617 ARTIST

Deborah Aschheim

Born 1964

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2618 POLITICIAN

George G. Crocker

1843 - 1913

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2619 FOOTBALL

Karl Paymah

Born 1982

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2620 ARTIST

Alex McQuilkin

Born 1980

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2621 BANK

Fred Joseph

1937 - 2009

Preview
2622 FOOTBALL

Brandon McRae

Born 1986

Preview
2623 MINERALOGIST

Harry Berman

1902 - 1944

Preview
2624 CRIMINAL

Robert Donati

1940 - 1991

Preview
2625 HOCKEY

Jim Troy (ice hockey)

Born 1953

Preview
2626 PHOTOGRAPHER

Susannah Hays

Born 1959

Preview
2627 MISSING

Michael C. McFarland

Born 1948

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2628 HOCKEY

Steve Baker (ice hockey)

Born 1957

Preview
2629 PHILANTHROPIST

Eliza Henderson Boardman Otis

1796 - 1873

Preview
2630 PHOTOGRAPHER

Nick Albertson

Born 1983

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2631 WRITER

Johanna Fiedler

1945 - 2011

Preview
2632 PHYSICIST

Irwin Oppenheim

1929 - 2014

Preview
2633 PRODUCER

Loni Peristere

Born 1971

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2634 POLITICIAN

Ron Nirenberg

Born 1977

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2635 SAILOR

Trevor Moore (sailor)

Born 1984

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2636 POLITICIAN

Frederick C. Langone

1921 - 2001

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2637 ARMY

John Andrew Barnes III

1945 - 1967

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2638 LAWYER

George T. Conway III

Born 1963

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2639 PHYSICIAN

Gordon K. MacLeod

1929 - 2007

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2640 BUSINESS

Christopher F. Egan

-

Preview
2641 AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Lucy Flucker Knox

1756 - 1824

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2642 SINGER

Eve Goldberg

Born 1967

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2643 FILM

Harry Sherman

1884 - 1952

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2644 LAWYER

Thomas P. O'Brien

Born 1960

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2645 HYDROLOGIST

Timothy A. Cohn

1957 - 2017

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2646 LAWYER

Elijah Adlow

1896 - 1982

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2647 BASEBALL

Bunny Madden

1882 - 1954

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2648 PAINTER

Frederick Dickinson Williams

1829 - 1915

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2649 SINGER

Elizabeth Amsden

1881 - 1966

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2650 SPORT

John A. Brewin

1876 - 1938

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2651 FOOTBALL

Frank Morrissey

1899 - 1968

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2652 SCREENWRITER

Max Pross

Born 1957

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2653 FOOTBALL

Jeremy Brigham

Born 1975

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2654 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Jerrold D. Green

Born 1948

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2655 INVENTOR

Charles A. Cheever

1852 - 1900

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2656 LYRICIST

Robert Levenson

1897 - 1961

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2657 EDUCATOR

Horace Bumstead

1841 - 1919

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2658 ACTOR

Nina Vale

-

Preview
2659 LIBRARIAN

Phyllis Richmond

1921 - 1997

Preview
2660 POLITICIAN

Paul Aizley

Born 1936

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2661 POLITICIAN

Courtney Kennedy Hill

Born 1956

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2662 BASKET

Dexter W. Draper

1881 - 1961

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2663 TEACHER

Joasaph (McLellan)

1962 - 2009

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2664 ACTOR

Marc London

Born 1927

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2665 PHOTOGRAPHER

Helen Messinger Murdoch

1862 - 1956

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2666 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Sally R. Osberg

Born 1950

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2667 BASEBALL

Chub Sullivan

1856 - 1881

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2668 POLITICIAN

Henry F. Teschemacher

1823 - 1904

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2669 SWIMMER

Florence Chambers

1907 - 1979

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2670 SOLDIER

John Goffe

1701 - 1786

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2671 BASKET

Jimmy Patsos

Born 1966

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2672 POLITICIAN

Michael A. McManus Jr.

Born 1943

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2673 COMMUNIST

Frank Pease

1879 - 1959

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2674 SKATER

Garrett Swasey

1971 - 2015

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2675 FOOTBALL

Al Cannava

1924 - 2017

Preview
2676 POLITICIAN

Stephen Kulik

Born 1950

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2677 WRITER

Jonathan Messinger

-

Preview
2678 PAINTER

Benjamin Trott (peintre)

1770 - 1841

Preview
2679 JOURNALIST

Neal Kozodoy

Born 1942

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2680 PHYSICIST

Andrew M. Weiner

Born 1958

Preview
2681 VENTRILOQUIST

Jonathan Harrington

1811 - 1881

Preview
2682 PAINTER

Ford Crull

Born 1952

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2683 MINISTER

Jonathan Mason Warren

1811 - 1867

Preview
2684 ARTIST

Tracy Montminy

1911 - 1992

Preview
2685 ACADEMIC

Michael Rao

Born 1967

Preview
2686 BASEBALL

Matt Murray (baseball)

Born 1970

Preview
2687 PERFORMER

Francis Carlyle

1912 - 1975

Preview
2688 COACH

Joe McKenney

1905 - 1995

Preview
2689 BOXER

Matty Baldwin

1885 - 1918

Preview
2690 PAINTER

Willard MacGregor

1901 - 1993

Preview
2691 BASEBALL

Jim Bowden

Born 1961

Preview
2692 DRUMMER

Tomas Fujiwara

Born 1977

Preview
2693 LOYALIST

Malachy Salter

1715 - 1781

Preview
2694 TEACHER

Rhoda Dorsey

1927 - 2014

Preview
2695 PHYSICIST

Nathaniel H. Frank

1903 - 1984

Preview
2696 LAWYER

Thomas J. Connolly

Born 1958

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2697 BASEBALL

Herb Hunter

1895 - 1970

Preview
2698 POLITICIAN

Mark Ciommo

Born 1956

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2699 POLITICIAN

William B. Golden

Born 1948

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2700 HOCKEY

Herb Hammond

1939 - 2009

Preview