39.9292° N, 75.2300° W

PHILADELPHIA

Most Famous People Born in Philadelphia, United States

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.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1940s with 556 notable births.

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 baseball6.0× the global rate.

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

  1. Politician482
  2. Actor414
  3. Baseball383
  4. Basket260
  5. Football251
  6. Music206
  7. Lawyer185
  8. Singer161
  1. Baseball3836.0×
  2. Basket2603.7×
  3. Boxer723.3×
  4. Rower572.8×
  5. Music2062.6×
  6. Officer842.3×
  7. Lawyer1851.9×
  8. Film1131.6×
  1. Football2510.4×

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.

1700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Other
All5,575
Sort By

5,575 notable people

3001 ACTOR

Polly Rowles

1914 - 2001

Preview
3002 MUSIC

Chaino

1927 - 1999

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3003 JOURNALIST

Samuel Harrison Smith (printer)

1772 - 1845

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3004 PHYSICIAN

Joseph Janvier Woodward

1833 - 1884

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3005 PLAYWRIGHT

Peter Morris (playwright)

Born 1973

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3006 BANK

Edward Hornor Coates

1846 - 1921

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3007 PRIEST

J. Carroll McCormick

1907 - 1996

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3008 BASKET

Tyrone Britt

Born 1944

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3009 ACTOR

Billie Seward

1912 - 1982

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3010 ANTHROPOLOGIST

J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat

Born 1970

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3011 ILLUSTRATOR

Charles Santore

1935 - 2019

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3012 BASKET

Lynard Stewart

Born 1976

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3013 ARTIST

David Bustill Bowser

1820 - 1900

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3014 PRODUCER

Will Yip

-

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3015 LIBRARIAN

Herman H. Fussler

1914 - 1997

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3016 LAWYER

Edward Roy Becker

1933 - 2006

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3017 BASKET

Sammy Zeglinski

Born 1988

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3018 HISTORIAN

David Harris Willson

1901 - 1973

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3019 PHARMACIST

Edward Parrish

1822 - 1872

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3020 HOST

Don Wildman

Born 1961

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3021 PAINTER

H. Lyman Saÿen

1875 - 1918

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3022 ACTOR

Toni D'Alto

1964 - 2012

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3023 WRITER

Richard A. Long

1927 - 2013

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3024 FOOTBALL

D. J. Moore (wide receiver)

Born 1997

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3025 BANK

John Nixon (financier)

1733 - 1808

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3026 ACTOR

Franklin Ruehl

Died 2015

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3027 BASKET

D. J. Harrison

Born 1979

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3028 HYDROLOGIST

Peter S. Eagleson

Born 1928

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3029 LAWYER

Janis Lynn Sammartino

Born 1950

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3030 COMPOSER

Claire Polin

1926 - 1995

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3031 MUSIC

Dan Faulk

Born 1969

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3032 FILM

Mary Aloe

Born 1969

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3033 ACTOR

Erica Rivera

Born 1988

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3034 JOURNALIST

Gertrude Bustill Mossell

1855 - 1948

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3035 FILM

Cecelia Condit

Born 1947

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3036 ACTOR

Eddie Barry (actor)

1887 - 1967

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3037 LAWYER

Ed Morgan (professor)

Born 1955

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3038 MISSING

Robert Greenstein

Born 1946

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3039 POET

Eliza Sproat Turner

1826 - 1903

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3040 ACADEMIC

Robert Clarkson Clothier

1885 - 1970

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3041 NOVELIST

Robert Ellis (author)

Born 1954

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3042 ACTOR

Scott Martin Brooks

Born 1972

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3043 BASKET

Mark Davis (basketball, born 1960)

Born 1960

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3044 SCULPTOR

Joe Brown (sculptor)

1909 - 1985

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3045 BASEBALL

John Abadie

1854 - 1905

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3046 RACE CAR

Chip Robinson

Born 1954

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3047 NOVELIST

Persimmon Blackbridge

Born 1951

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3048 WRITER

Jason Richwine

Born 1982

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3049 CHESS

William Meredith (Schachkomponist)

1835 - 1903

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3050 MATHEMATICIAN

Charles R. Doering

Born 1956

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3051 ILLUSTRATOR

Henry Alexander Ogden

1856 - 1936

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3052 FOOTBALL

Matt Napoleon

Born 1977

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3053 POLITICAL

Herbert Welsh

1851 - 1941

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3054 HOCKEY

Michelle Vittese

Born 1989

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3055 ARTIST

Albert Laessle

1877 - 1954

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3056 FOOTBALL

Manolo Sanchez

Born 1991

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3057 FILM

Max Raab

1926 - 2008

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3058 AUTHOR

Tony Bove

Born 1955

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3059 BASEBALL

Mark Gubicza

Born 1962

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3060 PRODUCER

Bob Finkel

1918 - 2012

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3061 SPORT

Dave Sims

Born 1953

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3062 JOURNALIST

Charles Edward Knoeppel

1881 - 1936

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3063 SCREENWRITER

Michael Sussman

Born 1967

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3064 ARCHITECT

John Vredenburgh Van Pelt

1874 - 1962

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3065 PRIEST

Philip R. McDevitt

1858 - 1935

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3066 FOOTBALL

Jim Cooper (American football)

Born 1955

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3067 LIBRARIAN

Charlotte Serber

1911 - 1967

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3068 POLITICIAN

Anna C. Verna

Born 1931

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3069 BASKET

George Sutor

1943 - 2011

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3070 BASEBALL

Kenny Koplove

Born 1993

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3071 BOXER

Tyrone Everett

1953 - 1977

Preview
3072 BASKET

Mike Gizzi

Born 1975

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3073 PHOTOGRAPHER

Alfred Shea Addis

1832 - 1886

Preview
3074 ACADEMIC

Marc Galanter

Born 1931

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3075 CLERGY

Samuel Stillman

1737 - 1807

Preview
3076 ENGRAVER

James Peller Malcolm

1767 - 1815

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3077 OPERA

Stephen Costello

Born 1982

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3078 POLITICIAN

Robert Lee Davis

1893 - 1967

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3079 MANAGER

Troy Carter (music industry)

Born 1972

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3080 PHOTOGRAPHER

J. Malcolm Greany

1915 - 1999

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3081 HISTORIAN

Dirk Ballendorf

1939 - 2013

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3082 MUSIC

George Malcolm Laws

1919 - 1994

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3083 EDUCATOR

Katharine Elizabeth McBride

1904 - 1976

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3084 CRICKET

Henry Scattergood

1877 - 1953

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3085 LAWYER

Anthony G. Amsterdam

Born 1935

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3086 LAWYER

John Pittenger

1930 - 2009

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3087 ACTOR

Toukie Smith

Born 1955

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3088 LAWYER

Janet Bond Arterton

Born 1944

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3089 ECONOMIST

Francis X. Diebold

Born 1959

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3090 SCREENWRITER

David Diamond (screenwriter)

Born 1965

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3091 SURGEON

William Beecher Scoville

1906 - 1984

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3092 ACTOR

Selene Johnson

1876 - 1960

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3093 ARCHITECT

Joseph Miller Huston

1866 - 1940

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3094 MUSIC

Neil Cooper (ROIR)

1930 - 2001

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3095 EDUCATOR

Robert B. Heilman

1906 - 2004

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3096 SPORT

Frank Lenz (cyclist)

1867 - 1894

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3097 PAINTER

A. G. Heaton

1844 - 1930

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3098 BASEBALL

Gil Patterson

Born 1955

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3099 SCULPTOR

Rebecca Kamen

Born 1950

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3100 PRODUCER

Alex Berger

Born 1962

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3101 PRIEST

John F. Harvey

1918 - 2010

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3102 PRODUCER

Harry Maslin

-

Preview
3103 SINGER

Josie Zec

Born 2000

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3104 AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Samuel Morris (soldier)

1734 - 1812

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3105 LIEUTENANT

James Duncan (Pennsylvania)

1756 - 1844

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3106 ATHLETIC

Ryann Krais

Born 1990

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3107 MOBSTER

Joseph Ligambi

Born 1939

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3108 SINGER

Bernard Wilson (singer)

1946 - 2010

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3109 MOBSTER

Mickey Duffy

1888 - 1931

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3110 HOCKEY

Ryan Mulhern

Born 1973

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3111 ACTOR

Hermann Vezin

1829 - 1910

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3112 THEATRE

George Coates

Born 1952

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3113 FOOTBALL

Walt Stickel

1922 - 1987

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3114 WISSENSCHAFTLER

Jeffrey B. Berlin

Born 1946

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3115 ACTOR

Brian Baker (actor)

Born 1967

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3116 BASKET

Aaron Owens

Born 1974

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3117 BOXER

Teon Kennedy

Born 1986

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3118 PHYSICIAN

Rene Cailliet

1917 - 2015

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3119 ACTIVIST

John M. Ackerman

-

Preview
3120 BASEBALL

Jimmie Wilson (baseball)

1900 - 1947

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3121 FOOTBALL

Harry Schuh

1942 - 2013

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3122 TEACHER

Eliza Cooper Blaker

1854 - 1926

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3123 LITERARY

Andrea Brady

Born 1974

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3124 BASEBALL

Bobby Higginson

Born 1970

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3125 HISTORIAN

Rodman W. Paul

1912 - 1987

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3126 BOXER

Jimmy Lyggett Sr

1897 - 1955

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3127 CURATOR

John Edwin Pomfret

1898 - 1981

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3128 ECONOMIST

Randolph Cohen

Born 1965

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3129 ENGINEER

Ilene Busch-Vishniac

-

Preview
3130 BANK

Wharton Barker

1846 - 1921

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3131 SURGEON

Anthony F. DePalma

1904 - 2005

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3132 ILLUSIONIST

John Lenahan

Born 1961

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3133 LAWYER

Jan E. DuBois

Born 1931

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3134 LAWYER

Anne Elise Thompson

Born 1934

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3135 PAINTER

Allan Randall Freelon

1895 - 1960

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3136 CIRCUS

Lew Bloom

1859 - 1929

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3137 ACTOR

Markus Redmond

Born 1971

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3138 SINGER

Vikter Duplaix

Born 1983

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3139 OFFICER

Henry Brainerd McClellan

1840 - 1904

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3140 DIPLOMAT

Marilyn Ware

1943 - 2017

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3141 POLITICIAN

John Perzel

Born 1950

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3142 ROWER

Charles Karle

1898 - 1946

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3143 LAWYER

Vanita Gupta

Born 1974

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3144 MISSING

John Armstrong Drexel

1891 - 1958

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3145 LINGUIST

Lise Menn

Born 1941

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3146 OFFICER

Caspar F. Goodrich

1847 - 1925

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3147 POLITICIAN

Eckley Brinton Coxe

1839 - 1895

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3148 CONSERVATIONIST

Gordon Waterman Chaplin

Born 1945

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3149 JOURNALIST

William Davis Gallagher

1808 - 1894

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3150 MUSIC

Jan Randall

Born 1952

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3151 ARCHITECT

William Doughty (naval architect)

1773 - 1859

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3152 ACTOR

Paul Roebling

1934 - 1994

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3153 FOOTBALL

Jonnu Smith

Born 1995

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3154 PLAYWRIGHT

Richard Penn Smith

1799 - 1854

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3155 ARTIST

Ann Agee

Born 1959

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3156 ACTOR

Jodi Letizia

Born 1963

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3157 WRITER

Richard E. Sprague

1921 - 1996

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3158 MUSIC

Skip Heller

Born 1965

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3159 POET

Sarah Arvio

Born 1954

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3160 ACADEMIC

W. Michael Reisman

Born 1939

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3161 ROWER

Ernest Bayer

1904 - 1997

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3162 BIOLOGIST

Frederick C. Neidhardt

1931 - 2016

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3163 FOOTBALL

Curtis Brinkley

Born 1985

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3164 HISTORIAN

Truesdell Sparhawk Brown

1906 - 1992

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3165 LAWYER

Jay Rabinowitz (jurist)

1927 - 2001

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3166 BIOCHEMIST

Martin Gibbs

1922 - 2006

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3167 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Michael L. Littman

Born 1966

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3168 ENGINEER

Harold A. Fidler

1910 - 2004

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3169 POLITICAL

George M. Willing

1829 - 1874

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3170 PHYSICIAN

Charles Burleigh Purvis

1842 - 1929

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3171 LAWYER

Florence Bird

1908 - 1998

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3172 BUSINESS

Samuel Cummings

1927 - 1998

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3173 KILLED

John Africa

1931 - 1985

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3174 ACTOR

Jim Hayward

1900 - 1981

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3175 WRITER

Lise Funderburg

Born 1959

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3176 POLITICIAN

Marguerite Quinn

-

Preview
3177 ARTIST

William Sartain

1843 - 1924

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3178 RAPPER

Omillio Sparks

Born 1974

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3179 ART DEALER

Grace Nicholson

1877 - 1948

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3180 ACTOR

J. P. Lockney

Born 1867

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3181 SON

Charles Custis Harrison

1844 - 1929

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3182 FILM

Zeinabu irene Davis

Born 1961

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3183 PRODUCER

Ernest Leiser

1921 - 2002

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3184 CURLER

Sarah Anderson (curler)

Born 1995

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3185 LAWYER

Gus Cifelli

1926 - 2009

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3186 FILM

John Aglialoro

Born 1943

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3187 ACTOR

Kylie Maria

Born 1991

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3188 SPORT

Arn Tellem

Born 1954

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3189 ACTOR

Vickilyn Reynolds

Born 1955

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3190 SINGER

Johannes von Trapp

Born 1939

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3191 PRODUCER

Wharton Tiers

Born 1953

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3192 BASEBALL

Doug Camilli

Born 1936

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3193 BASEBALL

Al Maul

1865 - 1958

Preview
3194 MATHEMATICIAN

Edward William Barankin

1920 - 1985

Preview
3195 NOVELIST

Shelly Gross

1921 - 2009

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3196 NASCAR

Kirk Shelmerdine

Born 1958

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3197 WRITER

Gayraud Wilmore

1921 - 2020

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3198 LAWYER

John E. Murray Jr.

1932 - 2015

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3199 POLITICIAN

Susan Lynn

-

Preview
3200 JOURNALIST

Andrea Kremer

Born 1959

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3201 ENTREPRENEUR

Dan Borislow

1961 - 2014

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3202 TEACHER

Constance Clayton

Born 1937

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3203 BASEBALL

Ernie Padgett

1899 - 1957

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3204 THEOLOGIAN

Theodore Pitcairn

1893 - 1973

Preview
3205 POLITICIAN

Dan Wolf

Born 1957

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3206 SKYDIVER

Albert Berry (parachutist)

Born 1878

Preview
3207 BOXER

Najai Turpin

1981 - 2005

Preview
3208 BASEBALL

Dick Harley

1872 - 1952

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3209 ZOOLOGIST

George Howard Parker

1864 - 1955

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3210 ARCHITECT

Edmund Gilchrist

1885 - 1953

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3211 FOOTBALL

Shawn Oakman

Born 1992

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3212 JOURNALIST

Tim Rogers (journalist)

Born 1979

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3213 SONGWRITER

Allan Felder

1943 - 1999

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3214 MISSING

Emily Ryerson

1863 - 1939

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3215 POLITICIAN

Christine Tartaglione

Born 1960

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3216 ACTOR

George Reinholt

1939 - 2013

Preview
3217 SCREENWRITER

Blanche Merrill

1883 - 1966

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3218 POET

Thomas Devaney

Born 1969

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3219 LAWYER

Mark A. Kearney

Born 1962

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3220 LAWYER

Charles Merrill Hough

1858 - 1927

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3221 ROWER

George Healis

1906 - 1990

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3222 DIPLOMAT

Robert J. McCloskey

1922 - 1996

Preview
3223 COACH

Earl Banks

1924 - 1993

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3224 SCIENCE

Frederick J. Kimball

1844 - 1903

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3225 MOBSTER

Ralph Natale

Born 1935

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3226 PAINTER

E. B. Bensell

1842 - 1894

Preview
3227 NATURALIST

Thomas Bellerby Wilson

1807 - 1865

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3228 ANAESTHETIST

David L. Reich

Born 1960

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3229 SPORT

Jake O'Donnell

Born 1939

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3230 POET

Bruce Smith (poet)

Born 1946

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3231 BIOGRAPHER

Bathsheba Bowers

1671 - 1718

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3232 PHILOLOGIST

William Wall Fortenbaugh

Born 1936

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3233 DIPLOMAT

J. Meredith Read

1837 - 1896

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3234 PAINTER

Frank Knox Morton Rehn

1848 - 1914

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3235 BASEBALL

Billy Maharg

1881 - 1953

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3236 BOXING

Frank Cappuccino

1929 - 2015

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3237 BASEBALL

Harry Schafer

1846 - 1935

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3238 DANCER

Isabella Cannuscio

Born 1990

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3239 PHILOSOPHER

Anna Willess Williams

1857 - 1926

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3240 PRIEST

Ignatius Frederick Horstmann

1840 - 1908

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3241 DANCER

Mary Hinkson

1925 - 2014

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3242 WRITER

Jamie Geller

-

Preview
3243 ATHLETE

Andrea Nahrgang

Born 1978

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3244 PRODUCER

Carol Sauvion

Born 1947

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3245 SCULPTOR

Beatrice Fenton

1887 - 1983

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3246 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Stephen K. Klasko

Born 1953

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3247 FOOTBALL

Frank Naylor (American football)

Born 1959

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3248 FILM

Safiya Songhai

Born 1984

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3249 PRESENTER

Clayton Morris

Born 1976

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3250 JUMPER

Bill Sharpe (athlete)

Born 1932

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3251 BASKET

Terrence Roderick

Born 1988

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3252 BASEBALL

Pete Cimino

Born 1942

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3253 FILM

Carl Lerner

1912 - 1973

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3254 POLITICIAN

Bill Purcell (mayor)

Born 1953

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3255 LIBRARIAN

Theodore Wesley Koch

1871 - 1941

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3256 COMPOSER

Louis Karchin

Born 1951

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3257 POET

Robert Mezey

1935 - 2020

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3258 AUTHOR

Charles Hutchison Clark

1920 - 2009

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3259 BASKET

Jeff Myers (basketball)

Born 1974

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3260 FOOTBALL

Dimitrius Underwood

Born 1977

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3261 ENGINEER

Lewis M. Haupt

1844 - 1937

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3262 SCULPTOR

Gilroy Roberts

1905 - 1992

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3263 JOURNALIST

Mindy Aloff

Born 1947

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3264 PAINTER

Charles Fromuth

1866 - 1937

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3265 LAW

Donald Gaines Murray

1914 - 1986

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3266 FILMMAKER

Alfred Guzzetti

Born 1942

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3267 PHYSICIAN

Robert Maitland O'Reilly

1845 - 1912

Preview
3268 MONK

Dada Maheshvarananda

Born 1953

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3269 FOOTBALL

Fred Smalls

Born 1963

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3270 ACTOR

Victory Bateman

1865 - 1926

Preview
3271 MUSIC

Celestine Tate Harrington

1956 - 1998

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3272 ACTOR

Rhoda Gemignani

Born 1940

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3273 NEUROSCIENTIST

Mark A. Gluck

Born 1960

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3274 DANCER

Rachel Browne

1934 - 2012

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3275 FILM

George Litto

Died 2019

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3276 BASEBALL

Dick McBride

1847 - 1916

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3277 ACTOR

Rose Eytinge

1835 - 1911

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3278 ANIMATOR

Jack Polito

Born 1941

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3279 LAWYER

F. Carroll Brewster

1825 - 1898

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3280 ACTOR

Ida Waterman

1852 - 1941

Preview
3281 SKATER

Christine Zukowski

Born 1989

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3282 SINGER

Micki Marlo

1928 - 2016

Preview
3283 NUTRITIONIST

Katharine Blunt

1876 - 1954

Preview
3284 ACADEMIC

Rodelle Weintraub

Born 1933

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3285 PAINTER

Charles Semser

1922 - 2011

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3286 ARTIST

Harry Shoulberg

1903 - 1995

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3287 OFFICER

Edwin North McClellan

1881 - 1971

Preview
3288 PAINTER

Moe Brooker

Born 1940

Preview
3289 POLITICIAN

William Goforth

1731 - 1807

Preview
3290 MUSIC

Aaron Levinson

-

Preview
3291 PLAYWRIGHT

Van Tassel Sutphen

1861 - 1945

Preview
3292 POLITICIAN

Ruth Petroff

Born 1965

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3293 HOCKEY

Brett Hextall

Born 1988

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3294 CARTOONIST

Jay Scott Pike

1924 - 2015

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3295 CIRCUS

Betty Broadbent

1909 - 1983

Preview
3296 BISHOP

William Appleton Lawrence

1889 - 1968

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3297 PAINTER

Sonya Sklaroff

Born 1970

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3298 ACTOR

Rick Holmes

Born 1963

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3299 SOCIOLOGIST

David R. Gibson

Born 1969

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3300 GUITAR

Jerry Ricks

1940 - 2007

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