Discover the notable alumni of St John's College, Cambridge. The list includes people like Paul Ritter, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford & Henry Wriothesley, 3rd earl of Southampton. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as leaders, miscellaneous, scientists, intellectuals & academics and writers etc.
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1
Thomas Hobbes(English Philosopher and One of the Founders of Modern Political Philosophy)
Birthdate: April 5, 1588
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Westport, Wiltshire, England
Died: December 4, 1679
Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher. Widely regarded as the co-founder of modern political philosophy, Hobbes is best known for his influential book Leviathan. Apart from political philosophy, Thomas Hobbes also contributed immensely to various other fields, such as ethics, theology, geometry, history, and jurisprudence.
2
Douglas Adams(Author of the BBC Radio Comedy Series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy")
Birthdate: March 11, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
Died: May 11, 2001
English author, screenwriter, and essayist, Douglas Adams, is most remembered for his comedy science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. As a screenwriter, he wrote two stories for the TV series Doctor Who. He advocated for environmentalism and spoke about environmental issues in his non-fiction radio series Last Chance to See.
3
Roger Penrose(English Mathematician, Mathematical Physicist and Winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize for Physics)
Birthdate: August 8, 1931
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Colchester, England
Roger Penrose’s contribution to the research related to the black hole and general relativity earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020. The Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at Oxford, Roger is also a fellow of Wadham College, St John's College of Cambridge, and University College London.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: January 14, 1904
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England
Died: January 18, 1980
Cecil Beaton was a British war, portrait, and fashion photographer. A multi-talented personality, Beaton is also known for his work as a painter, diarist, interior designer, and costume designer. Cecil Beaton worked with popular publications like Vogue before becoming a leading war photographer. His work as a costume designer for the theatre and films earned him Oscars and Tony Awards.
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John Herschel(British Polymath Known for His Invention of 'Blueprint')
Birthdate: March 7, 1792
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Slough, Buckinghamshire, England
Died: May 11, 1871
The son of renowned astronomer William Herschel, John Herschel was educated at Eton and Cambridge and grew up to be a polymath. Apart from contributing to the field of photography, he was known for cataloguing and naming stars and satellites. He briefly also served as the Master of the Royal Mint.
6
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston(Politician)
Birthdate: October 20, 1784
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Westminster, Middlesex, England
Died: October 18, 1865
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 20, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Kent, England
Died: April 5, 2021
8
Jamie Bamber(Known for His Roles in the TV Series: Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order: UK)
Birthdate: April 3, 1973
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England
Born in England, to an American father and an Irish mother, Jamie Bamber grew up in both England and France. The LAMDA alumnus is best known as Lee Adama from Battlestar Galactica and has also played major roles in series such as Law & Order: UK and movies such as Pulse 2: Afterlife.
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Jonah Hauer-King(Actor)
Birthdate: May 30, 1995
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Westminster, London, England
10
Mervyn King(British Economist Who Served as Governor of the Bank of England)
Birthdate: March 30, 1948
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire, England
British economist Mervyn King, Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal, serves as School Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and as Chairman of the Philharmonia. He taught at the University of Birmingham, Harvard and MIT, and served the Bank of England as a non-executive director, chief economist, deputy governor and lastly as Governor.
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Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury(Former Secretary of State of England (1596 - 1612))
Birthdate: June 1, 1563
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Westminster, London, England
Died: May 24, 1612
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury was a British statesman best remembered for his contribution during the Union of the Crowns. One of the main discoverers of the infamous Gunpowder Plot, Robert Cecil served as the Lord High Treasurer from 1608 to 1612. From 1596 to 1612, he served as the Secretary of State of England.
12
Samuel Butler(Novelist)
Birthdate: December 4, 1835
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Langar, Nottinghamshire, England
Died: June 18, 1902
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Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford(Courtier)
Birthdate: April 12, 1550
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hedingham Castle, England
Died: June 24, 1604
14
John Ambrose Fleming(British Electrical Engineer and Physicist Who Invented the First 'Thermionic Valve' or 'Vacuum Tube')
Birthdate: November 29, 1849
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Died: April 18, 1945
John Ambrose Fleming was an English electrical engineer and physicist. He is known for inventing the first thermionic valve or vacuum tube and designing the radio transmitter with which the first transatlantic radio transmission was made. Along with Douglas Dewar and Bernard Acworth, he helped establish the Evolution Protest Movement. Fleming was also a noted photographer and artist.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: May 24, 1544
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Colchester , England, United Kingdom
Died: November 30, 1603
William Gilbert was a 16th-century English physician, physicist, astronomer, and natural philosopher. He earned his MD from Cambridge and practiced medicine in London. He was a much-respected figure and was made the president of the Royal College of Physicians. He served as Queen Elizabeth I's and King James VI and I’s personal physician.
16
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd earl of Southampton(Noble)
Birthdate: October 6, 1573
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cowdray, England
Died: November 10, 1624
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Brook Taylor(English Mathematician and Barrister)
Birthdate: August 18, 1685
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Edmonton, Middlesex, England
Died: December 29, 1731
18
Thomas Wentworth, 1st earl of Strafford(Noble)
Birthdate: April 13, 1593
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England
Died: May 12, 1641
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Charles Algernon Parsons(Anglo-Irish Engineer Best Known for His Invention of the 'Compound Steam Turbine')
Birthdate: June 13, 1854
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 11, 1931
Copley Medal-winning engineer Charles Algernon Parsons revolutionized marine transport with his invention of a multi-stage steam turbine. His other inventions include a mechanical reducing gear. Apart from being named a Fellow of the Royal Society, he was also knighted and awarded an Order of Merit for his contributions.
20
John Gardner(English Spy and Novelist, Best Known for His 'James Bond' Continuation Novels)
Birthdate: November 20, 1926
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Northumberland, England
Died: August 3, 2007
John Gardner was an English spy and author. He is best remembered for his thriller novels, including the continuation novels containing Ian Fleming's iconic character James Bond and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's villain Professor James Moriarty. John Gardner wrote over 50 works of fiction, including 14 original James Bond novels.
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George Darwin(British Barrister, Astronomer and the Second Son of Naturalist Charles Darwin)
Birthdate: July 9, 1845
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Down House, Downe, Kent, England
Died: December 7, 1912
Born to legendary biologist Charles Darwin, George Darwin initially studied law and became a barrister. However, his interest in science made him deviate to astronomy. He believed the Moon was one part of the Earth. He later also taught at Cambridge and was made a Fellow of The Royal Society.
22
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham(Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
Birthdate: May 13, 1730
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wentworth, Yorkshire, England
Died: July 1, 1782
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Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn(Field marshal)
Birthdate: April 6, 1801
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: October 16, 1885
24
James Joseph Sylvester(Former Mathematician who made fundamental contributions to matrix theory, invariant theory, number theory, partition theory, and combinatorics)
Birthdate: September 3, 1814
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: March 15, 1897
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Edwin Abbott Abbott(English Schoolmaster, Theologian and Anglican Priest)
Birthdate: December 20, 1838
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, England
Died: October 12, 1926
Edwin Abbott Abbott was a theologian, schoolmaster, and Anglican priest. He is remembered for writing the 1884 novella Flatland. He served as the principal of the City of London School where he supervised the education of H.H. Asquith, who would go on to serve as the prime minister of the UK. Abbott is also credited with writing educational text books.
26
Rudolf Peierls(British Physicist Who Played a Major Role in 'Tube Alloys')
Birthdate: June 5, 1907
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: September 19, 1995
German-born British physicist Rudolf Peierls is best-remembered for co-authoring the Frisch–Peierls memorandum with Otto Frisch which revealed that an atomic bomb can be developed from a small amount of fissile uranium-235. This led to formation of MAUD Committee, development of the Tube Alloys project and the Manhattan Project, and atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War.
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John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley(Businessman)
Birthdate: February 20, 1948
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
28
William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle(Courtier)
Birthdate: December 16, 1593
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Handsworth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died: December 25, 1676
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William McDougall(English Psychologist)
Birthdate: June 22, 1871
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chadderton, Lancashire, England
Died: November 28, 1938
30
John Vincent(Writer)
Birthdate: September 28, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London , England
One of the co-founders of the chain of health-oriented fast-food eateries, Leon Restaurants, John Vincent has also penned seven cookbooks. He has also launched the School Food Plan, which has improved the diet of millions of students. He has chaired the Council for Sustainable Business, too.
Recommended Lists:31
F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich(Politician)
Birthdate: November 1, 1782
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Skelton-on-Ure, England
Died: January 28, 1859
32
David Cox(Statistician)
Birthdate: July 15, 1924
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Birmingham, England
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Norman Heatley(English Biochemist, Biologist and One of the Scientists Who Developed 'Penicillin')
Birthdate: January 10, 1911
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Woodbridge, Suffolk, England
Died: January 5, 2004
Norman Heatley was an English biochemist and biologist. He was part of a team of Oxford University scientists whose work led to the development of penicillin. Heatley is credited with developing a technique for purifying penicillin in bulk. Norman Heatley's contribution in the development of penicillin was not fully recognized until 1990.
34
Abdullah Yusuf Ali(Indian-British Barrister)
Birthdate: April 14, 1872
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Died: December 10, 1953
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T. E. Hulme(Poet & Critic)
Birthdate: September 16, 1883
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Endon, England
Died: September 28, 1917
36
Roger Ascham(Scholar)
Birthdate: 1515 AD
Birthplace: Kirby Wiske, England
Died: December 30, 1568
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: September 6, 1892
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bradford, England
Died: April 21, 1965
Considered a pioneer in radio physics, Nobel laureate Sir Edward Victor is remembered as much for his pioneering work on physics of the upper atmosphere as for his discovery of the Appleton layer. His investigations, which proved the existence of ionosphere and established its characteristics, helped not only to develop an unfailing long-range radio communication, but also the much-needed radars.
38
Nevill Francis Mott(Physicist Who Won the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics for His Work on Electronic, Magnetic, and Disordered Systems)
Birthdate: September 30, 1905
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Leeds, England
Died: August 8, 1996
British physicist Nevill Francis Mott revolutionized science with his research on the magnetic and electrical properties of amorphous semiconductors, which earned him a Nobel Prize. Born to teachers of science and math, Mott grew up to teach physics. He was also knighted for his contribution to science.
Recommended Lists:39
Jack Goody(English Social Anthropologist)
Birthdate: July 27, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hammersmith, England
Died: July 16, 2015
Apart from teaching at Cambridge, British social anthropologist Jack Goody also penned books such as Death, Property and the Ancestors. He had also fought in World War II. His work in sociology earned him the knighthood. He was also made a Fellow of The British Academy.
40
Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset(Poet)
Birthdate: 1536 AD
Birthplace: Withyham, England
Died: April 19, 1608
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George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon(Diplomat)
Birthdate: January 12, 1800
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: London, England
Died: June 27, 1870
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon had earned the nickname The Great Lord Clarendon. A Liberal Party politician, he had been the foreign secretary of Britain under 4 prime ministers. He was also a significant member of the Congress of Paris, which put an end to the Crimean War.
42
Algernon Percy, 10th earl of Northumberland(Aristocrat)
Birthdate: September 29, 1602
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Essex House, London, England
Died: October 13, 1668
Recommended Lists:43
Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough(Politician)
Birthdate: September 8, 1790
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: London, England
Died: December 22, 1871
44
Henry Briggs(Mathematician)
Birthdate: February 1, 1561
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Warleywood, Yorkshire, England
Died: January 26, 1630
Recommended Lists:45
Chris Brasher(British Track and Field Athlete, Sports Journalist and Co-founder of the 'London Marathon')
Birthdate: August 21, 1928
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Georgetown, Guyana
Died: February 28, 2003
Apart from being a famed British athlete, Christopher William Brasher was also a skilled mountaineer, who was part of Edmund Hillary’s reserve team for his Everest mission and had led two missions to the Arctic. He was an award-winning journalist, too, but was best known for co-founding the London Marathon.
46
Thomas Wriothesley, 4th earl of Southampton(Noble)
Birthdate: March 10, 1607
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: England, United Kingdom
Died: May 16, 1667
Recommended Lists:47
Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath(Politician)
Birthdate: September 13, 1734
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hatfield, England
Died: November 19, 1796
48
George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend(Military officer, Politician)
Birthdate: February 28, 1724
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: September 14, 1807
Recommended Lists:49
Samantha Davies(British Sailor)
Birthdate: August 23, 1974
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Portsmouth, England
50
Douglas Hartree(Mathematician)
Birthdate: March 27, 1897
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
Died: February 12, 1958
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