FZ#1
Famous people · Baltimore
Performers stand out among the 28 famous people born in Baltimore
Most widely known is Frank Zappa, the American musician, with articles in 110 languages. Births span 1878 to 1986, from Upton Sinclair to Mario. More than half were born between 1920 and 1969, 17 in all. Fewer than a quarter of the 191 towns in Maryland with famous people list more.
Born here
28
notable people
Best known
Frank Zappa
in 110 Wikipedia languages
First
1878
Upton Sinclair
Youngest
1986
Mario
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
11 people
Also called it home
10
notable residents
What stands out about Baltimore’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Baltimore
Two of the three are leaders.
NP#2
#3Politics & Law
John Rawls
1921–2002American philosopher, philosophy teacher
84 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for
What Baltimore is known for
No other field is as far above the usual share as performers, at 4.2 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 Baltimore’s famous people were born
The 1940s alone account for 6 of the births charted here.
Film, TV & StageWriting & ArtsMusicPolitics & LawScience & MedicineSports
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Baltimore
A further 25 follow, born between 1878 and 1986.
David Hasselhoff
born 1952American actor, singer, producer, and businessman
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Baltimore home
Born elsewhere, they lived here: 10 in all, led by Frederick Douglass.
Frederick Douglass
1818–1895African-American social reformer, writer, and abolitionist (c. 1818–1895)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Thomas Hunt Morgan
1866–1945American biologist and professor from Kentucky
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Baltimore?
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, 7 have famous names listed.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Baltimore 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 (20)
- John Rawls: Published by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Photograph taken by Alec Rawls, John's son. The portrait was uncredited on the original dust jacket, but Alec is identified as its photographer on the copyright page of the 1994 German-lang…, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tom Clancy: Gary Wayne Gilbert, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Babe Ruth: Charles M. Conlon, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Upton Sinclair: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Anna Faris: Neon Tommy, Xizi (Cecilia) Hua (original version) Drafnir (rotated and cropped version), CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- H. L. Mencken: Ben Pinchot, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Hasselhoff: Sebaso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Philip Glass: Pasquale Salerno, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jada Pinkett Smith: Dominick D, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Bolton: White House, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Witten: Ojan, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick Douglass: Engraved by J.C. Buttre from a daguerreotype., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Billie Holiday: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Hunt Morgan: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Wallis Simpson: Attributed to Angelo Laviosa / Formerly attributed to Vincenzo Laviosa, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kimmie Meissner: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nilah Magruder: Michelle Kinne, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Marc Platt: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Ehrlich: United States Department of Heath and Human Services, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin B. Kamenetz: Baltimore County Public Library, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons