41.2568° N, 81.8815° W

CLEVELAND

Most Famous People Born in Cleveland, United States

Notable people
2,168
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1942
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.3×

A Great Lakes industrial city whose distinctive professions are baseball at six times the global rate, novelists, screenwriters, music, and basketball — the shape of a postwar industrial city that built a deep entertainment-and-letters bench out of its working-class neighbourhoods. Halle Berry, Henry Mancini, Jerry Siegel (who invented Superman here with Joe Shuster), and Tracy Chapman all belong to this bench. The 19th-century tail is thin; the city was essentially built by the oil and steel booms of the 1890s.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 303 notable births.

What Cleveland Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Cleveland's biggest profession — 10% of all notables (226).

Cleveland over-indexes on baseball6.3× the global rate.

Cleveland under-produces politician — only 0.6× the global rate.

  1. Football226
  2. Actor171
  3. Politician163
  4. Baseball156
  5. Music81
  6. Basket66
  7. Lawyer61
  8. Singer57
  1. Baseball1566.3×
  2. Novelist293.4×
  3. Screenwriter293.1×
  4. Music812.6×
  5. Basket662.4×
  6. Business452.1×
  7. Artist381.7×
  8. Film451.7×
  1. Politician1630.6×
  2. Writer480.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18251850187519001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All2,168
Sort By

2,168 notable people

0001 ACTOR

Halle Berry

Born 1966

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0002 PHILOSOPHER

Judith Butler

Born 1956

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0003 COMPOSER

Henry Mancini

1924 - 1994

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0004 FILM

Wes Craven

1939 - 2015

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0005 ACTOR

Burgess Meredith

1907 - 1997

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0006 ACTOR

Hal Holbrook

Born 1925

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0007 OFFICER

Jim Lovell

Born 1928

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0008 SINGER

Tracy Chapman

Born 1964

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0009 SINGER

Kid Cudi

Born 1984

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0010 SCREENWRITER

Harlan Ellison

1934 - 2018

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0011 ACTOR

Dorothy Dandridge

1923 - 1965

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0012 ARCHITECT

Philip Johnson

1906 - 2005

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0013 ACTOR

Debra Winger

Born 1955

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0014 SINGER

Joel Grey

Born 1932

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0015 SINGER

Drew Carey

Born 1958

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0016 ACTOR

Carol Kane

Born 1952

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0017 ACTRESS

Ruby Dee

1922 - 2014

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0018 ARTIST

Jerry Siegel

1914 - 1996

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0019 FINANCIER

John D. Rockefeller Jr.

1874 - 1960

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0020 FILM

Margaret Hamilton (actress)

1902 - 1985

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0021 SINGER

Bobby Womack

1944 - 2014

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0022 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Fredric Jameson

Born 1934

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0023 MUSIC

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

1929 - 2000

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0024 ACTOR

Anna Gunn

Born 1968

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0025 ACTOR

Monica Potter

Born 1971

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0026 ACTOR

Alan Ruck

Born 1956

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0027 ACTOR

Majel Barrett

1932 - 2008

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0028 MUSIC

Steven Adler

Born 1965

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0029 ACTOR

Keir Dullea

Born 1936

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0030 POLITICIAN

Dennis Kucinich

Born 1946

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0031 PHYSICIAN

Harvey Cushing

1869 - 1939

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0032 COMEDIAN

Fred Willard

1939 - 2020

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0033 COMEDIAN

Arsenio Hall

Born 1956

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0034 WRITER

Andre Norton

1912 - 2005

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0035 COMICS

Harvey Pekar

1939 - 2010

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0036 SINGER

Eric Carmen

Born 1949

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0037 FILM

Lee Unkrich

Born 1967

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0038 DRUMMER

Eric Singer

Born 1958

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0039 ACTOR

Bill Cobbs

Born 1934

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0040 SCIENTIST

Mehmet Oz

Born 1960

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0041 ACTOR

Kath Soucie

Born 1967

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0042 ARTIST

Brian Michael Bendis

Born 1967

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0043 MANSLAUGHTER

Don King (boxing promoter)

Born 1931

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0044 SAXOPHONIST

Albert Ayler

1936 - 1970

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0045 WRITER

James Frey

Born 1969

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0046 FILM

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Born 1949

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0047 POLITICIAN

Darrell Issa

Born 1953

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0048 ACTOR

Brian Donlevy

1901 - 1972

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0049 NOVELIST

Anthony Doerr

Born 1973

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0050 SINGER

Gilby Clarke

Born 1962

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0051 SCREENWRITER

Brian K. Vaughan

Born 1976

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0052 ACTOR

James Pickens Jr.

Born 1954

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0053 WRESTLER

Dolph Ziggler

Born 1981

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0054 NOVELIST

David Weber

Born 1952

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0055 PHYSICIST

Donald A. Glaser

1926 - 2013

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0056 ACTOR

Jack Weston

1924 - 1996

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0057 PHYSICIAN

William Masters

1915 - 2001

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0058 ACTOR

Howard Da Silva

1909 - 1986

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0059 WRITER

Stephen R. Donaldson

Born 1947

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0060 POLITICIAN

George Voinovich

1936 - 2016

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0061 PAINTER

Mark Tobey

1890 - 1976

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0062 SINGER

Marc Cohn

Born 1959

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0063 ACTOR

Brian Stepanek

Born 1971

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0064 SINGER

Jeane Manson

Born 1950

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0065 COMEDIAN

Vanessa Bayer

Born 1981

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0066 CHEMIST

William Lipscomb

1919 - 2011

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0067 MUSIC

Krayzie Bone

Born 1973

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0068 ACTOR

Lauren Shuler Donner

Born 1949

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0069 WRITER

Dav Pilkey

Born 1966

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0070 POLITICIAN

Donna Shalala

Born 1941

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0071 SCREENWRITER

Corey Allen

1934 - 2010

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0072 ACTOR

Mary Carey (actress)

Born 1980

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0073 FILM

Phil Donahue

Born 1935

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0074 ARTIST

Brian Azzarello

Born 1962

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0075 CINEMA

John Toll

Born 1952

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0076 SINGER

Jimmy Scott

1925 - 2014

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0077 ACTOR

Joe Seneca

1919 - 1996

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0078 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Rudolph Rummel

1932 - 2014

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0079 SINGER

Fred Neil

1936 - 2001

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0080 PIANIST

Tadd Dameron

1917 - 1965

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0081 SOCIOLOGIST

James G. March

1928 - 2018

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0082 CLARINET

Joe Lovano

Born 1952

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0083 ACTOR

Franklin Cover

1928 - 2006

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0084 SPRINT

Harrison Dillard

1923 - 2019

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0085 ACTOR

Isabela Moner

Born 2001

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0086 FILM

Richard Brooks (actor)

Born 1962

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0087 ACTOR

Mark Stevens (actor)

1916 - 1994

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0088 ACTOR

Sharon Kane

Born 1956

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0089 ACTOR

Lili Reinhart

Born 1996

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0090 POLITICIAN

Tim Murphy (American politician)

Born 1952

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0091 BIOLOGIST

Judah Folkman

1933 - 2008

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0092 FILM

Mark L. Lester

Born 1946

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0093 FILM

Dwight H. Little

Born 1956

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0094 ACTOR

Greg Morris

1933 - 1996

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0095 ACTOR

John Howard (American actor)

1913 - 1995

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0096 AUTHOR

Charles W. Chesnutt

1858 - 1932

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0097 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Adele Goldberg (computer scientist)

Born 1945

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0098 ACTOR

Jonathan Freeman (actor)

Born 1950

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0099 ACTOR

Gene Reynolds

1923 - 2020

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0100 WRESTLER

Perry Saturn

Born 1966

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0101 SINGER

Jim Brickman

Born 1961

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0102 ACTOR

Shawna Leneé

Born 1987

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0103 POLITICIAN

Marcia Fudge

Born 1952

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0104 ACTOR

Jake Paul

Born 1997

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0105 ACTOR

Thom Barry

Born 1950

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0106 NOVELIST

George Alec Effinger

1947 - 2002

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0107 ACTOR

Paul Eiding

Born 1957

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0108 TEACHER

Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Born 1943

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0109 PAINTER

Nancy Spero

1926 - 2009

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0110 ACTOR

Paula Jai Parker

Born 1969

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0111 PSYCHIATRIST

William Glasser

1925 - 2013

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0112 ACTOR

Catalina Cruz

Born 1979

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0113 ANIMATOR

Eric Larson

1905 - 1988

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0114 SCREENWRITER

Ernest Tidyman

1928 - 1984

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0115 ACTOR

Imani Hakim

Born 1993

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0116 FOOTBALL

Chuck Noll

1932 - 2014

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0117 PENCILLER

Ross Andru

1927 - 1993

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0118 ACTOR

Miriam Flynn

Born 1951

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0119 CHEMIST

Richard Zare

Born 1939

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0120 BASKET

John Heisman

1869 - 1936

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0121 BASEBALL

Ed Delahanty

1867 - 1903

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0122 BIOCHEMIST

John Jacob Abel

1857 - 1938

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0123 ACTOR

Daniel Waters (screenwriter)

Born 1962

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0124 SINGER

Derrick Green

Born 1971

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0125 ACTOR

Max Perlich

Born 1968

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0126 ACTOR

Jack Riley (actor)

1935 - 2016

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0127 FILM

Ross Hunter

1920 - 1996

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0128 ACTOR

Jay Grdina

Born 1967

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0129 ACTOR

Janis Carter

1913 - 1994

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0130 FOOTBALL

Justin Morrow

Born 1987

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0131 FILM

Dede Allen

1923 - 2010

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0132 POLITICIAN

David Joyce (politician)

Born 1957

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0133 ACTOR

Dorothy Hart

1922 - 2004

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0134 PROFESSOR

Jonathan Culler

Born 1944

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0135 RAPPER

Flesh-n-Bone

Born 1973

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0136 MUSIC

Layzie Bone

Born 1974

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0137 ACTOR

Diane McBain

Born 1941

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0138 MATHEMATICIAN

Arthur T. Benjamin

Born 1961

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0139 PRIEST

John Krol

1910 - 1996

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0140 POET

Richard Howard

Born 1929

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0141 MUSIC

Chuck Rainey

Born 1940

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0142 ACTOR

LaWanda Page

1920 - 2002

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0143 WRITER

Katharine Kerr

Born 1944

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0144 MUSIC

Utah Phillips

1935 - 2008

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0145 DRUMMER

Pat Torpey

1953 - 2018

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0146 POLITICIAN

Louis Stokes

1925 - 2015

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0147 ACTOR

Oscar Apfel

1878 - 1938

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0148 POLITICIAN

Howard Metzenbaum

1917 - 2008

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0149 POLITICIAN

C. E. Ruthenberg

1882 - 1927

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0150 ACTOR

Mitchell Lichtenstein

Born 1956

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0151 ACTOR

Sean Kanan

Born 1966

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0152 ACADEMIC

William Schabas

Born 1950

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0153 PHILOSOPHER

William Ernest Hocking

1873 - 1966

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0154 ACTOR

Bumper Robinson

Born 1974

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0155 BASKET

Johnny O'Bryant III

Born 1993

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0156 JOURNALIST

Larry Speakes

1939 - 2014

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0157 WRESTLER

Johnny Gargano

Born 1987

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0158 MATHEMATICIAN

Karen Uhlenbeck

Born 1942

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0159 BASKET

Charles Oakley

Born 1963

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0160 ACTOR

Clarence Kolb

1874 - 1964

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0161 EXECUTIVE

John T. Chambers

Born 1949

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0162 JOURNALIST

Susan Orlean

Born 1955

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0163 WRESTLER

Raymond Rowe

Born 1984

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0164 MUSIC

Alexander Brandon

Born 1974

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0165 PLAYWRIGHT

Avery Hopwood

1882 - 1928

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0166 SINGER

Avant (singer)

Born 1978

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0167 SCREENWRITER

Lynn Hershman Leeson

Born 1941

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0168 HISTORIAN

James Ford Rhodes

1848 - 1927

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0169 CINEMA

William Daniels (cinematographer)

1901 - 1970

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0170 PSYCHOLOGIST

Roy Baumeister

Born 1953

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0171 MUSIC

Cheetah Chrome

Born 1955

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0172 WRESTLER

Crimson (wrestler)

Born 1985

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0173 ACTOR

Nick Gehlfuss

Born 1985

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0174 POLITICIAN

Mary Bono

Born 1961

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0175 COMPOSER

Elliott Sharp

Born 1951

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0176 PHYSICIST

Richard Garwin

Born 1928

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0177 AUTHOR

Sarah Chauncey Woolsey

1835 - 1905

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0178 SCREENWRITER

Stuart Blumberg

Born 1969

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0179 FILM

Roland West

1885 - 1952

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0180 LAWYER

Jack Thompson (activist)

Born 1951

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0181 CONVICT

Sam Sheppard

1923 - 1970

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0182 PRIVATDETEKTIV

David Ferrie

1918 - 1967

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0183 PLAYER

Clark Graebner

Born 1943

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0184 POLITICIAN

Dick Celeste

Born 1937

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0185 BASKET

Kelly Oubre Jr.

Born 1995

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0186 REBEL

William Alexander Morgan

1928 - 1961

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0187 CURATOR

James Rorimer

1905 - 1966

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0188 SINGER

Natalie Prass

Born 1986

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0189 POLITICIAN

Frank Lausche

1895 - 1990

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0190 WRITER

Jack Schaefer

1907 - 1991

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0191 NOVELIST

Robert L. Fish

1912 - 1981

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0192 MILITAR

Kenneth Nichols

1907 - 2000

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0193 BASKET

J. R. Bremer

Born 1980

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0194 THEOLOGIAN

Greg Boyd (theologian)

Born 1957

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0195 TRUMPET

Benny Bailey

1925 - 2005

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0196 POLITICIAN

Stephanie Tubbs Jones

1949 - 2008

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0197 JUMPER

William Steinkraus

1925 - 2017

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0198 FILM

Quinton Flynn

Born 1964

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0199 FILM

Ralph Graves

1900 - 1977

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0200 LINGUIST

Jean Berko Gleason

Born 1931

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0201 MUSIC

Benny Mardones

1946 - 2020

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0202 ACTOR

Elaine Joyce

Born 1945

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0203 BANDLEADER

Freddy Martin

1906 - 1983

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0204 MUSIC

JD Samson

Born 1978

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0205 ACTOR

Lew Wasserman

1913 - 2002

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0206 SINGER

Johnny Hazzard

Born 1977

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0207 ACTOR

Helen Gibson

1892 - 1977

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0208 CHEMIST

John Gofman

1918 - 2007

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0209 BASKET

JaKarr Sampson

Born 1993

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0210 POLITICIAN

Steve LaTourette

1954 - 2016

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0211 FEMINIST

Barbara Smith

Born 1946

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0212 ACTOR

Florence Rice

1907 - 1974

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0213 LAWYER

Michael Ratner

1943 - 2016

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0214 COMPOSER

Eric Ewazen

Born 1954

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0215 ACTOR

Calvin Levels

Born 1954

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0216 POLE VAULTER

Timothy Mack

Born 1972

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0217 FOOTBALL

Benny Friedman

1905 - 1982

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0218 ACTOR

Ken Lynch

1910 - 1990

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0219 BASKET

Earl Boykins

Born 1976

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0220 LAWYER

Stephen M. Young

1889 - 1984

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0221 PHYSICIST

Jearl Walker

Born 1945

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0222 GOVERNMENT

James Thomas Lynn

1927 - 2010

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0223 BALLET

Glen Tetley

1926 - 2007

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0224 NURSE

Marjory Gordon

1931 - 2015

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0225 CONDUCTOR

Frederick Fennell

1914 - 2004

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0226 SINGER

Rebekah Johnson

Born 1976

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0227 ACTOR

Charles Gordone

1925 - 1995

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0228 SCREENWRITER

Tony Isabella

Born 1951

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0229 PRODUCER

Tommy LiPuma

1936 - 2017

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0230 WRITER

William Bayer

Born 1939

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0231 LAWYER

Andrew Puzder

Born 1950

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0232 PHYSICIST

Henry Stapp

Born 1928

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0233 MUSIC

Bull Moose Jackson

1919 - 1989

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0234 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Melford Spiro

1920 - 2014

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0235 FILM

Andrew Weisblum

Born 1971

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0236 ASTRONOMER

Tom Van Flandern

1940 - 2009

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0237 BASKET

James Posey

Born 1977

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0238 SCREENWRITER

Dale Launer

Born 1952

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0239 POLITICIAN

Milton Shapp

1912 - 1994

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0240 PROFESSOR

Ronald M. Sega

Born 1952

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0241 PAINTER

George Ault

1891 - 1948

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0242 ACADEMIC

Nina Fedoroff

Born 1942

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0243 BASEBALL

Rube Marquard

1886 - 1980

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0244 BANK

Gary Cohn (investment banker)

Born 1960

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0245 FENCER

Lee Kiefer

Born 1994

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0246 BUSINESS

Muriel Siebert

1932 - 2013

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0247 BOXER

Joey Maxim

1922 - 2001

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0248 SCREENWRITER

Eleanor Perry

1914 - 1981

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0249 ACTOR

Martha Smith

Born 1953

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0250 ENTREPRENEUR

Charles Geschke

Born 1939

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0251 DESIGNER

Michael Bierut

Born 1957

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0252 EDITOR

Glenn O'Brien

1947 - 2017

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0253 SINGER

Cecil Womack

1947 - 2013

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0254 WRITER

David Deida

Born 1958

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0255 CONDUCTOR

Robert Ward (composer)

1917 - 2013

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0256 WEIGHTLIFTER

Charles Vinci

1933 - 2018

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0257 HOCKEY

Mike Rupp

Born 1980

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0258 ACTOR

Kaye Ballard

1925 - 2019

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0259 ACTOR

Dick Latessa

1929 - 2016

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0260 FILM

Jeff Schaffer

Born 1970

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0261 BIOLOGIST

Thomas D. Brock

Born 1926

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0262 FILM

Gilbert Moses

1942 - 1995

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0263 ACTOR

Alice Calhoun

1900 - 1966

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0264 WRITER

Mark O'Donnell

1954 - 2012

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0265 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Terry Sejnowski

Born 1947

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0266 ACTOR

Marge Redmond

1924 - 2020

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0267 CLARINET

Ken Peplowski

Born 1959

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0268 OFFICER

Isaac C. Kidd

1884 - 1941

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0269 ACTOR

Rory O'Malley

Born 1980

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0270 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Ray Solomonoff

1926 - 2009

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0271 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ralph Steiner

1899 - 1986

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0272 MUSIC

Michael Hampton

Born 1956

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0273 ENTREPRENEUR

Ronald Wayne

Born 1934

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0274 CHEMIST

Michael E. Phelps

Born 1939

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0275 BASSIST

Traa Daniels

Born 1970

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0276 MUSIC

Julius Baker

1915 - 2003

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0277 ARTIST

Tony Strobl

1915 - 1991

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0278 MUSIC

Mark Wills

Born 1973

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0279 FOOTBALL

Desmond Howard

Born 1970

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0280 MUSIC

Neil Giraldo

Born 1955

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0281 SINGER

Mark Hunter (musician)

Born 1977

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0282 COMPOSER

Anton Fier

Born 1956

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0283 ACTOR

Lindsey Meadows

Born 1982

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0284 SCREENWRITER

Alan B. McElroy

Born 1960

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0285 CHESS

Vasik Rajlich

Born 1971

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0286 ASTRONAUT

Donald A. Thomas

Born 1955

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0287 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ronald L. Haeberle

Born 1941

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0288 FILM

Lee Rich

1918 - 2012

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0289 FILM

Anthony Spinelli

1927 - 2000

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0290 PSYCHOLOGIST

Irving Gottesman

1930 - 2016

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0291 POLITICIAN

Mickey Edwards

Born 1937

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0292 PHYSICIST

Mark Buchanan

Born 1961

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0293 BASKET

Flip Saunders

1955 - 2015

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0294 SINGER

Carlin Glynn

Born 1940

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0295 POLITICIAN

Nina Turner

Born 1967

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0296 CONSERVATIVE

William S. Lind

Born 1947

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0297 DEPUTY

Elaine Duke

Born 1958

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0298 WRITER

Bernard Rimland

1928 - 2006

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0299 POLITICIAN

Charles Vanik

1913 - 2007

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0300 MILITAR

George Brett (general)

1886 - 1963

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