39.9292° N, 75.2300° W

PHILADELPHIA

Most Famous People Born in Philadelphia, USA

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

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

Standouts

What Philadelphia Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

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

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

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

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

Profession Mix Over Time

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

1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Music
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Other
All5,575
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5,575 notable people

0001 ACTOR

Grace Kelly

1929 - 1982

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0002 ACTOR

Will Smith

Born 1968

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0003 ACTOR

Bradley Cooper

Born 1975

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0004 SINGER

Billie Holiday

1915 - 1959

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0005 ACTOR

Bill Cosby

Born 1937

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0006 ACTOR

Richard Gere

Born 1949

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0007 ACTOR

Kevin Bacon

Born 1958

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0008 FILM

Man Ray

1890 - 1976

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0009 BASKET

Wilt Chamberlain

1936 - 1999

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0010 FILM

Sidney Lumet

1924 - 2011

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0011 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Margaret Mead

1901 - 1978

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0012 FILM

Lionel Barrymore

1878 - 1954

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0013 BASKET

Kobe Bryant

1978 - 2020

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0014 GUITAR

Joan Jett

Born 1958

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0015 ACTOR

John Barrymore

1882 - 1942

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0016 ACTOR

Seth Green

Born 1974

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0017 OFFICER

George B. McClellan

1826 - 1885

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0018 SOCIOLOGIST

Robert K. Merton

1910 - 2003

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0019 COMEDIAN

Kevin Hart

Born 1979

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0020 ACTOR

Lauren Cohan

Born 1982

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0021 ACTOR

W. C. Fields

1880 - 1946

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0022 MUSIC

Marian Anderson

1897 - 1993

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0023 SAXOPHONIST

Stan Getz

1927 - 1991

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0024 WRITER

Michael Connelly

Born 1956

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0025 SINGER

Mario Lanza

1921 - 1959

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0026 ACTOR

Jack Klugman

1922 - 2012

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0027 ACTOR

Blythe Danner

Born 1943

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0028 CARTOONIST

Robert Crumb

Born 1943

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0029 ECONOMIST

Henry George

1839 - 1897

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0030 SINGER

Patti LaBelle

Born 1944

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0031 ACTOR

Janet Gaynor

1906 - 1984

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0032 ACTOR

Eddie Fisher (singer)

1928 - 2010

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0033 FILM

Adam McKay

Born 1968

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0034 MILITAR

Alexander Haig

1924 - 2010

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0035 ASTRONAUT

Pete Conrad

1930 - 1999

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0036 FILM

Bruce Davison

Born 1946

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0037 ACTOR

John de Lancie

Born 1948

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0038 ACTOR

Ethel Barrymore

1879 - 1959

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0039 ACTOR

Broderick Crawford

1911 - 1986

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0040 PAINTER

Thomas Eakins

1844 - 1916

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0041 SINGER

Jill Scott

Born 1972

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0042 SINGER

Solomon Burke

1940 - 2010

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0043 SINGER

Jim Croce

1943 - 1973

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0044 FILM

Irvin Kershner

1923 - 2010

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0045 SINGER

Lisa Lopes

1971 - 2002

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0046 POLITICAL

Mumia Abu-Jamal

Born 1954

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0047 FILM

Arthur Penn

1922 - 2010

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0048 ACTOR

Jeanette MacDonald

1903 - 1965

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0049 SINGER

Frankie Avalon

Born 1940

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0050 SCREENWRITER

Nancy Meyers

Born 1949

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0051 ARCHITECT

Robert Venturi

1925 - 2018

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0052 SINGER

Santigold

Born 1976

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0053 ACTOR

Holland Taylor

Born 1943

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0054 RAPPER

Meek Mill

Born 1987

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0055 SCREENWRITER

Richard Brooks

1912 - 1992

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0056 ACTOR

Jon Polito

1950 - 2016

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0057 PHOTOJOURNALIST

Steve McCurry

Born 1950

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0058 SKATER

Tara Lipinski

Born 1982

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0059 FILM

Lee Daniels

Born 1959

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0060 ACTOR

Linda Fiorentino

Born 1958

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0061 ACTOR

James Rebhorn

1948 - 2014

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0062 ASTRONOMER

Vera Rubin

1928 - 2016

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0063 ACTOR

Bob Saget

Born 1956

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0064 SINGER

Christina Perri

Born 1986

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0065 ACTOR

Thomas F. Wilson

Born 1959

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0066 ACTOR

Robert Picardo

Born 1953

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0067 SINGER

Al Martino

1927 - 2009

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0068 ACTOR

Gary Dourdan

Born 1966

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0069 SINGER

Teddy Pendergrass

1950 - 2010

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0070 BASSIST

Stanley Clarke

Born 1951

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0071 MUSIC

Marshmello

Born 1992

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0072 GEOLOGIST

Edward Drinker Cope

1840 - 1897

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0073 MUSIC

Joey Lawrence

Born 1976

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0074 TRUMPET

Lee Morgan

1938 - 1972

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0075 POLITICIAN

Ash Carter

Born 1954

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0076 ACTOR

Elaine May

Born 1932

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0077 LEPIDOPTERIST

Paul R. Ehrlich

Born 1932

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0078 SAXOPHONIST

Michael Brecker

1949 - 2007

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0079 FILM

Richard Lester

Born 1932

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0080 PIANIST

McCoy Tyner

1938 - 2020

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0081 SINGER

Toni Basil

Born 1943

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0082 ACTOR

Jacqueline Susann

1918 - 1974

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0083 ACTOR

Katherine Moennig

Born 1977

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0084 ACTOR

Ed Wynn

1886 - 1966

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0085 ACTOR

Michael Kelly (actor)

Born 1969

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0086 ACTOR

Mark Margolis

Born 1939

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0087 WRITER

Donald Barthelme

1931 - 1989

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0088 POLITICIAN

George M. Dallas

1792 - 1864

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0089 WRITER

Sara Shepard

Born 1977

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0090 SINGER

Billy Paul

1934 - 2016

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0091 CINEMA

Caleb Deschanel

Born 1944

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0092 COMPOSER

Benny Golson

Born 1929

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0093 DIRETOR

Richard Helms

1913 - 2002

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0094 ACTOR

Dennis Christopher

Born 1955

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0095 SCREENWRITER

Clifford Odets

1906 - 1963

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0096 ACTOR

Robert Prosky

1930 - 2008

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0097 RÉVOLUTION AMÉRICAINE

Betsy Ross

1752 - 1836

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0098 FILM

Sam Wood

1884 - 1949

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0099 ACTOR

Scott Patterson

Born 1958

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0100 COMPOSER

Milton Babbitt

1916 - 2011

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0101 SINGER

Jazmine Sullivan

Born 1987

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0102 SINGER

Tammi Terrell

1945 - 1970

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0103 ACTOR

Kim Delaney

Born 1961

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0104 MODEL

Gia Carangi

1960 - 1986

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0105 MUSIC

Beanie Sigel

Born 1974

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0106 FILM

Jennifer Lynch

Born 1968

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0107 MUSIC

Sarah Chang

Born 1980

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0108 ACTOR

Paul McCrane

Born 1961

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0109 ACTOR

Nancy Walker

1922 - 1992

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0110 ACTOR

Amber Rose

Born 1983

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0111 ACTOR

John Doman

Born 1945

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0112 EDITOR

Whittaker Chambers

1901 - 1961

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0113 ACTOR

James Darren

Born 1936

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0114 ACTOR

Norman Fell

1924 - 1998

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0115 ECONOMIST

Henry Hazlitt

1894 - 1993

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0116 ACTOR

Annie Sprinkle

Born 1954

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0117 SCREENWRITER

Ben Bova

1932 - 2020

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0118 ACTOR

Addison Timlin

Born 1991

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0119 MATHEMATICIAN

John Backus

1924 - 2007

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0120 GEOLOGIST

William Morris Davis

1850 - 1934

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0121 SCREENWRITER

Marta Kauffman

Born 1956

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0122 PAINTER

Maxfield Parrish

1870 - 1966

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0123 ACTOR

Sherman Hemsley

1938 - 2012

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0124 PRODUCER

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Born 1965

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0125 BASEBALL

Roy Campanella

1921 - 1993

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0126 SINGER

Amos Lee

Born 1978

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0127 RAPPER

Kurupt

Born 1972

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0128 ORNITHOLOGIST

James Bond (ornithologist)

1900 - 1989

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0129 MUSIC

Otis Rush

1935 - 2018

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0130 DRUMMER

Philly Joe Jones

1923 - 1985

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0131 COLLECTOR

Solomon R. Guggenheim

1861 - 1949

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0132 ACTOR

Stuart Pankin

Born 1946

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0133 PHOTOGRAPHER

Mary Ellen Mark

1940 - 2015

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0134 SINGER

Fabian Forte

Born 1943

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0135 ACTOR

Silas Weir Mitchell (actor)

Born 1970

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0136 LAWYER

John J. McCloy

1895 - 1989

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0137 ACTOR

Mae Clarke

1910 - 1992

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0138 ENGINEER

J. Presper Eckert

1919 - 1995

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0139 AUTHOR

Robert Leckie (author)

1920 - 2001

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0140 ACTOR

Audrey Landers

Born 1956

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0141 MUSIC

Baauer

Born 1989

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0142 SINGER

Crystal Waters

Born 1964

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0143 CHESS

Sam Loyd

1841 - 1911

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0144 ACTOR

Imogene Coca

1908 - 2001

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0145 COMPOSER

Bobby Timmons

1935 - 1974

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0146 ARTIST

Walt Kelly

1913 - 1973

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0147 ACTOR

Hugh Marlowe

1911 - 1982

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0148 EXPLORER

Hugh Glass

1783 - 1833

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0149 ASTRONOMER

Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.

Born 1941

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0150 ACTOR

Phyllis Hyman

1949 - 1995

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0151 ACTOR

Andrew Bryniarski

Born 1969

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0152 JOURNALIST

Michael Buffer

Born 1944

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0153 CHEMIST

Karl Barry Sharpless

Born 1941

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0154 PAINTER

Stuart Davis (painter)

1892 - 1964

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0155 DRUMMER

Questlove

Born 1971

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0156 SINGER

Gerald Levert

1966 - 2006

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0157 WRITER

Charles Brockden Brown

1771 - 1810

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0158 PAINTER

Edwin Austin Abbey

1852 - 1911

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0159 FILM

Randal Kleiser

Born 1946

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0160 BASSIST

Nancy Spungen

1958 - 1978

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0161 SCREENWRITER

David Crane (producer)

Born 1957

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0162 PHILANTHROPIST

John du Pont

1938 - 2010

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0163 BASSIST

Nathan East

Born 1955

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0164 PHOTOGRAPHER

Robert Cornelius

1809 - 1893

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0165 FILM

Clark Johnson

Born 1954

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0166 COMPOSER

Francis Hopkinson

1737 - 1791

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0167 ACTOR

Martin Gabel

1912 - 1986

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0168 ACTOR

Parker Stevenson

Born 1952

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0169 SCREENWRITER

Josh Singer

Born 1972

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0170 STAGE

Jessica Barth

Born 1978

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0171 SINGER

Cassidy (rapper)

Born 1982

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0172 PHYSICIST

Sean M. Carroll

Born 1966

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0173 ATHLETIC

Mike Powell (long jumper)

Born 1963

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0174 VIROLOGIST

Howard Martin Temin

1934 - 1994

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0175 ACTOR

Holly Robinson Peete

Born 1964

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0176 PAINTER

Charles Sheeler

1883 - 1965

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0177 WRITER

Kate DiCamillo

Born 1964

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0178 ACTOR

Edward Binns

1916 - 1990

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0179 WRITER

Lois Duncan

1934 - 2016

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0180 JOURNALIST

I. F. Stone

1907 - 1989

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0181 ACTOR

Melanie Mayron

Born 1952

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0182 ENTREPRENEUR

Amar Bose

1929 - 2013

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0183 WRITER

Jack McDevitt

Born 1935

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0184 PHOTOJOURNALIST

Eve Arnold

1912 - 2012

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0185 ACTOR

Tom Verica

Born 1964

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0186 GUITAR

Pat Martino

Born 1944

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0187 SINGER

Michael Sembello

Born 1954

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0188 LAWYER

Richard Rush

1780 - 1859

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0189 CORRESPONDENT

Ed Bradley

1941 - 2006

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0190 ACTOR

Veronica Hamel

Born 1943

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0191 ACTOR

Jaeden Lieberher

Born 2003

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0192 PHILOSOPHER

Patricia Hill Collins

Born 1948

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0193 WRITER

Lloyd Alexander

1924 - 2007

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0194 ACTOR

Paul Douglas (actor)

1907 - 1959

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0195 PHYSICIAN

Walter Jackson Freeman II

1895 - 1972

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0196 ACTOR

Kevin Hooks

Born 1958

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0197 BASKET

Kyle Lowry

Born 1986

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0198 MATHEMATICIAN

Richard Garfield

Born 1963

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0199 ARMY

H. R. McMaster

Born 1962

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0200 AUTHOR

Ignatius L. Donnelly

1831 - 1901

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0201 ILLUSTRATOR

William Wallace Denslow

1856 - 1915

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0202 ENGINEER

Andy Hertzfeld

Born 1953

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0203 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Ralph Linton

1893 - 1953

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0204 BASKET

Earl Monroe

Born 1944

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0205 NUN

Katharine Drexel

1858 - 1955

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0206 COMPOSER

Paul Motian

1931 - 2011

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0207 MUSIC

DJ AM

1973 - 2009

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0208 SINGER

Bianca Ryan

Born 1994

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0209 BOXER

Angelo Dundee

1921 - 2012

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0210 ACTOR

Rob McElhenney

Born 1977

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0211 ACTOR

Mildred Davis

1901 - 1969

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0212 SINGER

Lil Uzi Vert

Born 1994

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0213 NOVELIST

Deborah Harkness

Born 1965

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0214 ACTOR

George Bancroft (actor)

1882 - 1956

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0215 ILLUSTRATOR

Jessie Willcox Smith

1863 - 1935

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0216 FILM

Margaret Whitton

1950 - 2016

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0217 ACTOR

Val Avery

1924 - 2009

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0218 SOCIOLOGIST

David Riesman

1909 - 2002

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0219 FILM

Dan Trachtenberg

Born 1981

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0220 LAWYER

Nicholas Katzenbach

1922 - 2012

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0221 ENTERTAINER

Bobby Rydell

Born 1942

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0222 MUSIC

Christian McBride

Born 1972

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0223 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Samuel George Morton

1799 - 1851

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0224 POLITICIAN

John Wanamaker

1838 - 1922

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0225 ACTOR

Richard Deacon (actor)

1921 - 1984

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0226 RELIGIOUS

Richard Allen (bishop)

1760 - 1831

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0227 MILITAR

John C. Pemberton

1814 - 1881

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0228 ACTOR

Eugene Byrd

Born 1975

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0229 POLITICIAN

Chaka Fattah

Born 1956

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0230 DANCER

Charlotte Greenwood

1890 - 1977

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0231 ACTOR

Stephen Macht

Born 1942

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0232 ACTOR

Danny Woodburn

Born 1964

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0233 MUSIC

Musiq Soulchild

Born 1977

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0234 FILM

Chuck Barris

1929 - 2017

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0235 FILM

Steven E. de Souza

Born 1947

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0236 BASKET

Jack Ramsay

1925 - 2014

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0237 ACTOR

Mathew St. Patrick

Born 1969

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0238 SINGER

Bilal (American singer)

Born 1979

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0239 ACTOR

Charles Hallahan

1943 - 1997

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0240 EDUCATOR

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

1787 - 1851

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0241 PAINTER

Cecilia Beaux

1855 - 1942

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0242 FOOTBALL

Eddie George

Born 1973

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0243 ECONOMIST

Russell L. Ackoff

1919 - 2009

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0244 SINGER

John Corabi

Born 1959

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0245 BOTANIST

Joseph Leidy

1823 - 1891

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0246 WRITER

Richard Harding Davis

1864 - 1916

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0247 ACTOR

Penny Singleton

1908 - 2003

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0248 SCREENWRITER

Ilene Chaiken

Born 1957

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0249 FILM

Susan Seidelman

Born 1952

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0250 POLITICIAN

Thomas Mifflin

1744 - 1800

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0251 PAINTER

William Glackens

1870 - 1938

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0252 BASSIST

Alphonso Johnson

Born 1951

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0253 ACTOR

Ralph Garman

Born 1964

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0254 OFFICER

John Gibbon

1827 - 1896

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0255 ACTOR

Eleanor Boardman

1898 - 1991

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0256 WRITER

Helene Hanff

1916 - 1997

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0257 WRESTLER

Raven (wrestler)

Born 1964

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0258 CHEMIST

F. Albert Cotton

1930 - 2007

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0259 ACTOR

Blossom Rock

1895 - 1978

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0260 EXPLORER

Elisha Kane

1820 - 1857

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0261 BOTANIST

Thomas Say

1787 - 1834

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0262 COMPOSER

Marc Blitzstein

1905 - 1964

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0263 PHYSICIAN

Andrew Weil

Born 1942

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0264 MUSIC

Khia

Born 1977

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0265 SCREENWRITER

Abby Mann

1927 - 2008

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0266 SINGER

Gail Ann Dorsey

Born 1962

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0267 ACTOR

Grayson Hall

1922 - 1985

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0268 ECONOMIST

Henry Charles Carey

1793 - 1879

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0269 COMPOSER

David Raksin

1912 - 2004

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0270 COMPOSER

Alexander Courage

1919 - 2008

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0271 BANJOIST

Eddie Lang

1902 - 1933

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0272 ACTOR

Mark Indelicato

Born 1994

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0273 PASTOR

Jeremiah Wright

Born 1941

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0274 ACTOR

Julius Harris

1923 - 2004

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0275 ACTOR

Kelly Monaco

Born 1976

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0276 POLITICIAN

Bob McDonnell

Born 1954

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0277 MUSIC

Victor Bailey (musician)

1960 - 2016

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0278 CINEMA

Robert Yeoman

Born 1951

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0279 MUSIC

Freeway (rapper)

Born 1978

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0280 MILITAR

William Guarnere

1923 - 2014

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0281 FILM

Philip Casnoff

Born 1949

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0282 SCREENWRITER

Larry Bishop

Born 1948

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0283 ROWER

John B. Kelly Sr.

1889 - 1960

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0284 CONDUCTOR

Vincent Persichetti

1915 - 1987

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0285 CHURCH

David Miscavige

Born 1960

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0286 BUSINESS

Charles Yerkes

1837 - 1905

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0287 FILM

David Mirkin

Born 1955

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0288 POLITICIAN

Ro Khanna

Born 1976

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0289 NOVELIST

William Wharton (author)

1925 - 2008

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0290 ACTOR

Eddie Quillan

1907 - 1990

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0291 ACTOR

Jack O'Halloran

Born 1943

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0292 BASKET

Brad Wanamaker

Born 1989

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0293 PRELATE

John O'Connor (cardinal)

1920 - 2000

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0294 THEOLOGIAN

Charles Hodge

1797 - 1878

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0295 MUSIC

Black Thought

Born 1972

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0296 COMPOSER

Ray Bryant

1931 - 2011

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0297 DIPLOMAT

William Christian Bullitt Jr.

1891 - 1967

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0298 CHEMIST

Albert C. Barnes

1872 - 1951

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0299 PIANIST

Kenny Barron

Born 1943

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0300 LINGUIST

Joshua Fishman

1926 - 2015

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