53.4668° N, 2.2333° W

MANCHESTER

Most Famous People Born in Manchester, United Kingdom

Notable people
1,751
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1950
Most distinctive
Boxer 3.3×

The first industrial city in the world, and still the one the British music press writes about more than any other. More than a quarter of Manchester's notables are footballers, and the distinctive shelves after that are boxers and actors — the legacy of the Salford and Wythenshawe boxing clubs and a stage tradition that has fed Coronation Street for sixty years. Emmeline Pankhurst, the Pankhurst daughters, David Lloyd George, and the Manchester University labs that built the world's first stored-program computer all belong to this bench too.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 202 notable births.

What Manchester Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Manchester's biggest profession — 25% of all notables (437).

Manchester over-indexes on boxer3.3× the global rate.

Manchester under-produces politician — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Football437
  2. Actor173
  3. Politician86
  4. Writer63
  5. Singer51
  6. Painter42
  7. Player41
  8. Music35
  1. Boxer233.3×
  2. Football4372.3×
  3. Actor1731.9×
  1. Politician860.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Other
All1,751
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1,751 notable people

0601 DRUMMER

John Maher (Buzzcocks drummer)

Born 1960

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0602 SPORT

Marie Purvis

Born 1961

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0603 DRIVER

Tony Crook (racing driver)

1920 - 2014

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0604 WRITER

Jessie Fothergill

1851 - 1891

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0605 POLITICIAN

Joseph Henry Burrows

1840 - 1914

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0606 WRITER

Anthony McGowan

Born 1965

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0607 ACTOR

Meg Johnson

Born 1936

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0608 POLO

Thomas Coe

Born 1880

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0609 WRITER

Michael Butterworth (author)

Born 1947

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0610 FOOTBALL

Brian Birch

1931 - 2019

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0611 GUITAR

Jeff Wootton

Born 1988

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0612 ARCHITECT

Elliott Woods

1865 - 1923

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0613 GEOLOGIST

Doris Reynolds

1899 - 1985

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0614 ACTOR

Gerry Sundquist

1955 - 1993

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0615 FOOTBALL

Mark Lynch (association footballer)

Born 1981

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0616 JUDO

Michelle Rogers (judoka)

Born 1976

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0617 PASTOR

Jabez Bunting

1779 - 1858

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0618 MUSIC

Henry Raynor

1917 - 1989

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0619 ACTOR

Roxy Shahidi

Born 1983

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0620 FOOTBALL

Scott Spencer (footballer)

Born 1989

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0621 FOOTBALL

Kean Bryan

Born 1996

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0622 ACTOR

Hilary Tindall

1938 - 1992

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0623 FOOTBALL

Doug Holden

Born 1930

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0624 POLITICIAN

George Hibbert

1757 - 1837

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0625 SINGER

Haley Gibby

Born 1982

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0626 PHYSICIST

John Robertson (physicist)

Born 1950

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0627 SPORT

Mandy Jones

Born 1962

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0628 MISSIONARY

Rudolf Alfred Bosshardt

1897 - 1993

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0629 SCREENWRITER

Vernon Sylvaine

1896 - 1957

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0630 FOOTBALL

Brian Wilson (footballer, born 1983)

Born 1983

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0631 ASTRONOMER

Joseph Baxendell

1815 - 1887

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0632 ATHLETE

Paul Green (taekwondo)

Born 1977

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0633 ACTOR

Kirsty-Leigh Porter

Born 1988

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0634 CRICKET

Stephen Parry (cricketer)

Born 1986

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0635 MEDIEVALIST

James Tait (historian)

1863 - 1944

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0636 JOURNALIST

John Beavan, Baron Ardwick

1910 - 1994

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0637 AUTHOR

William Henry Meadowcroft

1853 - 1937

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0638 ARTIST

Sanchita Islam

Born 1973

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0639 COMPOSER

Mike Read

Born 1947

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0640 OLYMPIC

John Cutler (sailor)

Born 1962

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0641 LAWYER

Konstantinos Raktivan

1865 - 1935

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0642 BOXER

Joe Gallagher (boxing)

Born 1968

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0643 SONGWRITER

Hughie Charles

1907 - 1995

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0644 FOOTBALL

Niall Maher

Born 1995

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0645 PLAYER

Sue Fairhurst

Born 1974

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0646 AEROSPACE

James C. Floyd

Born 1914

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0647 SKATER

Jean Westwood (figure skater)

-

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0648 ACTOR

Bertha Belmore

1882 - 1953

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0649 FOOTBALL

Keith Barker

Born 1986

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0650 SPORT

William Spencer (cyclist)

1895 - 1963

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0651 FOOTBALL

Joel Logan

Born 1995

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0652 SONGWRITER

Grace Knight

Born 1955

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0653 WRITER

Faranak Margolese

Born 1972

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0654 BIOGRAPHER

Alice Rawsthorn

Born 1958

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0655 FOOTBALL

John Doherty (footballer)

1935 - 2007

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0656 CHEMIST

Alfred Lucas

1867 - 1945

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0657 MUSIC

Matthew Wadsworth

Born 1975

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0658 FILM

Igal Bursztyn

Born 1941

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0659 WRITER

John Hutton (author)

Born 1928

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0660 PHOTOGRAPHER

Christopher Bucklow

Born 1957

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0661 POLITICIAN

Bob Day

Born 1952

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0662 POLITICIAN

Louise Ellman

Born 1945

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0663 PRIEST

Timothy Dudley-Smith

Born 1926

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0664 SUFFRAGETTE

Flora Drummond

1878 - 1949

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0665 FOOTBALL

Anthony Dudley (footballer)

Born 1996

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0666 HOCKEY

Jimmy Borland

1910 - 1970

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0667 FOOTBALL

Vince Hayes

1879 - 1964

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0668 PLAYER

Kallum Watkins

Born 1991

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0669 ACTOR

Kenneth MacDonald (English actor)

1950 - 2001

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0670 SPRINT

Stephi Douglas

Born 1969

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0671 ACTOR

Rebecca Ryan

Born 1991

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0672 PIANIST

Roderick Chadwick

Born 1978

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0673 POLITICIAN

Christine McCafferty

Born 1945

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0674 PHYSICIST

Howard Carmichael

Born 1950

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0675 PLAYER

James Leadbetter

Born 1980

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0676 ENTREPRENEUR

Mike Newton (racing driver)

Born 1960

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0677 ARCHITECT

Bernard Evans (architect)

1905 - 1981

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0678 FOOTBALL

Phil Chisnall

Born 1942

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0679 ACTOR

Don Knight (actor)

1933 - 1997

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0680 FOOTBALL

Menelik Watson

Born 1988

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0681 MUSIC

Pete Birrell

Born 1941

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0682 PHYSICIST

András Jánossy

Born 1944

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0683 FOOTBALL

Nicholas Swirad

Born 1991

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0684 HOCKEY

Jason Hewitt

Born 1983

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0685 PAINTER

Martha Darley Mutrie

1824 - 1885

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0686 FOOTBALL

Mike Milligan (footballer)

Born 1967

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0687 SPRINT

Sharon Colyear

Born 1955

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0688 GUITAR

Steve Bolton

Born 1949

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0689 SWIMMER

Cecelia Wolstenholme

1915 - 1968

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0690 FOOTBALL

Nathaniel Kerr

Born 1987

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0691 FOOTBALL

Mike Mulvey

Born 1966

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0692 WRITER

Brian Farrell (broadcaster)

1929 - 2014

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0693 SONGWRITER

George Wood (actor)

Born 1981

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0694 CONSULTANT

Nicholas Lander

Born 1952

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0695 SWIMMER

Adrian Turner

Born 1977

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0696 PRESENTER

Maggie Philbin

Born 1955

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0697 SINGER

Martin Bramah

Born 1957

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0698 FOOTBALL

Neil Wood

Born 1983

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0699 THEOLOGIAN

Graham Ward (theologian)

Born 1955

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0700 JOURNALIST

Nigel Roebuck

Born 1946

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0701 WRITER

Jonathan Fryer

Born 1950

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0702 BARRISTER

Claud Schuster, 1st Baron Schuster

1869 - 1956

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0703 FOOTBALL

Alf Arrowsmith

1942 - 2005

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0704 FOOTBALL

Mark Lillis

Born 1960

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0705 FOOTBALL

Eric Westwood

1917 - 2001

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0706 PAINTER

Hughie O'Donoghue

Born 1953

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0707 MISSIONARY

Sam Higginbottom

1874 - 1958

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0708 BOXER

John Murray (boxer)

Born 1984

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0709 MOUNTAINEER

Bronco Lane

Born 1945

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0710 SINGER

Samantha Juste

1944 - 2014

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0711 HISTORIAN

George Ormerod

1785 - 1873

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0712 HISTORIAN

Mark Hovell

1888 - 1916

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0713 FILM

Dan Eckman

Born 1984

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0714 CHEMIST

Julius B. Cohen

1859 - 1935

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0715 MILITAR

James Brian Tait

1916 - 2007

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0716 SINGER

Helen Watson (singer-songwriter)

Born 1960

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0717 FOOTBALL

Connor Jennings

Born 1991

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0718 WRITER

Richard Crompton

Born 1973

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0719 PRODUCER

Mark Howard (producer)

Born 1964

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0720 FOOTBALL

Dick Duckworth (footballer, born 1882)

Born 1882

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0721 ACTOR

Greg Wood (actor)

Born 1979

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0722 PAINTER

Benjamin Rawlinson Faulkner

1787 - 1849

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0723 JOURNALIST

Marjorie Deane

1914 - 2008

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0724 ACTOR

Oliver Lee (actor)

Born 1986

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0725 GOVERNMENT

Arthur Merriman

1892 - 1972

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0726 RESEARCH

Margaret Gelling

1924 - 2009

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0727 CRICKET

Lindsay Bury

1857 - 1935

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0728 BOXER

Paddy Doherty (TV personality)

Born 1959

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0729 POET

Roy MacGregor-Hastie

1929 - 1994

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0730 PAINTER

Edwin Mackinnon Liébert

1858 - 1908

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0731 GOLF

Cyril Walker

1892 - 1948

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0732 FOOTBALL

Roy Little

1931 - 2015

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0733 PLAYER

Tony Neary

Born 1948

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0734 MUSIC

Steve Garvey (musician)

Born 1958

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0735 POLITICIAN

Basil Wigoder

1921 - 2004

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0736 ACTOR

Adelayo Adedayo

Born 1988

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0737 BUSINESS

Hugh Hornby Birley

1778 - 1845

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0738 PRESENTER

Cel Spellman

Born 1995

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0739 ATHLETE

Jessica Taylor (athlete)

Born 1988

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0740 ARTIST

Hannah Black

Born 1981

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0741 FOOTBALL

Gavin Gordon (footballer)

Born 1979

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0742 ACTOR

Terrence Scammell (Canadian actor)

Born 1958

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0743 PAINTER

William Green (painter)

1760 - 1823

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0744 ACTOR

Richard Albrecht

Born 1950

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0745 FILM

Dee Hibbert-Jones

-

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0746 MANAGER

Stanley Fink, Baron Fink

Born 1957

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0747 ACTOR

Emrys Jones (actor)

1915 - 1972

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0748 PRESENTER

DJ Semtex

Born 1974

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0749 FOOTBALL

Tom Jordan (footballer)

Born 1981

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0750 FOOTBALL

Khalid Mohammed (footballer)

Born 1998

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0751 COMPOSER

Ochre (musician)

Born 1979

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0752 FOOTBALL

Lewis Chalmers

Born 1986

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0753 POLITICIAN

Sir John Benn, 1st Baronet

1850 - 1922

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0754 GUITAR

Jimi Goodwin

Born 1970

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0755 CONVICT

Matthew Falder

Born 1988

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0756 PHOTOGRAPHER

Kevin Cummins (photographer)

Born 1953

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0757 POET

Adrian Caesar

Born 1955

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0758 PAINTER

John Copley (artist)

1875 - 1950

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0759 PRODUCER

Ben Pearce

-

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0760 FOOTBALL

Ian Watson (rugby league)

Born 1976

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0761 FOOTBALL

Aaron Chalmers

Born 1991

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0762 SOCIAL REFORMER

James Heywood (philanthropist)

1810 - 1897

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0763 ARTIST

Alfred Garth Jones

1872 - 1955

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0764 SWIMMER

Claire Huddart

Born 1971

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0765 FOOTBALL

Greg Brown (footballer, born 1962)

Born 1962

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0766 WRITER

Charles Tenshin Fletcher

-

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0767 MISSIONARY

George D. Watt

1812 - 1881

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0768 FOOTBALL

Anthony Taylor (referee)

Born 1978

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0769 ART DEALER

Constantine Alexander Ionides

1833 - 1900

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0770 MUSIC

TCTS

-

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0771 SPORT

Sydney Cozens

1908 - 1985

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0772 BUSINESS

William Tebb

1830 - 1917

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0773 ACTOR

Beatrice Varley

1896 - 1964

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0774 BADMINTON

Colin Haughton

Born 1972

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0775 ENTREPRENEUR

Jack Dellal

1923 - 2012

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0776 FOOTBALL

Devonte Redmond

Born 1996

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0777 FILM

John T. Bone

Born 1947

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0778 MUSIC

Phelim McDermott

Born 1963

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0779 TEACHER

Ray Honeyford

1934 - 2012

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0780 ACTOR

Faye McKeever

Born 1985

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0781 GEOGRAPHER

David Ward (university president)

Born 1938

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0782 FOOTBALL

Danny Adams

Born 1976

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0783 FOOTBALL

George Roughton

1909 - 1989

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0784 RADIO

David Hamilton (broadcaster)

Born 1938

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0785 CHEMIST

John Theodore Merz

1840 - 1921

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0786 SCULPTOR

Brian Cosgrove

Born 1934

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0787 ARCHITECT

Paul Waterhouse

1861 - 1924

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0788 SINGER

Naomi (singer-songwriter)

Born 1996

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0789 SINGER

Richard Janssen

Born 1961

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0790 FOOTBALL

Steve Kinsey

Born 1963

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0791 PLAYER

Vera Thomas

1921 - 1995

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0792 MATHEMATICIAN

David Abrahams (mathematician)

Born 1958

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0793 ACTOR

Liam Fox (actor)

Born 1970

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0794 FILM

Ken McMullen (film director)

Born 1948

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0795 MUSIC

Loz Kaye

Born 1970

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0796 PRODUCER

Graham Massey

Born 1960

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0797 FOOTBALL

Rae Ingram

Born 1974

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0798 JUDGE

Neville Laski

1890 - 1969

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0799 SINGER

Emma Matthews

Born 1970

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0800 FOOTBALL

James Mitchell (footballer, born 1897)

1897 - 1975

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0801 ECONOMIST

W. Michael Hanemann

Born 1944

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0802 FOOTBALL

Alex McQuade

Born 1992

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0803 GOVERNOR

Terence O'Brien (colonial governor)

1830 - 1903

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0804 ACTOR

Jon Robyns

Born 1982

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0805 ACTOR

Jane Hazlegrove

Born 1968

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0806 PLAYER

Rachel Viollet

Born 1972

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0807 FOOTBALL

Fred Eyre

Born 1944

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0808 ACTOR

Susan Cookson

Born 1965

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0809 ACTOR

Kevin Kennedy (actor)

Born 1961

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0810 FOOTBALL

Vinny Mukendi

Born 1992

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0811 ACTOR

Patti Clare

Born 1958

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0812 ACTOR

Ralph Lynn

1882 - 1962

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0813 GUITAR

Larry Gott

Born 1957

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0814 POLITICIAN

Frank Allaun

1913 - 2002

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0815 ACTOR

Howard Goorney

1921 - 2007

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0816 BOTANIST

Edward Hobson (botanist)

1782 - 1830

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0817 SCULPTOR

Robert Koenig (sculptor)

Born 1951

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0818 THEATRE

Vivian Matalon

1929 - 2018

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0819 SPORT

Geoff Cooke (cyclist)

Born 1944

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0820 WRITER

Irving Wardle

Born 1929

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0821 GOLF

Zane Scotland

Born 1982

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0822 FILM

Nick Lowe (classicist)

Born 1956

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0823 BOXER

Denton Vassell

Born 1984

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0824 BIOLOGIST

Laurence Pearl

Born 1956

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0825 CINEMA

Baldwin Li

Born 1982

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0826 FOOTBALL

Kieran Kennedy

Born 1993

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0827 SCREENWRITER

Alan Hackney

1924 - 2009

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0828 ACTOR

Brian Trueman

Born 1932

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0829 RABBI

Simcha Weinstein

Born 1975

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0830 ACTOR

Gabrielle Daye

1911 - 2005

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0831 ECONOMIST

Gareth Myles

Born 1961

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0832 FOOTBALL

Tom Chorlton

1882 - 1952

Preview
0833 JOCKEY

Darryll Holland

Born 1972

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0834 FOOTBALL

James Jennings

Born 1987

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0835 PAINTER

Rosa Hope

1902 - 1972

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0836 FOOTBALL

Clive Wilson

Born 1961

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0837 MUSIC

Kryder

Born 1982

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0838 VIOLIN

Philip Newman

1904 - 1966

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0839 ACTOR

Rob Mallard

Born 1992

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0840 ACTOR

Olivia Hamnett

1927 - 2001

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0841 HISTORIAN

Adrian Shubert

Born 1953

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0842 FOOTBALL

Navid Nasseri

Born 1996

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0843 ACTOR

Sam Bloom

Born 1981

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0844 BIOLOGIST

Gabriel Dover

1937 - 2018

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0845 PAINTER

Alfred Heaton Cooper

1864 - 1929

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0846 FOOTBALL

Jake Edwards (footballer, born 1976)

Born 1976

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0847 FOOTBALL

Gianluca Havern

Born 1988

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0848 POLITICIAN

Robert Hyde Greg

1795 - 1875

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0849 POLITICIAN

Joseph Dean, Baron Dean of Beswick

1923 - 1999

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0850 ACTOR

Vanessa Hehir

Born 1981

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0851 ACTOR

Andy Moss

Born 1984

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0852 ACTOR

Barbara Clegg

-

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0853 BASKET

Aaron Geramipoor

Born 1992

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0854 SCREENWRITER

Trevor Miller

Born 1965

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0855 POLITICIAN

Austin Hopkinson

1879 - 1962

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0856 MERCHANT

John Holker, Jr.

1745 - 1822

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0857 MUSIC

Sheila Nelson

1936 - 2020

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0858 CONDUCTOR

Martin Baker (organist)

Born 1967

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0859 FOOTBALL

Alf Ainsworth

1913 - 1975

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0860 FOOTBALL

Wayne Collins (footballer)

Born 1969

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0861 PRIEST

Terry Drainey

Born 1949

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0862 BIOGRAPHER

Francis Maceroni

1788 - 1846

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0863 CRICKET

Kathryn Cross

Born 1991

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0864 FOOTBALL

Eric Nixon

Born 1962

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0865 BOBSLED

Rebekah Wilson

Born 1991

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0866 PAINTER

William Bradley (painter)

1801 - 1857

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0867 BOXER

Matthew Hall (boxer)

Born 1984

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0868 ATHLETIC

Georgia Taylor-Brown

Born 1994

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0869 ACTOR

Adam Kendrick

Born 1969

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0870 JOURNALIST

Isabel Kershner

-

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0871 ATHLETIC

Andy Ashurst

Born 1965

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0872 CANOE

Heather Corrie

Born 1971

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0873 ATHLETIC

Rob Mullett

Born 1987

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0874 FOOTBALL

David Thompson (footballer, born 1962)

Born 1962

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0875 PRESENTER

Chloe Madeley

Born 1987

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0876 COMPOSER

David Wilde

Born 1935

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0877 SWIMMER

Rob Bale

Born 1990

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0878 FOOTBALL

Harry Johnston (footballer, born 1919)

1919 - 1973

Preview
0879 CRICKET

Donny Davies

1892 - 1958

Preview
0880 FOOTBALL

Tony Vaughan

Born 1975

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0881 HISTORIAN

Peter Wynne-Thomas

Born 1934

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0882 SWIMMER

Florence Barker

Born 1908

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0883 RUNNER

Andy Symonds

Born 1981

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0884 THEOLOGIAN

Nigel G. Wright

Born 1949

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0885 ACTOR

Winifred Emery

1861 - 1924

Preview
0886 COMPOSER

Clarence Wainwright Murphy

1875 - 1913

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0887 BANK

Benjamin Heywood

1793 - 1865

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0888 ACTOR

Andrew Hall (actor)

1954 - 2019

Preview
0889 POLITICIAN

William Flinn

1851 - 1924

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0890 FOOTBALL

Simon Hackney

Born 1984

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0891 PAINTER

Malcolm Hughes

1920 - 1997

Preview
0892 ACTOR

Nigel Pivaro

Born 1959

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0893 GOLF

Matthew Nixon

Born 1989

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0894 FOOTBALL

Tony Towers

Born 1952

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0895 SECRETARY

Robert Palmer, 1st Baron Rusholme

1890 - 1977

Preview
0896 BOXER

Pat Barrett (boxer)

Born 1967

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0897 BUSINESS

Janet L. Wolff

1920 - 2014

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0898 FILM

Phil Hawkins

Born 1984

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0899 SCREENWRITER

Dick Sharples

1921 - 2015

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0900 ACTOR

Dean Aspen

-

Preview