#1Famous people · Blacksburg
Leaders stand out among the 10 famous people born in Blacksburg
Most widely known is John B. Floyd, the American politician, with articles in 20 languages. The list runs from William Ballard Preston, born in 1805, to Jake Arians, born in 1978. 3 of them were born since 1970. Only 53 of the 270 towns in Virginia with anyone on record list more.
Born here
10
notable people
Best known
John B. Floyd
in 20 Wikipedia languages
First
1805
William Ballard Preston
Youngest
1978
Jake Arians
Most common field
Politics & Law
4 people
Also called it home
4
notable residents
What stands out about Blacksburg’s famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Blacksburg is known for
Blacksburg has 1.9× the usual share of leaders.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Blacksburg’s famous people were born
The 1970s top the chart, with 3 births in the decade.
Politics & LawSportsScience & MedicineNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in Blacksburg
Ranked by languages covered: John B. Floyd with 20, then Patri Friedman with 9 and William Ballard Preston with 9.
#1
#2Politics & Law
Patri Friedman
born 1976American libertarian activist and theorist of political economy
9 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Everyone
Everyone else born in Blacksburg
7 more names, born between 1814 and 1978.
Henry A. Edmundson
1814–1890American politician and Confederate Army officer
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Blacksburg home
Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Blacksburg, though born elsewhere.
The town’s pick
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From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Blacksburg 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)
- John B. Floyd: Brady-Handy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Patri Friedman: Hannu Makarainen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Ballard Preston: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Brandon Stokley: Walt Johnson/USAF, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Roop: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry A. Edmundson: Julian Vannerson (1827-1875), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph F. Ware, Jr.: Jennifer Ware, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eric Schmidt: Charles Haynes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons