BB#1
Film, TV & Stage
Bruce Boxleitner
born 1950American actor, science fiction and suspense writer
35 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Elgin
55 famous people were born in Elgin, more of them scientists and doctors than in most towns
Best known of all is Bruce Boxleitner, written about in 35 languages. Most were born between 1920 and 1969: 28 of them. Half or more of the towns in Illinois have no one on record, but this one has 4.8 for every 10,000 residents. Only 7 of the 746 towns in Illinois with anyone on record list more.
Born here
55
notable people
Best known
Bruce Boxleitner
in 35 Wikipedia languages
First
1866
Max Adler
Youngest
1989
Courtney Reed
Most common field
Sports
19 people
What stands out about Elgin’s famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Elgin is known for
Scientists and doctors stand out most, at 2.5 times the usual share.
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 Elgin’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1940s come out on top, with 9 births.
SportsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawFilm, TV & StageWriting & ArtsMusicBusinessMilitaryNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in Elgin
Languages with an article: 35 for Bruce Boxleitner, 29 for David Otunga, 28 for Donella Meadows.
#2DM#3
Science & Medicine
Donella Meadows
1941–2001American environmental scientist, teacher, and writer
28 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Everyone
Everyone else born in Elgin
Here are 52 more, born from 1866 to 1989.
Tom Shales
1944–2024American critic of television programming and operations
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Douglas R. Mills
1907–1993American basketball player and coach, college athletics administrator
SportsWikipedia ↗
William Dale Phillips
1925–1993American chemist, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopist and science policy advisor
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Eleanor Lee
1931–2025Eleanor Lee (Republican) represented [the 33rd] district of southwest King County in the State Senate. Elected to the House of Representatives 1974, she was re-elected in 1976 then elected to the Senate in a 1977 special election. Born 1931, in Elgin
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
James Roche
1906–2004American Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at General Motors Corporation
BusinessWikipedia ↗
Richard McLean Badger
1896–1974American physical chemist and molecular spectroscopist
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
The town’s pick
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, Dundee Township lists the most people: 6.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Elgin 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 (10)
- David Otunga: Miguel Discart from Bruxelles, Belgique, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jim Gaffigan: Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter Fitzgerald: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Chamberlin: The Army and Navy Publishing Company (Baton Rouge, LA), publisher., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Brandon Johnson: Fotografía oficial de la Presidencia de Colombia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Madman Muntz: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William LeBaron: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nina M. Armagno: U.S. Space Force, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jake Kumerow: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brogan Rafferty: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons