37.7775° N, 122.4165° W

SAN FRANCISCO

Most Famous People Born in San Francisco, United States

Notable people
2,619
Peak decade
1960s
Median birth year
1943
Most distinctive
Baseball 6.1×

A city of restless reinventions. San Francisco's notables are heavily literary and athletic in the 19th century, then heavily technological and countercultural in the 20th — the same town gave the world Jack London and Steve Jobs, Ansel Adams and Bruce Lee, the Beats and the venture capitalists. The dataset doesn't show the tech industry as a category, but you can see its silhouette in the unusually high share of entrepreneurs, engineers, and screenwriters with day jobs in software.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1960s with 295 notable births.

What San Francisco Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Actor is San Francisco's biggest profession — 15% of all notables (385).

San Francisco over-indexes on baseball6.1× the global rate.

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

  1. Actor385
  2. Baseball182
  3. Football144
  4. Politician136
  5. Film110
  6. Writer77
  7. Music74
  8. Singer74
  1. Baseball1826.1×
  2. Screenwriter433.8×
  3. Film1103.4×
  4. Actor3852.8×
  5. Photographer322.5×
  6. Basket732.2×
  7. Music742.0×
  8. Artist511.9×
  1. Politician1360.4×
  2. Football1440.5×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

18001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Other
All2,619
Sort By

Showing 277 of 2,619 notable people

0002 ENTREPRENEUR

Steve Jobs

1955 - 2011

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0030 ACTOR

Patty Hearst

Born 1954

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0045 COMEDIAN

Kevin Pollak

Born 1957

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0067 SINGER

Nancy Wilson (rock musician)

Born 1954

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0070 ACTOR

Kurt Fuller

Born 1953

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0073 ACTOR

Colleen Camp

Born 1953

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0098 FILM

Joanna Kerns

Born 1953

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0109 DRUMMER

Terry Bozzio

Born 1950

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0136 POLITICIAN

Jackie Speier

Born 1950

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0139 ACTOR

Mary Ellen Trainor

1952 - 2015

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0152 FILM

Michael Lehmann

Born 1957

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0155 ACTOR

Michael Paul Chan

Born 1950

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0187 BASEBALL

Keith Hernandez

Born 1953

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0194 WRITER

Alan Cooper

Born 1952

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0209 COMPOSER

Sharon Robinson (songwriter)

Born 1953

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0212 FILM

Charles Ferguson (filmmaker)

Born 1955

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0214 WRITER

Anne Lamott

Born 1954

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0217 WRITER

Fred Dekker

Born 1959

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0235 PHOTOGRAPHER

Alex Webb (photographer)

Born 1952

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0241 MUSIC

Goa Gil

Born 1951

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0249 SINGER

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson

1954 - 2006

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0260 FOOTBALL

Pete Carroll

Born 1951

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0264 AUTHOR

Gerald Posner

Born 1954

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0266 PSYCHOLOGIST

Daniel Levitin

Born 1957

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0273 COMPOSER

Martha Wash

Born 1953

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0313 FOOTBALL

Dan Fouts

Born 1951

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0331 FILM

Kevin Rodney Sullivan

Born 1958

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0404 FILM

Richard Sakai

Born 1954

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0407 SCREENWRITER

Peter Barsocchini

Born 1952

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0408 FILM

Hoyt Yeatman

Born 1955

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0446 MATHEMATICIAN

Steven G. Krantz

Born 1951

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0447 SCREENWRITER

Barry O'Brien

Born 1959

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0451 FIDDLER

Darol Anger

Born 1953

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0452 BUSINESS

Paul Otellini

1950 - 2017

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0460 ACTOR

Gary Grimes

Born 1955

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0466 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

David Fox (game designer)

Born 1950

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0478 FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Betty Ong

1956 - 2001

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0483 ACTOR

Linda Wong (pornographic actress)

1951 - 1987

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0485 AUTHOR

Tama Janowitz

Born 1957

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0489 ARTIST

Larry Van Kriedt

Born 1954

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0492 BASEBALL

Willie McGee

Born 1958

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0496 FILM

Philip Haas

Born 1954

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0502 MUSIC

Michael Formanek

Born 1958

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0529 SWIMMER

Rick DeMont

Born 1956

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0532 COMEDIAN

Arabella Weir

Born 1957

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0535 POLITICIAN

David Miller (Canadian politician)

Born 1958

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0544 ACTOR

Jerry Tondo

Born 1950

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0546 MUSIC

Pat Thrall

Born 1953

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0548 FILM

Gary Lucchesi

Born 1955

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0555 JUDGE

James E. Rogan

Born 1957

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0557 PIANIST

Jeremy Menuhin

Born 1951

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0564 ASTRONOMER

Lyman Page

Born 1957

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0596 MUSIC

Barry Finnerty

Born 1951

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0597 CONVICT

Richard Allen Davis

Born 1954

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0601 ACTOR

Philip Anglim

Born 1953

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0606 PRIEST

Robert W. McElroy

Born 1954

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0611 MUSIC

Gitane DeMone

Born 1958

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0620 SPRINT

Benny Brown

1953 - 1996

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0622 BASKET

Phil Smith (basketball)

1952 - 2002

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0623 SINGER

Tramaine Hawkins

Born 1951

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0628 ECONOMIST

Jeffrey Frankel

Born 1952

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0630 PLAYER

Sharon Walsh

Born 1952

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0635 ACTOR

Edu Manzano

Born 1955

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0637 ACTOR

Cassandra Gava

Born 1959

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0655 SCULPTOR

Zenos Frudakis

Born 1951

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0660 SINGER

Lauren Flanigan

Born 1959

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0669 GAME

Don Daglow

Born 1953

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0674 CINEMA

Robert McLachlan (cinematographer)

Born 1956

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0690 SPORT

Jon Miller

Born 1951

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0698 PSYCHOLOGIST

Stephen Gilligan

Born 1954

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0705 FILM

Arthur Dong

Born 1953

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0727 THEATRE

Bartlett Sher

Born 1959

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0733 PRIEST

Karla LaVey

Born 1952

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0737 WRITER

Eddie Muller

Born 1958

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0769 ARCHITECT

Madison Cox

Born 1958

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0772 SKIPPER

Paul Cayard

Born 1959

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0777 PLAYWRIGHT

Winston Tong

Born 1951

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0783 COMPOSER

Jim Campilongo

Born 1958

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0807 CINEMA

Mitchell Amundsen

Born 1958

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0810 COMPOSER

Vicki Randle

Born 1954

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0812 HISTORIAN

Mark D. Steinberg

Born 1953

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0842 ACTOR

Bonnie Hellman

Born 1950

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0843 MUSIC

Michael Marcus (musician)

Born 1952

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0860 FILM

Davis Doi

Born 1957

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0861 BASKET

Kevin Restani

1951 - 2010

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0876 CONDUCTOR

Constantine Orbelian

Born 1956

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0877 AUTHOR

Scott Bradfield

Born 1955

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0880 PRIEST

John Charles Wester

Born 1950

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0883 FILM

Steven Scarborough

Born 1954

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0900 PERCUSSIONIST

Raul Rekow

1954 - 2015

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0904 LAWYER

William Orrick III

Born 1953

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0906 CONDUCTOR

Calvin E. Simmons

1950 - 1982

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0914 PHYSICIST

David B. Kaplan

Born 1958

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0931 ATHLETIC

Gregg Tafralis

Born 1958

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0940 COMPOSER

Todd Cochran

Born 1951

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0945 FINANCIAL ADVISER

Kenneth Fisher

Born 1950

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0951 LAWYER

John Roos

Born 1955

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0977 PHYSICIST

James P. Crutchfield

Born 1955

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0986 POLITICIAN

Darrell Steinberg

Born 1959

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0992 THEOLOGIAN

Christopher Langan

Born 1952

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0993 POET

Chris Agee

Born 1956

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0997 AUTHOR

Barry Kernfeld

Born 1950

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1002 JOURNALIST

Markos Kounalakis

Born 1957

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1025 SKIER

Sandy Poulsen

Born 1952

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1033 NOVELIST

Michaela Roessner

Born 1950

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1037 NOVELIST

Kent Harrington

Born 1952

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1059 ACTOR

Luis Saguar

1957 - 2009

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1083 BASEBALL

Mike Norris (baseball)

Born 1955

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1090 PLAYER

Chris Dunk

Born 1958

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1091 PLAYER

Matt Doyle (tennis)

Born 1958

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1092 PRODUCER

Andy Ernst

Born 1955

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1094 DESIGNER

Michael Patrick Cronan

1951 - 2013

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1121 ACTOR

Denise Michele

Born 1953

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1125 BUSINESS

Randal Quarles

Born 1957

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1128 POET

Lorna Dee Cervantes

Born 1954

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1133 SINGER

Sandy Stewart (musician)

Born 1958

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1134 COMPOSER

Virginia Mayhew

Born 1959

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1137 COMPOSER

Erica Lindsay

Born 1955

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1160 LAWYER

Kim McLane Wardlaw

Born 1954

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1162 ARTIST

Al Gordon

Born 1953

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1181 PENCILLER

Krystine Kryttre

Born 1958

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1191 ACADEMIC

Donald Abenheim

Born 1953

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1192 JOURNALIST

Julianne Malveaux

Born 1953

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1201 BASEBALL

Keith Comstock

Born 1955

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1219 INVESTOR

Ron Conway

Born 1951

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1221 SHOW

Bernie Ward

Born 1951

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1223 BASKET

Marlon Redmond

Born 1955

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1224 SINGER

Yvette Flunder

Born 1955

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1230 MUSIC

Jana Herzen

Born 1950

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1233 JOURNALIST

Doyle McManus

Born 1955

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1235 COMPOSER

Kristina Olsen

Born 1957

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1249 DIPLOMAT

John Ordway (ambassador)

Born 1950

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1263 SWIMMER

Lynn Vidali

Born 1952

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1277 RACEWALKER

Marco Evoniuk

Born 1957

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1285 POLITICIAN

Howie Hawkins

Born 1952

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1287 MUSIC

Anthony Brown (musician)

Born 1953

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1288 FILM

Liz Holzman

1953 - 2014

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1289 GUITAR

Danny Chauncey

Born 1956

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1292 NOVELIST

Fae Myenne Ng

Born 1956

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1297 PHOTOGRAPHER

Catherine Wagner (artist)

Born 1953

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1306 BASEBALL

Mike Vail

Born 1951

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1310 PHOTOGRAPHER

Reagan Louie

Born 1951

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1312 BASEBALL

Mike Brown (outfielder)

Born 1959

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1314 VIDEO GAME

Steve Ritchie

Born 1950

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1315 BASEBALL

Steve Shirley (baseball)

Born 1956

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1319 PLAYER

Lele Forood

Born 1956

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1330 PRODUCER

David Eyges

Born 1950

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1334 FOOTBALL

Jerry Robinson (linebacker)

Born 1956

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1357 JAVELIN THROWER

Cathy Sulinski

Born 1958

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1360 ENTREPRENEUR

Richard Belluzzo

Born 1953

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1383 POLITICIAN

Campbell Cavasso

Born 1950

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1386 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Brouws

Born 1955

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1389 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Kathleen M. Adams

Born 1957

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1411 POLITICIAN

Kate Marshall

Born 1959

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1412 WRITER

Rodger Jacobs

1959 - 2016

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1413 BIOLOGIST

Doris Taylor

Born 1956

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1417 POLITICIAN

Bill Kenney

Born 1955

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1445 WRITER

Bill Lee (author)

Born 1954

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1459 PLAYER

Marcie Louie

Born 1953

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1473 MUSIC

Christopher North (Ambrosia)

Born 1951

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1476 WRITER

Anne de Graaf

Born 1959

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1491 CONSERVATIVE

Dan Itse

Born 1958

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1493 PHILOSOPHER

Bradley Shavit Artson

Born 1959

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1503 SCREENWRITER

Kathy Gori

Born 1951

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1515 TRADE UNION

Terence M. O'Sullivan

Born 1955

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1517 POLITICIAN

Kevin Shelley

Born 1955

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1520 DRUMMER

Brian Melvin

Born 1958

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1531 JOURNALIST

Dan O'Neill (writer)

Born 1950

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1540 SINGER

Paul Black (musician)

Born 1959

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1544 BASKET

Alton Byrd

Born 1957

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1587 JOURNALIST

Kathleen Matthews

Born 1953

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1606 POLITICIAN

Nancy Skinner (California politician)

Born 1954

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1611 PLAYER

Kyle Larsen

1950 - 2012

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1631 MUSIC

Melvin Seals

Born 1953

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1632 AUTHOR

David Downie

Born 1958

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1634 BASKET

Mike Stewart (basketball)

Born 1950

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1646 FOOTBALL

William Gay (defensive lineman)

Born 1955

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1659 WRITER

Carl Deuker

Born 1950

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1663 MUSIC

Tim Gorman

Born 1952

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1676 ILLUSTRATOR

Jody Lee

Born 1958

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1704 CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Nigel Newton

Born 1955

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1709 BASEBALL

Rich Bordi

Born 1959

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1710 FOOTBALL

Tim Walsh (American football)

Born 1954

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1712 POLITICIAN

Steve Murphy (politician)

Born 1957

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1720 BASEBALL

Gary Darling

Born 1957

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1736 JUDO

Brett Barron

Born 1959

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1740 ACTOR

George Marshall Ruge

Born 1952

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1744 POLITICIAN

Peter J. Buckley

Born 1957

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1761 BASEBALL

Steve Brown (baseball)

Born 1957

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1762 POLITICIAN

Kathy Afzali

Born 1957

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1770 AUTHOR

Randall D. Larson

Born 1954

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1771 CLERGY

Paul Fericano

Born 1951

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1776 BASEBALL

Fred Breining

Born 1955

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1779 MUSIC

Mary Cleere Haran

1952 - 2011

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1792 LAWYER

Bob Wieckowski

Born 1955

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1793 BASEBALL

Paul Noce

Born 1959

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1796 LAWYER

Timothy Mark Burgess

Born 1956

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1797 PHYSICIST

William Allen Zajc

Born 1954

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1798 KEYBOARDIST

Sean Hopper

Born 1953

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1824 FILM

Lynne Willingham

Born 1951

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1829 FILM

Armen Minasian

Born 1959

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1841 LAWYER

Martin Jenkins

Born 1954

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1869 SINGER

Sennie "Skip" Martin

Born 1957

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1872 POLITICIAN

Peter J. Barnes III

Born 1956

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1880 FOOTBALL

Anthony Washington (American football)

Born 1958

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1884 MUSIC

Annette A. Aguilar

Born 1957

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1888 POLITICIAN

Liz Figueroa

Born 1951

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1907 SWIMMER

Toni Hewitt

Born 1951

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1914 MUSIC

Mary Fettig

Born 1953

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1916 DRIVER

Mark Galvin

Born 1955

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1923 POLITICIAN

Joan Buchanan

Born 1952

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1937 ACTOR

Leslie Denniston

Born 1950

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1943 POET

Devorah Major

Born 1950

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1954 PRIEST

Kyrill (Dmitrieff)

Born 1954

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1974 SPORT

Al Burleson

Born 1954

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1981 ACTOR

Joel Blum

Born 1952

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1987 JOURNALIST

Donald McNeil Jr.

Born 1954

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1996 FOOTBALL

Jim Zylker

Born 1951

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2000 PRÍNCIPE

Alicia de Bielefeld

Born 1952

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2001 WRITER

William Poy Lee

Born 1951

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2006 OFFICER

Steve Clark Hall

Born 1953

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2007 BASEBALL

Keith Marshall (baseball)

Born 1951

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2013 FOOTBALL

Darrol Ray

Born 1958

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2019 POLITICIAN

Peter S. Brunstetter

Born 1956

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2049 BASEBALL

Paul Thormodsgard

Born 1953

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2057 ANNOUNCER

Dean Goss

Born 1951

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2066 ENGINEER

Timothy Sands

Born 1958

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2076 SPORT

Cody Jones

Born 1951

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2079 SPORT

Kevin Anderson (athletic director)

Born 1955

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2105 BUSINESS

Douglas W. Shorenstein

1955 - 2015

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2108 BASEBALL

Ken Reitz

Born 1951

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2115 JOURNALIST

Ron Claiborne

Born 1953

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2117 FOOTBALL

Calvin Jones (cornerback)

Born 1951

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2133 SINGER

Mikel Dean

1954 - 2008

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2135 FOOTBALL

Tony Reed

Born 1955

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2138 ACTOR

Matthew Allen

Born 1958

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2142 PHYSICIAN

Eric Goosby

Born 1953

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2152 PHOTOGRAPHER

Neil Folberg

Born 1950

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2186 JOCKEY

Pierre Robert (DJ)

Born 1955

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2189 ACTOR

Bettina Devin

Born 1951

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2193 LAWYER

Kristina Pickering

Born 1952

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2208 ADMINISTRATOR

Mark Rosekind

Born 1955

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2217 JUDGE

Katherine Feinstein

Born 1956

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2218 FILM

Gary Rhine

1951 - 2006

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2221 PAINTER

Barnaby Conrad III

Born 1952

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2224 BUSINESS

Gary Friedman

Born 1957

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2225 PHILANTHROPIST

Douglas E. Goldman

Born 1952

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2228 LAWYER

John D. Trasviña

Born 1954

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2244 PSYCHIATRIST

Barry S. Fogel

Born 1952

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2249 VIDEO GAME

Mark Ritchie (pinball designer)

Born 1958

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2252 OFFICER

William T. Lord

Born 1955

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2274 ARCHITECT

Michael P. Kelly

Born 1954

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2277 WRITER

Santhini Govindan

Born 1959

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2290 COUNSELOR

Maura O'Neill

Born 1956

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2292 OPERA

John Del Carlo

1955 - 2016

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2305 ARTIST

Richard Snell (make-up artist)

1955 - 2006

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2308 FOOTBALL

Mike Haas

Born 1958

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2320 FOOTBALL

Steve Ryan (soccer)

Born 1956

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2342 FOOTBALL

Tony Graham (soccer)

Born 1956

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2349 JOURNALIST

Ken Bastida

Born 1956

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2354 FILM

Kathleen Korth

Born 1952

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2370 GAME

Ken Eklund

Born 1957

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2384 CHEMIST

Mark S. Ghiorso

Born 1954

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2385 FOOTBALL

John Anton (soccer)

Born 1955

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2455 FOOTBALL

Ron Robinson (Canadian football)

Born 1956

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2460 FOOTBALL

Dan Salvemini

Born 1957

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2495 POLITICIAN

Manny Diaz (California politician)

Born 1953

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2505 FENCER

George Nonomura

Born 1958

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2513 POLITICIAN

Nancy Shepherd

Born 1954

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2515 POLITICAL

Averell Smith

Born 1958

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2518 DESIGNER

Charlie Krank

Born 1957

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2521 FOOTBALL

Otey Cannon

Born 1950

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2546 FOOTBALL

Matt O'Sullivan

Born 1955

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2558 FOOTBALL

Mark Stahl (soccer)

Born 1953

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2566 SAXOPHONIST

Johnnie Bamont

Born 1951

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2583 FOOTBALL

Dan Ferrigno

Born 1953

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2610 ARTIST

Andy Yttri

1958 - 1993

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