#1Scientists and doctors stand out among the 26 famous people born in Washington
Articles in 22 languages make the American test pilot Joseph Albert Walker the best known. Over 203 years of births, the list goes from Joseph Vance (1786) to Andrew Sweat (1989). 10 of them were born between 1920 and 1969, more than in any other period. Births since 1970 account for 3 of the names.
What stands out about Washington’s famous people
What Washington is known for
Set against the usual town, scientists and doctors come out 3.2 times as common.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Born in Washington
Two of the three are scientists and doctors.
#1
#2Bud Yorkin
1926–2015American producer, director, and screenwriter
When Washington’s famous people were born
The 1930s alone account for 4 of the births charted here.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone else born in Washington
Of the other 23, 6 are athletes.



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From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Washington 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 (5)
- Joseph Albert Walker: NASA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Goodrich Acheson: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Paige Spara: Warren Elgort, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sammy Angott: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Vance: Mathew Benjamin Brady, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons