40.6979° N, 73.9995° W

NEW YORK CITY

Most Famous People Born in New York City, United States

Notable people
22,064
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1935
Most distinctive
Screenwriter 5.4×

If the 20th century held a casting call, it was in New York. Almost all of the city's notable births fall after 1900, fueled by an entertainment economy — Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, the studio system, late-night TV, hip-hop in the Bronx — that has minted more actors, comedians, and musicians than any other American city. Even its 19th-century names skew literary: poets, editors, journalists, not generals or industrialists.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in New York City during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 2,711 notable births.

What New York City Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is New York City's biggest profession — 14% of all notables (3,012).

New York City over-indexes on screenwriter5.4× the global rate.

New York City under-produces football — only 0.1× the global rate.

  1. Actor3,012
  2. Politician1,004
  3. Writer859
  4. Film841
  5. Lawyer794
  6. Music767
  7. Baseball584
  8. Singer573
  1. Screenwriter5225.4×
  2. Producer2253.6×
  3. Novelist2993.4×
  4. Film8413.1×
  5. Photographer2872.7×
  6. Actor3,0122.6×
  7. Music7672.4×
  8. Baseball5842.3×
  1. Football3650.1×
  2. Politician1,0040.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Other
All22,064
Sort By

22,064 notable people

16501 POLICE

Thomas C. Acton

1823 - 1898

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16502 ESSAYIST

Neil F. Comins

Born 1951

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16503 WRITER

Louise Kaplan

1929 - 2012

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16504 CURATOR

Christine Leo Roussel

Born 1945

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16505 POLITICIAN

Susan Almy

Born 1946

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16506 BUSINESS

Barry Habib

Born 1960

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16507 POLITICIAN

Joe Geller

Born 1954

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16508 MUSIC

Ray Rivera

Born 1929

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16509 PRESBYTER

John Michael Krebs

1804 - 1867

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16510 FOOTBALL

Laurie Bliss

1872 - 1942

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16511 FILM

Amram Nowak

1924 - 2005

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16512 PHOTOGRAPHER

Paul Cava

Born 1949

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16513 ACTOR

Perla Aguiar

-

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16514 ACTOR

Richard Panebianco

Born 1971

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16515 PAEDIATRICIAN

Carl Noeggerath

1876 - 1952

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16516 BUSINESS

Herman Herst Jr.

1909 - 1999

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16517 PAINTER

Lucille Wallenrod

1918 - 1998

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16518 ACTOR

Matthew Shear

Born 1984

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16519 PHOTOGRAPHER

Tama Hochbaum

Born 1953

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16520 LAWYER

Henry Galbraith Ward

1851 - 1933

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16521 POLITICIAN

Diana Reyna

Born 1974

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16522 WRITER

Rachel Levitsky

Born 1963

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16523 ARTIST

Audrey McMahon

1898 - 1981

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16524 BROADCAST

Martin Starger

Born 1932

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16525 LAWYER

Howard J. Rubenstein

Born 1932

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16526 PAINTER

Edmond Reuel Smith

1829 - 1911

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16527 MUSIC

Marlaena Kessick

Born 1935

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16528 ACTOR

Annie Pixley

1858 - 1893

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16529 GOLF

Jim Albus

Born 1940

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16530 FENCER

Stephen Netburn

Born 1943

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16531 LAWYER

E. Leo Milonas

Born 1936

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16532 WRITER

Isaac Markens

1846 - 1928

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16533 FILM

James Smith (montatore)

1892 - 1951

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16534 JOURNALIST

James Brooke (journalist)

Born 1955

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16535 WRITER

John R. Maxim

Born 1937

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16536 JOURNALIST

Marc Jampole

Born 1950

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16537 FILM

Larry Gottheim

Born 1936

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16538 MATHEMATICIAN

Andrew Kalotay

Born 1940

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16539 ATHLETIC

Harvey Frick

1893 - 1966

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16540 COACH

Peter Rossomando

Born 1972

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16541 DRUMMER

Kimati Dinizulu

1956 - 2013

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16542 POLICE

Louis Eppolito

1948 - 2019

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16543 POLITICIAN

William Malcolm

1745 - 1791

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16544 ENGINEER

Allan Rosenheck

1938 - 2018

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16545 AUTHOR

Joey Reiman

Born 1953

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16546 MUSIC

Peter Delano

Born 1976

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16547 THEATRE

Julia Jarcho

-

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16548 POLITICIAN

Mark Treyger

Born 1982

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16549 FOOTBALL

Earl Beecham

Born 1965

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16550 ENTREPRENEUR

Joseph Einhorn

-

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16551 MATHEMATICIAN

Steven Zucker

Died 2019

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16552 WRITER

Mark Malkoff

Born 1977

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16553 ACTIVIST

Abraham Osheroff

1915 - 2008

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16554 POLITICIAN

Stephen Whitney

1776 - 1860

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16555 PAINTER

Earle Wilton Richardson

1912 - 1935

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16556 LINGUIST

Archibald A. Hill

1902 - 1992

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16557 JOURNALIST

Sylvan Fox

1928 - 2007

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16558 ACTOR

Monica Moran

1940 - 2018

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16559 PRODUCER

Jay Ghartey

-

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16560 LINGUIST

Lawrence Gwyn van Loon

1903 - 1985

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16561 ACTOR

Gabrielle Tuite

Born 1977

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16562 TEACHER

Joseph Grundfest

Born 1951

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16563 BASEBALL

Red Sheridan

1896 - 1975

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16564 PAINTER

Alexander Lawrie

1828 - 1917

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16565 BIOLOGIST

Clifford Grobstein

1916 - 1998

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16566 PSYCHIATRIST

Donald Klein

1928 - 2019

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16567 MILITAR

John Alphonsus Murphy

1881 - 1935

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16568 PAINTER

Art Brenner

1924 - 2013

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16569 SINGER

Susan Roberts

Born 1960

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16570 NOVELIST

Julian Tepper

Born 1979

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16571 MUSIC

Van Toffler

Born 1958

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16572 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Steve Wallach

Born 1945

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16573 LAWYER

Joseph R. Lentol

Born 1943

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16574 POLITICIAN

Alan Frumin

Born 1946

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16575 PLAYWRIGHT

Paul Shyre

1926 - 1989

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16576 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Dorothy Blum

1924 - 1980

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16577 WRITER

Jeremy Iversen

-

Preview
16578 SINGER

Tamar-kali

-

Preview
16579 WRITER

Alden Jones

Born 1972

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16580 JOURNALIST

Jim Gardner (broadcaster)

Born 1948

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16581 SONGWRITER

Larry Banks

1931 - 1992

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16582 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Edward Keynes

1940 - 2016

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16583 POLITICIAN

Richard Stark (politician)

Born 1952

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16584 ANIMATOR

Manny Gould

1904 - 1975

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16585 PAINTER

Willard Dryden Paddock

1873 - 1956

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16586 COLLECTOR

Jean Brown

1911 - 1994

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16587 CHOREOGRAPHER

Rosalind Newman

Born 1946

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16588 ARCHITECT

Alexander Garvin

Born 1941

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16589 FILM

William Scully (director)

1889 - 1949

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16590 GAME

Troy Lyndon

Born 1964

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16591 BASEBALL

Jap Barbeau

1882 - 1969

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16592 ACTOR

Gilbert Maxwell

1913 - 1979

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16593 LAWYER

Elizabeth Harrison Walker

1897 - 1955

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16594 EDUCATOR

Giselle O. Martin-Kniep

Born 1956

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16595 PAINTER

William Jacob Hays

1830 - 1875

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16596 LAWYER

Peter Vallone Jr.

Born 1961

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16597 PHOTOGRAPHER

Mariana Cook

Born 1955

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16598 SPORT

Phil Pepe

1935 - 2015

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16599 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Peter-Andrew Schwarz

Born 1960

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16600 ACTOR

Tim Herbert

1914 - 1986

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16601 SONGWRITER

Terry Radigan

-

Preview
16602 NOVELIST

Clifford Ball

1896 - 1947

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16603 COMPOSER

Jason Miles

Born 1951

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16604 FILM

Estela Bravo

Born 1933

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16605 FILM

Michael Guinzburg

Born 1958

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16606 MODEL

Christina Mendez

Born 1981

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16607 POET

Christian Nestell Bovee

1820 - 1904

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16608 ACTOR

Bette Grayson

1922 - 1954

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16609 CHEMIST

Thomas E. Mallouk

Born 1954

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16610 POLITICIAN

Ed Narain

Born 1976

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16611 PAINTER

Oscar Chelimsky

1923 - 2010

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16612 BASEBALL

Tom Carey (shortstop)

1846 - 1906

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16613 ILLUSTRATOR

Ethel McClellan Plummer

1888 - 1936

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16614 JUDGE

Arthur Gonzalez

Born 1940

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16615 ACTOR

Michael Ross (acteur)

1911 - 1993

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16616 MUSIC

Phil Kraus

1918 - 2012

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16617 ACTOR

Tracey Ross

Born 1959

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16618 COMPOSER

Judd Greenstein

Born 1979

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16619 LAWYER

Alexander Cushing

1913 - 2006

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16620 FINANCIER

John Cheever Cowdin

1889 - 1960

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16621 PHOTOGRAPHER

Bettina Cirone

Born 1933

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16622 POLITICIAN

Andrew Cohen (politician)

Born 1969

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16623 POLITICIAN

Latrice Walker

-

Preview
16624 ARTIST

Romeo Alaeff

Born 1970

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16625 BASKET

Julian Boyd (basketball)

Born 1990

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16626 FILM

Michael Pope

Born 1963

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16627 PATHOLOGIST

Henry Lewis Jaffe

1896 - 1979

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16628 BASEBALL

Danny Garcia (outfielder)

Born 1954

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16629 ARCHITECT

Charles Evans Hughes III

1915 - 1985

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16630 ACTOR

Emma Waller

1819 - 1899

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16631 PUBLISHER

Henry Luce III.

1925 - 2005

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16632 CIRCUS

Charles Kraus (clown)

Born 1946

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16633 FOOTBALL

Tony Matisi

1914 - 1969

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16634 ENTREPRENEUR

Andreas Reinhart

Born 1944

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16635 ART HISTORIAN

James D. Breckenridge

1926 - 1982

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16636 WRITER

Adolphe Erich Meyer

1897 - 1988

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16637 PSYCHIATRIST

Charles Nemeroff

Born 1949

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16638 SPORT

Carrie Sheinberg

Born 1972

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16639 ARTIST

Elaine Anthony

1943 - 1996

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16640 ENGINEER

Edward Bayard Heath

1888 - 1931

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16641 FOOTBALL

Tom Masella

Born 1959

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16642 WRITER

George G. Bloomer

Born 1963

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16643 SPORT

Rynner Van Heste

Born 1853

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16644 SWIMMER

Felicia Lee

Born 1992

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16645 ACTOR

Mary Ryan (actress; 1885-1948)

1885 - 1948

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16646 ACADEMIC

Stephen G. Daitz

1926 - 2014

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16647 PHOTOGRAPHER

Andrea Blanch

Born 1952

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16648 PHOTOGRAPHER

Don Hogan Charles

1938 - 2017

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16649 HISTORIAN

Linda Grant DePauw

Born 1940

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16650 MANAGER

Emily Gerson Saines

-

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16651 BUSINESS

Duncan L. Niederauer

-

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16652 ACTOR

Mary Ashton

Born 1989

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16653 PRIEST

William Edmond Armitage

1830 - 1873

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16654 SCREENWRITER

Leopold Atlas

1907 - 1954

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16655 RANCHER

Larry Larom

1889 - 1973

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16656 BUSINESS

Scott Ross (film executive)

Born 1951

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16657 POLITICIAN

Gary Popkin

Born 1938

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16658 MUSIC

Irving Brodsky

1901 - 1998

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16659 MUSIC

Earl McIntyre

-

Preview
16660 SKATER

Gail Borden (figure skater)

1907 - 1991

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16661 WRITER

Dakota Lane

Born 1959

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16662 FOOTBALL

Laurent Manuel

Born 1986

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16663 JUSTICE

Patricia DiMango

Born 1953

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16664 BUSINESS

Herbert Simon (real estate)

Born 1934

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16665 PRIEST

Austin Bernard Vaughan

1927 - 2000

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16666 BASEBALL

Walter Ancker

1893 - 1954

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16667 PHYSICIST

Peter Smith (scientist)

Born 1947

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16668 ENGINEER

Thomas Christian Kavanagh

1912 - 1978

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16669 AUTHOR

Rick Raphael

1919 - 1994

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16670 SCULPTOR

Robert Grosvenor (Bildhauer)

Born 1937

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16671 ACTOR

Marshall Flaum

1925 - 2010

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16672 FINANCIER

Michael Benjamin (investor)

Born 1969

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16673 OFFICER

Kimberly Casiano

Born 1957

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16674 BASKET

José Pacheco

1956 - 2015

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16675 ATHLETE

Sam Felton (athlete)

1926 - 2015

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16676 BEAUTY PAGEANT

Yasmin Daji

Born 1947

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16677 DIPLOMAT

John Caspar Dreier

1906 - 1994

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16678 HEIRESS

Alice DeLamar

1895 - 1983

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16679 PLAYER

Francis Louis Fassitt

1859 - 1928

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16680 REALTOR

Charlie Byrne (baseball)

1843 - 1898

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16681 MATHEMATICIAN

Frank Proschan

1921 - 2003

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16682 LAWYER

Michael H. Cardozo

1910 - 1996

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16683 WRESTLER

Mujaahid Maynard

Born 1971

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16684 MILITAR

Wilbur E. Colyer

1898 - 1918

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16685 ARTIST

Elia Alba

Born 1962

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16686 CORRESPONDENT

Tai Hernandez

Born 1974

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16687 ACTOR

Bruce Mars

Born 1935

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16688 FILM

Robert M. Leeds

1920 - 2000

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16689 BASEBALL

Jack Lynch (baseball)

1857 - 1923

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16690 GOLF

Louis Keller

1857 - 1922

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16691 POLITICAL

Philip Van Patten

1852 - 1918

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16692 MUSIC

Russ Irwin

-

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16693 MUSIC

A. G. (Rapper)

-

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16694 ACTOR

Sara Lane

Born 1949

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16695 OFFICER

David M. Brahms

Born 1938

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16696 MUSIC

Doreen DeFeis

-

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16697 SONGWRITER

Denny Randell

Born 1941

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16698 SHIPPING MAGNATE

Edgar F. Luckenbach

1868 - 1943

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16699 MUSIC

Adam O’Farrill

Born 1994

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16700 ACTOR

Richard Parnell Habersham

Born 1974

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16701 FOOTBALL

Michael Bamiro

Born 1990

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16702 ACTOR

Andreas Geiss

Born 1964

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16703 JOURNALIST

James Panero

Born 1975

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16704 SINGER

John Battles

1921 - 2009

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16705 BUSINESS

Frank Bisignano

Born 1959

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16706 ENGINEER

Leonard Greene

1918 - 2006

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16707 WRITER

Elizabeth Arthur

Born 1953

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16708 ACTOR

Garth Pillsbury

Born 1938

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16709 PHYSICIST

Sheldon Schultz

1933 - 2017

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16710 LAWYER

Oliver Koppell

Born 1940

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16711 MUSIC

Marc Lifschey

1926 - 2000

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16712 MOBSTER

Anthony Mirra

1927 - 1982

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16713 ACTOR

Andrew Cassese

Born 1972

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16714 BASEBALL

Harry Simmons

1907 - 1998

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16715 POLITICIAN

Alan Maisel

Born 1945

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16716 PLAYER

Eric Drache

Born 1943

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16717 ATHLETIC

Daniel Horton (athlete)

1879 - 1954

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16718 MUSIC

Eddie Bonnemere

1921 - 1996

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16719 POLITICIAN

Evie Hudak

Born 1951

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16720 PHOTOGRAPHER

Lee Tanner

1931 - 2013

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16721 WRITER

Helaine Newstead

1906 - 1981

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16722 RADIO

Jerry Williams (radio)

1923 - 2003

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16723 POLITICIAN

Paul Rosenthal (Minnesota politician)

Born 1960

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16724 CRIME

Wilfred Johnson

1935 - 1988

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16725 PAINTER

Mary Schepisi

Born 1949

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16726 POLITICIAN

James Kennedy McGuire

1868 - 1923

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16727 WRITER

Victor Stabin

Born 1954

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16728 PLAYER

Ed Rubinoff

Born 1935

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16729 FOOTBALL

Al Zerhusen

1931 - 2018

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16730 BUSINESS

David Schulhof

Born 1971

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16731 PHOTOGRAPHER

Robert Enrique Muller

1881 - 1921

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16732 MOBSTER

Matthew Ianniello

1920 - 2012

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16733 FOOTBALL

Robert Clark (gridiron football)

Born 1965

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16734 SCHOLAR

Louise Holland

1893 - 1990

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16735 GOLF

Wiffy Cox

1896 - 1969

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16736 MATHEMATICIAN

Solomon Friedberg

Born 1958

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16737 WRITER

Robert Levy (author)

Born 1974

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16738 SINGER

Lady Daisey

Born 1973

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16739 CREATIVE

Alex Westerman

Born 1969

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16740 MILITAR

John Durham (Medal of Honor)

1843 - 1918

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16741 MUSIC

Margaret Ross Griffel

Born 1943

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16742 PHARMACOLOGIST

Elliot Vesell

1933 - 2018

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16743 SINGER

Jimmy Merchant

Born 1940

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16744 ARTIST

Tahir Hemphill

Born 1972

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16745 MODEL

Suelyn Medeiros

-

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16746 CIVIL RIGHTS

Eric Mann

Born 1942

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16747 FILM

Mel Lawrence

1935 - 2016

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16748 ESTUDIOS

Nicanor de Obarrio

1873 - 1941

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16749 ACTRESS

Daisy Martinez

-

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16750 POET

Will Schutt

Born 1981

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16751 FOOTBALL

Shawn Lee (American football)

1966 - 2011

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16752 CHEMIST

Charles Avery Doremus

1851 - 1925

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16753 BASKET

Vito Kubilus

1914 - 1986

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16754 BASEBALL

Tony Balsamo

Born 1937

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16755 PUBLIC SERVANT

Orin Lehman

1920 - 2008

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16756 BASEBALL

Hugh McQuillan

1895 - 1947

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16757 ENGINEER

Steve Rutt

1945 - 2011

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16758 SCREENWRITER

Camille Marchetta

Born 1940

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16759 JUDGE

Gary Stephen Katzmann

Born 1953

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16760 DIPLOMAT

Bruce Gelb

Born 1927

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16761 FILM

Jack Levin (producer)

1914 - 1999

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16762 WRITER

James Van Patten

Born 1956

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16763 FILM

Irving Jacoby

1909 - 1985

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16764 ECONOMIST

Stan Liebowitz

Born 1950

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16765 SINGER

Alex York

-

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16766 POLITICIAN

Brian Colón

Born 1970

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16767 LAWYER

Cassandra Butts

1965 - 2016

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16768 ACTOR

Teddy Sampson

1895 - 1970

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16769 LAWYER

George Greer

Born 1942

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16770 PLAYWRIGHT

Sidney Michaels

1927 - 2011

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16771 FENCER

Jeffrey Checkes

Born 1943

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16772 ARTIST

Jerri Allyn

Born 1954

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16773 FOOTBALL

Bill Elko

Born 1959

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16774 ACTOR

Eleanor Lynn

1916 - 1996

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16775 METEOROLOGIST

Sheldon Kay Friedlander

1927 - 2007

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16776 EDITOR

Oliver Bell Bunce

1828 - 1890

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16777 LAWYER

Roderic L. O'Connor

1921 - 1982

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16778 LINGUIST

Paul V. Kroskrity

Born 1949

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16779 ACTOR

Desiree Gould

Born 1945

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16780 ACTOR

Dana Broccoli

1922 - 2004

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16781 FILM

Martin Mooney

1896 - 1967

Preview
16782 PHILANTHROPIST

Dorothy Lehman Bernhard

1903 - 1969

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16783 ACTOR

Agnes Ethel

1846 - 1903

Preview
16784 SCREENWRITER

Harry Tugend

1898 - 1989

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16785 BALLET

Lloyd Riggins

Born 1969

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16786 ACTOR

Paul Herlinger

1929 - 2010

Preview
16787 ARTIST

Marvin Stein

1925 - 2010

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16788 ACTOR

Maggie Wagner

Born 1966

Preview
16789 ENTREPRENEUR

Edward Jay Allen

1830 - 1915

Preview
16790 ENDOCRINOLOGIST

Selna Kaplan

1927 - 2010

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16791 ACADEMIC

Samuel Bonis

Born 1934

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16792 WRITER

Andrew Ostrowski

Born 1966

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16793 LAWYER

Randy Gordon

Born 1953

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16794 FOOTBALL

Stalin Colinet

Born 1974

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16795 ACTOR

Betty Harford

Born 1927

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16796 FILM

Adam Bertocci

Born 1982

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16797 ATHLETE

Alec Musser

Born 1973

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16798 ACTOR

William E. Shay

Born 1867

Preview
16799 POLITICIAN

Tom Conroy

Born 1962

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16800 PAINTER

Paul Rader

1906 - 1986

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