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Famous people · Durham

Durham is the birthplace of 4 famous people

Nelson Dingley, the journalist and politician, is the most widely known, written about in 9 languages. Close behind are Hosea M. Knowlton and William R. Miller. From Nelson Dingley to John A. Randall, the births on the list run from 1832 to 1881. The list comes to 9.4 for every 10,000 residents, against 6 in the typical town in Maine.

#1 best knownNelson DingleyWriting & Arts · 1832–1899
+2more
Born here
4
notable people
Best known
Nelson Dingley
in 9 Wikipedia languages
First
1832
Nelson Dingley
Youngest
1881
John A. Randall
Most common field
Writing & Arts
2 people
The best known

Born in Durham

Two of the three are writers and artists.

Nelson Dingley#1
Writing & Arts

Nelson Dingley

1832–1899

Journalist and politician

9 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Hosea M. Knowlton#2
Politics & Law

Hosea M. Knowlton

1847–1902

American politician

3 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
WM#3
Writing & Arts

William R. Miller

1866–1929

American architect

3 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Durham’s famous people were born

No decade has more births than the 1830s, at 1.

A new nationMills & railroads18501900John A. RandallHosea M. Knowlton
Writing & ArtsPolitics & Law

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Known for

What Durham is known for

Share of Durham’s famous people in each field.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Durham

1 more, best known first.

John A. Randall

John A. Randall

1881–1968

American University president

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

Who’s the most famous person from Durham?

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Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

Of the towns nearby, Lewiston lists the most people: 41.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Durham 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 (8)