List of people from New York
The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of New York, lived in New York, or for whom New York is a significant part of their identity.
This list is not complete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2015) |
Public office
Presidents
- Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), 8th President of the United States
- Millard Fillmore (1800–1874), 13th President of the United States
- Chester A. Arthur (1829–1886), 21st President of the United States
- Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), 22nd and 24th President of the United States
- Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 25th Vice President and 26th President of the United States
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1883–1945), 32nd President of the United States
- Donald J. Trump (born 1946), 45th President of the United States
Vice presidents
Other
- Lina Beecher (1841–1915), roller coaster designer and inventor
- Grace Brown (1886–1906, murder victim)
- Mary Therese Friel (born 1960), Miss USA 1979, model, businesswoman
- Wilson Greatbatch (1919–2011), inventor
- Harry Houdini (1874–1926), magician
- Kimberly Pressler (born 1977), Miss USA 1999
- Margaret Sanger (1879–1966), activist
- Frances Shimer (1826–1901), founder of Shimer College[1]
- Richard Stallman (born 1953), programmer of Emacs, founder of GNU
- Josephine Terranova (1889–1981), criminal defendant
Entertainment
Film, theater, dance, and modeling
- Woody Allen (born 1935), actor, director and writer
- June Allyson (1917–2006), actress
- Diane Arbus (1923–1971), photographer
- Alan Arkin (born 1934), actor
- Alison Arngrim (born 1962), actress, comedian
- Jean Arthur (1900–1991), actress
- Lauren Bacall (1924–2014), actress
- Lucille Ball (1911–1989), comedian, actress
- Anne Bancroft (1931–2005), actress
- Joseph Barbera (1911–2006), animator, producer, director
- Mikhail Baryshnikov (born 1948), ballet dancer
- Frances Bavier (1902–1989), actor
- Barbara Bel Geddes (1922–2005), actress
- William Bendix (1906–1964), actor
- Constance Bennett (1904–1965), actress
- Yasmine Bleeth (born 1968), actress
- Joan Blondell (1906–1979), actress
- Ann Blyth (born 1928), actress
- Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957), actor
- Shirley Booth (1898–1992), actress
- Clara Bow (1905–1965), actress
- Abigail Breslin (born 1996), actress
- Adrien Brody (born 1973), actor
- Mel Brooks (born 1926), actor, producer, director
- James Caan (born 1940), actor
- James Cagney (1899–1986), actor
- Jeff Chandler (1918–1961), actor
- Ruth Chatterton (1892–1961), actress
- Claudette Colbert (1903–1996), actress
- Billy Crudup (born 1968), actor
- Tom Cruise (born 1962), actor
- Tony Curtis (1925–2010), actor
- Claire Danes (born 1979), actor
- Marion Davies (1897–1961), actress
- Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–1990), actor, singer
- Agnes de Mille (1905–1993), dancer, choreographer
- Robert De Niro (born 1943), actor
- Willy DeVille (1950–2009), singer
- Matt Dillon (born 1964), actor
- Kirk Douglas (born 1916), actor
- Fran Drescher (born 1957), actress
- Jimmy Durante (1893–1980), entertainer, actor, singer, comedian
- Peter Falk (1927–2011), actor
- Alice Faye (1915–1998), actress
- Jane Fonda (born 1937), actress
- John Garfield (1913–1952), actor
- Ben Gazzara (1930–2012), actor
- Sarah Michelle Gellar (born 1977), actress
- Richard Genelle (1961–2008), actor
- Jackie Gleason (1916–1987), actor
- Paulette Goddard (1910–1990), actress
- Elliott Gould (born 1938), actor
- Jennifer Grey (born 1960), actress
- A. R. Gurney (born 1930), playwright
- Anne Hathaway (born 1982), actress
- Susan Hayward (1917–1975), actress
- Rita Hayworth (1918–1987), actress
- Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967–2014), actor
- Judy Holliday (1921–1965), actress
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born 1956), actor and playwright
- Rick Jason (1923–2000), actor
- Scarlett Johansson (born 1984), actress
- Danny Kaye (1911–1987), actor, singer
- Jack Kelly (1927–1992), actor, born in Astoria, Queens
- Ricki Lake (born 1968), actress, talk-show host
- Veronica Lake (1922–1973), actress
- Burt Lancaster (1913–1994), actor
- Michael Landon (1936–1991), actor
- Lindsay Lohan (born 1986), actress
- Kristanna Loken (born 1979), actress
- Steele MacKaye (1842–1894), playwright, actor
- Lee Marvin (1924–1987), actor
- James Maslow (born 1990), actor, singer, dancer
- Walter Matthau (1920–2000), actor
- Eaddy Mays, actress
- Ethel Merman (1908–1984), actor, singer
- Arthur Miller (1915–2005), playwright
- Lea Michele (born 1986), actress, singer
- Robert Montgomery (1904–1981), actor
- Dylan O'Brien (born 1991), actor
- Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953), playwright
- Corey Parker (born 1965), actor
- George A. Parkhurst (1841–1890), actor
- Anthony Perkins (1932–1992), actor
- Bill Pullman (born 1953), actor
- George Raft (1901–1980), actor
- Christopher Reeve (1952–2004), actor
- Leah Remini (born 1970), actress
- Thelma Ritter (1902–1969), actress
- Tanya Roberts (1955–2021), actress, model
- Ray Romano (born 1957), actor, comedian
- Mickey Rooney (1920–2014), actor
- Martin Scorsese (born 1942), director
- George Segal (born 1934), actor
- Matthew Senreich (born 1974), screenwriter
- Sylvia Sidney (1910–1999), actress
- Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990), actor
- Rod Steiger (1925–2002), actor
- Oliver Stone (born 1946), director
- Beatrice Straight (1914–2001), actress
- Benj Thall (born 1978), actor
- Gene Tierney (1920–1991), actress
- Claire Trevor (1910–2000), actress
- Tuesday Weld (born 1943), actress
- Mae West (1893–1980), actor
- Olivia Wilde (born 1984), actress
- Lanford Wilson (1937–2011), playwright
Comedians and humorists
- Woody Allen (born 1935), comedian, screenwriter, director, actor, author, playwright, musician
- Lucille Ball (1911–1989), comedian, actress
- George Carlin (1937–2008), comedian, actor
- Jimmy Fallon (born 1974), comedian, actor, host of The Tonight Show
- Jay Leno (born 1950), comedian, host of The Tonight Show
- Demetri Martin (born 1973), comedian
- Chico Marx (1887–1961), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
- Groucho Marx (1890–1977), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
- Gummo Marx (1892–1977), vudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
- Harpo Marx (1888–1964), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
- Zeppo Marx (1901–1979), vaudeville comedian, with the Marx Brothers
- Rosie O'Donnell (born 1962), comedian, actress, television personality
- Chris Rock (born 1965), comedian, actor
- Jerry Seinfeld (born 1954), comedian, actor
- John Valby (born 1944), comedian, musician
Music
- Aaliyah (1979–2001), Singer, actress, model, dancer
- Vinnie Amico, drummer
- Fiona Apple (born 1977), singer
- Harold Arlen (1905–1986), composer
- Christina Aguilera (born 1980), singer, songwriter, actress
- Adrienne Bailon(born 1983), singer
- David Baker, singer
- Chris Barnes, musician
- Count Basie (1904–1984), jazz musician
- Jay Beckenstein (born 1951), saxophonist
- Pat Benatar (born 1953), singer
- Mary J. Blige (born 1971), singer, songwriter, actress
- Laura Branigan (1952–2004), singer
- Keith Buckley (born 1979), musician
- Maria Callas (1923–1977), opera singer
- Mariah Carey (born 1969), pop and R&B singer and songwriter
- Peter Case (born 1954), singer-songwriter
- Peter Cincotti (born 1983), singer, songwriter, pianist
- Coko (born 1973), singer (SWV)
- John Coltrane (1926–1967), jazz musician
- Aaron Copland (1900–1990), composer
- Warren Cuccurullo (born 1956), rock guitarist
- Vic Dana (born 1942), singer
- Blossom Dearie (1924–2009), jazz singer and pianist
- Lana Del Rey (born 1986), singer, songwriter
- Rob Derhak (born 1968), bass guitarist
- Lance Diamond, singer
- Neil Diamond (born 1941), singer, songwriter
- Ani DiFranco (born 1970), singer-songwriter
- Jonathan Donahue (born 1966), rock musician
- JoAnn Falletta (born 1954), classical guitarist, orchestral conductor
- Morton Feldman (1926–1987), composer
- Ella Fitzgerald (1918–1996), singer
- John Flansburgh (born 1960), singer-songwriter
- Lukas Foss (1922–2009), composer, orchestral conductor
- Dave Fridmann, producer
- Chuck Garvey, guitarist
- George Gershwin (1898–1937), composer
- Kim Gordon (born 1953), bass guitarist, guitarist, singer, songwriter, visual artist (Sonic Youth)
- Grasshopper (born 1967), born Sean Mackowiak, rock musician
- Joel Hirschhorn (1938–2005), songwriter
- Billie Holiday (1915–1959), jazz and blues singer
- Jim Hall (born 1930), jazz guitarist
- Alan Heatherington (born 1945), orchestral conductor
- Ray Henderson (1897–1970), songwriter
- Lady Gaga (born 1986), born Stefani Germanotta, singer and songwriter
- Lena Horne (1917–2010), singer, actress
- Freddie Jackson (born 1956), singer
- Rick James (1948–2004), singer
- Billy Joel (born 1949), pianist, singer and songwriter
- Jerome Kern (1885–1945), composer
- Alicia Keys (born 1981), singer-songwriter
- Carole King (born 1942), singer-songwriter
- Cyndi Lauper (born 1953), singer
- Mel Lewis (1929–1990), drummer
- John Linnell (born 1959), singer-songwriter
- Joe Locke (born 1959), jazz artist
- John Lombardo (born 1952), musician, songwriter
- Jennifer Lopez (born 1969), singer, actress, dancer
- David Lucas (born 1937), composer
- Gary Mallaber (born 1946), drummer
- Constantine Maroulis (born 1975), singer
- Brian McKnight (born 1969), R&B singer
- Don Menza (born 1936), saxophonist
- Natalie Merchant(1962?-),singer-songwriter
- Stephanie Mills (born 1957), singer
- Gurf Morlix, musician
- Josh Newton (born 1973), bassist
- Willie Nile (born 1948), singer-songwriter
- Laura Nyro (1947–1997), singer-songwriter
- Jack Owen (born 1967), guitarist (Cannibal Corpse)
- Tina Parol, singer-songwriter
- Joey Ramone (1952–2001), singer, songwriter (Ramones)
- Mary Ramsey (born 1963), musician
- Sharon Redd (1945–1992), singer
- Lou Reed (born 1942), singer, songwriter, guitarist
- Neil Rosenshein (born 1947), operatic singer, lyric tenor
- Jason Sebastian Russo (born 1973), rock musician
- Justin Russo (born 1976), rock musician
- John Rzeznik (born 1965), musician (Goo Goo Dolls)
- Adam Schlesinger (born 1967), musician (Fountains of Wayne), songwriter, producer, arranger
- Al Schnier (born 1968), guitarist
- Billy Sheehan (born 1953), bass guitarist
- Paul Simon (born 1941), singer-songwriter, guitarist
- Lonnie Smith (born 1942), jazz organist
- Ronnie Spector (born 1943), singer (The Ronettes)
- John Stevens (born 1987), singer
- Stevie J. (born Steve Jordan), musician
- Barbra Streisand (born 1942), singer, actress
- Stan Szelest (1943–1991), musician
- Robby Takac (born 1964), musician (Goo Goo Dolls)
- George Tutuska, musician (Goo Goo Dolls, Jackdaw)
- Luther Vandross (1951–2005), singer
- Jeremy Wall, jazz musician
- Luke Walter Jr. (1947–1996), Belgian musician
- Grover Washington, Jr. (1943–1999), saxophonist
- Alex Webster (born 1969), bassist (Cannibal Corpse)
- Mary Weiss (born 1948), singer (The Shangri-Las)
- Cory Wells (born 1942), singer
- Patrick Wilson (born 1969), drummer
- Jack Yellen (1892–1991), lyricist, composer
Rappers
Business
- John Jacob Astor, fur trader, company founder
- Nicholas F. Brady, former CEO of Dillon Read; 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- C. Douglas Dillon, former CEO of Dillon Read; US Ambassador to France (1953–1957); 57th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- George Eastman (1854–1932), founder of Eastman Kodak
- Joseph Ellicott (1760–1826), surveyor and city planner
- William G. Fargo (1818–1881), co-founder of American Express Company and Wells Fargo; mayor of Buffalo
- Debra Fox, founder of Fox Learning Systems
- E.H. Harriman, errand boy, broker, railroader
- George A. Hormel (1860–1946), founder of Hormel
- Jeremy Jacobs (born 1940), owner of Delaware North and the Boston Bruins
- John J. Kennedy (1857–1914), financier, 45th New York State Treasurer
- Seymour H. Knox I (1861–1915), businessman, co-founder of F. W. Woolworth Company
- Seymour H. Knox II (1898–1990), former director of Marine Midland Bank; philanthropist
- Jon L. Luther, food service executive
- Sherman J. Maisel (1918–2010), economist
- Jeremiah Milbank, banker, co-founder of Borden Milk Co., 1857
- J.P. Morgan, banker, co-founder of J.P. Morgan & Co.
- Jacquelyn Ottman, marketing consultant
- Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs; United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Joseph R. Perella, financier
- Pat Powers (1870–1948), movie producer
- Donald Regan, former CEO of Merrill Lynch; 66th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Robert E. Rich, Sr. (1913–2006), inventor, foodservice executive
- John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), founder of Standard Oil, philanthropist
- Robert Rubin, former CEO of Goldman Sachs; 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Scott Rudin, movie producer
- Jacob Schiff, Wall Street executive, banker
- Edward Selzer (1893–1970), movie producer
- Ellsworth Milton Statler (1863–1928), hotelier
- Jill Stuart, fashion designer[2]
- Donald Trump (born 1946), entrepreneur
- Cornelius Vanderbilt, ferry and tugboat captain; company founder; railroader
- Sanford Weill, former CEO of Citigroup
- Henry Wells (1805–1878), businessman
- John G. Wickser (1858–1928), businessman; New York State Treasurer (1903–1904)
- Bob Weinstein, movie producer, co-founder of Miramax Films
- Harvey Weinstein, movie producer, co-founder of Miramax Films
- Robert G. Wilmers (born 1935), CEO of M&T Bank
- Christopher Woodrow, movie producer
Art, literature, journalism, and philosophy
- Samuel Hopkins Adams, muckraker, born in Dunkirk
- Scott Adams (born 1957), cartoonist, creator of Dilbert
- Susan B. Anthony, women's rights activist
- Cory Arcangel (born 1978), artist
- William Bliss Baker (1859–1886), landscape painter
- Lauren Belfer, author
- J. Bowyer Bell (1931–2003), historian, artist and art critic
- Timothy D. Bellavia (born 1971), artist and illustrator
- Louise Blanchard Bethune (1856–1913), architect
- Wolf Blitzer (born 1948), CNN journalist, host of The Situation Room
- Lawrence Block (born 1938), author
- Howard Bloom (born 1943), author
- Joseph Brodsky (1940–1996), Russian-American poet
- Dale Brown (born 1956), author
- Gordon Bunshaft (1909–1990), architect
- Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967), artist
- Charles Clough (born 1951), artist
- Burton Crane (1901–1963), journalist
- Robert Creeley (1926–2005), poet
- Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823–1900), artist
- Arthur B. Davies (1863–1928), artist
- Don DeLillo (born 1936), author
- Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), originator of Dewey Decimal System
- Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune advice columnist, from Freeville
- Amanda Minnie Douglas (1831–1916), writer
- Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), editor and publisher of abolitionist newspapers such as The North Star
- Arthur Dove (1880–1946), artist
- Philip Evergood (1901–1973), artist
- Leslie Fiedler (1917–2003), literary critic
- Steve Fiorilla (1961–2009), artist
- Ira Joe Fisher, author and weatherman, who was born and raised in Little Valley
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, author, raised in Buffalo
- Helen Frankenthaler (born 1928), artist
- Kelly Freas (1922–2005), artist
- Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935), author
- E.B. Green (1855–1950), architect
- Terry Gross (born 1951), radio host, Fresh Air
- Alfred Harvey (1913–1994), writer and publisher, founder of Harvey Comics
- Richard Hofstadter (1916–1970), author and philosopher
- Paul Horgan (1903–1995), author
- Roni Horn (born 1955), artist
- Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915), philosopher and writer
- Idil Ibrahim, director
- Washington Irving (1783–1859), author, Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Henry James (1843–1916), author
- William James (1842–1910), philosopher
- James A. Johnson (1865–1939), architect
- Ellsworth Kelly (born 1923), artist
- John Kessel (born 1950), author
- Verlyn Klinkenborg, member of New York Times editorial board; writer and farmer
- Nancy Kress (born 1948), author
- Matt Lauer (born 1957), anchor of The Today Show
- Zoe Leonard (born 1961), photographer and visual artist
- Robert Longo (born 1953), artist
- Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879–1962), writer and patron
- Norman Mailer (1923–2007), author
- Francis Mallison, journalist, helped organize the Great Civil War Gold Hoax; from Rome
- Brice Marden (born 1938), artist
- Herman Melville (1819–1891), author of Moby-Dick
- Ogden Nash (1902–1971), poet
- Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), author
- William Ordway Partridge (1861–1930), sculptor
- Tim Powers (born 1952), author
- Thomas Pynchon (born 1937), author
- Ishmael Reed (born 1938), poet
- John Reed (born 1969), author, Snowball's Chance
- Seymour Reit (1918–2001), writer and cartoonist
- Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), painter
- Spain Rodriguez (born 1940), cartoonist
- Milton Rogovin (1909–2011), photographer
- Charles Rohlfs (1853–1936, craftsman
- Tim Russert (1950–2008), host of NBC's Meet the Press
- David Sedaris (born 1956), humorist and author
- Tony Sisti (1901–1983), painter
- Eugene Speicher (1883–1962), painter
- Fran Striker (1903–1962), creator of the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet
- Elizabeth Swados (born 1951), author
- Dorothy Thompson, born in Lancaster
- Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), artist
- Tom Toles (born 1951), cartoonist
- Israel Tsvaygenbaum (born 1961), Russian-American artist
- Mark Twain (1835–1910), author
- Andrew Vachss (born 1942), author, activist, and lawyer
- Richard A. Waite (1848–1911), architect
- J. Alden Weir (1852–1919), painter
- Edith Wharton (1862–1937), author
- Walt Whitman (1819–1892), poet
- Brian Williams (born 1959), anchor of NBC Nightly News
- John Zogby, pollster and blogger from Utica
Science and medicine
- Richard Axel (born 1946), scientist, Nobel prize winner
- Gertrude B. Elion (1918–1999), biochemist, pharmacologist, Nobel prize winner
- Richard P. Feynman (1918–1988), physicist, Nobel prize winner
- Carl Sagan (1934–1996), astronomer
- Jonas Salk (1914–1995), scientist, developed first polio vaccine
Athletics
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born 1947), NBA player
- Lisa Aukland (born 1957), professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
- Moe Berg (1902–72), Major League Baseball baseball player, and spy (New York City)
- Sue Bird (born 1980), Women's National Basketball Association point guard; two-time Olympic champion; four-time All-Star (Seattle Storm) (Syosset)[3]
- Andrulla Blanchette (born 1966), British professional bodybuilder
- Andy Bloom (born 1973), Olympic shot putter
- Laura Creavalle (born 1959), Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
- Lisa Cross (born 1978), British professional bodybuilder
- Al "Bummy" Davis (1920–45), professional boxer (Brooklyn)
- Shay Doron (born 1985), professional basketball player
- Tommy Dreamer (born 1971), professional wrestler (Yonkers)
- Julius Erving (born 1950), NBA player
- Mick Foley (born 1965), professional wrestler and author
- Whitey Ford, baseball player
- Heather Foster (born 1966), Jamaica-born American professional bodybuilder
- Bev Francis (born 1955), Australian professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion
- John Franco, baseball player
- Lou Gehrig (1903–1941), Baseball Hall of Famer
- Sid Gordon (1917–75), two-time All Star major league baseball player
- Hank Greenberg (1911–1986), Baseball Hall of Famer (Greenwich Village)
- Jon Jones (born 1987), UFC champion
- Seymour H. Knox III (1926–1996), co-founder of the Buffalo Sabres
- Sandy Koufax (born 1935), Baseball Hall of Famer
- Scott Lipsky (born 1981), tennis player
- Boyd Melson, boxer
- Joe Nathan (born 1974), baseball player, Minnesota Twins; born in Pine Bush)
- Colette Nelson (born 1974), professional bodybuilder
- Eric Nystrom (born 1983), NHL player
- Beth Phoenix (born 1980), professional wrestler (born in Elmira, New York)
- A. J. Pierzynski (born 1976), baseball player (Chicago White Sox) (born in Bridgehampton)
- Lipman Pike (1845–93), Major League Baseball baseball player, 4x home run champion (New York City)
- Alex Rodriguez (born 1975), MLB player
- Alana Shipp (born 1982), Barbadian-born Israeli/American professional bodybuilder
- Carl Yastrzemski (born 1939), Baseball Hall of Famer
Infamous New Yorkers
- David Berkowitz (born 1953), serial killer "Son of Sam"
- Robert Garrow (1936–1978), spree killer
- Eric Harris (1981–1999), Columbine High School massacre co-perpetrator
- Timothy McVeigh (1968–2001), convicted terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing
- Theodore Rinaldo (1944–2000), convicted child sex offender
- Jimmy Walker (1881–1946), NYC mayor forced into resigning by the Seabury Commission
- Shirley Winters (born 1948), convicted arsonist and accused serial killer
Lawyers and jurists
Religious leaders
- Avraham Qanai, leader of one of the first Karaite Jewish congregations in the United States
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson
List Of People From New York Media
References
- ↑ Crankshaw, Ned (1993). "Changing Images at Shimer College" (PDF). Illinois Historical Journal. 86: 168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
- ↑ Label overview: Jill Stuart. NY MAG. 2014. http://nymag.com/thecut/fashion/designers/jill-stuart/. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ↑ Livnat, Arie (December 16, 2010). "No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Sue Bird headed to Ramle". Haaretz. Retrieved December 20, 2010.