#1Science & Medicine
Kenneth G. Wilson
1936–2013Nobel prize winning US physicist
69 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Waltham
62 famous people were born in Waltham, more of them scientists and doctors than in most towns
Articles in 69 languages make the nobel prize winning US physicist Kenneth G. Wilson the best known. Second and third on the list are Caroll Spinney and Mary Watson Whitney. Among the 335 towns in Massachusetts with famous people on record, the town ranks 3rd. For every 10,000 residents there are 9.6 on the list, well above the typical Massachusetts town’s 4.5.
Born here
62
notable people
Best known
Kenneth G. Wilson
in 69 Wikipedia languages
First
1732
Samuel Livermore
Youngest
2001
Dennis Ramirez
Most common field
Sports
23 people
Also called it home
2
notable residents
What stands out about Waltham’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Waltham
Languages with an article: 69 for Kenneth G. Wilson, 33 for Caroll Spinney, 24 for Mary Watson Whitney.
#1
#2
#3Known for
What Waltham is known for
Compared with the usual town, scientists and doctors are the most over-represented field, at 1.9 times.
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 Waltham’s famous people were born
The 1880s alone account for 8 of the births charted here.
SportsWriting & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawFilm, TV & StageNotableMusicBusinessFaithMilitary
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Waltham
The rest number 59, with 23 athletes among them.
Nathaniel P. Banks
1816–1894American politician of Massachusetts and general of the Union Army
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
John Peabody Harrington
1884–1961American linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the indigenous peoples of California
NotableWikipedia ↗
Theodore Lyman
1833–1897Natural scientist, military staff officer, and politician
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Waltham home
Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Waltham, though born elsewhere.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Waltham?
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, 6 have famous names listed.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Waltham 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 (28)
- Kenneth G. Wilson: The Nobel Prize, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Caroll Spinney: Montclair Film Festival, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mary Watson Whitney: Vassar University, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nathaniel P. Banks: Mathew Benjamin Brady / Levin Corbin Handy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Deena Kastor: Sarah, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Lynch: Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles J. Precourt: NASA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- C. D. Howe: Fayer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Peabody Harrington: Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Evelyn Sears: No photographer credited., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clarence Hobart: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Weston: Papershark at English Wikipedia (Original text: Philip Markwick), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Samuel Livermore: John Trumbull, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Theodore Lyman: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Keith Aucoin: Whammies Were Here, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mildred Sanderson: Mount Holyoke College, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Roger Sherman Hoar: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Angelo Mosca: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Donna Ferrato: Chandler w., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick Peters: Film screenshot (United Artists), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rebecca Kilgore: Uncle Milty, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stanley Deser: Puzhok, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Lemmon: Wire photo, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jean Rogers: trailer screenshot (MGM), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Drew Weissman: Thorne Media at 0:08 and 0:28, cropped, brightened, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harriet Hosmer: Augustus Robin (engraver; NY), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sarah Fuller: James Wallace Black, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Hartwell: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons