41.8501° N, 87.6499° W

CHICAGO

Most Famous People Born in Chicago, United States

Notable people
7,467
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1940
Most distinctive
Baseball 5.2×

Big shoulders, broad bench. Chicago's notables spread evenly across actors, politicians, and four major-league sports — no inland American city produces more baseball and basketball players — alongside a deep screenwriter and novelist tradition that gave the world Saul Bellow, David Mamet, and Ben Hecht. No single category dominates the way film does in Los Angeles or Wall Street does in New York, and the music economy alone runs from blues and house to first-wave hip-hop.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 850 notable births.

What Chicago Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is Chicago's biggest profession — 11% of all notables (813).

Chicago over-indexes on baseball5.2× the global rate.

Chicago under-produces politician — only 0.5× the global rate.

  1. Actor813
  2. Politician469
  3. Football462
  4. Baseball441
  5. Basket398
  6. Music312
  7. Writer220
  8. Singer207
  1. Baseball4415.2×
  2. Basket3984.2×
  3. Screenwriter1283.9×
  4. Novelist963.3×
  5. Music3122.9×
  6. Actor8132.0×
  7. Film1681.8×
  1. Politician4690.5×
  2. Football4620.6×
  3. Painter1160.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All7,467
Sort By

7,467 notable people

0901 NOVELIST

Dorothy Salisbury Davis

1916 - 2014

Preview
0902 COMEDIAN

Mary Gross

Born 1953

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0903 AUTHOR

Ana Castillo

Born 1953

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0904 TEACHER

Eric Posner

Born 1965

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0905 POET

James Schuyler

1923 - 1991

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0906 BUSINESS

Charles Richard Crane

1858 - 1939

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0907 FILM

Arnold Laven

1922 - 2009

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0908 POET

Yvor Winters

1900 - 1968

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0909 SINGER

Andrew Belle

Born 1984

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0910 FILM

Jon Jost

Born 1943

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0911 ACTOR

Emma Abbott

1850 - 1891

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0912 ACTOR

Christine Fernandes

Born 1968

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0913 BASKET

Luther Head

Born 1982

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0914 ACTOR

Lawrence Weingarten

1897 - 1975

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0915 CLARINET

Matana Roberts

Born 1978

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0916 SCREENWRITER

Samuel A. Taylor

1912 - 2000

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0917 BIOLOGIST

Marc Kirschner

Born 1945

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0918 SPRINT

Regina George

Born 1991

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0919 ACTOR

Sandy Allen

1955 - 2008

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0920 MUSIC

Bennie Green

1923 - 1977

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0921 PSYCHOLOGIST

Bernard Weiner

Born 1935

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0922 SCREENWRITER

Norman Panama

1914 - 2003

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0923 ACTOR

Sydney Lassick

1922 - 2003

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0924 SCENOGRAPHER

Hal Pereira

1905 - 1983

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0925 FILM

John Erman

Born 1935

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0926 BASKET

Yolanda Griffith

Born 1970

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0927 POLITICIAN

Tom Campbell (California politician)

Born 1952

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0928 MAKEUP ARTIST

Bobbi Brown

Born 1957

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0929 POLITICIAN

Samuel Bodman

1938 - 2018

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0930 MUSIC

DJ Rush

Born 1970

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0931 WRITER

Bill Kaysing

1922 - 2005

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0932 COMPOSER

Dreezy

Born 1994

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0933 PRODUCER

James William Guercio

Born 1945

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0934 MUSIC

Lurrie Bell

Born 1958

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0935 RAPPER

Boots Riley

Born 1971

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0936 RADIO

Alan Berg

1934 - 1984

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0937 SCREENWRITER

Paul Brickman

Born 1949

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0938 BASEBALL

Eddie Gaedel

1925 - 1961

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0939 NOVELIST

Mary Borden

1886 - 1968

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0940 HOCKEY

Al Montoya

Born 1985

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0941 MUSIC

Mark Feldman

Born 1955

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0942 PLAYWRIGHT

Cornelia Otis Skinner

1899 - 1979

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0943 WRITER

Radhanath Swami

Born 1950

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0944 SINGER

Aaron Shust

Born 1975

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0945 HISTORIAN

J. R. McNeill

Born 1954

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0946 BASEBALL

Denny McLain

Born 1944

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0947 MUSIC

Lorez Alexandria

1929 - 2001

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0948 ECONOMIST

Don Patinkin

1922 - 1995

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0949 ACTIVIST

Elizabeth Dilling

1894 - 1966

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0950 BASKET

Moose Krause

1913 - 1992

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0951 SWIMMER

Pablo Morales

Born 1964

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0952 NOVELIST

Simone Elkeles

Born 1970

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0953 ECONOMIST

Harold Demsetz

1930 - 2019

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0954 MUSIC

Ezra Furman

Born 1986

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0955 COMPOSER

Julian Priester

Born 1935

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0956 ACTOR

Bryant Washburn

1889 - 1963

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0957 PAINTER

Norman Bluhm

1921 - 1999

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0958 RAPPER

Kid Sister

Born 1980

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0959 WRITER

Bill Rancic

Born 1971

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0960 WRITER

Jonathan Latimer

1906 - 1983

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0961 MUSIC

Paul Wertico

Born 1953

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0962 PSYCHOLOGIST

Susan Fiske

Born 1952

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0963 ECONOMIST

John Muth

1930 - 2005

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0964 POLITICIAN

Michael Madigan

Born 1942

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0965 POLITICIAN

Tom O'Halleran

Born 1946

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0966 PSYCHOLOGIST

Francine Patterson

Born 1947

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0967 TRUMPET

Jimmy McPartland

1907 - 1991

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0968 ACTOR

Frances Callier

Born 1969

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0969 JOURNALIST

Bernard Shaw (journalist)

Born 1940

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0970 OFFICER

Manton S. Eddy

1892 - 1962

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0971 PHYSICIST

C. R. Hagen

Born 1937

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0972 COMPOSER

Laurie Spiegel

Born 1945

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0973 ENTREPRENEUR

Jay Pritzker

1922 - 1999

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0974 ACTOR

Jasen Fisher

Born 1980

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0975 POLITICIAN

Samuel K. Skinner

Born 1938

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0976 MUSIC

June Hutton

1920 - 1973

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0977 CONDUCTOR

William Russo (musician)

1928 - 2003

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0978 ACTOR

John Zaremba

1908 - 1986

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0979 INVENTOR

Martin Cooper (inventor)

Born 1928

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0980 ACTOR

Leslie David Baker

Born 1958

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0981 COMEDIAN

Buddy Lester

1917 - 2002

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0982 BANJOIST

Wilbur Ware

1923 - 1979

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0983 PHYSICIST

Sam Treiman

1925 - 1999

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0984 ENTREPRENEUR

Ginni Rometty

Born 1957

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0985 FILM

Richard T. Heffron

1930 - 2007

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0986 PHYSICIST

Marvin Leonard Goldberger

1922 - 2014

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0987 FOOTBALL

Mike Magee (soccer)

Born 1984

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0988 MUSIC

Von Freeman

1923 - 2012

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0989 ACTOR

Edith Atwater

1911 - 1986

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0990 AUTHOR

Ernest Poole

1880 - 1950

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0991 COMPOSER

Frankie Sullivan

Born 1955

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0992 ACTOR

Leah Baird

1883 - 1971

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0993 MUSIC

Pete Cosey

1943 - 2012

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0994 PIANIST

Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge

1864 - 1953

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0995 HISTORIAN

Daniel Aaron

1912 - 2016

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0996 ACTOR

Howard St. John

1905 - 1974

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0997 MATHEMATICIAN

Robion Kirby

Born 1938

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0998 MUSIC

Al McKibbon

1919 - 2005

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0999 AUTHOR

Gerald Weinberg

1933 - 2018

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1000 ACTOR

Lauralee Bell

Born 1968

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1001 BASKET

Jerel McNeal

Born 1987

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1002 SCREENWRITER

Jules Furthman

1888 - 1966

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1003 MUSIC

Rachel Barton Pine

Born 1974

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1004 FILM

Victor Halperin

1895 - 1983

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1005 SWIMMER

Sybil Bauer

1903 - 1927

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1006 NOVELIST

James Kahn

Born 1947

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1007 PLAYER

Taylor Townsend (tennis)

Born 1996

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1008 PSYCHOLOGIST

James Olds

1922 - 1976

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1009 AUTHOR

Herbert Schildt

Born 1951

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1010 PHYSICIST

John Hopfield

Born 1933

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1011 ACTOR

Junius Matthews

1890 - 1978

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1012 ACTOR

Walter Sittler

Born 1952

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1013 MUSIC

Russ Freeman (pianist)

1926 - 2002

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1014 ACTOR

Zoe Perry

Born 1983

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1015 HISTORIAN

Robert Roswell Palmer

1909 - 2002

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1016 ACTOR

Liz Callaway

Born 1961

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1017 CHEMIST

Robert Parr

1921 - 2017

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1018 BIOLOGIST

Susan Hockfield

Born 1951

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1019 GUITAR

Bernard Allison

Born 1965

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1020 COMPOSER

Albert Spalding (violinist)

1888 - 1953

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1021 WRITER

Brian Freeman (psychological suspense author)

Born 1963

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1022 ACTOR

Art Smith (actor)

1899 - 1973

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1023 OFFICER

Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.

1935 - 1967

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1024 MUSIC

Bill Dickens

Born 1958

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1025 FOOTBALL

Marcelo Balboa

Born 1967

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1026 PHYSICIST

Samuel King Allison

1900 - 1965

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1027 BIOLOGIST

Herbert Copeland

1902 - 1968

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1028 RADIO

Caroline Myss

Born 1952

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1029 BASKET

Cazzie Russell

Born 1944

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1030 SONGWRITER

Open Mike Eagle

Born 1980

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1031 MUSIC

Murphy Dunne

Born 1942

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1032 BILLIONAIRE

Sam Zell

Born 1941

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1033 BIOLOGIST

Mark Ptashne

Born 1940

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1034 WRITER

Sid Sackson

1920 - 2002

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1035 BASKET

Quentin Richardson

Born 1980

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1036 ACTOR

Janet Jacme

Born 1967

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1037 SCREENWRITER

Edward Allen Bernero

Born 1962

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1038 ACTOR

Stephen Full

Born 1969

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1039 ACTOR

Keith Nobbs

Born 1979

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1040 PRIEST

Wilton Daniel Gregory

Born 1947

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1041 ACTOR

Jason Bernard

1938 - 1996

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1042 ENGINEER

Stanley Mazor

Born 1941

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1043 FILM

Andrew Scheinman

Born 1948

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1044 SCREENWRITER

Andy Berman

Born 1968

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1045 COMPOSER

Harry Sukman

1912 - 1984

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1046 COMPOSER

Michael Colgrass

1932 - 2019

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1047 PRESENTER

Pat Sajak

Born 1946

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1048 COMPOSER

Oscar Brown

1926 - 2005

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1049 BASEBALL

Cliff Floyd

Born 1972

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1050 ACTOR

Martha Burns

Born 1957

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1051 NOVELIST

William Irwin Thompson

Born 1938

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1052 SINGER

Irene Kral

1932 - 1978

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1053 MATHEMATICIAN

Harvey Friedman

Born 1948

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1054 ACTOR

Megan Cavanagh

Born 1960

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1055 BOBSLED

Aja Evans

Born 1988

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1056 WRITER

Bruce Alexander Cook

1932 - 2003

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1057 NOVELIST

Janet Lewis

1899 - 1998

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1058 ACTOR

Sufe Bradshaw

Born 1986

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1059 ENTREPRENEUR

Mellody Hobson

Born 1969

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1060 MUSIC

Jean-Paul Bourelly

Born 1960

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1061 POLITICIAN

Henry Horner

1878 - 1940

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1062 BASEBALL

Jocko Conlan

1899 - 1989

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1063 BASKET

Jerome Randle

Born 1987

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1064 FOOTBALL

Sterling Sharpe

Born 1965

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1065 ATHLETIC

Hollis Conway

Born 1967

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1066 ACTOR

Joan Marshall

1931 - 1992

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1067 POLITICIAN

Elmer L. Andersen

1909 - 2004

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1068 ACTOR

Darleen Carr

Born 1950

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1069 BASKET

Darrell Walker

Born 1961

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1070 POLITICIAN

Michael Anthony Bilandic

1923 - 2002

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1071 ACTOR

Lena Waithe

Born 1984

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1072 AUTHOR

Alfred Szklarski

1912 - 1992

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1073 BASKET

Rashard Griffith

Born 1974

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1074 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Edwin R. Thiele

1895 - 1986

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1075 GUITAR

John Dawson (musician)

1945 - 2009

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1076 PHYSICIAN

Edmund Jacobson

1888 - 1983

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1077 JUDGE

Douglas H. Ginsburg

Born 1946

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1078 DRUMMER

Bob Bryar

Born 1979

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1079 ECOLOGIST

Alice Bunker Stockham

1833 - 1912

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1080 BASKET

Jason Maxiell

Born 1983

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1081 FILM

George Loane Tucker

1880 - 1921

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1082 ACTOR

Cynda Williams

Born 1966

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1083 FILM

Tanya Wexler

Born 1970

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1084 ARTIST

Jessica Abel

Born 1969

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1085 HOCKEY

Eddie Olczyk

Born 1966

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1086 FILM

S. Sylvan Simon

1910 - 1951

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1087 ECONOMIST

Mark Weisbrot

Born 1954

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1088 SOCIOLOGIST

Scott Lash

Born 1945

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1089 BIOLOGIST

Cynthia Kenyon

Born 1954

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1090 PIANIST

Dorothy Donegan

1922 - 1998

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1091 DIPLOMAT

Archer Blood

1923 - 2004

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1092 POLITICIAN

Frank Collin

Born 1944

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1093 COMPOSER

Alex Wurman

Born 1966

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1094 FILM

Arthur Robison

1883 - 1935

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1095 WRITER

Pat Frank

1908 - 1964

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1096 PIANIST

Lou Levy (pianist)

1928 - 2001

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1097 POET

Jackson Mac Low

1922 - 2004

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1098 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Anita Borg

1949 - 2003

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1099 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Karl Taube

Born 1957

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1100 ACTOR

Marita Geraghty

Born 1962

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1101 BASKET

Henry Domercant

Born 1980

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1102 BASKET

Hersey Hawkins

Born 1966

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1103 SCULPTOR

Cynthia Plaster Caster

Born 1947

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1104 TARENTO

Dave Spector

Born 1954

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1105 PHYSICIST

Lester Germer

1896 - 1971

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1106 FOOTBALL

Tony Canadeo

1919 - 2003

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1107 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Milford H. Wolpoff

Born 1942

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1108 SINGER

Sara Niemietz

Born 1992

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1109 FILM

Tom Kalin

Born 1962

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1110 ACTOR

Chic Johnson

1891 - 1962

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1111 PIANIST

Robert Irving III

Born 1953

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1112 WRITER

Day Keene

1904 - 1969

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1113 SKATER

Nicole Bobek

Born 1977

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1114 WORKER

Evelyn Einstein

1941 - 2011

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1115 MUSIC

Famous Dex

Born 1993

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1116 CINEMA

William V. Skall

1897 - 1976

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1117 ECONOMIST

Doug Casey

-

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1118 BASKET

Kelly McCarty

Born 1975

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1119 TRADER

Richard Dennis

Born 1949

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1120 NOVELIST

Harry Stephen Keeler

1890 - 1967

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1121 ACTOR

Jennifer Bassey

Born 1942

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1122 ACTOR

Guy Oliver

1878 - 1932

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1123 BASKET

Kiwane Garris

Born 1974

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1124 FILM

Charles B. Griffith

1930 - 2007

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1125 ACTOR

Carol Wayne

1942 - 1985

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1126 ACTOR

Brad Sherwood

Born 1964

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1127 PHYSICIST

James Trefil

Born 1938

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1128 MUSIC

Shannon Larkin

Born 1967

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1129 THEOLOGIAN

Paul F. Knitter

Born 1939

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1130 POLITICIAN

Joe E. Kernan

1946 - 2020

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1131 INVENTOR

Lawrence Sperry

1892 - 1923

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1132 POLITICIAN

Nan Hayworth

Born 1959

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1133 NOVELIST

Otis Adelbert Kline

1891 - 1946

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1134 ACTOR

Ricky Sinz

Born 1980

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1135 MATHEMATICIAN

Lynn Steen

1941 - 2015

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1136 MILITAR

Herbert Sobel

1912 - 1987

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1137 BASKET

James Singleton (basketball)

Born 1981

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1138 WRITER

Armin Joseph Deutsch

1918 - 1969

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1139 ACTOR

Mabel Van Buren

1878 - 1947

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1140 POLITICIAN

Bob Miller (Nevada governor)

Born 1945

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1141 MATHEMATICIAN

Daniel Shanks

1917 - 1996

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1142 SCIENTIST

Christine Maggiore

1956 - 2008

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1143 MUSIC

Fred Below

1926 - 1988

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1144 BIOCHEMIST

Nadrian Seeman

Born 1945

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1145 PSYCHOLOGIST

Paul Slovic

Born 1938

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1146 ACTOR

John Alvin (actor)

1917 - 2009

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1147 PHYSICIAN

Andrija Puharich

1918 - 1995

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1148 ARTIST

Gene Ha

-

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1149 ACTOR

Cameron Esposito

Born 1981

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1150 CONDUCTOR

Alfred Wallenstein

1898 - 1983

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1151 RAPPER

Lil Reese

Born 1993

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1152 ACTOR

Lani Hall

Born 1944

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1153 TRACK AND FIELD

William Stevenson (athlete)

1900 - 1985

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1154 ACTOR

Zoe Levin

Born 1993

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1155 ACTOR

Nora Eddington

1924 - 2001

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1156 BASKET

Marc Salyers

Born 1979

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1157 ENTREPRENEUR

Sam Altman

Born 1985

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1158 JOURNALIST

Jack Cafferty

Born 1942

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1159 BASKET

Kwame Brown

Born 1982

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1160 PHYSICIST

Joan Hinton

1921 - 2010

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1161 MUSIC

Illenium

Born 1992

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1162 SCREENWRITER

Richard L. Breen

1918 - 1967

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1163 ACTOR

Betsy Randle

Born 1955

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1164 ACTOR

Danitra Vance

1954 - 1994

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1165 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Storrs L. Olson

Born 1944

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1166 ACTOR

Guy Boyd (actor)

Born 1943

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1167 FILM

Tom O'Horgan

1924 - 2009

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1168 PSYCHOLOGIST

William Schutz

1925 - 2002

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1169 BASKET

Andre Brown (basketball)

Born 1981

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1170 ACTOR

Lucille Ricksen

1910 - 1925

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1171 ACTOR

Laura Devon

1931 - 2007

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1172 ACTOR

Rex Bell

1903 - 1962

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1173 MATHEMATICIAN

Abraham H. Taub

1911 - 1999

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1174 CARTOONIST

Billy DeBeck

1890 - 1942

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1175 ACTOR

Gertrude Olmstead

1897 - 1975

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1176 JESUIT

John Powell (Jesuit)

1925 - 2009

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1177 ACTOR

Lisa Lipps

Born 22

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1178 SINGER

Peniel Shin

Born 1993

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1179 LITERARY

Ari Emanuel

Born 1961

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1180 BASKET

Tyrone Brazelton

Born 1986

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1181 PRODUCER

Lil Louis

Born 1962

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1182 BASKET

Ray Meyer

1913 - 2006

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1183 MUSIC

June Richmond

1915 - 1962

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1184 RAPPER

Grieves

Born 1984

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1185 ACTOR

Peter Francis James

Born 1956

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1186 AUTHOR

Jack Miles

Born 1942

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1187 JOURNALIST

Alfred Lansing

1921 - 1975

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1188 PROFESSOR

Francis Boyle

Born 1950

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1189 SWIMMER

Adolph Kiefer

1918 - 2017

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1190 COMPOSER

Norman Luboff

1917 - 1987

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1191 PIANIST

Joe Sullivan

1906 - 1971

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1192 BOXER

David Díaz (boxer)

Born 1976

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1193 ACTOR

Jim O'Heir

Born 1962

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1194 ACTOR

Robert Belushi

Born 1980

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1195 SINGER

Donita Sparks

Born 1963

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1196 FILM

Elias Burton Holmes

1870 - 1958

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1197 FOOTBALL

David Diehl

Born 1980

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1198 PUBLISHER

Markos Moulitsas

Born 1971

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1199 COMPOSER

Evan Ziporyn

Born 1959

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1200 SCREENWRITER

Noel Black

1937 - 2014

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