#1Science & Medicine
John Bardeen
1908–1991American physicist and engineer
95 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Madison
Performers stand out among the 35 famous people born in Madison
Articles in 95 languages make the American physicist and engineer John Bardeen the best known. Close behind are Thornton Wilder and Gena Rowlands. 21 of them were born between 1920 and 1969, more than in any other period. Births since 1970 account for 10 of the names.
Born here
35
notable people
Best known
John Bardeen
in 95 Wikipedia languages
First
1855
George Comstock
Youngest
2007
Charlie Shotwell
Most common field
Film, TV & Stage
15 people
Also called it home
9
notable residents
What stands out about Madison’s famous people
A town of performers15 of the 35 people born here are performers, 4.5× the usual share.Known worldwideRead in 95 languages, John Bardeen is known far beyond the town.Still making namesSince 1950, 24 of them have been born here, the latest in 2007.A chosen home9 more notable people chose to live in Madison, including Judith R. Faulkner.
★ What stands out · Known for
What Madison is known for
No other field is as far above the usual share as performers, at 4.5 times.
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 Madison
John Bardeen has articles in 95 languages, Thornton Wilder in 68 and Gena Rowlands in 65.
#1
#2Writing & Arts
Thornton Wilder
1897–1975American playwright and novelist
68 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Through the years
When Madison’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1960s come out on top, with 7 births.
Film, TV & StageSportsScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsPolitics & LawMusicFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Madison
The other 32 span the years 1855 to 2007.
Liz Cheney
born 1966United States Representative from Wyoming from 2017 to 2023
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Stacey Abrams
born 1973American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Mary Sweeney
born 1953American film editor, film producer, screenwriter and film director
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Madison home
Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Madison, though born elsewhere.
Judith R. Faulkner
born 1943American computer scientist and business executive
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
James Bloodworth Jr.
1925–2006American physician, pathologist, and researcher on diabetes mellitus
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
The neighbour with the most names is Middleton, at 6.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Madison 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 (12)
- John Bardeen: Nobel foundation, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thornton Wilder: Roger Sherman Studio, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gena Rowlands: 20th Century Fox, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Liz Cheney: US House Office of Photography, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Noth: ChrisNoth.jpg: The original uploader was Seductivemelody at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Matthewedwards, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Imran Khan: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rob Marshall: Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bradley Whitford: Photo by Aviva Perlman. Uploaded to Flickr on February 14, 2006, by clgregor., CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pauline Kruger Hamilton: Pauline Kruger Hamilton, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Conrad Elvehjem: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John M. Nelson: Harris & Ewing, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jessica Vetter: _becaro_, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons