37.9074° N, 121.0764° W

OAKLAND

Most Famous People Born in Oakland, United States

Notable people
1,016
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1949
Most distinctive
Rapper 23.4×

The Rapper bench here runs at better than twenty-three times the global baseline — Too $hort, MC Hammer, and the entire Bay Area hyphy lineage compressed into one line of the panel, a regional rap dialect invented the way New Orleans invented jazz. The deep Baseball count is the other Oakland story, the A's dynasty years and the West Oakland sandlots that produced Rickey Henderson, while the outsized Artist bench still runs on Black Panther-era visual culture.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 138 notable births.

What Oakland Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Football is Oakland's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (118).

Oakland over-indexes on rapper23.4× the global rate.

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

  1. Football118
  2. Baseball102
  3. Actor85
  4. Basket52
  5. Politician50
  6. Music47
  7. Singer35
  8. Artist35
  1. Rapper2623.4×
  2. Baseball1028.8×
  3. Basket524.1×
  4. Artist353.4×
  5. Music473.2×
  6. Novelist112.7×
  7. Film241.9×
  8. Lawyer321.8×
  1. Politician500.4×
  2. Writer230.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18001825185018751900192519501975
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All1,016
Sort By

1,016 notable people

0601 BUSINESS

Kenneth K. Bechtel

1904 - 1978

Preview
0602 LEXICOGRAPHER

Brent Galloway

1944 - 2014

Preview
0603 FOOTBALL

Hardy Nickerson Jr.

Born 1994

Preview
0604 COSTUME DESIGNER

André-ani

1901 - 1953

Preview
0605 POLITICIAN

Tom Johnson (Illinois politician)

1945 - 2018

Preview
0606 BASEBALL

Jerry Garvin

Born 1955

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0607 ATHLETIC

George Atkinson III

1992 - 2019

Preview
0608 FOOTBALL

Ryan Murphy (American football)

Born 1992

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0609 ARTIST

Alicia McCarthy

Born 1969

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0610 ACTOR

Dagmar Dahlgren

1880 - 1951

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0611 BASEBALL

Charlie Beamon

1934 - 2016

Preview
0612 FOOTBALL

Mike Teel

Born 1986

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0613 BASEBALL

Eddie McGah

1921 - 2002

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0614 RAPPER

Passion (rapper)

-

Preview
0615 FILM

Jason Cortlund

-

Preview
0616 PRODUCER

Shakir Stewart

1974 - 2008

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0617 FOOTBALL

Leon Burns

1942 - 1985

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0618 FOOTBALL

Dave Barr (American football)

Born 1972

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0619 ARTIST

Edward Hagedorn (artist)

1902 - 1982

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0620 ARTIST

Jimmie Robinson

Born 1963

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0621 SPORT

Daniel Butler (cyclist)

1944 - 1970

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0622 BASEBALL

Brock Davis

Born 1943

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0623 FOOTBALL

Junior Tautalatasi

Born 1962

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0624 BASEBALL

Frank Duffy (baseball)

Born 1946

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0625 BASEBALL

Bill Plummer

Born 1947

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0626 BASEBALL

Matt Beech

Born 1972

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0627 MISSING

George Wethern

Born 1939

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0628 FOOTBALL

Chris Burford

Born 1938

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0629 FOOTBALL

Thomas DeCoud

Born 1985

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0630 ARTIST

Estelle Peck Ishigo

1899 - 1990

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0631 ARTIST

Favianna Rodriguez

Born 1978

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0632 BASEBALL

Alvis Woods

Born 1953

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0633 FOOTBALL

Ray Wells

Born 1980

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0634 FILM

Fritz Manes

Born 1932

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0635 SPORT

Juan Toscano

Born 1993

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0636 ACTOR

Connie Cezon

1925 - 2004

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0637 BASEBALL

Bob Chesnes

1921 - 1979

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0638 FOOTBALL

Roy Robertson-Harris

Born 1993

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0639 MILITAR

David C. Waybur

1919 - 1945

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0640 FOOTBALL

Tom Scott (Canadian football)

Born 1951

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0641 ACTOR

Joe Knowland

1930 - 2019

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0642 BASEBALL

Dwain Anderson

Born 1947

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0643 FOOTBALL

Nick Reed

Born 1987

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0644 COACH

Tommie Lindsey

Born 1951

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0645 LAWYER

David M. Louie

Born 1951

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0646 BASEBALL

Carl Zamloch

1889 - 1963

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0647 BASEBALL

Curtis Goodwin

Born 1972

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0648 SAXOPHONIST

Ron Stallings

1947 - 2009

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0649 PHILOSOPHER

Theodore de Laguna

1876 - 1930

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0650 PSYCHOLOGIST

Matt McGue

-

Preview
0651 JOURNALIST

Al Martinez

1929 - 2015

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0652 HISTORIAN

Robert Albo

1932 - 2011

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0653 ACTOR

Nick Thurston

Born 1987

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0654 POLITICIAN

Wendell R. Beitzel

Born 1943

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0655 ACTOR

Julie Ow

Born 1960

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0656 FOOTBALL

Julian Nash

Born 1983

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0657 BASEBALL

Steve Davis (infielder)

Born 1953

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0658 POLITICIAN

Antonio Parkinson

-

Preview
0659 AUTHOR

Ruth Leach Amonette

1916 - 2004

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0660 LAWYER

Justin P. Wilson

Born 1945

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0661 POLITICIAN

George Miller Jr.

1914 - 1969

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0662 WRITER

Peter Stafford

1939 - 2007

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0663 SCHOLAR

Harrell F. Beck

1922 - 1987

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0664 ARTIST

Thomas W. Benton

1930 - 2007

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0665 FOOTBALL

Forrest Hightower

Born 1992

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0666 NOVELIST

Donna Levin

Born 1954

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0667 ACTOR

Louise Erickson (actress)

1928 - 2019

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0668 LAWYER

Joseph Grodin

Born 1930

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0669 BASEBALL

Ron Theobald

1943 - 2016

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0670 BASEBALL

Bill Brenzel

1910 - 1979

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0671 POLITICIAN

Ellen Corbett

Born 1954

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0672 FOOTBALL

Frank Summers

Born 1985

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0673 MUSIC

Gregg Field

Born 1956

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0674 DRUMMER

Dan Brubeck

Born 1955

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0675 LAWYER

Lawrence Joseph O'Neill

Born 1952

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0676 FOOTBALL

Vince Albritton

Born 1962

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0677 FOOTBALL

Quinton Ganther

Born 1984

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0678 ACTOR

Louis Bennison

1884 - 1929

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0679 POLITICIAN

Sue Chew

-

Preview
0680 ARTIST

Sadie Barnette

Born 1984

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0681 FOOTBALL

Bobby Kemp

1959 - 1998

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0682 FILM

Lee Mishkin

1927 - 2001

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0683 FOOTBALL

Robert Jordan (American football)

Born 1986

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0684 FOOTBALL

Kendall McIntosh

Born 1994

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0685 ARTIST

Tamiko Thiel

Born 1957

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0686 FENCER

Donald Thompson (fencer)

1928 - 2013

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0687 BASEBALL

Von Joshua

Born 1948

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0688 FOOTBALL

Martin Tevaseu

Born 1987

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0689 POLITICIAN

John A. Nejedly

1914 - 2006

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0690 FOOTBALL

Ken McAlister

Born 1960

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0691 CRITIC

Theo Schear

Born 1991

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0692 BASEBALL

Tom Fitzsimmons

1890 - 1971

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0693 LAWYER

William B. Shubb

Born 1938

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0694 AVIATOR

Louis Schalk

1926 - 2002

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0695 MINERALOGIST

Waldemar Theodore Schaller

1882 - 1967

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0696 MUSIC

Alan Ferber

Born 1975

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0697 PHOTOGRAPHER

Richard Overstreet

Born 1935

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0698 BASEBALL

Johnny Vergez

1906 - 1991

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0699 FOOTBALL

Jacque Robinson

Born 1963

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0700 FOOTBALL

Chuck Fenenbock

1917 - 1998

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0701 FOOTBALL

Hank Norberg

1920 - 1974

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0702 PLAYER

Luis Scott-Vargas

Born 1983

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0703 FOOTBALL

Harry Mattos

1911 - 1992

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0704 FOOTBALL

Kevin Hardy (defensive tackle)

Born 1945

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0705 FOOTBALL

Bob Grim (American football)

Born 1945

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0706 POLITICIAN

Randy Smith (politician)

Born 1960

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0707 LAWYER

John P. Vukasin Jr.

1928 - 1993

Preview
0708 BASEBALL

Bob Smith (infielder)

Born 1974

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0709 LAWYER

John Mendez

Born 1955

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0710 BASEBALL

Steve Hosey

Born 1969

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0711 ARTIST

Sean Aaberg

Born 1976

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0712 FOOTBALL

Theron Lyman

1869 - 1939

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0713 BASEBALL

Nathan Haynes

Born 1979

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0714 ARTIST

Mary Catherine Lamb

1949 - 2009

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0715 ARCHITECT

Roger Lee

1920 - 1981

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0716 BASKET

Dominique Coleman

Born 1984

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0717 POET

George Edward Tait

1943 - 2017

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0718 FOOTBALL

Donnie Spragan

Born 1976

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0719 BASEBALL

Marcus Moore

Born 1970

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0720 FOOTBALL

Mike Burns (American football)

Born 1954

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0721 FOOTBALL

Scott Slutzker

Born 1972

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0722 FOOTBALL

Hannibal Navies

Born 1977

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0723 SONGWRITER

Jon Thurlow

Born 1980

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0724 GEOLOGIST

Gail A. Mahood

Born 1951

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0725 DESIGNER

Ron Rezek

Born 1946

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0726 BASEBALL

Jason Young (baseball)

Born 1979

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0727 POLITICIAN

Linda Berglin

Born 1944

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0728 ARTIST

Stephen Laub

Born 1945

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0729 FILM

Robert N. Zagone

Born 1938

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0730 POLITICIAN

Hubert Houser

Born 1942

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0731 JOURNALIST

Billy Parish

Born 1981

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0732 FILM

Mark Levinson (film director)

-

Preview
0733 MUSIC

Bill Douglass (Bassist)

Born 1945

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0734 COMPOSER

Dylan Mattingly

Born 1991

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0735 FOOTBALL

Yonus Davis

Born 1984

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0736 AUTHOR

Herb Wong

1926 - 2014

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0737 AVIATOR

Weldon B. Cooke

1884 - 1914

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0738 FOOTBALL

Casey Merrill

Born 1957

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0739 BASEBALL

Terrell Wade

Born 1973

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0740 ACTOR

Frances Teague

1905 - 1969

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0741 POLITICIAN

Hans Riemer

1901 - 1963

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0742 BASEBALL

Bruce Von Hoff

1943 - 2012

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0743 BASEBALL

Bull Perrine

1877 - 1915

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0744 SURGEON

John Najarian

1927 - 2020

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0745 ARCHAEOLOGIST

Noel Broadbent

Born 1946

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0746 FOOTBALL

Phil McKinnely

Born 1954

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0747 BASEBALL

Terrell Lowery

Born 1970

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0748 ACTOR

Alexander Roger Wolf

Born 1970

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0749 SINGER

Ken Ard (dancer)

Born 1960

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0750 MUSIC

Chris Paulson

Born 1958

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0751 MUSIC

Oliver Johnson

1944 - 2002

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0752 LAWYER

David Roger

Born 1961

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0753 POLITICIAN

Otto J. Zahn

1872 - 1965

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0754 LAWYER

Haben Girma

Born 1988

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0755 MATHEMATICS

Jim Warren (computer specialist)

Born 1936

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0756 DRUMMER

Alex Bent

Born 1993

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0757 ARTIST

D. Bruce Berry

1924 - 1998

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0758 THEATRE

Dawn Monique Williams

Born 1978

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0759 FISICA

Burton P. Christenson

1922 - 1998

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0760 BASEBALL

Len Gabrielson

Born 1940

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0761 ACTOR

Orville Caldwell

1896 - 1967

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0762 JOURNALIST

Miguel Almaguer

Born 1977

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0763 FOOTBALL

Roger Harding

1923 - 2009

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0764 ACTOR

R. Henry Grey

1891 - 1934

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0765 FOOTBALL

Steve Odom

Born 1952

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0766 AUTHOR

Virgil Markham

1899 - 1973

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0767 MUSIC

Jonathan Finlayson

Born 1982

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0768 POLITICIAN

Don Mulford

1915 - 2000

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0769 MUSIC

Mark Ferber

Born 1975

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0770 BASKET

Paul Marigney

Born 1983

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0771 FOOTBALL

Bakari Grant

Born 1987

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0772 ARTIST

Maha Maamoun

Born 1972

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0773 FOOTBALL

Ken Crawford (American football)

1898 - 1957

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0774 SINGER

Brian Sullivan (singer)

1912 - 1969

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0775 MUSIC

Ian Brennan (music producer)

Born 1966

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0776 COACH

Larry Gelwix

Born 1950

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0777 FOOTBALL

Henry Stuckey

Born 1950

Preview
0778 MODELO

Deborah Driggs

Born 1963

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0779 GOLF

Dick Lotz

Born 1942

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0780 BASEBALL

Fran Mullins

Born 1957

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0781 ACTOR

Rafael Storm

1889 - 1951

Preview
0782 ACTOR

John Pappas

Born 1951

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0783 FOOTBALL

Morris Owens

Born 1953

Preview
0784 BASEBALL

Bernie DeViveiros

1901 - 1994

Preview
0785 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Robert Warren Wilson

1909 - 2006

Preview
0786 DRUMMER

Robert Stewart (saxophonist)

Born 1969

Preview
0787 LAWYER

Milton Lewis Schwartz

1920 - 2005

Preview
0788 BASEBALL

Jerry Dorsey (outfielder)

1885 - 1924

Preview
0789 FOOTBALL

Ted Connolly

1931 - 2014

Preview
0790 FOOTBALL

Clark Miller

1938 - 2008

Preview
0791 POLITICIAN

Sandré Swanson

Born 1948

Preview
0792 SINGER

Yasmeen Sulieman

Born 1982

Preview
0793 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Chester Gorman

1938 - 1981

Preview
0794 BASEBALL

Steve Howard (baseball)

Born 1963

Preview
0795 GOLF

Jim Wiechers

1944 - 2018

Preview
0796 ACTOR

Vanelle

Born 1978

Preview
0797 BASEBALL

Linc Blakely

1912 - 1976

Preview
0798 BASKET

Anthony Shavies

Born 1983

Preview
0799 MANAGER

Eliot Wolf

Born 1982

Preview
0800 FOOTBALL

Chris Dixon (American football)

Born 1981

Preview
0801 BASEBALL

Erik Johnson (infielder)

Born 1965

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0802 MARINE

Jesse Aliganga

1976 - 1998

Preview
0803 ACTIVIST

John Froines

Born 1939

Preview
0804 MUSIC

SwinDoe

-

Preview
0805 SINGER

Jakob Danger

Born 1998

Preview
0806 BASEBALL

Charlie Beamon Jr.

Born 1953

Preview
0807 FOOTBALL

LaKeysia Beene

Born 1978

Preview
0808 SPORT

Isaiah Irving

Born 1994

Preview
0809 LAWYER

James Keith Singleton Jr.

Born 1939

Preview
0810 COMIC

Rory Root

1957 - 2008

Preview
0811 BASEBALL

Ray Lamanno

1919 - 1994

Preview
0812 OFFICER

Paul F. Lorence

1955 - 1986

Preview
0813 BASEBALL

Brandon Kolb

Born 1973

Preview
0814 FOOTBALL

Eric Lane (American football)

Born 1959

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0815 SINGER

Eddie Glass

Born 1970

Preview
0816 SPORT

Rod Gilmore

Born 1960

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0817 JUDGE

Christine Odell Cook Miller

Born 1944

Preview
0818 FOOTBALL

Bill Dunstan

Born 1949

Preview
0819 PALAEONTOLOGIST

Norman J. Silberling

1928 - 2011

Preview
0820 POLITICIAN

Rutherford B. Irones

1877 - 1948

Preview
0821 ACTOR

Kathreen Khavari

-

Preview
0822 BASEBALL

Nico Hoerner

Born 1997

Preview
0823 BASEBALL

Pat Bohen

1890 - 1942

Preview
0824 RAPPER

Kafani

Born 1981

Preview
0825 ACTOR

Gladys Kingsbury

1876 - 1958

Preview
0826 FOOTBALL

Demetrius Crawford

Born 1986

Preview
0827 FOOTBALL

Gerald Cadogan

Born 1986

Preview
0828 RAPPER

Armani Depaul

Born 1988

Preview
0829 SONGWRITER

Mary Harris (musician)

-

Preview
0830 SONGWRITER

Henry Oden

Born 1947

Preview
0831 MUSIC

Earl Freeman

Born 1937

Preview
0832 MUSIC

Greg Douglass

Born 1949

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0833 MUSIC

David Blink

-

Preview
0834 BASEBALL

Steve Lubratich

Born 1955

Preview
0835 FOOTBALL

Elmer Collett

Born 1944

Preview
0836 CHEMIST

Frederick N. Tebbe

1935 - 1995

Preview
0837 FOOTBALL

Dante Marsh

Born 1981

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0838 OFFICER

Tom Kilcline Jr.

Born 1951

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0839 BUSINESS

Mark Mastrov

Born 1962

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0840 OFFICER

Eugene E. Habiger

Born 1939

Preview
0841 NOVELIST

Mary Connealy

Born 1956

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0842 FOOTBALL

Tim Stokes

Born 1950

Preview
0843 BASEBALL

Charlie Frisbee

1874 - 1954

Preview
0844 MUSIC

Ron Meagher

Born 1941

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0845 COMPOSER

Daniel Rosenboom

Born 1982

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0846 POLICE

Danielle Outlaw

-

Preview
0847 BASEBALL

Doc Moskiman

1879 - 1953

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0848 LAWYER

Edward C. DuMont

Born 1962

Preview
0849 BASEBALL

Ed Fernandes

1918 - 1968

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0850 LAWYER

Wiley Manuel

1927 - 1981

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0851 FOOTBALL

Nate Ilaoa

Born 1983

Preview
0852 BASSOONIST

Leland Smith

1925 - 2013

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0853 BASEBALL

Joe Mellana

1905 - 1969

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0854 PODCASTER

Alison Rosen

Born 1975

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0855 CHEMIST

Robert R. Squires

1953 - 1998

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0856 FOOTBALL

Fred Silva

1927 - 2004

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0857 MUSIC

Stevie "Keys" Roseman

Born 1951

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0858 BASEBALL

William Arce

Born 1925

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0859 MUSIC

Dave Sewelson

Born 1952

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0860 COMPOSER

Jay Roberts

1890 - 1932

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0861 SCIENTIST

J. Luke Wood

Born 1982

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0862 BASEBALL

Jay Kleven

1949 - 2009

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0863 ENTOMOLOGIST

Mary Isabel McCracken

1866 - 1955

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0864 BANK

Debbie Abono

1929 - 2010

Preview
0865 FOOTBALL

Blair Phillips

Born 1984

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0866 PLAYWRIGHT

Vida Ravenscroft Sutton

1878 - 1956

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0867 WRITER

Chinaka Hodge

-

Preview
0868 POLITICIAN

Curt Bromm

Born 1945

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0869 WRESTLER

Burke Deadrich

1945 - 2012

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0870 FOOTBALL

Marcus Williams (tight end)

Born 1977

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0871 POLITICIAN

Matt Connealy

Born 1951

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0872 FILM

Harold Gaba

1946 - 2009

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0873 GAME

Chuck Kroegel

Born 1952

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0874 FOOTBALL

Steven Montez

Born 1997

Preview
0875 ARTIST

Joan Tarika Lewis

-

Preview
0876 SONGWRITER

E.C. Scott

Born 1950

Preview
0877 FOOTBALL

Don Smith (defensive lineman)

Born 1957

Preview
0878 ANNOUNCER

Renel Brooks-Moon

Born 1958

Preview
0879 BASEBALL

Charlie Flannigan

1891 - 1930

Preview
0880 CHEMIST

Lloyd Noel Ferguson

1918 - 2011

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0881 RADIO

Paul Nyquist

-

Preview
0882 ARTIST

Elyse Pignolet

-

Preview
0883 BOTANIST

Mercedes S. Foster

Born 1942

Preview
0884 MUSIC

Gentry McCreary

Born 1941

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0885 FOOTBALL

Brandon Smith (defensive back, born 1984)

Born 1984

Preview
0886 MISSING

David P. Steiner

Born 1960

Preview
0887 COMPOSER

Arion Salazar

Born 1970

Preview
0888 BUSINESS

Larry Dodge

1943 - 2012

Preview
0889 VIDEO GAME

Brandon Sheffield

-

Preview
0890 BASEBALL

Len Gabrielson (first baseman)

1915 - 2000

Preview
0891 LAWYER

Emory Buckner

1888 - 1941

Preview
0892 COMPOSER

Reginald Hazeltine Bassett

1878 - 1951

Preview
0893 PIANIST

Bob Smale

1931 - 2010

Preview
0894 BASEBALL

Ray Medeiros

1926 - 2003

Preview
0895 FOOTBALL

Al Andrews

Born 1945

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0896 ACTOR

Laraine Stephens

Born 1941

Preview
0897 FOOTBALL

Mark Foster (soccer)

Born 1973

Preview
0898 ACTOR

Chris Eckert

Born 1986

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0899 FOOTBALL

Dave Albright

Born 1960

Preview
0900 ORNITHOLOGIST

John Stuart Rowley

1907 - 1968

Preview