#1Famous people · Danville
53 famous people were born in Danville, more of them scientists and doctors than in most towns
Ned Luke, the American actor, is the most widely known, written about in 30 languages. The next two names are Jerry Van Dyke and Joseph R. Tanner. Most were born between 1920 and 1969: 27 of them. Only 11 of the 752 towns in Illinois with anyone on record list more.
Born here
53
notable people
Best known
Ned Luke
in 30 Wikipedia languages
First
1831
Isaac R. Moores, Jr.
Youngest
1996
Trent Sherfield
Most common field
Sports
19 people
Also called it home
1
notable residents
What stands out about Danville’s famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Danville is known for
Set against the usual town, scientists and doctors come out 1.9 times as common.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Danville’s famous people were born
The 1930s saw the most births of any decade: 9.
SportsPolitics & LawFilm, TV & StageScience & MedicineMusicWriting & ArtsNotableFaithBusiness
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in Danville
Three names lead: Ned Luke (30 languages), Jerry Van Dyke (28) and Joseph R. Tanner (23).
#1
#2
#3Science & Medicine
Joseph R. Tanner
born 1950Welsh-American astronaut
23 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Everyone
Everyone else born in Danville
50 more, 19 of them athletes.
Bill Putnam
1920–1989American audio engineer, producer, and studio designer
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Danville home
Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Danville, though born elsewhere.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Danville?
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns around it, Tilton has the most on record: 2.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Danville and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (22)
- Ned Luke: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jerry Van Dyke: Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph R. Tanner: NASA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Helen Morgan: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Morris Ankrum: Lippert Pictures, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bobby Short: Dick Sheridan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joshua Ferris: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Robin Yount: Scott Ableman Original uploader was Quakerwildcat at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Doan: Michael Davis Photography, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Zeke Bratkowski: Jasmine DeNamur, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charlie Summers: Darrell Hudson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Morrison: Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jim Marshall: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Al Myers: Goodwin & Co., sponsor, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bert Daniels: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bryan Andrew Wilson: Musicgriot, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Harvey Chambers: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000111390880, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Curtis Redden: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Irving Azoff: Luke Harold, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeff Oster: Chris Parsons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Owen McIntosh Burns: The Morning Herald (Uniontown, PA), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kenneth D. Bailey: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons