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Famous people · Columbus

26 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).

#1 best knownSimone BilesWriting & Arts · born 1997
+22more
Born here
26
notable people
Best known
Simone Biles
in 73 Wikipedia languages
First
1889
Warner Baxter
Youngest
1997
Simone Biles
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
7 people
Also called it home
7
notable residents

What stands out about Columbus’ famous people

★ What stands out · Known for

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.

The best known

Born in Columbus

Two of the three are writers and artists.

Simone Biles#1
Writing & Arts

Simone Biles

born 1997

American artistic gymnast

73 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
JR#2
Film, TV & Stage

Josh Radnor

born 1974

American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

54 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
R. L. Stine#3
Writing & Arts

R. L. Stine

born 1943

American novelist

53 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Columbus’s famous people were born

No decade has more births than the 1970s, at 7.

Mills & railroadsThe American centuryToday190019502000R. L. StineJames Thurber
Film, TV & StageSportsMusicWriting & ArtsNotableScience & Medicine

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

Everyone

Everyone else born in Columbus

A further 23 follow, born between 1889 and 1988.

Warner Baxter

Warner Baxter

1889–1951

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold

born 1949

American novelist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
James Thurber

James Thurber

1894–1961

American cartoonist, author, journalist, playwright

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
TJ

Tyler Joseph

born 1988

American singer, rapper and record producer

JD

Josh Dun

born 1988

American musician and drummer

MD

Mark Dindal

born 1960

American effects animator and film director

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
CS

Cory Michael Smith

born 1986

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
JE

James L. Elliot

1943–2011

American astronomer

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
JS

Jermaine Stewart

1957–1997

American musician, singer, actor, dancer

CH

Charles F. Hockett

1916–2000

1916-2000 linguist and anthropologist

AL

A. J. Langer

born 1974

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
KW

Kellie Waymire

1967–2003

American actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
BG

Brian Grant

born 1972

American basketball player

HM

Heidi Mark

born 1971

American playmate and actress

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
RW

Ryan Wilson

born 1980

American sprint hurdler

A chosen home

Also called Columbus home

7 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Larry Sanger the best known.

Larry Sanger

Larry Sanger

born 1968

American former professor, co-founder of Wikipedia, founder of Citizendium and other projects

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
John Kasich

John Kasich

born 1952

American politician and former television host

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
RM

Robert Monroe

1915–1995

American founder of The Monroe Institute

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
SP

Scott Paulin

born 1950

American actor

Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
OO

Odili Donald Odita

born 1966

Nigerian-American artist

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
TB

Talle Bamazi

Togolese curator and painter

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
AM

Antonio Mendoza

born 1941

American photographer

Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

Who’s the most famous person from Columbus?

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Next door

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)