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

2401 POLITICIAN

Allan C. Durborow Jr.

1857 - 1908

Preview
2402 SCREENWRITER

Duane Clark

Born 1965

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2403 BASKET

Howard Lassoff

1955 - 2013

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2404 BASEBALL

Henry Boyle (baseball)

1860 - 1932

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2405 ACTOR

Brian T. Delaney

-

Preview
2406 OLYMPIC

Charles Horter

Born 1947

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2407 COXSWAIN

Edward Jennings (rowing)

1898 - 1975

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2408 BASKET

Tyreek Duren

Born 1991

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2409 FOOTBALL

Ralph Tamm

Born 1966

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2410 BASKET

Bill McCahan

1921 - 1986

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2411 BOXER

Hank Lundy

Born 1984

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2412 BASKET

Michael Cuffee

Born 1983

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2413 DIPLOMAT

Condy Raguet

1784 - 1842

Preview
2414 JOURNALIST

Héctor Feliciano

Born 1952

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2415 NEUROSCIENTIST

Richard Wurtman

Born 1936

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2416 INVENTOR

Edward H. Amet

1860 - 1948

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2417 WRITER

Eliza Leslie

1787 - 1858

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2418 BASEBALL

Amos Strunk

1889 - 1979

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2419 POLITICIAN

Martina White

Born 1988

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2420 SINGER

Jackie Verdell

1937 - 2002

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2421 PAINTER

William Henry Lippincott

1849 - 1920

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2422 PLAYER

Craig Biddle

1879 - 1947

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2423 DIPLOMAT

Maurice Francis Egan

1852 - 1924

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2424 POLITICIAN

John Brewer Brown

1836 - 1898

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2425 COMPOSER

Edwin Pearce Christy

1815 - 1862

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2426 POLITICIAN

Harry H. Seldomridge

1864 - 1927

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2427 JOURNALIST

Bill Boggs

Born 1941

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2428 POLITICIAN

Charles Biddle

1745 - 1821

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2429 MUSIC

Sumi Tonooka

Born 1956

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2430 PRIEST

Richard Seminack

1942 - 2016

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2431 WORKER

Georgia Tann

1891 - 1950

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2432 JUDGE

Raymond Pace Alexander

1898 - 1974

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2433 ACTOR

Gilbert Lewis (actor)

1941 - 2015

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2434 POET

Arno Karlen

1937 - 2010

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2435 ACTOR

Bob Delegall

1945 - 2006

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2436 MUSIC

Jay Rosen (drummer)

Born 1961

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2437 POET

Eleanor C. Donnelly

1838 - 1917

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2438 HISTORIAN

Elizabeth Topham Kennan

Born 1938

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2439 HOCKEY

Ray Staszak

Born 1962

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2440 MUSIC

Bootsie Barnes

Died 2020

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2441 PUBLISHER

Ellendea Proffer

Born 1944

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2442 BASKET

Ralph Morgan (basketball)

1884 - 1965

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2443 WRITER

William Wright (author)

1930 - 2016

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2444 FILM

Francis Wilson (actor)

1854 - 1935

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2445 PRODUCER

Pete Welding

1935 - 1995

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2446 PROFESSOR

David Leebron

Born 1956

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2447 ACTOR

Jim Bailey (entertainer)

1949 - 2015

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2448 RAPPER

AR-Ab

Born 1982

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2449 GYMNAST

Ann Carr

Born 1958

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2450 POLITICIAN

Job Roberts Tyson

1803 - 1858

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2451 ECONOMIST

Walter Weyl

1873 - 1919

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2452 POLITICIAN

Daylin Leach

Born 1961

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2453 POLITICIAN

George Washington Toland

1796 - 1869

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2454 POLITICIAN

William Eckart Lehman

1821 - 1895

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2455 CHEMIST

James Cutbush

1788 - 1823

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2456 FILM

Bob Brooks

1927 - 2012

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2457 ENTOMOLOGIST

P. Jackson Darlington, Jr.

1904 - 1983

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2458 MOUNTAINEER

Norman Clyde

1885 - 1972

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2459 POLITICIAN

George W. Cheyney

1853 - 1903

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2460 WRITER

Matthew Drutt

Born 1962

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2461 SUPREMACIST

Frank Meeink

Born 1975

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2462 PAINTER

Margaret Lesley Bush-Brown

1857 - 1944

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2463 COMPOSER

George Brunner (composer)

Born 1951

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2464 CURATOR

Philip Tinari

Born 1979

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2465 BOXER

José Antonio Rivera

Born 1973

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2466 POLITICIAN

John J. Taylor (Pennsylvania politician)

Born 1955

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2467 MUSIC

Dave Patten

Born 1988

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2468 ARTIST

F. M. Howarth

1864 - 1908

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2469 ACTOR

Nancy Hendrickson

Born 1950

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2470 PHILOSOPHER

Jacob Needleman

Born 1934

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2471 BOXER

Mike Jones (boxer)

Born 1983

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2472 ACTOR

Ralph Harris (comedian)

-

Preview
2473 DESIGNER

Rosanne Somerson

Born 1954

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2474 POLITICIAN

Clare G. Fenerty

1895 - 1952

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2475 MATHEMATICIAN

Paul Chernoff

1942 - 2017

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2476 DRIVER

Jeff Segal

Born 1985

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2477 POLITICIAN

William Millward

1822 - 1871

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2478 SCULPTOR

Charles Ross (artist)

Born 1937

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2479 PHYSICIAN

Samuel Bard (physician)

1742 - 1821

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2480 LAWYER

Arlin M. Adams

1921 - 2015

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2481 WORKER

Robert Woodson

Born 1937

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2482 LAWYER

Lynne Abraham

Born 1941

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2483 LINGUIST

Frederick Newmeyer

Born 1944

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2484 FOOTBALL

Mike Jarmoluk

1922 - 2004

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2485 SINGER

Charles Pettigrew

1963 - 2001

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2486 WRESTLER

Jamilia Craft

Born 1991

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2487 POLITICIAN

Tom Killion

Born 1957

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2488 PHOTOGRAPHER

Frank Stefanko

Born 1946

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2489 LAWYER

Jane Richards Roth

Born 1935

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2490 SON

John Penn ("the American")

1700 - 1746

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2491 PROFESSOR

Mark Yudof

Born 1944

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2492 PAINTER

Henry Singlewood Bisbing

1849 - 1919

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2493 SINGER

Graham Salisbury

Born 1944

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2494 ACTOR

Patrick Quinn

1950 - 2006

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2495 SINGER

Adele Ritchie

1874 - 1930

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2496 BOBSLED

William Dodge (bobsleigh)

1925 - 1987

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2497 SCREENWRITER

Justin Herman

1907 - 1983

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2498 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Michael A. Harrison

-

Preview
2499 PHILOSOPHER

George Yancy

Born 1961

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2500 DIARIST

Cornelia Adair

1837 - 1921

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2501 ARCHITECT

Robert Geddes (architect)

Born 1923

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2502 ACTOR

Buster West

1901 - 1966

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2503 WRITER

Richard Maynard (television producer)

1942 - 2007

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2504 ZOOLOGIST

Henry Lorenz Viereck

1881 - 1931

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2505 FOOTBALL

Frank Wycheck

Born 1971

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2506 BANDLEADER

Howard Lanin

1897 - 1991

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2507 POLITICIAN

Charles F. Dougherty

Born 1937

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2508 PLAYER

Dorothy Green (tennis)

1897 - 1964

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2509 WRITER

Oscar Fraley

1914 - 1994

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2510 PHOTOGRAPHER

Malerie Marder

Born 1971

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2511 PAINTER

Anna Whelan Betts

1875 - 1952

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2512 POLITICIAN

Joseph F. Smith (Pennsylvania politician)

1920 - 1999

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2513 BIOCHEMIST

Howard Schachman

1918 - 2016

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2514 BASKET

Jimmie Baker (basketball)

Born 1953

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2515 POLITICIAN

Virginia Knauer

1915 - 2011

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2516 POLITICIAN

John Wood (congressman)

1816 - 1898

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2517 BASEBALL

John Marzano

1963 - 2008

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2518 ACTOR

Cory Wade Hindorff

Born 1990

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2519 FOLKLORIST

Roger D. Abrahams

1933 - 2017

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2520 PRELATE

Edwin Byrne

1891 - 1963

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2521 SPORT

Michael Iaconelli

Born 1972

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2522 BASKET

Chris Heinrich

Born 1977

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2523 BASEBALL

Harry Fritz

1890 - 1974

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2524 FOOTBALL

Josh Boyd

Born 1989

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2525 LAWYER

George Howard Earle Jr.

1856 - 1928

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2526 POLITICIAN

Robert N. McGarvey

1888 - 1952

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2527 PSYCHIATRIST

Judith Orloff

Born 1951

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2528 POLITICIAN

Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland

1861 - 1921

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2529 ATHLETIC

Gustavus Town Kirby

1874 - 1956

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2530 DIARIST

Sally Wister

1761 - 1804

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2531 FILM

Ayoka Chenzira

Born 1953

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2532 ACTOR

Alice Gale

1858 - 1941

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2533 ACTIVIST

Jeff Jones (activist)

Born 1947

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2534 ILLUSTRATOR

Henry Louis Stephens

1824 - 1883

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2535 BASEBALL

Dick Harlow

1889 - 1962

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2536 BASEBALL

Sam Kimber

1854 - 1925

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2537 ARTIST

Philip Jamison

Born 1925

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2538 FOOTBALL

Raheem Brock

Born 1978

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2539 JOURNALIST

Bill Whitaker (journalist)

Born 1951

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2540 PRODUCER

Frank Chirkinian

1926 - 2011

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2541 SINGER

Fayette Pinkney

1948 - 2009

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2542 PSYCHIATRIST

George Winokur

1925 - 1996

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2543 PRIEST

John J. McIntyre (bishop)

Born 1963

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2544 PAINTER

Xanthus Russell Smith

1839 - 1929

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2545 ECONOMIST

Kenneth Sokoloff

1952 - 2007

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2546 ARTIST

Mary Meigs

1917 - 2002

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2547 POLITICIAN

Chapman Freeman

1832 - 1904

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2548 OFFICER

Charles Mitchell Thomas

1846 - 1908

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2549 WRITER

A. Edward Newton

1863 - 1940

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2550 EDUCATION

William Draper Lewis

1867 - 1949

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2551 SKATER

Melissa Bulanhagui

Born 1990

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2552 POLITICIAN

Jacob Swoope

1770 - 1832

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2553 STAGE

Freaky Flow

Born 1977

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2554 POLITICIAN

James Hugh Joseph Tate

1910 - 1983

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2555 POLITICIAN

James Landy

1813 - 1875

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2556 POLITICIAN

William Ward (Pennsylvania)

1837 - 1895

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2557 PSYCHIATRIST

Alexander H. Leighton

1908 - 2007

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2558 POET

Major Jackson

Born 1968

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2559 CURATOR

Marion Boulton Stroud

1939 - 2015

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2560 ACTOR

Dolores Donlon

1920 - 2012

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2561 HISTORIAN

Mark K. Updegrove

Born 1961

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2562 FOOTBALL

Jeff Barnes

Born 1955

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2563 POLITICIAN

John V. Creely

1839 - 1900

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2564 POLICE

Willie L. Williams

1943 - 2016

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2565 LIEUTENANT

William Sitgreaves Cox

1790 - 1874

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2566 SINGER

Susanne Mentzer

Born 1957

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2567 LITERARY

Virginia Kidd

1921 - 2003

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2568 PAINTER

Sarah Mapps Douglass

1806 - 1882

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2569 BASEBALL

Eric Gregg

1951 - 2006

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2570 CHEMIST

Lloyd Quarterman

1918 - 1982

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2571 BOXER

Charlie Brown (boxer)

Born 1958

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2572 ARTIST

Sharon Louden

Born 1964

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2573 HISTORIAN

James Hankins

Born 1955

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2574 BASEBALL

Cherokee Fisher

1844 - 1912

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2575 MILITAR

George P. Scriven

1854 - 1940

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2576 MUSIC

Azalia Snail

-

Preview
2577 POLITICIAN

Daniel H. Miller

Died 1846

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2578 ACTOR

Jowharah Jones

Born 1982

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2579 LAWYER

Kermit Lipez

Born 1941

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2580 WRITER

Bonnie Sherr Klein

Born 1941

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2581 LAWYER

Charles Alan Wright

1927 - 2000

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2582 LAWYER

William Bradford Reed

1806 - 1876

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2583 PAINTER

Jacob Landau (artist)

1917 - 2001

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2584 WRESTLER

Tyler Fullington

Born 1989

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2585 PHILOLOGIST

Lewis Packard

1836 - 1884

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2586 LIBERAL

Cary Nelson

Born 1946

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2587 LAWYER

Deborah Batts

1947 - 2020

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2588 DESIGNER

Marc Brickman

Born 1953

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2589 MARTIAL ART

Justin Levens

1980 - 2008

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2590 BASEBALL

Orator Shafer

1851 - 1922

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2591 ACTOR

Minnie Palmer

1860 - 1936

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2592 ARCHITECT

R. H. Robertson

1849 - 1919

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2593 NOVELIST

Lorene Cary

Born 1957

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2594 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Sally Engle Merry

1944 - 2020

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2595 MUSIC

Hasaan Ibn Ali

1931 - 1980

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2596 BASEBALL

Bob Gibson (1980s pitcher)

Born 1957

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2597 PRODUCER

Tom Hamilton Jr.

Born 1978

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2598 ABOLITIONIST

Joseph Parrish Thompson

1819 - 1879

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2599 POLITICIAN

Robert Donatucci

1952 - 2010

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2600 BASSIST

Jimmy Rowser

1926 - 2004

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2601 FOOTBALL

Chuck Clark

Born 1995

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2602 SOCIOLOGIST

Barry Schwartz (sociologist)

Born 1938

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2603 ACTOR

Ray Fulmer

Born 1933

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2604 POLITICIAN

Cadwalader Morris

1741 - 1795

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2605 ECONOMIST

Leonard Silk

1918 - 1995

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2606 AUTHOR

Thomas Allibone Janvier

1849 - 1913

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2607 PROFESSOR

George Avery (professor)

1927 - 2004

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2608 LAWYER

Howard Shelanski

Born 1964

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2609 BUSINESS

Gerald M. Levin

Born 1939

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2610 POLITICIAN

Edward L. Stokes

1880 - 1964

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2611 BASEBALL

Joe Battin

1852 - 1937

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2612 POLITICIAN

Earl Chudoff

1907 - 1993

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2613 SPORT

Ray Didinger

Born 1946

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2614 WRITER

Carolyn Haywood

1898 - 1990

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2615 BASKET

John Fox (basket-ball)

Born 1965

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2616 RAPPER

Malik B.

1972 - 2020

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2617 FOOTBALL

Harry Swayne

Born 1965

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2618 POLITICAL

Mary Norris Dickinson

1740 - 1803

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2619 POLITICIAN

Michael J. Bradley

1897 - 1979

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2620 ARTIST

Joe Maneely

1926 - 1958

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2621 SPORT

Chris McKendry

Born 1968

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2622 FILM

Leo Braudy

Born 1941

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2623 WRITER

Bernard Waber

1924 - 2013

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2624 MATHEMATICIAN

Roger David Nussbaum

Born 1944

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2625 GYMNAST

William Herrmann (gymnast)

1912 - 2003

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2626 OFFICER

Clayton Barney Vogel

1882 - 1964

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2627 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Warren Teitelman

1941 - 2013

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2628 ILLUSTRATOR

Ethel Franklin Betts

1877 - 1959

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2629 SCULPTOR

May Howard Jackson

1877 - 1931

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2630 ENTREPRENEUR

Steve Bisciotti

Born 1960

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2631 GEOLOGIST

Henry Darwin Rogers

1808 - 1866

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2632 PAINTER

Linda Lee Alter

Born 1939

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2633 PASTOR

Howard Hendricks

1924 - 2013

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2634 MUSIC

James Lee Stanley

Born 1946

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2635 BOTANIST

Chicita F. Culberson

Born 1931

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2636 ACTOR

Anna Rosemond

1886 - 1966

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2637 ENGINEER

E. W. Etchells

1911 - 1998

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2638 BUSINESS

Raj Bhakta

Born 1975

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2639 ACTOR

George Tyne

1917 - 2008

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2640 SINGER

Randy Cain

1945 - 2009

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2641 JUDGE

Dolores Sloviter

Born 1932

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2642 BASKET

James Bryson

Born 1971

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2643 POLITICIAN

William H. Milliken Jr.

1897 - 1969

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2644 ACTOR

Emerson Treacy

1900 - 1967

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2645 NOVELIST

Mildred Walker

1905 - 1998

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2646 FOOTBALL

Da'Shawn Hand

Born 1995

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2647 PROFESSOR

Amit Schejter

Born 1961

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2648 WRITER

Adele Griffin

Born 1970

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2649 ACTOR

Michael Corbett (actor)

Born 1956

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2650 DIPLOMAT

Craig Wadsworth

1872 - 1960

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2651 PRODUCER

Dave Miller (producer)

1925 - 1985

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2652 MILITAR

Thomas Biddle

1790 - 1831

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2653 POLITICIAN

Randy Brock

Born 1943

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2654 SCULPTOR

Judith Shea

Born 1948

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2655 PAINTER

Felice Pazner Malkin

Born 1929

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2656 JOCKEY

Jerry Blavat

Born 1940

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2657 PAINTER

Edward Biberman

1904 - 1986

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2658 POLITICIAN

Katie McGinty

Born 1963

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2659 MUSIC

Dewey Johnson

1939 - 2018

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2660 FOOTBALL

Dick Spalding

1893 - 1950

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2661 CLOCKMAKER

Owen Biddle Sr.

1737 - 1799

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2662 NOVELIST

Lauren Willig

Born 1977

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2663 TEACHER

Andy Stapp

1944 - 2014

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2664 LAWYER

Andrew Sherman

Born 1961

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2665 TEACHER

Gary H. Gibbons

-

Preview
2666 CHILD

Henry Benbridge

1743 - 1812

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2667 ACTOR

Starletta DuPois

Born 1941

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2668 OFFICER

Daniel Carmick

1772 - 1816

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2669 ACTOR

Jack H. Harris

1918 - 2017

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2670 OFFICER

George Landenberger

1879 - 1936

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2671 BASKET

Isaiah Wilson

Born 1948

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2672 POLITICIAN

Peter Courtney

Born 1943

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2673 POLITICIAN

Leon Sacks

1902 - 1972

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2674 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

Olaf Storaasli

Born 1943

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2675 SAILOR

Michael Schoettle

Born 1936

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2676 POLITICIAN

John Guier Scott

1819 - 1892

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2677 FILM

Sidney Glazier

1916 - 2002

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2678 DRUMMER

Al Jones (drummer)

1930 - 1976

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2679 BLOGGER

Jonathan H. Adler

Born 1969

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2680 POLITICIAN

Kelly Cassidy

-

Preview
2681 PODCASTER

Jake Fogelnest

Born 1979

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2682 NOVELIST

Marvin Kaye

Born 1938

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2683 ACTOR

Tanya Berezin

Born 1941

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2684 PAINTER

William Anastasi

Born 1933

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2685 SCULPTOR

Steve Tobin

Born 1957

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2686 PRIEST

Paul Joseph Nussbaum

1870 - 1935

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2687 FOOTBALL

Crawford Ker

Born 1962

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2688 JOURNALIST

Roscoe Drummond

1902 - 1983

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2689 COMPOSER

Ernest Hilbert

Born 1970

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2690 POLITICIAN

William H. Wilson

1877 - 1937

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2691 POLITICIAN

James A. Gallagher

1869 - 1957

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2692 ACTOR

Victoria Carroll

Born 1940

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2693 SONGWRITER

Joe Bonsall

Born 1948

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2694 MUSIC

Lucky Oceans

Born 1951

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2695 FOOTBALL

Lud Wray

1894 - 1967

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2696 POLITICIAN

Francis R. Smith

1911 - 1982

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2697 PAINTER

Emlen Etting

1905 - 1993

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2698 PAINTER

Joe Stefanelli (painter)

1921 - 2017

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2699 SINGER

Chuck Brodsky

Born 1960

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2700 SURGEON

Charles Bingham Penrose

1862 - 1925

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