List of famous Edinburgh people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This list contains famous or notable people (or groups) who have either been born or based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Contents |
[edit] Medicine, Science and Engineering
- Charles Bell, Scottish anatomist, surgeon, physiologist and natural theologian born in Edinburgh
- Alexander Graham Bell, telephone pioneer, was born in Edinburgh.[1]
- James Hutton, Scottish Geologist, renowned as the "Father of Geology" was born in Edinburgh
- James Clerk Maxwell, Scottish physicist
- John Napier, mathematician, mainly remembered for the invention of logarithms[2]
- James Young Simpson, an obstetrician who conducted the first experimental use of chloroform for anaesthesia[3]
- D'Arcy Wentworth Thomson, Zoologist and Mathematician. Author of the influential book "On Growth and Form".[4]
- Professor Ian Wilmut, who has admitted under oath in a Scottish court that he did not create Dolly the Sheep, the world's first cloned mammal
[edit] Arts
- Bay City Rollers, pop group from the 1970's
- James Boswell, author, biographer of Samuel Johnson
- Rory Bremner, impressionist and comedian
- George Mackay Brown, poet and storyteller
- John Brown, essayist
- Nicky Campbell, radio and television presenter
- Sir Sean Connery, actor[5]
- Ronnie Corbett, a Scottish comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies[6]
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was born in the city's New Town
- William Dunbar, medieval poet
- Bridget Forsyth, actress, best known for playing Thelma in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads
- Robert Garioch, poet
- Isabella Glyn, (1823-1889) well-known Victorian-era actress
- Hannah Gordon, actress
- John Leslie, television presenter[7]
- Shirley Manson, lead singer for the band Garbage
- Magnus Magnusson, television presenter and author
- William Topaz McGonagall, renowned as one the worst poets in the English language was born in Edinburgh
- Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of books and many children's novels
- Eduardo Paolozzi, Sculptor and Artist, born in Leith
- Pilot, pop group from the 1970's
- Gail Porter, television presenter
- Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), poet
- Allan Ramsay (1713-1784), painter
- Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus series of crime thrillers, attended the University of Edinburgh[8]
- David Roberts, 19th century painter and lithographer
- J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter author[9], wrote her first book in Edinburgh coffee-shop, the Elephant House[10]
- Alistair Sim, Scottish character actor
- Sir Walter Scott, (1771-1832), novelist, was born in Edinburgh.
- Muriel Spark, novelist, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie[11]
- Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, wrote fondly of the city before moving to Samoa.
- Ken Stott, film and television actor, born in Edinburgh
- Nigel Tranter (1909-2000), historian, writer, lived in Edinburgh
- KT Tunstall Scottish singer-songwriter born in Edinburgh
- Irvine Welsh, novelist, author of e.g. Trainspotting, is from Edinburgh.
- Sam Houser, President of Rockstar Games and Executive Producer of the Grand Theft Auto franchise since the third game.
[edit] Sports
- Dario Franchitti motor racing driver, born Edinburgh
- Gavin Hastings, former Scottish Rugby Captain, born in Edinburgh
- Lord Hawke, cricketer
- Johnny Haynes, footballer
- Chris Hoy, Scottish track cyclist and Olympic Games gold and silver medal winner
- Don Revie, footballer and football manager
- Graeme Souness, footballer
[edit] Politics
- Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister, was born in the city and attended its exclusive Fettes College high school[12]
- Alistair Darling, politian and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry[13]
- Doug Henderson, politician[14]
[edit] Miscellaneous
- William Burke and William Hare, serial killers; sold the bodies of their victims to the medical college for dissection
- Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was born in Edinburgh
- David Hume, philosopher and historian
- John Knox, Protestant Reformer, lived in Edinburgh, and John Knox's House is preserved in the High Street
- John Porteous, captain of the city guard, lynched during the Porteous Riots of 1736
- Mary, Queen of Scots, lived in Holyrood Palace
- Adam Smith, economist, author of The Wealth of Nations
- Ronald Speirs , commander of "Dog" and "Easy" companies of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne during World War II , and governor of Spandau Prison in Berlin.
- Sir Charles Tupper, one of the Fathers of the Confederation who formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867, and later the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, educated at the University of Edinburgh.
- John Witherspoon, only clergyman to sign the American Declaration of Independence, president of Princeton University, educated in Edinburgh.[15]
[edit] References
- ^ Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Alexander Graham Bell
- ^ John Napier Biography University of St Andrews School of Mathematics and Statistics website - Accessed 15 Nov 2006
- ^ Sir James Young Simpson - The Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh - Accessed 15 November 2006
- ^ University of Dundee Website - Lecture Theatre renamed in honour of D'arcy Thompson - 14 March 2006
- ^ BBC News - Connery: Bond and beyond - 21 December, 1999 - [1]
- ^ Edinburgh Evening News - I won't say goodnight yet . . - 4 November 2006 - [2]
- ^ Edinburgh Evening News - Leslie plots his comeback in the jungle - 16 October 2006
- ^ CNN - Q&A: Ian Rankin - posted 4 October 2006 - accessed 15 November 2006 - "I came here in 1978 to go to university "
- ^ Collinson, Patrick. "Rub shoulders with Brucie for £4.3m, or Tony for £7,250". Guardian Unlimited, 26 April 2005. Accessed 21 March 2006.
- ^ The Scotsman - The JK Rowling story - Stephen McGinty - 16 June 2003
- ^ BBC News - Obituary: Dame Muriel Spark - 15 April 2006
- ^ Blair's birthplace is bulldozed in Edinburgh", Edinburgh Evening News, 9 August 2006
- ^ 10 Downing Street — Alistair Darling official biography
- ^ Official Labour Party Biography - Accessed 15 November 2006
- ^ Princeton Companion entry
