University of Virginia alumni

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as one of the central figures of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States and of early American literature. Poe was one of the country's first successful practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of the detective fiction genre. In addition, he is credited with contributing significantly to the emergence of science fiction. He is the first well-known American writer to earn a living exclusively through writing, which resulted in a financially difficult life and career.

American writer (1897-1962)

American modernist artist (1887–1986)

American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright

Nobel Prize winner, and Professor of Clinical Microbiology

British economist and Nobel laureate (1910–2013)

American naval officer, explorer (1888-1957)

American computer scientist (1924–2007)

Spanish politician

American physician and pharmacologist (1936–2023)

American author (1900–1998)

American geneticist and director of the National Institutes of Health

American actress

Palestinian legislator, activist, and scholar (born 1946)

American composer and writer (1910–1999)

Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan is an American actor, author, and commentator. He is best known for his starring television roles as Ryan Atwood on the teen drama The O.C. (2003–2007), Ben Sherman on the crime drama Southland (2009–2013), and James "Jim" Gordon on the crime drama Gotham (2014–2019).

American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea

American journalist, presenter, producer, and author

American actor (born 1963)

American astronomer (1872-1942)

American diplomat, ran Lend Lease (1900-1949)

American special effects artist (1946–2008)

American actress

Abigail Anne Spanberger is an American politician and former intelligence officer serving since 2026 as the 75th governor of Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district.

Kiowa author and academic (1934–2024)

American scientist and NASA astronaut

American legal scholar

American computer scientist (1945–2020)

American psychologist

American botanist and limnologist (1907–2013)

American film director

politician from the United States (1914-2013)

American white supremacist (born 1978)

Turkish astronomer (1943–2004)

American ethologist and behavioral researcher (1917–1995)

American actor

American economist (*1939)

American astronomer (1926-1993)

American novelist, short story writer

American actor and comedian (1895-1960)

American lawyer and politician (1809-1887)

American actor and model (born 1972)

American music journalist (born 1966)

American actress

American actress

American actor (1914-1985)

Dutch rower

diplomat

Premier of Republic of China (1877-1950)

American astronaut

American actress and comedian

American rower

American film director (born 1962)

American scientist, founder of MIT (1804-1882)

American lawyer

American geologist (1860–1929)

endocrinologist (1912–1990)

American film producer (1926-2015)

afghan-American activist, writer and politician

American author, theologian, and philosopher