40.3596° N, 82.2875° W

SPRINGFIELD

Most Famous People Born in Springfield, United States

Notable people
936
Peak decade
1950s
Median birth year
1933
Most distinctive
Baseball 9.5×

There are several Springfields in this dataset and they blur together statistically, which is the point - the 9.5× Baseball over-index is small-town America's pre-television obsession crystallized, the era when every Midwestern Springfield fielded a semi-pro team and a few of those kids made the Cardinals or Reds. The 2.6× Lawyer ratio is the Lincoln-era Springfield, IL signal still echoing through the data.

Through the Decades

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

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1950s with 90 notable births.

What Springfield Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Springfield's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (124).

Springfield over-indexes on baseball9.5× the global rate.

Springfield under-produces football — only 0.7× the global rate.

  1. Politician124
  2. Baseball101
  3. Football72
  4. Actor59
  5. Lawyer43
  6. Basket38
  7. Music26
  8. Writer23
  1. Baseball1019.5×
  2. Basket383.2×
  3. Lawyer432.6×
  4. Novelist92.4×
  5. Screenwriter92.2×
  6. Music261.9×
  7. Officer101.6×
  1. Football720.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

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

16501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Writing
  • Science
  • Other
All936
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936 notable people

0301 BUSINESS

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

Born 1949

Preview
0302 BASKET

Fred Foster (basketball)

1946 - 1985

Preview
0303 BASEBALL

Doug Clark (baseball)

Born 1976

Preview
0304 PLAYER

David Bach (poker player)

Born 1971

Preview
0305 NOVELIST

Robert Girardi

Born 1961

Preview
0306 ACTOR

Alice Kelley

1932 - 2012

Preview
0307 ACTOR

Paul McCullough

1883 - 1936

Preview
0308 ACTOR

Grace Valentine

1884 - 1964

Preview
0309 POLITICIAN

Jennifer Brunner

Born 1957

Preview
0310 BASEBALL

Dale Long

1926 - 1991

Preview
0311 POLITICIAN

Craig Campbell (politician)

Born 1952

Preview
0312 POLITICIAN

Lou Papan

1928 - 2007

Preview
0313 FOOTBALL

Bryan Stork

Born 1990

Preview
0314 COMPOSER

David Shea

Born 1965

Preview
0315 POLITICIAN

Peter D. Wigginton

1839 - 1890

Preview
0316 ACTOR

Nick Benson

Born 1994

Preview
0317 BOTANIST

Hugh M. Raup

1901 - 1995

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0318 PHILOLOGIST

Michael C. J. Putnam

Born 1933

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0319 POLITICIAN

George A. Halsey

1827 - 1894

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0320 PRODUCER

David Kershenbaum

-

Preview
0321 NUTRITIONIST

C. W. Post

1854 - 1914

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0322 LAWYER

John H. McHenry

1797 - 1871

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0323 ACTOR

George Keymas

1925 - 2008

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0324 MUSIC

Curtis Price

Born 1945

Preview
0325 POLITICIAN

Thomas Dwight (politician)

1758 - 1819

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0326 POLITICIAN

Edward John King

1867 - 1929

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0327 LAWYER

William J. Granfield

1889 - 1959

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0328 WRESTLER

Antonio Thomas (wrestler)

Born 1980

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0329 LAWYER

John N. Tillman

1859 - 1929

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0330 SINGER

Ashley Gearing

Born 1991

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0331 TEACHER

Carleen Hutchins

1911 - 2009

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0332 COMPOSER

Jetty Rae

Born 1987

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0333 DIPLOMAT

Edwin W. Stoughton

1818 - 1882

Preview
0334 POLITICIAN

Charles B. Hoard

1805 - 1886

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0335 LAWYER

Dudley G. Wooten

1860 - 1929

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0336 EDITOR

David Yewdall

1950 - 2017

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0337 FOOTBALL

Joey Sternaman

1900 - 1988

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0338 WRITER

Adora Svitak

Born 1997

Preview
0339 BASEBALL

Cotton Minahan

1882 - 1958

Preview
0340 SAILOR

Sarah Glaser

Born 1961

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0341 BANDLEADER

Lloyd Scott (musician)

Born 1902

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0342 MUSIC

Tom Ardolino

1955 - 2012

Preview
0343 BASKET

Kevin Freeman (basketball)

Born 1978

Preview
0344 BASKET

Bernie Bierman

1894 - 1977

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0345 ACTOR

Kim Allen (actress)

Born 1982

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0346 FOOTBALL

David Socha

Born 1938

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0347 ACTOR

Bigelow Cooper

1867 - 1953

Preview
0348 MUSIC

June Cole

1903 - 1960

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0349 ACTOR

Jessi Palmer

Born 1988

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0350 ACTOR

David Starzyk

Born 1961

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0351 POLITICIAN

William H. Wade

1835 - 1911

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0352 BALLET

Rebecca Wright

1947 - 2006

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0353 POLITICIAN

William H. Neece

1831 - 1909

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0354 PAINTER

Katharine Rhoades

1885 - 1965

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0355 POLITICIAN

John Davis (Kansas politician)

1826 - 1901

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0356 BISHOP

Norbert Dorsey

1929 - 2013

Preview
0357 DRIVER

Tony Roper (racing driver)

1964 - 2000

Preview
0358 EDITOR

Samuel Bowles (journalist)

1826 - 1878

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0359 ENGINEER

John Edgar Thomson

1808 - 1874

Preview
0360 BASEBALL

Dustin Hermanson

Born 1972

Preview
0361 POLITICIAN

Reuben T. Wood

1884 - 1955

Preview
0362 POLITICIAN

Daniel F. Minahan

1877 - 1947

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0363 LAWYER

James L. Oakes

1924 - 2007

Preview
0364 WELDER

Oliver Brown (American activist)

1918 - 1961

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0365 CARTOONIST

Frank O'Neal

1921 - 1986

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0366 POLITICIAN

Curtis Frazier

Born 1955

Preview
0367 DIPLOMAT

William Luers

Born 1929

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0368 BILLIONAIRE

Glen Taylor

Born 1941

Preview
0369 PHILOSOPHER

Paul B. Thompson (philosopher)

Born 1951

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0370 PRODUCER

Ian Eskelin

Born 1969

Preview
0371 POLITICIAN

James Richard Waddill

1842 - 1917

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0372 HISTORIAN

Charles Upson Clark

1875 - 1960

Preview
0373 FOOTBALL

Bob Trumpy

Born 1945

Preview
0374 ACTOR

Melissa Hutchison

Born 1975

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0375 FOOTBALL

Seth Wand

Born 1979

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0376 FOOTBALL

Ron Burton

1936 - 2003

Preview
0377 POLITICIAN

Joseph F. Holt

1924 - 1997

Preview
0378 SINGER

Clare Dunn

-

Preview
0379 MILITAR

Bruce Halle

1930 - 2018

Preview
0380 ARTIST

Kris Kuksi

Born 1973

Preview
0381 HOCKEY

P.J. Fenton

Born 1985

Preview
0382 ENGINEER

Elmer Raguse

1901 - 1972

Preview
0383 POLITICIAN

Louis E. Miller

1899 - 1952

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0384 MISSIONARY

William N. Brewster

1862 - 1916

Preview
0385 POLITICIAN

Daniel E. Garrett

1869 - 1932

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0386 ARTIST

William Allen Rogers

1854 - 1931

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0387 POLITICIAN

Kurt Daudt

Born 1973

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0388 MUSIC

Joe Roccisano

1939 - 1997

Preview
0389 SPORT

Fred Hickman

Born 1956

Preview
0390 BASKET

John L. Head

1915 - 1980

Preview
0391 WRITER

Doug Cushman

Born 1953

Preview
0392 FOOTBALL

John Kidd (American football)

Born 1961

Preview
0393 BASKET

Derek Kellogg

Born 1973

Preview
0394 THEOLOGIAN

Gerhard Hasel

1935 - 1994

Preview
0395 BUSINESS

Gail J. McGovern

Born 1952

Preview
0396 BASEBALL

Eddie Carnett

1916 - 2016

Preview
0397 COACH

Greg McMackin

Born 1945

Preview
0398 CIVIL SERVICE

Mary Margaret O'Reilly

1865 - 1949

Preview
0399 PIANIST

Call Cobbs Jr.

1911 - 1971

Preview
0400 BASEBALL

Paul Derringer

1906 - 1987

Preview
0401 PHYSICIST

Gladys Anslow

1892 - 1969

Preview
0402 ACTOR

Frances Morris (actress)

1908 - 2003

Preview
0403 BASEBALL

Dick Schofield

Born 1962

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0404 SCIENTIST

Roberts Rugh

1903 - 1978

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0405 REGGAE

Josh Heinrichs

Born 1981

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0406 ACTOR

Rick Lenz

Born 1939

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0407 COMPOSER

Chester Edward Ide

1878 - 1944

Preview
0408 POLITICIAN

Timothy Davlin

1957 - 2010

Preview
0409 TEACHER

Dae Gak

Born 1947

Preview
0410 BASKET

Rhonda Blades

Born 1972

Preview
0411 PSYCHOLOGIST

Paula Caplan

Born 1947

Preview
0412 POLITICIAN

Jeffrey Paul Hillelson

1919 - 2003

Preview
0413 POLITICIAN

Turner M. Marquette

1831 - 1894

Preview
0414 ACTOR

Leonard Penn

1907 - 1975

Preview
0415 MILITAR

Raymond S. McLain

1890 - 1954

Preview
0416 FOOTBALL

Mohammed Seisay

Born 1990

Preview
0417 MINISTER

Mary Plummer

1848 - 1922

Preview
0418 FOOTBALL

Sean McHugh

Born 1982

Preview
0419 OFFICER

Stuart H. Ingersoll

1898 - 1983

Preview
0420 PAINTER

Howard Cook

1901 - 1980

Preview
0421 BASEBALL

Wayne Granger

Born 1944

Preview
0422 PLAYWRIGHT

Claude Fredericks

1923 - 2013

Preview
0423 MORMON

Levi W. Hancock

1803 - 1882

Preview
0424 THEOLOGIAN

Richard Rice (theologian)

Born 1944

Preview
0425 THEOLOGIAN

Herbert E. Douglass

1927 - 2014

Preview
0426 BASKET

Amanda Jackson

Born 1985

Preview
0427 BASEBALL

Ducky Schofield

Born 1935

Preview
0428 ETHNOLOGIST

Gilbert Livingston Wilson

1869 - 1930

Preview
0429 COLLECTOR

Helen Hartness Flanders

1890 - 1972

Preview
0430 ACTOR

Marsha Dietlein Bennett

Born 1965

Preview
0431 LAWYER

William Duane Benton

Born 1950

Preview
0432 WRITER

William J. Rothwell

Born 1951

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0433 SINGER

Steve Cash

1946 - 2019

Preview
0434 REPRESENTATIVE

Keith Fitzgerald

Born 1956

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0435 PRODUCER

Homer Curran

1885 - 1952

Preview
0436 POET

Tony Tost

Born 1975

Preview
0437 FOOTBALL

Ted Eck

Born 1966

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0438 FOOTBALL

Wes Lunt

Born 1993

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0439 FOOTBALL

Chris Loftus

Born 1984

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0440 HISTORIAN

Stuart B. Schwartz

Born 1940

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0441 COACH

Mel Tjeerdsma

Born 1946

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0442 SHOW

Drew Daniel

Born 1982

Preview
0443 SCULPTOR

Kuhne Beveridge

Born 1874

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0444 BASEBALL

Brooks Lawrence

1925 - 2000

Preview
0445 FILM

Ben Russell (filmmaker)

Born 1976

Preview
0446 PSYCHIATRIST

Richard Pillard

Born 1933

Preview
0447 DIPLOMAT

Gordon Giffin

Born 1949

Preview
0448 POLITICIAN

Marty Seifert

Born 1972

Preview
0449 PHOTOGRAPHER

Genevieve Naylor

1915 - 1989

Preview
0450 DEPUTY

Mortimer L. Downey

Born 1936

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0451 PLAYER

Kelly McCain

Born 1983

Preview
0452 PLAYER

Gerry Perry (tennis)

Born 1947

Preview
0453 JOURNALIST

Charles E. Cobb Jr.

Born 1943

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0454 BOXER

Kenny Adams

Born 1940

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0455 DIPLOMAT

Charles H. Graves

1839 - 1928

Preview
0456 COMPOSER

Eric Allaman

-

Preview
0457 ACTOR

Frank Senger

1954 - 2016

Preview
0458 ART DEALER

Francis Lenn Taylor

1897 - 1968

Preview
0459 GOLF

George Low Jr.

1912 - 1995

Preview
0460 OFFICER

William Dwight

1831 - 1888

Preview
0461 FOOTBALL

Trey DePriest

Born 1993

Preview
0462 BASEBALL

Will McEnaney

Born 1952

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0463 MILITAR

Harold R. Bull

1893 - 1976

Preview
0464 FOOTBALL

Mike Caussin

Born 1987

Preview
0465 WRITER

Gene D. Phillips

Born 1935

Preview
0466 PHOTOGRAPHER

Missy Rothstein

Born 1980

Preview
0467 INVENTOR

David Ward King

1857 - 1920

Preview
0468 FOOTBALL

Tyler Marz

Born 1992

Preview
0469 MILITAR

Jonas Coe

1805 - 1864

Preview
0470 FOOTBALL

Dylan Cole (American football)

Born 1994

Preview
0471 CIRCUS

Elizabeth Green the Stork Woman

1905 - 2001

Preview
0472 HOCKEY

Rick Bennett

Born 1967

Preview
0473 ACTOR

Megan Duffy (actress)

Born 1979

Preview
0474 CLERIC

William Harris (academic)

1765 - 1829

Preview
0475 SCREENWRITER

Sanford Jay Frank

1954 - 2014

Preview
0476 FOOTBALL

Jim McDonald (American football)

1915 - 1997

Preview
0477 MUSIC

Marjorie Hughes

Born 1925

Preview
0478 BASEBALL

Mike Trombley

Born 1967

Preview
0479 BASEBALL

Cyclone Miller

1859 - 1913

Preview
0480 BASEBALL

Billy Rogell

1904 - 2003

Preview
0481 JOURNALIST

Arnold Sagalyn

1918 - 2017

Preview
0482 POLITICIAN

Edward Lincoln Abel

1860 - 1926

Preview
0483 POLITICIAN

Harold H. Chase

1912 - 1976

Preview
0484 COMPOSER

Jeff Winkless

1941 - 2006

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0485 BOTANIST

Florence Meier Chase

1902 - 1978

Preview
0486 SPORT

Charles Axtell

1859 - 1932

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0487 JAZZ

Chuck Niles

1927 - 2004

Preview
0488 BASEBALL

Greg Beals

Born 1970

Preview
0489 SPORT

Tom Mees

1949 - 2012

Preview
0490 LAWYER

Christopher H. Schroeder

Born 1948

Preview
0491 BASEBALL

Kevin Collins (baseball)

1946 - 2016

Preview
0492 LAWYER

Roderick L. Ireland

Born 1944

Preview
0493 BASEBALL

Danny Shay

1876 - 1927

Preview
0494 POLITICIAN

Tim Ayers

Born 1958

Preview
0495 SPORT

Irving Calkins

1875 - 1958

Preview
0496 BASEBALL

Rick White (baseball)

Born 1968

Preview
0497 CARTOONIST

Artie Romero

Born 1951

Preview
0498 HOCKEY

Weston Adams

1904 - 1973

Preview
0499 POLITICIAN

George Washington Ewing

1808 - 1888

Preview
0500 LAWYER

John R. Gibson

1925 - 2014

Preview
0501 ENGINEER

Charles E. Billings

1834 - 1920

Preview
0502 LAWYER

Randolph Moss

Born 1961

Preview
0503 FILM

Russell Smith (Produzent)

Born 1954

Preview
0504 LAWYER

Alan Sisitsky

1942 - 2017

Preview
0505 SINGER

Amy Black (singer)

Born 1972

Preview
0506 POSTMASTER

Helen J. Stewart

1854 - 1926

Preview
0507 PRIEST

John Baptist Franz

1896 - 1992

Preview
0508 CENTENARIAN

Edythe Kirchmaier

1908 - 2015

Preview
0509 BASEBALL

Pat Strange

Born 1980

Preview
0510 HOCKEY

Norm Dussault

1925 - 2012

Preview
0511 CONDUCTOR

Dale Oehler

1941 - 2018

Preview
0512 LIBRARIAN

Frances E. Henne

1906 - 1985

Preview
0513 SINGER

Ronnie Jones (singer)

Born 1937

Preview
0514 BASEBALL

Ray Lucas (baseball)

1908 - 1969

Preview
0515 ECONOMIST

William Hoban Branson

1938 - 2006

Preview
0516 POLITICIAN

Chris Widener

Born 1963

Preview
0517 ARTIST

Sarah Seager

Born 1958

Preview
0518 SINGER

Laivan Greene

Born 1992

Preview
0519 MARTIAL ART

Jan Finney

Born 1980

Preview
0520 BEAUTY PAGEANT

Chandler Lawson

Born 1990

Preview
0521 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Ruth Sawtell Wallis

1895 - 1978

Preview
0522 PRIEST

Thomas Daniel Beaven

1851 - 1920

Preview
0523 PRODUCER

Richard Mohr

1919 - 2002

Preview
0524 MUSIC

Vincent Bennett

Born 1982

Preview
0525 TEACHER

Karen Messing

Born 1943

Preview
0526 GOLF

Richy Werenski

Born 1991

Preview
0527 FOOTBALL

Chuck Bresnahan

Born 1960

Preview
0528 SINGER

Jenny Queen

Born 1979

Preview
0529 BASKET

Jannon Roland

Born 1975

Preview
0530 PRIEST

William Hafey

1888 - 1954

Preview
0531 SPORT

H. G. Salsinger

1887 - 1958

Preview
0532 BASEBALL

Nick Gorneault

Born 1979

Preview
0533 LAWYER

William P. Hayes

1866 - 1940

Preview
0534 BASKET

John Grochowalski

Born 1952

Preview
0535 LAWYER

Mark G. Mastroianni

Born 1964

Preview
0536 ROWER

Austin Hack

Born 1992

Preview
0537 TRADE UNION

Harry Simms (labor leader)

1911 - 1932

Preview
0538 FOOTBALL

Kevin Donley

Born 1951

Preview
0539 LAWYER

Don A. J. Upham

1809 - 1877

Preview
0540 LAWYER

Sue E. Myerscough

Born 1951

Preview
0541 FOOTBALL

Dick Shatto

1933 - 2003

Preview
0542 SPORT

Jay Nash McCrea

1887 - 1959

Preview
0543 LAWYER

M. Douglas Harpool

Born 1956

Preview
0544 POLITICIAN

Kyle Koehler

Born 1961

Preview
0545 PLAYWRIGHT

Sherry Kramer

-

Preview
0546 FILM

Tommy Atkins (director)

1887 - 1968

Preview
0547 FOOTBALL

Christian Wilkins

Born 1995

Preview
0548 BASEBALL

Justin Knoedler

Born 1980

Preview
0549 LITERARY

Herbert Gorman

1893 - 1954

Preview
0550 BASEBALL

Travis Smith (baseball)

Born 1972

Preview
0551 WRITER

Roberta Latow

1931 - 2003

Preview
0552 MODELO

Crista Nicole

Born 1978

Preview
0553 LAWYER

David K. Colapinto

Born 1958

Preview
0554 INVENTOR

Daniel B. Wesson II

1916 - 1978

Preview
0555 BASKET

Mercedes Russell

Born 1995

Preview
0556 ACTOR

Theodore Lorch

1873 - 1947

Preview
0557 FOOTBALL

Paul Walker (American football)

1925 - 1972

Preview
0558 EDUCATOR

Ben Cannon

Born 1976

Preview
0559 COMMISSIONER

George P. Larrick

1901 - 1968

Preview
0560 CARTOONIST

Ryan Walker (cartoonist)

1870 - 1932

Preview
0561 FOOTBALL

Alex Carder

Born 1989

Preview
0562 OFFICER

Oliver Edwards

1835 - 1904

Preview
0563 ARMY

Jim Evans (politician)

Born 1948

Preview
0564 BASKET

Charlie Coles

1942 - 2013

Preview
0565 SCREENWRITER

Stephen Verona

1940 - 2019

Preview
0566 COMPOSER

Thurland Chattaway

1872 - 1947

Preview
0567 BASEBALL

Roy Smalley Jr.

1926 - 2011

Preview
0568 OFFICER

Clarence Stewart Williams

1863 - 1951

Preview
0569 PRODUCER

Lillian Gallo

1928 - 2012

Preview
0570 POLITICIAN

Joseph Wagner (Massachusetts politician)

Born 1960

Preview
0571 ACTOR

Virginia Hunter

1920 - 2012

Preview
0572 SINGER

Lambert Murphy

1885 - 1954

Preview
0573 LAWYER

Harlington Wood Jr.

1920 - 2008

Preview
0574 FOOTBALL

Meghan Cox

Born 1994

Preview
0575 FOOTBALL

Ifeanyi Ohalete

Born 1979

Preview
0576 WRITER

Tony Tulathimutte

Born 1983

Preview
0577 BASEBALL

Jiggs Donahue

1879 - 1913

Preview
0578 FOOTBALL

Chris Wallace (American football)

Born 1975

Preview
0579 BASEBALL

Kennie Steenstra

Born 1970

Preview
0580 POLITICIAN

Kevin DeWine

Born 1967

Preview
0581 LAWYER

W. Brent Powell

-

Preview
0582 ACADEMIC

David Alexander (college president)

1932 - 2010

Preview
0583 LAWYER

Edgar J. Sherman

1834 - 1914

Preview
0584 BASEBALL

Paul LaPalme

1923 - 2010

Preview
0585 BASEBALL

Mark Bailey (baseball)

Born 1961

Preview
0586 POLITICIAN

Catherine Cloutier

Born 1950

Preview
0587 POLITICIAN

Domenic Sarno

Born 1963

Preview
0588 MAGAZINE

Kate Upson Clark

1851 - 1935

Preview
0589 BASEBALL

Bob Keating

1862 - 1922

Preview
0590 COMPOSER

Bill Zucker

1955 - 2016

Preview
0591 MARTIAL ART

Matt Veach

Born 1981

Preview
0592 HOCKEY

Bill McCreary Jr.

Born 1960

Preview
0593 BASEBALL

George Jackson (baseball)

1882 - 1972

Preview
0594 POLITICIAN

Eric Burlison

Born 1976

Preview
0595 HOCKEY

Dan Cavanaugh

Born 1980

Preview
0596 ACADEMIC

Shawn Brixey

Born 1961

Preview
0597 PRINTMAKER

Richard V. Correll

1904 - 1990

Preview
0598 LAWYER

Wayne Budd

Born 1941

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0599 DRIVER

Donnie Beechler

Born 1961

Preview
0600 MUSIC

Richard Brunelle

1964 - 2019

Preview