51.5071° N, 0.1297° W

LONDON

Most Famous People Born in London, United Kingdom

Notable people
15,663
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1919
Most distinctive
Novelist 2.6×

Nine centuries of the British public eye. London's notables fan out across a longer continuous span than almost any other anglophone city, from medieval peers and antiquarians through Georgian solicitors and impresarios to a postwar wave of actors, footballers, and singers. The court and the stage have always been within walking distance of each other here, and the dataset shows it.

Standouts

What London Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is London's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (2,038).

London over-indexes on novelist 2.6× the global rate.

London under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Actor 2,038 2.5×
  2. Politician 1,102 0.6×
  3. Painter 769 1.9×
  4. Writer 646 1.3×
  5. Football 600 0.3×
  6. Singer 424 1.3×
  7. Film 350 1.8×
  8. Music 340 1.5×
  1. Novelist 163 2.6×
  2. Actor 2,038 2.5×
  3. Painter 769 1.9×
  4. Film 350 1.8×
  5. Composer 318 1.5×
  6. Music 340 1.5×
  1. Football 600 0.3×
  2. Politician 1,102 0.6×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Politics & Law
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Other
All15,663
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15,663 notable people

1801 ACTOR

Hermione Corfield

Born 1993

Preview
1802 PHYSICIAN

Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn

1864 - 1945

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1803 STATISTICIAN

Austin Bradford Hill

1897 - 1991

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1804 DIPLOMAT

Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff

1862 - 1939

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1805 WRITER

Catherine Webb

Born 1986

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1806 ACTOR

Alex Hyde-White

Born 1959

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1807 THEOLOGIAN

Richard Bauckham

Born 1946

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1808 ENGINEER

Samuel Bentham

1757 - 1831

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1809 NOVELIST

Jenny Diski

1947 - 2016

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1810 PHILOSOPHER

Brian Barry

1936 - 2009

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1811 PRODUCER

Adrian Borland

1957 - 1999

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1812 ANTIQUARIAN

William Martin Leake

1777 - 1860

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1813 PAINTER

Philip Burne-Jones

1861 - 1926

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1814 ACTOR

Chris Chalk

Born 1984

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1815 JOURNALIST

Christina Lamb

Born 1966

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1816 WRITER

Adam Roberts (British writer)

Born 1965

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1817 AUTHOR

Brigid Brophy

1929 - 1995

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1818 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Harry Seeley

1839 - 1909

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1819 MILITAR

Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset

1436 - 1464

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1820 COSTUME DESIGNER

John Mollo

1931 - 2017

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1821 POLITICIAN

Mark Malloch Brown, Baron Malloch-Brown

Born 1953

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1822 PEER

Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk

Born 1956

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1823 SCULPTOR

Alfred Gilbert

1854 - 1934

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1824 ACTOR

Christopher Knights

Born 1972

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1825 SCENOGRAPHER

Anton Furst

1944 - 1991

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1826 PHOTOGRAPHER

Zana Briski

Born 1966

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1827 DIPLOMAT

Alexander Cadogan

1884 - 1968

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1828 SOCIOLOGIST

Ann Oakley

Born 1944

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1829 HUNTER

Domino Harvey

1969 - 2005

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1830 PRODUCER

Mat Zo

Born 1990

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1831 FILM

Alastair Fothergill

Born 1960

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1832 ESSAYIST

Raymond Buckland

1934 - 2017

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1833 ACTOR

James Dreyfus

Born 1968

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1834 ACTOR

W. Morgan Sheppard

1932 - 2019

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1835 LITERARY

James Halliwell-Phillipps

1820 - 1889

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1836 ACTOR

James Villiers

1933 - 1998

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1837 COSTUME DESIGNER

Sandy Powell (costume designer)

Born 1960

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1838 ACTOR

Nina Sosanya

Born 1969

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1839 PEER

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland

1786 - 1861

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1840 FOOTBALL

Vivian Woodward

1879 - 1954

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1841 ACTOR

Adrian Schiller

Born 1964

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1842 ORIENTALIST

Horace Hayman Wilson

1786 - 1860

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1843 FOOTBALL

Des Walker

Born 1965

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1844 POLITICIAN

Sally Jewell

Born 1956

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1845 FILM

Paloma Baeza

Born 1975

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1846 SCREENWRITER

Peter Milligan

Born 1961

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1847 WRITER

Scarlett Thomas

Born 1972

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1848 POLITICIAN

Chuka Umunna

Born 1978

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1849 ARTIST

Don Lawrence

1928 - 2003

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1850 WRITER

William Thoms

1803 - 1885

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1851 ACTOR

Alex Roe

Born 1990

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1852 POLITICIAN

Hugh Childers

1827 - 1896

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1853 PLAYWRIGHT

Catharine Trotter Cockburn

1679 - 1749

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1854 WRITER

Mark Shand

1951 - 2014

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1855 PAINTER

Samuel Cooper

1609 - 1672

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1856 POLITICIAN

Ryszard Czarnecki

Born 1963

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1857 PHYSIOLOGIST

John Yudkin

1910 - 1995

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1858 MODEL

Georgia May Jagger

Born 1992

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1859 ACTOR

Rahul Kohli

Born 1985

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1860 FOOTBALL

Anita Asante

Born 1985

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1861 FOOTBALL

Jordan Spence

Born 1990

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1862 PRODUCER

Lilian Baylis

1874 - 1937

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1863 COMPOSER

Oliver Wakeman

Born 1972

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1864 PAINTER

John Nash (artist)

1893 - 1977

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1865 POLITICIAN

Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster

1795 - 1869

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1866 EARL

Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster

1767 - 1845

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1867 WRITER

Agnes Strickland

1796 - 1874

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1868 MATHEMATICIAN

William Henry Young

1863 - 1942

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1869 PAINTER

William Henry Bartlett

1809 - 1854

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1870 FOOTBALL

Adam Smith (footballer, born 1991)

Born 1991

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1871 FILM

Ami Canaan Mann

Born 1969

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1872 ACTOR

Maisie Richardson-Sellers

Born 1992

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1873 SINGER

Gary Go

Born 1985

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1874 MATHEMATICIAN

Benjamin Gompertz

1779 - 1865

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1875 COMPOSER

Richard Harvey

Born 1953

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1876 POLITICIAN

George Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle

1802 - 1864

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1877 MILITAR

Lionel Crabb

1909 - 1956

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1878 PAINTER

Frieda Hughes

Born 1960

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1879 SOLDIER

Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss

1864 - 1933

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1880 MODEL

Jessica Clark (actress)

Born 1985

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1881 ACTOR

Lucy Briers

Born 1967

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1882 BIOLOGIST

Frederick Griffith

1879 - 1941

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1883 FOOTBALL

Steve Morison

Born 1983

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1884 PAINTER

Francis Cotes

1726 - 1770

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1885 PAINTER

George Chinnery

1774 - 1852

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1886 MILITAR

Brian Robertson, 1st Baron Robertson of Oakridge

1896 - 1974

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1887 POLITICIAN

Caroline Cox, Baroness Cox

Born 1937

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1888 YOUTUBER

Alfie Deyes

Born 1993

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1889 ACTOR

Jonny Phillips (actor)

Born 1963

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1890 WRITER

Maria Francesca Rossetti

1827 - 1876

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1891 SONGWRITER

Switch (house DJ)

-

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1892 ACTOR

Valentine Dyall

1908 - 1985

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1893 MUSIC

Cyril J. Mockridge

1896 - 1979

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1894 ACTOR

Tom Brooke

Born 1978

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1895 COMPOSER

Antony Hopkins

1921 - 2014

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1896 PAINTER

Nicholas Lanier

1588 - 1666

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1897 ACTOR

Michael Medwin

1923 - 2020

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1898 PAINTER

George Frampton

1860 - 1928

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1899 ACTOR

Kitty Clive

1711 - 1785

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1900 MILITAR

Thomas North

1523 - 1601

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1901 COMPOSER

Benjamin Frankel

1906 - 1973

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1902 POLITICIAN

Jesse Norman

Born 1962

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1903 COMPOSER

Keith Levene

Born 1957

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1904 ACTOR

Anna Madeley

Born 1976

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1905 ARCHITECT

James Adam (architect)

1732 - 1794

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1906 POLITICIAN

Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire

1843 - 1928

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1907 MUSIC

Norman Lebrecht

Born 1948

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1908 WRITER

Gilbert Abbott à Beckett

1811 - 1856

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1909 ART CRITIC

Lawrence Alloway

1926 - 1990

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1910 JOURNALIST

Claudia Winkleman

Born 1972

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1911 DRIVER

Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe

1884 - 1964

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1912 FOOTBALL

Jason Roberts (footballer)

Born 1978

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1913 PAINTER

Charles Robert Leslie

1794 - 1859

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1914 PAINTER

Pauline Boty

1938 - 1966

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1915 PLAYER

Danny Cipriani

Born 1987

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1916 POLITICIAN

Henry Sidney

1529 - 1586

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1917 SCREENWRITER

Dan Houser

Born 1974

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1918 ACTOR

Ralph Truman

1900 - 1977

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1919 POLITICIAN

John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara

1884 - 1964

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1920 ENGINEER

William Lindley

1808 - 1900

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1921 FILM

Michael Deeley

Born 1932

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1922 TEACHER

Vilayat Inayat Khan

1916 - 2004

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1923 POLITICIAN

Charles Davenant

1656 - 1714

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1924 OFFICER

Richard Gale (British Army officer)

1896 - 1982

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1925 NAVY

Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet

1704 - 1777

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1926 PHOTOGRAPHER

Terry O'Neill (photographer)

1938 - 2019

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1927 WRITER

Leo Marks

1920 - 2001

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1928 WRITER

Jill Paton Walsh

1937 - 2020

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1929 PAINTER

Richard Westmacott

1775 - 1856

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1930 ACTOR

Flora Finch

1867 - 1940

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1931 HISTORIAN

Michael Burleigh

Born 1955

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1932 POLITICIAN

William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill

Born 1946

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1933 OFFICER

Philip Vian

1894 - 1968

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1934 POLITICIAN

Jan Kavan

Born 1946

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1935 ENTOMOLOGIST

Moses Harris

1731 - 1785

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1936 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Meave Leakey

Born 1942

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1937 HISTORIAN

Cecil Roth

1899 - 1970

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1938 FILM

Chris Dickens

Born 1967

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1939 GUITAR

Pete Way

1951 - 2020

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1940 SCREENWRITER

Ian McLellan Hunter

1915 - 1991

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1941 ECONOMIST

Henry Thornton (reformer)

1760 - 1815

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1942 HISTORIAN

David Nicolle

Born 1944

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1943 PAINTER

William Roberts (painter)

1895 - 1980

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1944 ARTIST

John Webber

1751 - 1793

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1945 ACTOR

Mickey Sumner

Born 1984

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1946 POLITICIAN

Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk

1847 - 1917

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1947 FOOTBALL

Simon Dawkins

Born 1987

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1948 TRUMPET

Chas Smash

Born 1959

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1949 POLITICIAN

Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave

1755 - 1831

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1950 PHYSICIAN

Sam Parnia

Born 1970

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1951 GOVERNOR

Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham

1909 - 1977

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1952 FILM

Peter Safran

Born 1965

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1953 POLITICIAN

Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere

1800 - 1857

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1954 COMPOSER

John Eccles (composer)

1668 - 1735

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1955 FILM

Christopher Morahan

1929 - 2017

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1956 POLITICIAN

Eleanor Rathbone

1872 - 1946

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1957 SCREENWRITER

Joe Penhall

Born 1967

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1958 SONGWRITER

Tony Asher

Born 1939

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1959 EXPLORER

Isabel Burton

1831 - 1896

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1960 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

James Jurin

1684 - 1750

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1961 MUSIC

Alan Lancaster

Born 1949

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1962 FOOTBALL

Paul Parker (footballer)

Born 1964

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1963 PAINTER

Edward Armitage

1817 - 1896

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1964 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jordan Scott

Born 1978

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1965 ACTOR

Sarah Marshall (British actress)

1933 - 2014

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1966 PHOTOGRAPHER

Zaida Ben-Yusuf

1869 - 1933

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1967 SCREENWRITER

Alfred Hayes (writer)

1911 - 1985

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1968 HISTORIAN

H. A. L. Fisher

1865 - 1940

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1969 POLITICIAN

Norman St John-Stevas

1929 - 2012

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1970 THEOLOGIAN

Henry Alford

1810 - 1871

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1971 FILM

Peter Barnes (playwright)

1931 - 2004

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1972 SINGER

Andy Powell

Born 1950

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1973 FILM

Paul Rotha

1907 - 1984

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1974 WRITER

Lynne Reid Banks

Born 1929

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1975 JUMPER

Lorraine Ugen

Born 1991

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1976 SONGWRITER

Paul Humphreys

Born 1960

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1977 POET

Charles Churchill (satirist)

1731 - 1764

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1978 FILM

John Maybury

Born 1958

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1979 PAINTER

Frederick Goodall

1822 - 1904

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1980 SONGWRITER

Sam Totman

Born 1980

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1981 FOOTBALL

Hope Powell

Born 1966

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1982 AUTHOR

R. F. Delderfield

1912 - 1972

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1983 KING

Princess Sophia of Gloucester

1773 - 1844

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1984 BIOLOGIST

Henry Baker (naturalist)

1698 - 1774

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1985 PRINCE

Mary Anne Clarke

1776 - 1852

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1986 PHOTOGRAPHER

Norman Parkinson

1913 - 1990

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1987 PAINTER

Leon Kossoff

1926 - 2019

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1988 SINGER

Heather Small

Born 1965

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1989 WRITER

Kate Summerscale

Born 1965

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1990 WRITER

Theodore Hook

1788 - 1841

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1991 JOURNALIST

Trinny Woodall

Born 1964

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1992 PAINTER

Peter Ellenshaw

1913 - 2007

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1993 ARCHITECT

Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo

1851 - 1942

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1994 POLITICIAN

Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis

Born 1963

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1995 MATHEMATICIAN

William George Ward

1812 - 1882

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1996 BENEDICTINE

Francis Aidan Gasquet

1846 - 1929

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1997 ACTOR

Terence Marsh

1931 - 2018

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1998 COMPOSER

Marius de Vries

Born 1961

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1999 CHESS

William Hartston

Born 1947

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2000 POLITICIAN

Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos

1893 - 1972

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2001 COWBOY

John Tunstall

1853 - 1878

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2002 POET

Thomas Hoccleve

1369 - 1426

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2003 POLITICIAN

William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley

1867 - 1932

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2004 POLITICIAN

Mayer Amschel de Rothschild

1818 - 1874

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2005 FEMINIST

Ray Strachey

1887 - 1940

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2006 FILM

Isaac Julien

Born 1960

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2007 CHEMIST

Henry Roscoe (chemist)

1833 - 1915

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2008 ACTOR

Clare Holman

Born 1964

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2009 MUSIC

John Hawkins (author)

1719 - 1789

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2010 ANTHROPOLOGIST

John Pendlebury

1904 - 1941

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2011 POLITICIAN

David Jones (Clwyd West MP)

Born 1952

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2012 ACTOR

Patricia Laffan

1919 - 2014

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2013 ACTOR

Frances Abington

1737 - 1815

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2014 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Richard Fortey

Born 1946

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2015 CHESS

Jon Speelman

Born 1956

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2016 CINEMA

Anthony B. Richmond

Born 1942

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2017 ECOLOGIST

David Mayer de Rothschild

Born 1978

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2018 ACTOR

Arthur Wontner

1875 - 1960

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2019 NOBLE

Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk

1628 - 1684

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2020 POET

Arthur O'Shaughnessy

1844 - 1881

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2021 MUSIC

Rick Wills

Born 1947

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2022 POLITICIAN

James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury

1807 - 1889

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2023 ACTOR

Luke Youngblood

Born 1989

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2024 PHILOSOPHER

Thomas Taylor (neoplatonist)

1758 - 1835

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2025 PHOTOGRAPHER

Morgan Fisher

Born 1950

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2026 PHYSICIST

George Hadley

1685 - 1768

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2027 FOOTBALL

Craig Eastmond

Born 1990

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2028 WRITER

Louise Welsh

Born 1965

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2029 LINGUIST

Ruth Wodak

Born 1950

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2030 WRITER

Paul Weiland

Born 1953

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2031 HISTORIAN

David Cesarani

1956 - 2015

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2032 ACTOR

Gwen Watford

1927 - 1994

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2033 ACTOR

Iris Tree

1897 - 1968

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2034 GUITAR

Chris Foreman

Born 1956

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2035 ACTOR

Satya Bhabha

Born 1983

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2036 SINGER

Maxine Nightingale

Born 1952

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2037 SCHOLAR

Francis William Newman

1805 - 1897

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2038 POLITICIAN

Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk

1915 - 2002

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2039 EXPLORER

Charles Granville Bruce

1866 - 1939

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2040 ACTOR

Roxy Jezel

Born 1982

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2041 ACTOR

Tara Summers

Born 1979

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2042 FILM

Damian Harris

Born 1958

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2043 FOOTBALL

Scott Sutter

Born 1986

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2044 PLAYER

Dominic Inglot

Born 1986

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2045 MUSIC

Sona Jobarteh

Born 1983

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2046 LINGUIST

Ian Hancock

Born 1942

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2047 NATURALIST

William Yarrell

1784 - 1856

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2048 HISTORIAN

William Woodthorpe Tarn

1869 - 1957

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2049 SON

Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland

1880 - 1930

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2050 ZOOLOGIST

Edward Turner Bennett

1797 - 1836

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2051 HISTORIAN

Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Born 1950

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2052 AUTHOR

Laurence Gardner

1943 - 2010

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2053 ACTOR

O. T. Fagbenle

Born 1981

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2054 ACTOR

Shaun Parkes

Born 1973

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2055 POLITICIAN

Kingsley Wood

1881 - 1943

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2056 JOURNALIST

Bernard Levin

1928 - 2004

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2057 BOTANIST

Dukinfield Henry Scott

1854 - 1934

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2058 LAWYER

Philippe Sands

Born 1960

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2059 POLITICIAN

Michael Ancram

Born 1945

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2060 ASTRONOMER

David C. Jewitt

Born 1958

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2061 PAINTER

Joseph Highmore

1692 - 1780

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2062 NOBLE

James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn

Born 1934

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2063 POET

George Colman the Younger

1762 - 1836

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2064 ROWER

Andy Holmes

1959 - 2010

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2065 CONSERVATIVE

Jo Johnson

Born 1971

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2066 ACTOR

Brandon Hurst

1866 - 1947

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2067 ARTIST

Paul Jenkins (writer)

Born 1965

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2068 ACTOR

China Chow

Born 1974

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2069 POLITICIAN

Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry

1852 - 1915

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2070 SCENOGRAPHER

Oliver Messel

1904 - 1978

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2071 BASKET

Carlton Myers

Born 1971

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2072 ACTOR

Evelyn Laye

1900 - 1996

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2073 WATCHMAKER

George Daniels (watchmaker)

1926 - 2011

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2074 SCREENWRITER

Robert Fuest

1927 - 2012

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2075 PHOTOGRAPHER

Mick Rock

Born 1948

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2076 ATHLETE

Sarah Springman

Born 1956

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2077 ARTIST

Kevin O'Neill (comics)

Born 1953

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2078 DIPLOMAT

Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock

1849 - 1928

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2079 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

M. S. Bartlett

1910 - 2002

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2080 AUTHOR

Robert Rankin

Born 1949

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2081 BOTANIST

E. J. H. Corner

1906 - 1996

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2082 CHEMIST

Henry Drysdale Dakin

1880 - 1952

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2083 PHOTOGRAPHER

Frederick H. Evans

1853 - 1943

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2084 SCREENWRITER

Carlo Gabriel Nero

Born 1969

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2085 JUDGE

John Fielding

1721 - 1780

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2086 POET

Richard Savage (poet)

1697 - 1743

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2087 ACTOR

Martin Crewes

Born 1967

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2088 ACTOR

Gavin Richards

Born 1946

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2089 ARISTOCRAT

John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall

1316 - 1336

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2090 FOOTBALL

Liam Rosenior

Born 1984

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2091 CHESS

Stuart Milner-Barry

1906 - 1995

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2092 FILM

Gil Kenan

Born 1976

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2093 BASEBALL

Alfred Lawson

1869 - 1954

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2094 POLITICIAN

Henry Labouchère

1831 - 1912

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2095 FOOTBALL

Melvyn Lorenzen

Born 1994

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2096 ACTRESS

Claire Stansfield

Born 1964

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2097 ACTOR

Vivian Pickles

Born 1931

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2098 THERAPIST

Susie Orbach

Born 1946

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2099 WRITER

Diana Norman

1933 - 2011

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2100 STAGE

DJ Hype

Born 1970

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