#1Famous people · Amherst
Of the 8 famous people born in Amherst, an unusual share are leaders
Most widely known is Jimmy Walker, the American basketball player, with articles in 12 languages. The oldest name on the list belongs to John R. McDaniel, born in 1807, the newest to Lewis Franklin Payne, Jr., born in 1945. Fewer than a quarter of the 270 towns in Virginia with famous people list more. No town in Virginia lists more than Arlington, with 84.
Born here
8
notable people
Best known
Jimmy Walker
in 12 Wikipedia languages
First
1807
John R. McDaniel
Youngest
1945
Lewis Franklin Payne, Jr.
Most common field
Politics & Law
4 people
What stands out about Amherst’s famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Amherst is known for
Set against the usual town, leaders come out 2.4 times as common.
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 Amherst
Three names lead: Jimmy Walker (12 languages), Lewis Franklin Payne, Jr. (4) and Mitchell Higginbotham (3).
#1
#2MH#3
Through the years
When Amherst’s famous people were born
The 1940s saw the most births of any decade: 2.
Politics & LawSportsMilitaryFilm, TV & Stage
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Amherst
A further 5 follow, born between 1807 and 1892.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Amherst?
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From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Amherst 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 (4)
- Jimmy Walker: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lewis Franklin Payne, Jr.: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Black Herman: Black Herman, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William W. Page: Colmer, Montagu, and Charles Erskine Scott Wood, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons