Harvard University Notable Alumni

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Discover the notable alumni of Harvard University. The list includes people like Kamala Harris, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John F. Kennedy, Natalie Portman & Theodore Roosevelt. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as intellectuals & academics, writers, scientists, leaders and media personalities etc.
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 1 
Barack Obama
(44th President of the United States (2009-2017))
Barack Obama
284
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: August 4, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 2 
John F. Kennedy
(35th President of the United States (1961 - 1963))
John F. Kennedy
154
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 29, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Died: November 22, 1963
 3 
Mark Zuckerberg
(Co-Founder of Facebook)
Mark Zuckerberg
348
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 14, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: White Plains, New York, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 4 
Natalie Portman
(American Actress Known for Her Films: 'Closer', 'Black Swan' and as 'Jane Foster' in 'Thor' Movies)
Natalie Portman
107
Birthdate: June 9, 1981
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 5 
Matt Damon
(One of the Highest-Grossing Actors of All Time)
Matt Damon
82
Birthdate: October 8, 1970
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 6 
John Adams
(2nd President of United States (1797-1801))
John Adams
48
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 30, 1735
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 4, 1826
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 7 
Neil deGrasse Tyson
(American Astrophysicist, Planetary Scientist and Science Communicator)
Neil deGrasse Tyson
44
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 5, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 8 
Conan O’Brien
(Host of TV Show 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' (1993-2009))
Conan O’Brien
38
Birthdate: April 18, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 9 
Tommy Lee Jones
(Actor and Director Best Known for His Films: ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Men in Black’)
Tommy Lee Jones
40
Birthdate: September 15, 1946
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: San Saba, Texas, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 10 
W. E. B. Du Bois
(Civil Rights Activists)
W. E. B. Du Bois
28
Birthdate: February 23, 1868
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 27, 1963
 11 
Pierre Trudeau
(15th Prime Minister of Canada)
Pierre Trudeau
44
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: October 18, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Died: September 28, 2000
 12 
Robert Frost
(American Poet Who was Known for His Realistic Depictions of Rural Life)
Robert Frost
45
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 26, 1874
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: January 29, 1963
 13 
Jack Lemmon
14
Birthdate: February 8, 1925
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Died: June 27, 2001
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 14 
David Foster Wallace
24
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 21, 1962
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ithaca, New York, United States
Died: September 12, 2008
 15 
T. S. Eliot
(Best Known as a Leader of the Modernist Movement in Poetry)
T. S. Eliot
74
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 26, 1888
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: January 4, 1965
 16 
Henry Kissinger
(56th United States Secretary of State (1973-77))
Henry Kissinger
42
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 27, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Fürth, Germany
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 17 
Thomas Sowell
(Economist)
Thomas Sowell
23
Birthdate: June 30, 1930
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gastonia, North Carolina
 18 
William Randolph Hearst
(Newspaper Baron)
William Randolph Hearst
18
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 29, 1863
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Died: August 14, 1951
 19 
Leonard Bernstein
(Composer Whose Best-Known Work is the Broadway Musical 'West Side Story')
Leonard Bernstein
26
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 25, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 14, 1990
 20 
Tom Morello
(American Guitarist Best Known for His Tenure with the Rock Band 'Rage Against the Machine')
Tom Morello
19
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: May 30, 1964
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 21 
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1993 - 2020))
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
81
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: March 15, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 18, 2020
 22 
Michelle Obama
(First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017)
Michelle Obama
301
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 17, 1964
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 23 
B. F. Skinner
(American psychologist)
B. F. Skinner
10
Birthdate: March 20, 1904
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: August 18, 1990
 24 
Robert Todd Lincoln
(35th United States Secretary of War & Son of Abraham Lincoln)
Robert Todd Lincoln
12
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 1, 1843
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Springfield, Illinois, United States
Died: July 25, 1926
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 25 
Robert F. Kennedy
(United States Senator, Brother of President John F. Kennedy)
Robert F. Kennedy
37
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 20, 1925
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts
Died: June 6, 1968
 26 
Ben Shapiro
(Political Commentator)
Ben Shapiro
195
Birthdate: January 15, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Burbank, California, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 27 
Rashida Jones
(Actress, Writer & Producer, Best Known for Starring on the Comedy Series 'Parks and Recreation')
Rashida Jones
41
Birthdate: February 25, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 28 
Elisabeth Shue
(Best Known for Her Role in the Film 'Leaving Las Vegas' and TV Series ' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation')
Elisabeth Shue
52
Birthdate: October 6, 1963
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 29 
Steve Ballmer
(Former CEO of Microsoft (2000 - 2014))
Steve Ballmer
21
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: March 24, 1956
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 30 
Ratan Tata
(Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons)
Ratan Tata
48
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: December 28, 1937
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Surat
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 31 
Jon Bernthal
(Known for Portraying 'Shane Walsh' on the Horror Series 'The Walking Dead')
Jon Bernthal
46
Birthdate: September 20, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
 32 
William James
(Philosopher, Psychologist)
William James
12
Birthdate: January 11, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: August 26, 1910
 33 
John Lithgow
19
Birthdate: October 19, 1945
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 34 
George W. Bush
(43rd President of the United States)
George W. Bush
75
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: July 6, 1946
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 35 
Isoroku Yamamoto
(Japanese Naval Officer Who Conceived The Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941)
Isoroku Yamamoto
36
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 4, 1884
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
Died: April 18, 1943
 36 
Colin Jost
(Screenwriter, Actor)
Colin Jost
42
Birthdate: June 29, 1982
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 37 
Buckminster Fuller
8
Birthdate: July 12, 1895
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 1, 1983
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 38 
Jeremy Lin
(Professional Basketball Player and First Asian American to Win an NBA Championship)
Jeremy Lin
37
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 23, 1988
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Torrance, California, United States
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 39 
Lisa Brennan-Jobs
(Daughter of ‘Apple’ Co-Founder Steve Jobs)
Lisa Brennan-Jobs
29
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 17, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Oregon, United States
 40 
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
(Known for His Role in the Sitcom ‘Home Improvement’)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
17
Birthdate: September 8, 1981
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 41 
Chuck Schumer
(Politician)
Chuck Schumer
58
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 23, 1950
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
 42 
Pete Seeger
(American Folk Singer Best-Known for His Songs: ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ & ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’)
Pete Seeger
9
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 3, 1919
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: January 27, 2014
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 43 
John Roberts
(17th Chief Justice of the United States)
John Roberts
30
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: January 27, 1955
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, United States
 44 
Mira Sorvino
(Actress)
Mira Sorvino
17
Birthdate: September 28, 1967
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 45 
Sheryl Sandberg
(Business Executive, Philanthropist and Chief Operating Officer of ‘Facebook’)
Sheryl Sandberg
21
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: August 28, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 46 
Michael Crichton
(Best Known as the Author of “Jurassic Park” and the creator of the TV Drama “ER”)
Michael Crichton
6
Birthdate: October 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: November 4, 2008
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
 47 
Norman Mailer
(Author of 'The Naked and the Dead', 'Armies of the Night' and 'The Executioner's Song')
Norman Mailer
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: January 31, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Long Branch, New Jersey, United States
Died: November 10, 2007
 48 
Antonin Scalia
(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1986 - 2016))
Antonin Scalia
19
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: March 11, 1936
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey, United States
Died: February 13, 2016
 49 
B.J. Novak
(Starred as Ryan Howard in the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–2013))
B.J. Novak
18
Birthdate: July 31, 1979
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 50 
Yara Shahidi
(Actress & Model Known for Her Role as 'Zoey Johnson' on the TV Series" ‘Black-ish’ and ‘Grown-ish)
Yara Shahidi
51
Birthdate: February 10, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Harvard is one of the most prestigious and top-ranked universities in the world. At some point of time we have all dreamed to be an alumnus of this premier educational institute. Founded in the year 1636, the Harvard University invariably stands among top 5 best universities /educational institutions in the world, year-after-year. Over several centuries since its formation, thousands of extraordinary and impressive students have walked through the halls of Harvard. These notable Harvard alumni have made their mark in various spheres of life. These accomplished individuals/alumni have shone in the field of politics, finance, science, art, entertainment, business, sports and more.

We know many successful political leaders, celebrities and business experts who have graduated from Harvard and that is the reason why many government agencies, top law firms and Fortune 500 companies make a beeline to recruit Harvard graduates. Some of the eminent personalities who were former students of Harvard are Bill Gates – the founder of the multi-Billion dollar ‘Microsoft’ corporation, actors Natalie Portman and Matt Damon, ‘Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, is also an alumnus of Harvard.

Besides numerous successful businessmen, scientists, scholars, writers, there are many celebrity actors and artists that have also been Harvard alumni. We've compiled a list of some of the most famous Harvard students of all time, along with the field/area of their achievements. This list of notable Harvard University alumni is based on the individual’s achievements and fame. We are quite certain that you will be surprised by some of the notable Harvard alumni who made it to this list.