39.9292° N, 75.2300° W

PHILADELPHIA

Most Famous People Born in Philadelphia, USA

Notable people
5,575
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1928
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.0×

The original American capital, then the capital of nothing in particular, then a sports town. Philadelphia's notables run thick through the 18th century — lawyers, philanthropists, financiers — and then settle into a long, steady output of baseball players, basketball players, jazz bandleaders, and character actors. The city has one of the highest shares of notables in organized labor of the early 20th century and one of the deepest benches of soul singers of the late 20th.

Standouts

What Philadelphia Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Philadelphia's biggest profession — 9% of all notables (482).

Philadelphia over-indexes on baseball 6.0× the global rate.

Philadelphia under-produces football — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Politician 482 0.7×
  2. Actor 414 1.4×
  3. Baseball 383 6.0×
  4. Basket 260 3.7×
  5. Football 251 0.4×
  6. Music 206 2.6×
  7. Lawyer 185 1.9×
  8. Singer 161 1.4×
  1. Baseball 383 6.0×
  2. Basket 260 3.7×
  3. Boxer 72 3.3×
  4. Rower 57 2.8×
  5. Music 206 2.6×
  6. Officer 84 2.3×
  7. Lawyer 185 1.9×
  8. Film 113 1.6×
  1. Football 251 0.4×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All5,575
Sort By

Showing 449 of 5,575 notable people

0005 ACTOR

Bill Cosby

Born 1937

Preview
0009 BASKET

Wilt Chamberlain

1936 - 1999

Preview
0035 ASTRONAUT

Pete Conrad

1930 - 1999

Preview
0074 TRUMPET

Lee Morgan

1938 - 1972

Preview
0076 ACTOR

Elaine May

Born 1932

Preview
0077 LEPIDOPTERIST

Paul R. Ehrlich

Born 1932

Preview
0079 FILM

Richard Lester

Born 1932

Preview
0080 PIANIST

McCoy Tyner

1938 - 2020

Preview
0086 ACTOR

Mark Margolis

Born 1939

Preview
0087 WRITER

Donald Barthelme

1931 - 1989

Preview
0090 SINGER

Billy Paul

1934 - 2016

Preview
0096 ACTOR

Robert Prosky

1930 - 2008

Preview
0113 ACTOR

James Darren

Born 1936

Preview
0117 SCREENWRITER

Ben Bova

1932 - 2020

Preview
0123 ACTOR

Sherman Hemsley

1938 - 2012

Preview
0129 MUSIC

Otis Rush

1935 - 2018

Preview
0145 COMPOSER

Bobby Timmons

1935 - 1974

Preview
0162 PHILANTHROPIST

John du Pont

1938 - 2010

Preview
0174 VIROLOGIST

Howard Martin Temin

1934 - 1994

Preview
0179 WRITER

Lois Duncan

1934 - 2016

Preview
0183 WRITER

Jack McDevitt

Born 1935

Preview
0206 COMPOSER

Paul Motian

1931 - 2011

Preview
0258 CHEMIST

F. Albert Cotton

1930 - 2007

Preview
0296 COMPOSER

Ray Bryant

1931 - 2011

Preview
0313 SCREENWRITER

William Link

Born 1933

Preview
0316 ACTOR

David Brenner

1936 - 2014

Preview
0320 SINGER

David Amram

Born 1930

Preview
0321 WRITER

Richard Levinson

1934 - 1987

Preview
0327 MUSIC

Sonny Fortune

1939 - 2018

Preview
0342 CONDUCTOR

James DePreist

1936 - 2013

Preview
0352 PRODUCER

Jerry Ragovoy

1930 - 2011

Preview
0358 MUSIC

Rashied Ali

1933 - 2009

Preview
0371 MUSIC

Reggie Workman

Born 1937

Preview
0373 MUSIC

Shirley Scott

1934 - 2002

Preview
0374 ECONOMIST

Walter E. Williams

1936 - 2020

Preview
0403 MATHEMATICIAN

Herbert Scarf

1930 - 2015

Preview
0416 BASKET

Tom Gola

1933 - 2014

Preview
0418 TRUMPET

Ted Curson

1935 - 2012

Preview
0422 LINGUIST

Carol Chomsky

1930 - 2008

Preview
0431 POLITICIAN

Ted Kaufman

Born 1939

Preview
0442 FILM

Jules Bass

Born 1935

Preview
0456 SCREENWRITER

Martin Sherman

Born 1938

Preview
0526 MATHEMATICIAN

Herbert Wilf

1931 - 2012

Preview
0528 MUSIC

Albert Heath

Born 1935

Preview
0538 ACTOR

Michael Callan

Born 1935

Preview
0547 BASKET

Guy Rodgers

1935 - 2001

Preview
0555 ECONOMIST

Alice Rivlin

1931 - 2019

Preview
0578 ATHLETIC

Bill Toomey

Born 1939

Preview
0583 POLITICIAN

Oscar Goodman

Born 1939

Preview
0592 POLITICIAN

Frank Wolf (politician)

Born 1939

Preview
0621 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Robert G. Gallager

Born 1931

Preview
0636 MUSIC

Richie Kamuca

1930 - 1977

Preview
0639 PLAYWRIGHT

Romulus Linney (playwright)

1930 - 2011

Preview
0641 LITERARY

Edith Grossman

Born 1936

Preview
0645 VERKÄUFER

Samuel Byck

1930 - 1974

Preview
0646 ECONOMIST

Franklin Delano Roosevelt III

Born 1938

Preview
0661 FOOTBALL

Herb Adderley

1939 - 2020

Preview
0670 COMPOSER

Henry Grimes

1935 - 2020

Preview
0675 DESIGNER

Richard Saul Wurman

Born 1935

Preview
0707 AUTHOR

Werner Erhard

Born 1935

Preview
0731 WRITER

Barbara Chase-Riboud

Born 1939

Preview
0734 SOCIOLOGIST

Tony Campolo

Born 1935

Preview
0761 MUSIC

Donald Bailey (musician)

1934 - 2013

Preview
0782 PLAYWRIGHT

Charles Fuller

Born 1939

Preview
0789 BASKET

Paul Westhead

Born 1939

Preview
0802 FOOTBALL

Billy Cannon

1937 - 2018

Preview
0832 MUSIC

Bobby Durham (jazz musician)

1937 - 2008

Preview
0834 INVENTOR

George H. Heilmeier

1936 - 2014

Preview
0845 MUSIC

Jimmy Bond (musician)

1933 - 2012

Preview
0857 THEATRE

Lee Breuer

Born 1937

Preview
0883 HISTORIAN

Nathan Sivin

Born 1931

Preview
0914 PRIEST

Barbara Harris (bishop)

1930 - 2020

Preview
0919 MUSIC

Rudy Lewis

1936 - 1964

Preview
0937 ACTOR

Eddie Barth

1931 - 2010

Preview
0946 HISTORIAN

Israel Charny

Born 1931

Preview
0952 MUSIC

John Ore

1933 - 2014

Preview
0958 ACTOR

Matt Robinson (actor)

1937 - 2002

Preview
0962 ACTOR

Larry Tucker (screenwriter)

1934 - 2001

Preview
0974 MUSIC

Muhammad Ali (drummer)

Born 1936

Preview
0988 SINGER

Charlie Gracie

Born 1936

Preview
0989 PHOTOGRAPHER

Barry Feinstein

1931 - 2011

Preview
1007 PIANIST

Jerome Lowenthal

Born 1932

Preview
1029 ACTOR

Ed Bernard

Born 1939

Preview
1032 ACTOR

Sue Randall

1935 - 1984

Preview
1076 HISTORIAN

Richard Stites

1931 - 2010

Preview
1077 ECONOMIST

Peter Temin

Born 1937

Preview
1082 WRITER

Barbara G. Walker

Born 1930

Preview
1097 POLITICIAN

Frank McCloskey

1939 - 2003

Preview
1100 BASKET

Hal Lear

1935 - 2016

Preview
1112 WRITER

Jerry Pinkney

Born 1939

Preview
1114 LITERARY

Frederick Crews

Born 1933

Preview
1120 WRITER

Trina Schart Hyman

1939 - 2004

Preview
1124 DIPLOMAT

Richard H. Solomon

1937 - 2017

Preview
1134 PIANIST

Giuseppi Logan

1935 - 2020

Preview
1146 MUSIC

Trudy Pitts

1932 - 2010

Preview
1154 MOTHER OF

Deborah Spungen

Born 1937

Preview
1155 BASKET

Ray Scott (basketball)

Born 1938

Preview
1159 PAINTER

Louise Fishman

Born 1939

Preview
1169 PERCUSSIONIST

Jack Ashford

Born 1934

Preview
1187 SOCIOLOGIST

William A. Gamson

Born 1934

Preview
1207 MUSIC

Walt Dickerson

1931 - 2008

Preview
1213 ENGINEER

Harold Lawson

1937 - 2019

Preview
1214 SINGER

Lorraine Ellison

1931 - 1983

Preview
1224 MUSIC

Tommy Bryant

1930 - 1982

Preview
1253 MUSIC

Carson Parks

1936 - 2005

Preview
1255 ACTOR

Bill Gunn (writer)

1934 - 1989

Preview
1265 JOURNALIST

Charlie O'Donnell

1932 - 2010

Preview
1280 JOURNALIST

Barbara Crossette

Born 1939

Preview
1292 MATHEMATICIAN

Michael Barr (mathematician)

Born 1937

Preview
1316 GENETICIST

Charles Epstein (geneticist)

1933 - 2011

Preview
1327 BASKET

Ernie Beck

Born 1931

Preview
1351 MUSIC

Clifford Thornton

1939 - 1989

Preview
1362 SINGER

Richie Barrett

1933 - 2006

Preview
1364 CHOREOGRAPHER

Donya Feuer

1934 - 2011

Preview
1371 CHEMIST

George Kauffman

1930 - 2020

Preview
1376 DIPLOMAT

Warren Zimmermann

1934 - 2004

Preview
1382 HISTORIAN

Daniel Kevles

Born 1939

Preview
1396 AUTHOR

Virginia Ramey Mollenkott

1932 - 2020

Preview
1401 POLITICIAN

Carolyn Goodman (politician)

Born 1938

Preview
1410 BASKET

Bob McNeill

Born 1938

Preview
1424 FILM

Bob Marcucci

1930 - 2011

Preview
1455 ROWER

Frank Shakespeare (rower)

Born 1930

Preview
1464 BASKET

Jackie Moore (basketball)

Born 1932

Preview
1504 SURGEON

Peter J. Jannetta

1932 - 2016

Preview
1518 THEOLOGIAN

William E. Kaufman

Born 1932

Preview
1526 PROFESSOR

Robert Fagles

1933 - 2008

Preview
1545 POLITICAL SCIENTIST

Albert Fishlow

Born 1935

Preview
1546 MUSIC

Bobby Gregg

1936 - 2014

Preview
1554 MUSIC

Spanky DeBrest

1937 - 1973

Preview
1605 SCREENWRITER

Jo Heims

1930 - 1978

Preview
1613 ACADEMIC

Barry Bloom

Born 1937

Preview
1622 PHYSICIST

Donald Kerr

Born 1939

Preview
1624 SINGER

John Medora

Born 1936

Preview
1627 SINGER

Sandy Stewart (singer)

Born 1937

Preview
1630 SINGER

David White (musician)

1939 - 2019

Preview
1636 BASKET

Bill Kennedy (basketball)

1938 - 2006

Preview
1687 ACTOR

Jim Boyd (actor)

1933 - 2013

Preview
1688 PHYSICIST

Jan Peter Toennies

Born 1930

Preview
1698 OPERA

Enrico Di Giuseppe

1932 - 2005

Preview
1732 BIOCHEMIST

Howard Ronald Kaback

1936 - 2019

Preview
1749 POLITICIAN

Raymond Lederer

1938 - 2008

Preview
1752 MUSIC

Billy Bean (musician)

1933 - 2012

Preview
1756 PUBLISHER

James Warren (publisher)

Born 1930

Preview
1761 LAWYER

Fred F. Fielding

Born 1939

Preview
1766 MUSIC

Jules Eskin

1931 - 2016

Preview
1772 BOXER

George Benton

1933 - 2011

Preview
1776 ACTOR

William G. Schilling

1939 - 2019

Preview
1777 ENTREPRENEUR

Arthur S. Obermayer

1931 - 2016

Preview
1779 PRIEST

Joseph Anthony Galante

1938 - 2019

Preview
1788 BASKET

John Richter

1937 - 1983

Preview
1824 POET

E. D. Blodgett

1935 - 2018

Preview
1828 MUSIC

Jimmy Wisner

1931 - 2018

Preview
1840 ECONOMIST

Herschel Grossman

1939 - 2004

Preview
1844 DRIVER

Skip Barber

Born 1936

Preview
1845 SINGER

Gwendolyn Killebrew

Born 1939

Preview
1875 DRUMMER

Don Gardner

1931 - 2018

Preview
1885 MUSIC

Buddy Deppenschmidt

Born 1936

Preview
1907 INTELLIGENCE

Robert Ames (CIA official)

1934 - 1983

Preview
1914 ENTREPRENEUR

Malcolm Bricklin

Born 1939

Preview
1924 ACTOR

Tucker Smith

1935 - 1988

Preview
1941 POLITICIAN

Matthew F. McHugh

Born 1938

Preview
1942 HISTORIAN

Alan Trachtenberg

1932 - 2020

Preview
1953 MUSIC

Don Moore

Born 1932

Preview
1961 BASKET

Bob Schafer

1933 - 2005

Preview
1974 TELEVISION

Tony Verna

1933 - 2015

Preview
1975 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Kent V. Flannery

Born 1934

Preview
1980 JOURNALIST

Gaeton Fonzi

1935 - 2012

Preview
1984 PAINTER

Elizabeth Osborne

Born 1936

Preview
1993 POLITICIAN

William J. Green III

Born 1938

Preview
1997 CHESS

Lisa Lane

Born 1938

Preview
2024 OLYMPIC

Don Cohan

1930 - 2018

Preview
2040 TELEVISION

Richard Compton

1938 - 2007

Preview
2062 FILM

David Koff

1939 - 2014

Preview
2098 PRIEST

Robert P. Maginnis

Born 1933

Preview
2105 BASEBALL

Lee Elia

Born 1937

Preview
2114 ACTOR

Noam Pitlik

1932 - 1999

Preview
2124 BASKET

Norm Grekin

1930 - 1981

Preview
2158 MATADOR

John Fulton (torero)

1933 - 1998

Preview
2163 ACADEMIC

Robert M. Koerner

1933 - 2019

Preview
2182 ACTOR

Paul Jenkins (actor)

1938 - 2013

Preview
2204 MATHEMATICIAN

Martin Schechter (mathematician)

Born 1930

Preview
2219 JUDGE

Robert D. Sack

Born 1939

Preview
2231 MUSIC

Anna King (singer)

1937 - 2002

Preview
2233 PLAYWRIGHT

Ed Bullins

Born 1935

Preview
2242 SOCIOLOGIST

Mervin F. Verbit

Born 1936

Preview
2243 PRIEST

Edward Cullen (bishop)

Born 1933

Preview
2253 HISTORIAN

Ira D. Gruber

Born 1934

Preview
2294 PRIEST

Victor Galeone

Born 1935

Preview
2297 ECOLOGIST

C. S. Holling

1930 - 2019

Preview
2307 MODEL

Harold H. Saunders

1930 - 2016

Preview
2311 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Annette Weiner

1933 - 1997

Preview
2315 AUTHOR

Warren Johansson

1934 - 1994

Preview
2331 HISTORIAN

Ellen Schrecker

Born 1938

Preview
2343 COMPOSER

Al Gorgoni

Born 1939

Preview
2360 DESIGNER

Charles Pollock (designer)

1930 - 2013

Preview
2364 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Ruth Cernea

1934 - 2009

Preview
2368 KILLER

Joseph Kallinger

1935 - 1996

Preview
2383 BASKET

Jim Mooney (basketball)

Born 1930

Preview
2395 HISTORIAN

Gary B. Nash

Born 1933

Preview
2415 NEUROSCIENTIST

Richard Wurtman

Born 1936

Preview
2420 SINGER

Jackie Verdell

1937 - 2002

Preview
2434 POET

Arno Karlen

1937 - 2010

Preview
2438 HISTORIAN

Elizabeth Topham Kennan

Born 1938

Preview
2443 WRITER

William Wright (author)

1930 - 2016

Preview
2445 PRODUCER

Pete Welding

1935 - 1995

Preview
2470 PHILOSOPHER

Jacob Needleman

Born 1934

Preview
2478 SCULPTOR

Charles Ross (artist)

Born 1937

Preview
2481 WORKER

Robert Woodson

Born 1937

Preview
2489 LAWYER

Jane Richards Roth

Born 1935

Preview
2507 POLITICIAN

Charles F. Dougherty

Born 1937

Preview
2519 FOLKLORIST

Roger D. Abrahams

1933 - 2017

Preview
2559 CURATOR

Marion Boulton Stroud

1939 - 2015

Preview
2595 MUSIC

Hasaan Ibn Ali

1931 - 1980

Preview
2602 SOCIOLOGIST

Barry Schwartz (sociologist)

Born 1938

Preview
2603 ACTOR

Ray Fulmer

Born 1933

Preview
2609 BUSINESS

Gerald M. Levin

Born 1939

Preview
2632 PAINTER

Linda Lee Alter

Born 1939

Preview
2635 BOTANIST

Chicita F. Culberson

Born 1931

Preview
2641 JUDGE

Dolores Sloviter

Born 1932

Preview
2659 MUSIC

Dewey Johnson

1939 - 2018

Preview
2675 SAILOR

Michael Schoettle

Born 1936

Preview
2678 DRUMMER

Al Jones (drummer)

1930 - 1976

Preview
2682 NOVELIST

Marvin Kaye

Born 1938

Preview
2684 PAINTER

William Anastasi

Born 1933

Preview
2701 WRESTLER

Uncle Elmer

1937 - 1992

Preview
2722 WRITER

Gary Goldschneider

1939 - 2019

Preview
2725 ARCHITECT

William Morgan (architect)

1930 - 2016

Preview
2728 LAWYER

Michael M. Baylson

Born 1939

Preview
2736 PSYCHOLOGIST

Samuel Messick

1931 - 1998

Preview
2756 SCREENWRITER

Lee Kalcheim

Born 1938

Preview
2766 ACADEMIC

Donald Dorfman

1933 - 2001

Preview
2774 LAWYER

Stanley Sporkin

1932 - 2020

Preview
2776 PHOTOGRAPHER

George Krause

Born 1937

Preview
2782 LAWYER

Clarence B. Jones

Born 1931

Preview
2792 PAINTER

Jake Berthot

1939 - 2014

Preview
2796 ACTOR

David Smyrl

1935 - 2016

Preview
2804 ONCOLOGIST

Eugene Nicholas Myers

Born 1933

Preview
2814 MUSIC

Jerry Segal (musician)

1931 - 1974

Preview
2817 SPORT

Bill Conlin

1934 - 2014

Preview
2831 NOVELIST

Fran Ross

1935 - 1985

Preview
2837 POLITICIAN

Matthew J. Ryan

1932 - 2003

Preview
2860 NOVELIST

Rosellen Brown

Born 1939

Preview
2861 ACTOR

Carl Reindel

1935 - 2009

Preview
2864 JUDGE

Morton Ira Greenberg

Born 1933

Preview
2865 COMPOSER

Alexandra Pierce

Born 1934

Preview
2872 BASKET

Joe Belmont

1934 - 2019

Preview
2909 WRITER

Valerie Worth

1933 - 1994

Preview
2920 BANK

Lionel Pincus

1931 - 2009

Preview
2925 PHOTOGRAPHER

Dave Heath

1931 - 2016

Preview
2931 LINGUIST

Samuel Jay Keyser

Born 1935

Preview
2968 ACTOR

Reuben Greene

Born 1938

Preview
2971 HISTORIAN

Richard H. Collin

1932 - 2010

Preview
2977 HISTORIAN

Richard Trexler

1932 - 2007

Preview
2980 MINISTER

Conrad Hyers

1933 - 2013

Preview
2986 JOCKEY

Dick Whittington (DJ)

Born 1934

Preview
3011 ILLUSTRATOR

Charles Santore

1935 - 2019

Preview
3016 LAWYER

Edward Roy Becker

1933 - 2006

Preview
3068 POLITICIAN

Anna C. Verna

Born 1931

Preview
3074 ACADEMIC

Marc Galanter

Born 1931

Preview
3081 HISTORIAN

Dirk Ballendorf

1939 - 2013

Preview
3085 LAWYER

Anthony G. Amsterdam

Born 1935

Preview
3086 LAWYER

John Pittenger

1930 - 2009

Preview
3094 MUSIC

Neil Cooper (ROIR)

1930 - 2001

Preview
3107 MOBSTER

Joseph Ligambi

Born 1939

Preview
3133 LAWYER

Jan E. DuBois

Born 1931

Preview
3134 LAWYER

Anne Elise Thompson

Born 1934

Preview
3152 ACTOR

Paul Roebling

1934 - 1994

Preview
3160 ACADEMIC

W. Michael Reisman

Born 1939

Preview
3162 BIOLOGIST

Frederick C. Neidhardt

1931 - 2016

Preview
3173 KILLED

John Africa

1931 - 1985

Preview
3190 SINGER

Johannes von Trapp

Born 1939

Preview
3192 BASEBALL

Doug Camilli

Born 1936

Preview
3198 LAWYER

John E. Murray Jr.

1932 - 2015

Preview
3202 TEACHER

Constance Clayton

Born 1937

Preview
3216 ACTOR

George Reinholt

1939 - 2013

Preview
3225 MOBSTER

Ralph Natale

Born 1935

Preview
3229 SPORT

Jake O'Donnell

Born 1939

Preview
3232 PHILOLOGIST

William Wall Fortenbaugh

Born 1936

Preview
3250 JUMPER

Bill Sharpe (athlete)

Born 1932

Preview
3257 POET

Robert Mezey

1935 - 2020

Preview
3274 DANCER

Rachel Browne

1934 - 2012

Preview
3284 ACADEMIC

Rodelle Weintraub

Born 1933

Preview
3301 REPRESENTATIVE

Don Cooney

Born 1937

Preview
3371 PAINTER

Harry Kramer (American artist)

Born 1939

Preview
3380 BASEBALL

Al Spangler

Born 1933

Preview
3392 PHOTOGRAPHER

Don Donaghy

1936 - 2008

Preview
3412 BASEBALL

Jack Meyer

1932 - 1967

Preview
3416 COMPOSER

Arlene Zallman

1934 - 2006

Preview
3420 FOOTBALL

Angelo Coia

1938 - 2013

Preview
3445 COLUMNIST

Bill Brill

1931 - 2011

Preview
3447 SOCIALITE

Wallis Annenberg

Born 1939

Preview
3461 ARTIST

Fredric Hobbs

1931 - 2018

Preview
3465 PRESENTER

Stewart Cheifet

Born 1938

Preview
3503 JOURNALIST

Clark Polak

1937 - 1980

Preview
3507 SECRETARY

John A. Shaw

1939 - 2020

Preview
3549 MUSIC

J. R. Mitchell

1937 - 2004

Preview
3574 MUSIC

Freddie Bell

1931 - 2008

Preview
3576 DEAN

Joseph Green (producer)

1934 - 2017

Preview
3577 FOOTBALL

Jess Richardson

1930 - 1975

Preview
3585 POLITICIAN

Gwen Margolis

1934 - 2020

Preview