#126 famous people were born in Columbus, more of them musicians than in most towns
Articles in 73 languages make the American artistic gymnast Simone Biles the best known. Since 1970, 14 were born, the most of any period. Half or more of the towns in Ohio have no one on record, but this one has 0.3 for every 10,000 residents. Over 108 years of births, the list goes from Warner Baxter (1889) to Simone Biles (1997).
What stands out about Columbus’ famous people
What Columbus is known for
Columbus has 3.5× the usual share of musicians.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Born in Columbus
Two of the three are writers and artists.
#1Josh Radnor
born 1974American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
#3When Columbus’s famous people were born
No decade has more births than the 1970s, at 7.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone else born in Columbus
A further 23 follow, born between 1889 and 1988.




No one matches both filters.
Also called Columbus home
7 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Larry Sanger the best known.

Larry Sanger
born 1968American former professor, co-founder of Wikipedia, founder of Citizendium and other projects

Who’s the most famous person from Columbus?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Be the first to say who Columbus’ most famous person is.
Famous people from the towns next door
The most names next door are in Hilliard: 3.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Columbus 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 (9)
- Simone Biles: Ocoudis, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- R. L. Stine: Philip Romano, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Warner Baxter: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lois McMaster Bujold: Kyle Cassidy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Nicklaus: Shealeah Craighead, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- James Thurber: Fred Palumbo, World Telegram staff photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Larry Sanger: Larry Sanger, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Kasich: Office of Ohio Governor John R. Kasich, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Emil Kiesewetter: Baker's Art Gallery, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
