Biographical Records

Notable People from Massachusetts

6,067 notable figures born in Massachusetts, showing page 1 of 122, ranked by historical prominence.

John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
president of the United States from 1961 to 1963 (1917–1963)
1917 – 1963
anti-communistnaval officerjournalist
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
American writer and literary critic (1809–1849)
1809 – 1849
short story writernovelistliterary critic
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
American polymath and statesman (1706–1790)
1706 – 1790
polymathdiplomatpolitician
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 (1924-2018)
1924 – 2018
autobiographerbaseball playernaval officer
John Adams
John Adams
Founding Father, U.S. president from 1797 to 1801
1735 – 1826
political philosopherstatespersonPresident of the Republic
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
President of the United States from 1825 to 1829
1767 – 1848
diariststatespersonPresident of the Republic
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803–1882)
1803 – 1882
Unitarian pastordiaristorator
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
American poet (1830-1886)
1830 – 1886
librettistgardenerpoet
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
American essayist, poet, and philosopher (1817–1862)
1817 – 1862
diaristautobiographerecologist
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
former King of Thailand (1927–2016)
1927 – 2016
jazz musiciansocial workersaxophonist
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
American author (1804–1864)
1804 – 1864
science fiction writershort story writerchildren's writer
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
American poet and writer (1932–1963)
1932 – 1963
autobiographerdraftspersonessayist
Bette Davis
Bette Davis
American actress (1908–1989)
1908 – 1989
autobiographerfilm actortelevision actor
Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
American writer (1922–1969)
1922 – 1969
prose writernovelistpoet
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
American inventor and painter (1791–1872)
1791 – 1872
university teachersculptorartist
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
American politician and lawyer (1925–1968)
1925 – 1968
military officerpoliticianlawyer
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
American-Canadian actor (1969–2023)
1969 – 2023
producermemoiristvideo game actor
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
American women's rights activist (1820–1906)
1820 – 1906
feministwomen's rights activistsuffragist
Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor and futurist (1895–1983)
1895 – 1983
diaristdesignerphilosopher
Robert H. Goddard
Robert H. Goddard
American physicist
1882 – 1945
military flight engineerinventorphysicist
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams
First Lady of the United States from 1797 to 1801
1744 – 1818
politicianwriter
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
American conductor and composer (1918–1990)
1918 – 1990
musicographermusicologistmusic teacher
Emily Greene Balch
Emily Greene Balch
American economist and writer
1867 – 1961
trade unionistpacifistpeace activist
Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
American actor (1925–2001)
1925 – 2001
producerfilm actortelevision actor
Charles Sanders Peirce
Charles Sanders Peirce
American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist (1839-1914)
1839 – 1914
logicianlinguiststatistician
Percy Williams Bridgman
Percy Williams Bridgman
American physicist
1882 – 1961
university teacherphysicist
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
American actor (1931–2015)
1931 – 2015
manufacturerfilm actortelevision actor
Donna Summer
Donna Summer
American singer (1948–2012)
1948 – 2012
pop singerrecording artistsongwriter
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
American children's author and cartoonist (1904–1991)
1904 – 1991
producerpicture book writerhumorous cartoonist
Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009
1932 – 2009
autobiographerjuristpolitician
W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois
American sociologist and activist (1868–1963)
1868 – 1963
pacifistsocial workerautobiographer
Kenneth G. Wilson
Kenneth G. Wilson
Nobel prize winning US physicist
1936 – 2013
theoretical physicistuniversity teacherpedagogue
Daniel Dennett
Daniel Dennett
American philosopher (1942–2024)
1942 – 2024
philosopherresearcheruniversity teacher
James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
American painter (1834-1903)
1834 – 1903
lithographerprintmakeretcher
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
American film director, producer and actor (1881–1959)
1881 – 1959
producerfilm screenwriterfilm actor
Robert Burns Woodward
Robert Burns Woodward
American chemist
1917 – 1979
university teacherchemist
John McCarthy
John McCarthy
American computer scientist and cognitive scientist (1927-2011)
1927 – 2011
artificial intelligence researcheruniversity teachermathematician
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
American statesman, political philosopher, governor of Massachusetts and Founding Father of the United States (1722-1803)
1722 – 1803
philosopherpolitician
Will Durant
Will Durant
American historian, philosopher and writer (1885–1981)
1885 – 1981
philosopherhistorianwriter
Percival Lowell
Percival Lowell
American astronomer (1855-1916)
1855 – 1916
scientific collectorbotanical collectormathematician
Henry Way Kendall
Henry Way Kendall
American particle physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics
1926 – 1999
mountaineeruniversity teacherphysicist
Robert Sanderson Mulliken
Robert Sanderson Mulliken
American physicist, chemist and botanical collector (1896 - 1986)
1896 – 1986
theoretical chemistuniversity teacherchemist
James Batcheller Sumner
James Batcheller Sumner
American chemist (1887-1955)
1887 – 1955
virologistbiochemistuniversity teacher
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes
American poet and physician (1809–1894)
1809 – 1894
medical writernovelistuniversity teacher
Henry Adams
Henry Adams
American journalist, historian, academic, novelist (1838-1918)
1838 – 1918
historian of Modern Agenovelistart historian
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
American astronomer and human calculator (1868–1921)
1868 – 1921
astronomer
E. E. Cummings
E. E. Cummings
American author (1894–1962)
1894 – 1962
novelistpainterartist
Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
American architect (1856-1924)
1856 – 1924
designerarchitect
Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
American psychologist (1920–1996)
1920 – 1996
psychologistwriteractor
Richard F. Heck
Richard F. Heck
American chemist (1931–2015)
1931 – 2015
researcherchemist
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