Discover the notable alumni of Stanford University. The list includes people like Elon Musk, John F. Kennedy, Mukesh Ambani, Sundar Pichai & Jennifer Connelly. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as business people, scientists, engineers, miscellaneous and writers etc.
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Birthdate: March 22, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Acclaimed actress, Reese Witherspoon, shot to fame with her film Legally Blonde and continued her successful journey working in films and television shows like Walk the Line, Wild and Big Little Lies. In process, she became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood and also one of the world’s highest paid actresses. Witherspoon has her own production company too.
Birthdate: June 10, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. An alumnus of IIT, Stanford and Wharton, Pichai has come a long way, from innovating Google’s products such as Chrome, Google Drive and Google Apps to leading the software giant and being one of the most sought-after names in the tech industry.
Birthdate: December 30, 1975
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cypress, California, United States
Tiger Woods is considered as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He had a great run throughout the first decade of the 21st century. Later he had to deal with infidelity issues, marital problems and divorce and injuries, but was able to make a comeback. He holds numerous golf records and has won many World Golf Championship.
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Sigourney Weaver(American Actress and an Influential Figure in Science Fiction and Popular Culture)
Birthdate: October 8, 1949
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. Widely considered one of the most important female protagonists in the history of cinema, Sigourney is also regarded as a pioneer of action heroines in sci-fi films, thanks to her role in the Alien franchise. In 2003, she was ranked 20th in Channel 4's list of 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: March 26, 1973
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lansing, Michigan, United States
Larry Page is an American Internet entrepreneur and computer scientist. As one of the co-founders of the multinational technology company Google, Larry Page effectively changed the way the world functions today as Google is a synonym for a search engine in many parts of the world. Unsurprisingly, he became a billionaire after co-founding Google.
Birthdate: August 21, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Google co-founder Sergey Brin also served as the president of Alphabet Inc. The seventh-richest person in the world as of 2020, Brin earlier dropped his PhD plans at Stanford, following which he and Larry Page launched Google in a garage. He is a devoted philanthropist and a Democratic Party donor.
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Raymond Burr(Actor)
Birthdate: May 21, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New Westminster, Canada
Died: September 12, 1993
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Birthdate: April 19, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aden, Yemen
The richest person in Asia, Mukesh Ambani is an Indian billionaire business magnate. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). The son legendary Dhirubhai Ambani, he started his career by helping his father build their family business. As of today, he is the only Indian businessman on Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people.
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John Elway(American football player)
Birthdate: June 28, 1960
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Port Angeles, Washington, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
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Jennifer Connelly(Best Known for Her Role in the Films: 'A Beautiful Mind' and 'Little Children')
Birthdate: December 12, 1970
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cairo, New York, United States
An actress who began her career as a child model, Jennifer Connelly appeared in magazine, newspaper, and television advertising prior to taking up acting roles. The winner of an Academy Award, she is an accomplished actress who has appeared in many critically acclaimed films. She has been included on the lists of the world's most beautiful women many times.
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Ted Danson(Best Known for His Roles in the NBC Sitcom ‘Cheers’ and the CBS Sitcom ‘Becker’)
Birthdate: December 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States
Known for his Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning performance as Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, Ted Danson has also donated generously to various Democratic campaigns. The actor, who has graced the cover of GQ thrice, is also an environmental activist and has co-founded the American Oceans Campaign and Oceana.org.
Birthdate: August 10, 1874
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: West Branch, Iowa, United States
Died: October 20, 1964
The 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, was sworn into the office in 1929, the year the Great Depression struck the American economy. Earlier, Hoover was a successful mining engineer and had earned a reputation of a humanitarian who fed numerous Europeans during and after WWI. His policies during the depression, though, could not provide relief to people.
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Evan Spiegel(Co-Founder and CEO of the Social Media Company ‘Snap Inc.’)
Birthdate: June 4, 1990
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Evan Spiegel is credited with popularizing social media all over the world as he co-founded the popular social media company Snap Inc. In 2015, he was named the youngest billionaire in the world. The following year, he was named in Forbes magazine's list of 400 Richest Americans with an estimated net worth of $4 billion.
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Sterling K. Brown(Known for His Role in the TV Series ‘The People V. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story’)
Birthdate: April 5, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Sterling K. Brown is best known as Christopher Darden from The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Randall Pearson from This Is Us. Named to TIME 100, he also became the first Black actor to win the Golden Globe for the “Best Actor in a TV Drama.”
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Christian McCaffrey(American Football Running Back)
Birthdate: June 7, 1996
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Castle Rock, Colorado, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
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Kal Penn(Known for His Portrayal of White House Staffer Seth Wright on TV Series 'Designated Survivor')
Birthdate: April 23, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Montclair, New Jersey, United States
Kal Penn is an actor and former White House staff member. Apart from being a popular American actor of Indian origin, Kal Penn has also contributed as a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has taught courses, such as 'Images of Asian Americans in the Media'.
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Fred Savage(Actor and Director Known for His Role as ‘Kevin Arnold’ in the TV Series ‘The Wonder Years’)
Birthdate: July 9, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Fred Savage is best known for his Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Kevin Arnold in the series The Wonder Years. He has also been part of Crumbs and The Grinder, and has directed a few episodes of series such as Phil of the Future and Wizards of Waverly Place.
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John Steinbeck(American Writer and Winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Birthdate: February 27, 1902
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Salinas, California, United States
Died: December 20, 1968
Famous for his novels The Grapes of Wrath and Tortilla Flat, John Ernst Steinbeck was noted for his sympathy for the plight of workers in his books. The Nobel laureate, who said he did not deserve the prize, authored 33 books, some of which were best sellers during his time. His books were also adapted into films.
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Kerri Walsh Jennings(Beach Volleyball player)
Birthdate: August 15, 1978
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Santa Clara, California, United States
American beach-volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was born to a baseball player father and a volleyball player mother, and was naturally drawn toward sports. She later attended Stanford on a sports scholarship and won three gold medals at the Olympics. She is married to fellow beach-volleyball player Casey Jennings
Birthdate: March 26, 1930
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: El Paso, Texas, United States
Died: December 1, 2023
Sandra Day O’Connor is a retired attorney who became the first woman to serve as the associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US when she took office in 1981. While serving as the associate justice, O’Connor was considered one of the most powerful women in the world. In 2009, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Michelle Wie(American Professional Golfer and the Youngest Winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links)
Birthdate: October 11, 1989
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
At 10, Michelle Wie, born to an amateur golfer mother, was the youngest to participate in a USGA amateur championship. Though the Korean-American golfer, who is a five-time LPGA winner, had quit her career after her marriage to sports honcho Jonnie West, she later decided to get back to golf.
Birthdate: June 23, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
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Andrew Luck(Former American Football Player Who Played as a Quarterback)
Birthdate: September 12, 1989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Andrew Luck is a retired American football player who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts. He led the Colts to successive AFC South division titles before struggling with injuries, which eventually forced him to retire, making him one of the best sportspersons to retire in their prime.
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Tom Watson(American Retired Professional Golfer)
Birthdate: September 4, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Tom Watson is a retired professional golfer considered one of the leading golf players in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. During his illustrious career, he won eight major championships and headed the PGA Tour money list five times. He is counted among the greatest links players of all time and has won three Senior British Open Championship titles.
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Issa Rae(Co-Creator, Co-Writer, and Star of the HBO Television Series ‘Insecure’)
Birthdate: January 12, 1985
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Issa Rae is known for her award-winning YouTube series Awkward Black Girl and the HBO series Insecure. Her YouTube channel has promoted the works of Black artists. She made it to the Glamour 35 Under 35 and the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists and was also featured on TIME 100.
Birthdate: November 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago
Died: January 11, 2013
Aaron Swartz was an internet hacktivist, best remembered for creating the web feed RSS, Markdown, and Creative Commons. He also worked with Reddit and founded Demand Progress, which supports internet freedom. He was later charged with computer fraud after breaking into a system at MIT and eventually died by suicide.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 1, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Died: December 11, 2023
Andre Braugher is best known for his Emmy-winning performances as Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street and as Nick Atwater in Thief. Fans also loved him as Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as Woodchuck Coodchuck-Berkowitz in BoJack Horseman, and in the movies City of Angels and Poseidon.
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Jawed Karim(Co-Founder of 'YouTube' and the First Person to Upload a Video to the Site)
Birthdate: October 28, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Merseburg, Germany
Jawed Karim is an American Internet entrepreneur and software engineer. Karim is credited with co-founding one of the most popular online video-sharing platforms, YouTube. He is also credited with uploading the first YouTube video named Me at the zoo. During his time working at PayPal, Jawed Karim had designed many of the company's core components, such as its anti-Internet-fraud system.
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Jerry Yang(Co-Founder and Former CEO of ‘Yahoo! Inc.’)
Birthdate: November 6, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Taipei City, Taipei, Taiwan
Jerry Yang is a Taiwanese-American billionaire internet entrepreneur, computer programmer, and venture capitalist. Yang is credited with co-founding Yahoo! Inc. where he also served as the CEO from 2007 to 2009. Jerry Yang is also credited with founding a venture capital firm named AME Cloud Ventures.
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Sam Harris(American Philosopher, Neuroscientist and Author)
Birthdate: April 9, 1967
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
One of the "Four Horsemen of Atheism," neuroscientist and author Sam Harris is known for his works on topics such as religion, artificial intelligence, and terrorism. His books include the New York Times bestseller The End of Faith. He hosted the podcast Making Sense and released a meditation app, too.
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Gretchen Carlson(Former Host of CBS News Show 'The Early Show' and Fox News Show 'Fox & Friends')
Birthdate: June 21, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Coon Rapids, Minnesota, United States
Known for her stints on Fox News and CBS News, TV journalist Gretchen Carlson made headlines when she accused Fox CEO Roger Ailes of having sexually harassed her earlier, eventually causing him to resign. The former Miss America is also a skilled classical violinist and a Juilliard alumna.
Birthdate: October 28, 1897
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: San Bernardino, California, United States
Died: October 24, 1981
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
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Alexander Payne(Director)
Birthdate: February 10, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
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Maya Harris(American Lawyer, Public Policy Advocate & Sister of 49th Vice President of United States, Kamala Harris)
Birthdate: January 30, 1967
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, United States
A lawyer, law professor, political analyst and a civil rights activist, Maya Harris’s list of achievements is huge. One of the youngest in the US to become a law school dean, Maya Harris has worked with Hillary Clinton and her own sister Kamala Harris in their respective presidential campaigns.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 6, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: West Milford, New Jersey, United States
The widow of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs is a businesswoman. Over the years, she has been playing a major role as a philanthropist; in 2019, Inside Philanthropy named her the Least Transparent Mega-Giver. She is the founder of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on health, education, media and journalism, immigration reform, and the environment.
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Sally Ride(The First American Woman and The Third Woman in Space)
Birthdate: May 26, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Encino, Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: July 23, 2012
Astronaut and physicist Sally Ride was the first American woman and the youngest American astronaut to enter space. Following her death, it was revealed that she had been in a 27-year lesbian relationship with tennis player and professor Tam O'Shaughnessy. Sally herself was a ranked junior tennis player, too.
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Kevin Systrom(Computer Programmer, Entrepreneur and Co-Founded of ‘Instagram’)
Birthdate: December 30, 1983
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Holliston, Massachusetts, United States
Computer programmer and entrepreneur Kevin Systrom is one of the co-founders of the photo-sharing app Instagram. He resigned as the Instagram CEO in 2018. He was named to Forbes’s 30 under 30 list in 2014 and was one of the U.S’s richest entrepreneurs below 40 in 2016.
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Ben Savage(American Actor Best Known for His Role as ‘Cory Matthews’ in the TV Sitcom ‘Boy Meets World’)
Birthdate: September 13, 1980
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Ben Savage is an American actor known for portraying Cory Matthews in Boy Meets World. After starting his career as a child artist, Ben Savage went on to establish himself as a successful adult actor in the TV industry. Also known for displaying his skills on stage, Savage won an Ovation Award for portraying Roddy Stern in the play Unexpected Tenderness.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 24, 1945
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Karachi
Business magnate Azim Premji revolutionized the Indian software industry with Wipro Limited. Twice listed to Time 100, he transformed his vegetable oil and soap manufacturing company to a leading IT solutions brand, through marked diversification. He owns a non-profit foundation and is the first Indian to join The Giving Pledge.
Birthdate: February 5, 1943
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Clearfield
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
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Carly Fiorina(CEO of ‘Hewlett-Packard’, the First Woman to Lead a Fortune Top-20 Company)
Birthdate: September 6, 1954
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Austin, Texas, United States
Carly Fiorina made history by becoming the first female head of a Dow Jones-listed company when she became the CEO of HP. The daughter of a law professor father, she had initially joined law school but then dropped out to study management. She has also been Ted Cruz’s vice-presidential running mate.
Birthdate: March 30, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Compton, California, United States
Richard Sherman is an American football player who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Prior to his association with the San Francisco 49ers, Sherman represented the Seattle Seahawks and helped them win their first Super Bowl. Richard Sherman is widely considered one of the greatest cornerbacks in the history of the National Football League.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 3, 1943
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Lisbon, Wisconsin
Kurtwood Smith is an American actor known for playing important roles in popular films and TV series, such as RoboCop and That '70s Show. Also known for his work on stage, Smith has won three Drama-Logue Awards. Also a renowned voice actor, Kurtwood Smith has voiced popular characters in TV series like Men in Black: The Series and Batman Beyond.
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Reed Hastings(Businessman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ‘Netflix’)
Birthdate: October 8, 1960
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Netflix co-founder, CEO, and chairman Reed Hastings is also a Facebook director since 2011. He has previously served the California State Board of Education and the board of Microsoft. The Stanford alumnus is a Giving Pledge member, actively donates for children’s education and scholarships, and supports charter schools.
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Jack Palance(American Actor Who Was Known for Playing Tough Guys and Villains)
Birthdate: February 18, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: November 10, 2006
Jack Palance was an American actor known for playing villains and tough guys in the '50s and '60s. In 1992, he was made an inductee of the Western Performers Hall of Fame. It is widely believed that comic book artist Jack Kirby modeled Darkseid on Jack Palance. Jack Palance was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Alexandra Botez(Canadian Chess Player Who Is a Five-Time Canadian National Girls Champion)
Birthdate: September 24, 1995
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
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Tom Steyer(Founder of the Popular Investment Firm 'Farallon Capital')
Birthdate: June 27, 1957
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Tom Steyer is an American businessman, philanthropist, hedge fund manager, liberal activist, and environmentalist. He is credited with founding the popular investment firm Farallon Capital. He is also credited with co-founding OneCalifornia Bank, which later became Beneficial State Bank. Since 2012, Tom Steyer has focused on the environment and politics.
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Mae Jemison(First African American Woman To Travel To Space)
Birthdate: October 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Decatur, Alabama, United States
Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to fly into space, as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. A qualified physician, she has served as a Peace Corps doctor, too. She has written several books and established a non-profit and a tech research organization.
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Stephen Breyer(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1994 to 2022)
Birthdate: August 15, 1938
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Stephen Breyer is an American lawyer, legal scholar, and jurist. Since August 1994, Breyer has been serving as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court after being nominated by President Bill Clinton in May 1994. He is also credited with writing several influential textbooks while working as a lecturer and law professor at Harvard Law School in the 1960s.
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Ted Koppel(Broadcast Journalist Best Known as the Anchor for 'Nightline')
Birthdate: February 8, 1940
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nelson, Lancashire, England
Ted Koppel is an American broadcast journalist who contributed immensely to the success of the popular late-night television news program Nightline, working as its anchor from 1980 to 2005. Considered one of the most remarkable among the serious-minded interviewers on TV, Ted Koppel has won several prestigious awards, including 42 Emmy Awards and nine Overseas Press Club awards.
Recommended Lists:The famous Stanford University, situated in the United States, is unarguably one of the best educational institutions in the world today. Founded by the industrialist Leland Stanford and his wife Jane back in 1885, Stanford’s reputation has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Sprawling over a distance of approximately 12 square kilometers, this notable institution is nestled between the cities of San Jose and San Francisco It is believed that the quality of education imparted to the students as well as the infrastructure of Stanford is outstanding. Many famous celebrities who have inspired people around the world with their remarkable achievements have been a part of this institution’s notable alumni association. Former American President John F Kennedy is one such noteworthy alumnus who studied here for a short period. Acclaimed actress Reese Witherspoon, the current CEO of ‘Google’, Sundar Pichai and ace golfer Tiger Woods are a few other noteworthy names who were once students of this famous institution. The fact that these famous faces have studied at Stanford is another reason why the institution has been a favorite among many students. These aspirants have been leaving no stone unturned to secure a place at this esteemed university. They believe that being an alumnus of Stanford is a great accomplishment in itself. Here’s a list which includes several famous celebrities who were once students of the notable Stanford University.
