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

0601 COMPOSER

David Felder

Born 1953

Preview
0602 MUSIC

Rich Perry

Born 1955

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0603 ACTOR

Earl Billings

Born 1945

Preview
0604 BOXER

Carmen Barth

1912 - 1985

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0605 PSYCHIATRIST

Willard Gaylin

Born 1925

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0606 POLITICIAN

Chester C. Bolton

1882 - 1939

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0607 BASEBALL

Kevin Hart (baseball)

Born 1982

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0608 GOLF

Denny Shute

1904 - 1974

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0609 CHEMIST

Mark Ratner

Born 1942

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0610 MUSIC

Jamey Haddad

Born 1952

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0611 FILM

Khashyar Darvich

Born 1966

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0612 ACTOR

Cristina Ferrare

Born 1950

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0613 ACTOR

Margaret Joslin

1883 - 1956

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0614 HISTORIAN

Eugene N. Borza

Born 1935

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0615 NOVELIST

S. Andrew Swann

Born 1966

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0616 BASKET

Chester Mason

Born 1981

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0617 SCREENWRITER

Steve O'Donnell (writer)

Born 1954

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0618 CARTOGRAPHER

Denis Wood

Born 1945

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0619 BASEBALL

Bill Wambsganss

1894 - 1985

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0620 FILM

Paul Krasny

1935 - 2001

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0621 ACTOR

Duane Davis

-

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0622 MUSIC

Vanessa Rubin

Born 1957

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0623 NOVELIST

Herbert Gold

Born 1924

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0624 THEATRE

Arthur Hopkins

1878 - 1950

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0625 ROWER

William Jordan (rower)

1898 - 1968

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0626 PRIEST

Joseph Patrick Hurley

1894 - 1967

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0627 BASKET

Alvin Scott

Born 1955

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0628 BASKET

Steve Malovic

1956 - 2007

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0629 PIANIST

David Berkman

Born 1958

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0630 PROGRAMMER

Rick Alan Ross

Born 1952

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0631 ASTROPHYSICIST

Marc Kamionkowski

Born 1965

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0632 NOVELIST

Kevin O'Donnell Jr.

1950 - 2012

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0633 SOCIOLOGIST

Glen Elder (sociologist)

Born 1934

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0634 COLLECTOR

Peter B. Lewis

1933 - 2013

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0635 FOOTBALL

Don McCafferty

1921 - 1974

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0636 MUSIC

John Fedchock

Born 1957

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0637 OFFICER

Charles McGee (pilot)

Born 1919

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0638 ACTOR

Adrienne Marden

1909 - 1978

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0639 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Roy Wagner

1938 - 2018

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0640 MATHEMATICIAN

Leonard Gillman

1917 - 2009

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0641 CELLIST

Abdul Wadud (musician)

Born 1947

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0642 CONDUCTOR

Theodore Bloomfield

1923 - 1998

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0643 OLYMPIC

Earl Foster Thomson

1900 - 1971

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0644 POLITICIAN

Harriett Woods

1927 - 2007

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0645 BUSINESS

Craig Mundie

Born 1949

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0646 FOOTBALL

Cardale Jones

Born 1992

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0647 SINGER

Wynona Carr

1924 - 1976

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0648 OFFICER

James F. Calvert

1920 - 2009

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0649 MUSIC

Bob Drake (musician)

Born 1957

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0650 FOOTBALL

Jonathan Newsome

Born 1991

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0651 NOVELIST

Brian McClellan

Born 1986

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0652 ACTOR

Ben Andrews

Born 1985

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0653 COLUMNIST

Dick Feagler

1938 - 2018

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0654 MUSIC

Ken Forssi

1943 - 1998

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0655 FOOTBALL

Billy Lothridge

1942 - 1996

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0656 BUSINESS

Julia Tuttle

1849 - 1898

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0657 BASKET

Barbara Turner (basketball)

Born 1984

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0658 JOURNALIST

Orville Prescott

1906 - 1996

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0659 NOVELIST

Barbara Seranella

1956 - 2007

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0660 MUSIC

Buzz Gardner

1931 - 2004

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0661 DRUMMER

Johnny Blitz

-

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0662 PIANIST

Adella Prentiss Hughes

1869 - 1950

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0663 BASKET

Chris Mack (basketball)

Born 1969

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0664 MOBSTER

Danny Greene

1933 - 1977

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0665 FOOTBALL

Jayrone Elliott

Born 1991

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0666 BOXER

Terrell Gausha

Born 1987

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0667 ZOOLOGIST

Henry Wood Elliott

1846 - 1930

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0668 SCREENWRITER

David Freeman (screenwriter)

Born 1926

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0669 DENTIST

David J. Acer

1949 - 1990

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0670 POLITICIAN

Lucien Baker

1846 - 1907

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0671 AUTHOR

Tom Moldvay

1948 - 2007

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0672 MUSIC

Morey Feld

1915 - 1971

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0673 GOVERNMENT

Blase Bonpane

Died 2019

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0674 ARTIST

Howard Fried

Born 1946

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0675 WRITER

Julie Zeilinger

Born 1993

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0676 MUSIC

Bill DeArango

1921 - 2005

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0677 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Ronald H. Chilcote

Born 1935

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0678 MUSIC

Bessie Brown

1895 - 1955

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0679 PRIEST

Alexander James Quinn

1932 - 2013

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0680 ACADEMIC

Mike Schlaich

Born 1960

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0681 WRITER

Mac Wellman

Born 1945

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0682 ACTOR

Amy Stoch

Born 1958

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0683 BASKET

Omari Spellman

Born 1997

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0684 FOOTBALL

Marshon Lattimore

Born 1996

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0685 CHOREOGRAPHER

Dianne McIntyre

Born 1946

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0686 MATHEMATICIAN

George Springer (mathematician)

1924 - 2019

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0687 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul Schupp

Born 1937

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0688 BASEBALL

Bill Bradley (baseball)

1878 - 1954

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0689 SPORT

Demetrius Treadwell

Born 1991

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0690 LAWYER

William M. Brodhead

Born 1941

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0691 COXSWAIN

Charles Manring

1929 - 1991

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0692 POLITICIAN

Edward W. Townsend

1855 - 1942

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0693 ACTOR

Penny Porsche

Born 1961

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0694 BASKET

Dee Gibson

1923 - 2003

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0695 BASKET

Semeka Randall

Born 1979

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0696 BOXER

Erich Gliebe

Born 1963

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0697 ACTOR

Mickey Katz

1909 - 1985

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0698 POLITICIAN

Robert E. Sweeney

1924 - 2007

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0699 PHYSICIST

Harvey Brooks (physicist)

1915 - 2004

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0700 POLITICIAN

Ronald M. Mottl

Born 1934

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0701 ACTOR

Kris Zimmerman

Born 1958

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0702 POLITICIAN

Martin L. Sweeney

1885 - 1960

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0703 COMPOSER

Dennis Eberhard

1943 - 2005

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0704 DRUMMER

Steve Felton

Born 1969

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0705 ATHLETIC

Joseph Stadler

1880 - 1950

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0706 MUSIC

Barkin' Bill Smith

1928 - 2000

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0707 ACADEMIC

Oreste Pucciani

1916 - 1999

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0708 PRIEST

Mark Bartchak

Born 1958

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0709 POLITICIAN

Joseph L. Hooper

1877 - 1934

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0710 PRIEST

Irinej Dobrijević

Born 1955

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0711 ACADEMIC

Mary Henle

1913 - 2007

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0712 LINGUIST

James Marshall Unger

Born 1947

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0713 BASKET

Clinton Smith (basketball)

Born 1964

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0714 BASKET

Manny Leaks

Born 1945

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0715 EDUCATOR

Michael Kaufman (author)

Born 1951

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0716 SPORT

Wayne Stetina

Born 1953

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0717 POLITICIAN

John J. Babka

1884 - 1937

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0718 FENCER

Jason Pryor

Born 1987

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0719 BASKET

Mel Riebe

1916 - 1977

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0720 PRIEST

Martin John Amos

Born 1941

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0721 POLITICIAN

Oliver P. Bolton

1917 - 1972

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0722 COMPOSER

Franklyn Marks

1911 - 1976

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0723 BUSINESS

Bruce Ratner

Born 1945

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0724 BASKET

Jeremy Hollowell

Born 1994

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0725 MUSIC

Bob Lanese

Born 1941

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0726 ARCHITECT

Walker O. Cain

1915 - 1993

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0727 MODEL

Joanne Siegel

1917 - 2011

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0728 ATHLETIC

Dan Taylor (shot putter)

Born 1982

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0729 BASEBALL

Carmen Cali

Born 1978

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0730 ASTRONOMER

Caroline Furness

1869 - 1936

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0731 ARTIST

Bela Zaboly

1910 - 1985

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0732 POLITICIAN

Michael R. White

Born 1951

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0733 WRITER

Christopher L. Hodapp

Born 1958

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0734 PHILANTHROPIST

Leonard Case Jr.

1820 - 1880

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0735 MUSIC

Rick Kiefer

Born 1939

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0736 POLITICIAN

James V. Stanton

Born 1932

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0737 PLAYER

Doug Beal

Born 1947

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0738 BUSINESS

John Koskinen

Born 1939

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0739 PHYSICIAN

JoAnn E. Manson

Born 1953

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0740 ACTOR

Amber Ivy

Born 1993

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0741 CONDUCTOR

Vincent La Selva

1929 - 2017

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0742 BISHOP

Anthony Pilla

Born 1932

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0743 POLITICIAN

Josh Mandel

Born 1977

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0744 MARTIAL ART

Wes Sims

Born 1979

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0745 LAWYER

Edward Lane

1842 - 1912

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0746 BANDLEADER

Blue Barron

1913 - 2005

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0747 CORRESPONDENT

Evan Wright

Born 1966

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0748 MUSIC

Larry Porter (musician)

Born 1951

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0749 JOURNALIST

George Crile III

1945 - 2006

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0750 FILM

Richard Smith (silent film director)

1886 - 1937

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0751 ACTOR

Michael Nardelli

Born 1983

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0752 ROWER

Robert Morey (rower)

1936 - 2019

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0753 MOBSTER

Peter Milano

1925 - 2012

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0754 CRIMINAL

Donald DeFreeze

1943 - 1974

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0755 MUSIC

Bryant Clifford Meyer

-

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0756 MUSIC

Bill Crofut

1935 - 1999

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0757 ACTOR

Mary Bridget Davies

Born 1978

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0758 FOOTBALL

Clinton Jones (American football)

Born 1945

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0759 BUSINESS

Gordon Gund

Born 1939

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0760 ACTOR

Anjali Bhimani

-

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0761 ACTOR

Maeve McGuire

Born 1937

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0762 SKIPPER

Herman Whiton

1904 - 1967

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0763 BASKET

Len Kosmalski

Born 1951

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0764 WRESTLER

Toccara Montgomery

Born 1982

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0765 BANK

Louis Severance

1838 - 1913

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0766 DIPLOMAT

Aaron David Miller

Born 1949

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0767 MUSIC

Albert Stinson

1944 - 1969

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0768 ACTOR

Madlaine Traverse

1875 - 1964

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0769 ENGINEER

Comfort A. Adams

1868 - 1958

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0770 BUSINESS

Nick Mileti

Born 1931

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0771 POLITICIAN

Peter Witt (Politiker)

1869 - 1948

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0772 LINGUIST

Edward Klima

1931 - 2008

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0773 POLITICIAN

Albert B. White

1856 - 1941

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0774 BASEBALL

George Uhle

1898 - 1985

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0775 ILLUSTRATOR

Muriel Fahrion

-

Preview
0776 FILM

Harvey S. Laidman

Born 1942

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0777 MUSIC

Ernie Krivda

Born 1945

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0778 GUITAR

Ryan Foltz

-

Preview
0779 LAWYER

Ron Kuby

Born 1956

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0780 WRESTLER

Leroy Kemp

Born 1956

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0781 PRIEST

Roger William Gries

Born 1937

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0782 POLITICIAN

Charles A. Barlow

1858 - 1927

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0783 AUTHOR

Chellis Glendinning

Born 1947

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0784 COMPOSER

Emerson Whithorne

1884 - 1958

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0785 SOCIALITE

Edith Rockefeller McCormick

1872 - 1932

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0786 MANAGER

John Malm Jr.

-

Preview
0787 LAWYER

Paul W. Brown

1915 - 2000

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0788 ACTOR

Billy Varga

1919 - 2013

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0789 PRIEST

Anthony Edward Pevec

1925 - 2014

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0790 CLARINET

Walter Blanding

Born 1971

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0791 SPORT

Al Haymon

Born 1956

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0792 FOOTBALL

Tarik Glenn

Born 1976

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0793 MUSIC

Sanford Gold

1911 - 1984

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0794 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul Goerss

Born 1957

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0795 MUSIC

Annette Warren

Born 1922

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0796 ACTOR

Peter Bergman (comedian)

1939 - 2012

Preview
0797 NOVELIST

Jonathan Miles (novelist)

Born 1971

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0798 ANIMATOR

Amby Paliwoda

1909 - 1999

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0799 PIANIST

Ernie Freeman

1922 - 1981

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0800 COMPOSER

Richard Marriott

Born 1951

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0801 ACTOR

Frank Runyeon

Born 1953

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0802 BASKET

Melvin Levett

Born 1976

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0803 ARTIST

Dennis Janke

Born 1950

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0804 PHILOSOPHER

Ronald H. Nash

1936 - 2006

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0805 COMPOSER

Harrison Kerr

1897 - 1978

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0806 FILM

Paul Fonoroff

Born 1954

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0807 FOOTBALL

Michael Roberts (American football)

Born 1994

Preview
0808 HIGH JUMP

Eleanor Montgomery

1946 - 2013

Preview
0809 BASKET

Greg Griffin

Born 1952

Preview
0810 DIPLOMAT

Milton A. Wolf

1924 - 2005

Preview
0811 BASEBALL

Mike Hegan

1942 - 2013

Preview
0812 FOOTBALL

Quentin Lowry

Born 1955

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0813 PRIEST

David John Walkowiak

Born 1953

Preview
0814 JOURNALIST

Marlene Sanders

1931 - 2015

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0815 ENGINEER

Jared Cohon

Born 1947

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0816 ARCHITECT

Daniel Arsham

Born 1980

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0817 BOXER

Raynell Williams

Born 1989

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0818 FOOTBALL

Joe Jurevicius

Born 1974

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0819 FOOTBALL

Tom Jackson (American football, born 1951)

Born 1951

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0820 SINGER

Conya Doss

Born 1972

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0821 PHOTOGRAPHER

Maggie Taylor

Born 1961

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0822 MUSIC

Fats Heard

1923 - 1987

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0823 BASKET

Edward J. Hickox

1878 - 1966

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0824 FOOTBALL

John Vella

Born 1950

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0825 ARTIST

Brother Blue

1921 - 2009

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0826 MINISTER

George Houser

1916 - 2015

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0827 LAWYER

William O'Neill (Ohio judge)

Born 1947

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0828 MUSIC

Sonya Monosoff

Born 1927

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0829 BUSINESS

Charles Dolan

Born 1926

Preview
0830 SCHOLAR

Elizabeth Monroe Boggs

1913 - 1996

Preview
0831 LINGUIST

Royal Skousen

Born 1945

Preview
0832 SCREENWRITER

Leslie Harris (director)

Born 1960

Preview
0833 ACTOR

John Steven Sutherland

Born 1983

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0834 WRITER

Jonathan Taplin

Born 1947

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0835 FOOTBALL

Oliver Luck

Born 1960

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0836 SINGER

Johnny Polygon

Born 1984

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0837 ACTOR

Elita Proctor Otis

1860 - 1927

Preview
0838 HISTORIAN

Mark Moyar

Born 1971

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0839 FOOTBALL

Mike Minter

Born 1974

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0840 JOURNALIST

Eric Ehrmann

Born 1946

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0841 NOVELIST

Barbara Faith

1921 - 1995

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0842 PHYSIOLOGIST

Gerald D. Aurbach

1927 - 1991

Preview
0843 WRITER

Michael Ruhlman

Born 1963

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0844 BASKET

Hank Lefkowitz

1923 - 2007

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0845 WRESTLER

Andy Hrovat

Born 1980

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0846 COACH

Steve Sloan

Born 1944

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0847 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Daniel Siewiorek

Born 1946

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0848 MUSIC

Arthur Jones (musician)

1940 - 1998

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0849 COMPOSER

Kim Märkl

Born 1961

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0850 TEACHER

James John Unger

1942 - 2008

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0851 BASEBALL

Jim Frey

1931 - 2020

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0852 SONGWRITER

Thom Russo

Born 1969

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0853 FOOTBALL

Tony Peterson

Born 1972

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0854 RADIO

Tom Griswold

Born 1953

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0855 FOOTBALL

John Prchlik

1925 - 2003

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0856 JOURNALIST

Sander Vanocur

1928 - 2019

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0857 BOBSLED

Jamie Moriarty

Born 1981

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0858 CHEMIST

Jeanette Grasselli Brown

Born 1928

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0859 BOXER

Darnell Wilson

Born 1974

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0860 JOURNALIST

Jeff Passan

Born 1980

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0861 JOURNALIST

Mary Jordan (journalist)

Born 1960

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0862 OFFICER

Clarence Ransom Edwards

1859 - 1931

Preview
0863 HISTORIAN

Stanley Kutler

1934 - 2015

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0864 COACH

Gomer Jones

1914 - 1971

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0865 SINGER

David Wilcox (American musician)

Born 1958

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0866 FOOTBALL

Dave Meggyesy

Born 1941

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0867 COMPOSER

Elaine Fine

Born 1959

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0868 COMPOSER

Carrie Elkin

Born 1974

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0869 ACTOR

Denise Galik

Born 1950

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0870 POLITICIAN

James H. Cassidy

1869 - 1926

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0871 JOURNALIST

Kelly O'Donnell

Born 1965

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0872 POLITICIAN

Frank G. Jackson

Born 1946

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0873 BUSINESS

James D. Mooney

1884 - 1957

Preview
0874 MUSIC

William S. Newman

1912 - 2000

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0875 BUSINESS

Walter C. Teagle

1878 - 1962

Preview
0876 PRIEST

Gilbert Sheldon (Bishop of Steubenville)

Born 1926

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0877 ACTOR

James Wilder (actor)

Born 1968

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0878 FOOTBALL

Jermale Hines

Born 1987

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0879 FOOTBALL

Barry Cofield

Born 1984

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0880 NOVELIST

Marcia Talley

Born 1943

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0881 MATHEMATICIAN

Mary Beth Ruskai

Born 1944

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0882 PHYSICIAN

Saul Hertz

1905 - 1950

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0883 COMEDIAN

Ryan Stout

Born 1982

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0884 PHOTOGRAPHER

Hal Roth

1927 - 2008

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0885 OFFICER

John D. Lavelle

1916 - 1979

Preview
0886 MUSIC

Kevin McMahon (musician)

Born 1953

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0887 FOOTBALL

Joe Zelenka

Born 1976

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0888 OFFICER

Oliver Hazard Payne

1839 - 1917

Preview
0889 PRIEST

Adam Parker

Born 1972

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0890 ACTOR

Hans Bachmann

Born 1954

Preview
0891 POLITICIAN

Eric Brakey

Born 1988

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0892 LAWYER

John Griswold White

1845 - 1928

Preview
0893 JOURNALIST

Joe Posnanski

Born 1967

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0894 FOOTBALL

Curtis Young

Born 1986

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0895 ACTOR

Jacqueline Anderson

Born 1975

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0896 BISHOP

Elizabeth Eaton

Born 1955

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0897 ACTOR

Riley Hatch

1862 - 1925

Preview
0898 COMPOSER

Steve Wiest

Born 1957

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0899 ACTOR

Marguerite Namara

1888 - 1974

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0900 PSYCHOLOGIST

Jennifer Eberhardt

Born 1965

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