#1Science & Medicine
John C. Mather
born 1946American astrophysicist and cosmologist
70 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Roanoke
Scientists and doctors stand out among the 55 famous people born in Roanoke
John C. Mather, the American astrophysicist and cosmologist, is the most widely known, written about in 70 languages. The largest group, 22, was born between 1920 and 1969. Over 185 years of births, the list goes from Willis Allen (1806) to Troy Daniels (1991). 18 were born in 1970 or later.
Born here
55
notable people
Best known
John C. Mather
in 70 Wikipedia languages
First
1806
Willis Allen
Youngest
1991
Troy Daniels
Most common field
Sports
24 people
What stands out about Roanoke’s famous people
Known worldwideRead in 70 languages, John C. Mather is known far beyond the town.A town of scientists and doctorsScientists and doctors make up 6 of the 55, 1.8 times the usual share.Still making namesBirths since 1950 number 25, the most recent in 1991.55 notable peopleRoanoke lists 55 notable people, more than most towns.
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Roanoke
John C. Mather has articles in 70 languages, Henrietta Lacks in 41 and John Payne in 28.
#1
#2Notable
Henrietta Lacks
1920–1951American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line
41 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Known for
What Roanoke is known for
Compared with the usual town, scientists and doctors are the most over-represented field, at 1.8 times.
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 Roanoke’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1940s come out on top, with 10 births.
SportsWriting & ArtsPolitics & LawScience & MedicineFilm, TV & StageMusicFaithNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Roanoke
Another 52, the earliest born in 1806.
Eustace Mullins
1923–2010American antisemitic populist writer, biographer, and Holocaust denier
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Belford Lawson, Jr.
1901–1985American football player and coach, attorney, and civil rights activist
SportsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Roanoke?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Your pick
No picks yet
Be the first to say who Roanoke’s most famous person is.
Or tell us
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, 3 have famous names listed.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Roanoke 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 (10)
- John C. Mather: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope from Greenbelt, MD, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henrietta Lacks: 14GTR, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Payne: Macfadden Publications-page 2., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lynn Bari: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Louis A. Johnson: Abbie Rowe, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Eustace Mullins: Fleet Publishing Corporation, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Don Pullen: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry H. Fowler: US government, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Leander J. Shaw, Jr.: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Huddleston: Trailer to "Breakheart Pass" (1975), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons