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Famous people · Sparta

Of the 12 famous people born in Sparta, an unusual share are leaders

Deke Slayton, the American astronaut, is the most widely known, written about in 40 languages. Second place goes to the American historian Doane Robinson, third to Edgar Stillman Kelley. 5 of them were born between 1920 and 1969, more than in any other period. For every 10,000 residents the town has 12.1, while at least half the towns in Wisconsin list nobody born there.

#1 best knownDeke SlaytonScience & Medicine · 1924–1993
+8more
Born here
12
notable people
Best known
Deke Slayton
in 40 Wikipedia languages
First
1856
Doane Robinson
Youngest
1979
Tim Schendel
Most common field
Politics & Law
4 people

What stands out about Sparta’s famous people

★ What stands out · Known for

What Sparta is known for

Sparta has 1.6× 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.

The best known

Born in Sparta

Three names lead: Deke Slayton (40 languages), Doane Robinson (9) and Edgar Stillman Kelley (9).

Deke Slayton#1
Science & Medicine

Deke Slayton

1924–1993

American astronaut

40 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Doane Robinson#2
Writing & Arts

Doane Robinson

1856–1946

American historian

9 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Edgar Stillman Kelley#3
Music

Edgar Stillman Kelley

1857–1944

American composer, conductor, teacher, and writer on music

9 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Sparta’s famous people were born

The 1920s top the chart, with 2 births in the decade.

Mills & railroadsThe American centuryToday1850190019502000Deke SlaytonTim SchendelEdgar Stillman Kelley
Politics & LawSportsScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsMusicFaithMilitary

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Sparta

Still to come: 9 more, from 1869 to 1979.

RF

Robert Herman Flock

born 1956

American Roman-Catholic bishop working in Bolivia

William Hawley Atwell

William Hawley Atwell

1869–1961

United States federal judge

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
KC

Kathryn F. Clarenbach

1920–1994

American activist

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
LD

Leighton I. Davis

1910–1995

United States general

Tim Schendel

Tim Schendel

born 1979

American stock car racing driver

BL

Ben Lawrence

born 1961

American football player

DM

Doug Martin

1936–2014

American basketball coach

LK

Lawrence P. Kelly

1913–1999

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
RR

Roy Willard Ranum

1898–1990

American politician – Minnesota -Senate 1943-46 (District 54)

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

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From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Sparta 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)