Discover the notable alumni of Princeton University. The list includes people like Jeff Bezos, John F. Kennedy, MacKenzie Bezos, Michelle Obama & Robert Mueller. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as scientists, writers, intellectuals & academics, leaders and miscellaneous etc.

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 1 

Jeff Bezos

(The Founder & Executive Chairman of Amazon)

Birthdate: January 12, 1964

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

The founder and CEO of the multi-national technology company Amazon, Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man in the world. Jeff, who left his lucrative job at an investment firm to fulfil his entrepreneurial ambition, also owns the newspaper, The Washington Post, and its affiliate publications along with a spaceflight company, Blue Origin.

 2 

Alan Turing

(English Mathematician Who is Considered as the Father of Theoretical Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence)

Birthdate: June 23, 1912

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Maida Vale, London, England

Died: June 7, 1954

Regarded as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence, Alan Turing was a distinguished mathematician and logician. During WWII, he successfully broke the challenging German Enigma machine codes thereby reducing the duration of war by a couple of years. The scientist, who was convicted for being gay, has been an inspiration for numerous films, plays and novels.

 3 

James Stewart

(American Actor Known for His Distinctive Drawl and Everyman Screen Persona)

Birthdate: May 20, 1908

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: July 2, 1997

Best known for his everyman screen persona, James Stewart was ranked third in the greatest American male actors list published by the American Film Institute (AFI) in 1999. During his 55-year acting career, he displayed strong morality both on and off the screen, as a result of which he epitomized the ideal American man of the 20th century.

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Birthdate: December 28, 1856

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Staunton, Virginia, United States

Died: February 3, 1924

From presidential cabin of Princeton University to presidential office of the White House, Woodrow Wilson ushered a series of progressive reforms that changed the American politics forever. The 28th President of USA, Woodrow Wilson introduced several ground-breaking policies including the Federal Reserve Act. He played a key role in founding the first intergovernmental organisation—the League of Nations—for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Birthdate: September 24, 1896

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Died: December 21, 1940

Novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and short-story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. However, he wasn’t much popular during his lifetime. His works gained international acclaim only in the years following his untimely death at 44. Many of his works have been adapted into films.

 6 

Richard Feynman

(One of the Joint Winners of Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965)

Birthdate: May 11, 1918

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Died: February 15, 1988

Theoretical physicist Richard Feynman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, along with Julian Schwinger and Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, for his research on quantum electrodynamics. He also contributed to the development of the atomic bomb. Feyman made it to Physics World’s list of the 10 greatest physicists of all time.

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Birthdate: September 21, 1957

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: St. Louis Park, Minnesota, United States

Ethan Coen is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. One half of the popular filmmaking duo the Coen Brothers, Ethan Coen has received several prestigious awards alongside his brother. The duo has won four Academy Awards, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Awards, and Producers Guild of America Awards.

Birthdate: June 13, 1928

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Bluefield, West Virginia, United States

Died: May 23, 2015

The inspiration behind the movie A Beautiful Mind, John F. Nash was a legendary mathematician whose work in the area of game theory earned him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. In his later years, he was riddled with mental illness. He later died in a car crash.

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Birthdate: January 17, 1964

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Wife of the former U.S President, Barack Obama, and one of the most popular First Ladies of the United States, Michelle Obama is a celebrity in her own right. She is still very popular and is a sought-after speaker around the globe and often lends her voice to issues like poverty awareness, education, nutrition, women’s rights, immigration and racism.

 10 

Terence Tao

(One of the Greatest Living Mathematicians Who is Referred to as the 'Mozart of Mathematics')

Birthdate: July 17, 1975

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Adelaide, Australia

Terence Tao is an Australian-American mathematician who works at the University of California, Los Angeles as a professor of mathematics. Widely considered one of the most prominent living mathematicians, Tao was honored with the prestigious Fields Medal in 2006. In 2014, he was awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics.

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Birthdate: May 31, 1965

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States

Popular actress and model, Brooke Shields, was exposed to the show business early on as her mother was a model. Her mother helped her find work when she was just a baby. Starting her career as a model, she eventually moved on to acting. Besides TV shows and films, she has also appeared in many Broadway musicals.

Birthdate: February 6, 1756

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Died: September 14, 1836

A soldier, lawyer and one of the founding Fathers of America, Aaron Burr rose to become the third Vice president of the United States. His turbulent political career, which included bitter rivalry with Alexander Hamilton, concluded when he mortally wounded Hamilton in a duel and was later charged with treason.

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 13 

Eugene O'Neill

(American Playwright and Winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: October 16, 1888

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Died: November 27, 1953

Eugene O'Neill was an American playwright whose works earned him several prestigious awards, including four Pulitzer Prizes for Drama and the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature. His play Long Day's Journey into Night is frequently named among the 20th century's finest American plays. In the 1981 film Reds, Eugene O'Neill is played by actor Jack Nicholson.

 14 

Ellie Kemper

(Actress and Comedian Best Known for Her Roles in TV Series ‘The Office’ and ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’)

Birthdate: May 2, 1980

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Ellie Kemper is best known for her SAG Award-nominated role of Erin Hannon in The Office and her Emmy-nominated role of Kimmy Schmidt in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She has written comedy skits, contributed to The Onion, and released a book. She has also worked on an audio book.

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Birthdate: March 16, 1751

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, United States

Died: June 28, 1836

James Madison played an important role in drafting the US Constitution and the US Bill of Rights and is hailed as the Father of the Constitution. He also co-wrote The Federalist Papers, considered to be a seminal work of political science. As president, he led the country into the 1812 war and historians place him as an above-average president.

Birthdate: April 7, 1970

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

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 17 

David Duchovny

(Best Known for Playing FBI Agent 'Fox Mulder' on the TV Series ‘The X-Files’)

Birthdate: August 7, 1960

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

David Duchovny is best known for his Golden Globe-winning roles of FBI Agent Fox Mulder in the sci-fi series The X-Files and Hank Moody in Californication. He is an environment enthusiast and advocates for the use of electric cars. He has released music albums, written books, and recorded audiobooks.

 18 

Sonia Sotomayor

(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States )

Birthdate: June 5, 1954

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Bronx, New York, United States

Sonia Sotomayor, the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of America, entered the record books when in August 2009 she became the first Hispanic and the fourth woman to be appointed to the court. She’s a strong defendant of the rights of accused and has raised her voice against misdemeanors by the police and the prosecutors, and abuses in prisons.

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Birthdate: April 27, 1955

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Falls Church, Virginia, United States

Eric Schmidt is an American software engineer and technology businessman who served as Google's CEO from 2001 to 2011. From 2011 to 2015, he served as the executive chairman of Google. A well-known philanthropist, Schmidt and his wife Wendy established the Schmidt Family Foundation in 2006. The foundation aims at educating people on the importance of natural resources.

 20 

Dean Cain

(Best Known for Portraying 'Superman' in the TV Series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman')

Birthdate: July 31, 1966

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States

Dean Cain is an American actor best known for playing Supermanin the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. As a television presenter, Cain is credited with popularizing the show Ripley's Believe It or Not! Dean Cain also proved to be a responsible citizen by swearing-in as a reserve police officer in St. Anthony, Idaho, USA.

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 21 

Wentworth Miller

(Best Known for His Lead Role of 'Michael Scofield' in the Series 'Prison Break')

Birthdate: June 2, 1972

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England

Wentworth Miller is known for his sturdy role as Michael Scofield in the popular TV series Prison Break. As sturdy as his character Michael in real life, Miller went on to establish a successful career despite suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts since his childhood. As an openly gay actor, he also serves as an inspiration to the LGBTQ community.

Birthdate: October 15, 1924

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Died: July 2, 2019

Automobile executive Lee Iacocca became known for developing the Ford Mustang and Pinto cars while working for the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s. In his later career, he served as the president, CEO, and chairman of Chrysler. Revered for his brilliant leadership skills, he was named the 18th-greatest American CEO of all time by Portfolio Magazine. 

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Birthdate: April 7, 1933

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: December 31, 2015

Wayne Rogers worked his fingers to the bone for years in regional plays and off-Broadway before he seized the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in M*A*S*H that made him a star. In later years, he found substantial success in the financial field as an investor, businessman, and stock analyst.

Birthdate: August 4, 1956

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Cold Spring Harbor, New York, United States

Meg Whitman has previously been the CEO of HP and eBay. She has also been associated with companies such as The Walt Disney Company and P&G. She was part of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns and also ran for California’s governor in 2010. She later supported Joe Biden’s presidential run.

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 25 

Ralph Nader

(American Lawyer and Politician Known for His Involvement in Consumer Protection and Environmentalism)

Birthdate: February 27, 1934

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Winsted, Connecticut, United States

Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed was his critique of the safety measures of U.S. automobile manufacturers. His activism has led to the passage of acts such as the Consumer Product Safety Act. One of Time’s 100 Most Influential Americans, he inspired the documentary An Unreasonable Man. 

 26 

José Ferrer

(Actor and Director Best Known for His Films: ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘The Caine Mutiny’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’)

Birthdate: January 8, 1912

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Died: January 26, 1992

José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and director who established himself in the American theatre and film industry. He received an Academy Award for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac, becoming the first Hispanic actor and the first Puerto Rican-born actor to win the award. In 1985, he became the first actor to receive the National Medal of Arts.

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 27 

Samuel Alito

(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)

Birthdate: April 1, 1950

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Trenton, New Jersey, United States

The current associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US, Samuel Alito is only the second Italian American to serve on the court. Samuel Alito's journey from being an adjunct professor to one of the most powerful men in the American justice system is quite inspirational.

 28 

Elena Kagan

(Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)

Birthdate: April 28, 1960

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

The fourth woman to become part of the Supreme Court of the United States as its member, Elena Kagan was nominated by Barack Obama in 2010 to serve as an Associate Justice of the Court. She played a major role in the Cooper v. Harris case by writing the majority opinion of the case.

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 29 

Molly Ephraim

(Actress)

Birthdate: May 22, 1986

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Height: 5'1" (155 cm)

 30 

Mel Ferrer

(Actor & Director Known for His Films: 'Scaramouche', 'Lili' and 'Knights of the Round Table')

Birthdate: August 25, 1917

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Long Branch, New Jersey, United States

Died: June 2, 2008

Mel Ferrer is best known for his role in War and Peace, in which he co-starred with his fourth wife, Audrey Hepburn. He had also delivered hits such as Scaramouche and Knights of the Round Table. He also produced and played the titular role in the biopicEl Greco.

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 31 

David Petraeus

(4th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2011 - 2012))

Birthdate: November 7, 1952

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, United States

David Petraeus was the director of the CIA from 2011 till his resignation in 2012 due to his extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. He was also charged with mishandling classified information. He had previously been the commander of U.S. Central Command and of the International Security Assistance Force. 

 32 

Edward Said

(American Professor of Literature and Founder of the Academic Field of Postcolonial Studies)

Birthdate: November 1, 1935

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mandatory Palestine

Died: September 25, 2003

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 33 

John Rawls

(American Moral, Legal and Political Philosopher)

Birthdate: February 21, 1921

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Died: November 24, 2002

The Schock Prize and National Humanities Medal-winning American moral and political philosopher John Bordley Rawls is often counted among the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth-century. Notable books of Rawls, where he elucidated his theory of justice and which has influenced a variety of thinkers, includes A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism.

 34 

Jim Lee

(Comic Book Artist, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of 'DC Comics')

Birthdate: August 11, 1964

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea

Korean-American comic-book artist Jim Lee began his career with Marvel and then soared to fame with his X-Men series. Though initially trained in psychology, he skipped medical school and became a comic writer instead. Apart from co-founding Image Comics, he also created WildStorm, which he sold to DC later.

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 35 

Marvin Minsky

(Mathematician, Computer scientist, University teacher)

Birthdate: August 9, 1927

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: New York City

Died: January 24, 2016

Birthdate: June 6, 1980

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Pete Hegseth is an American author and television host. Before starting his TV career, Hegseth was an accomplished US Army National Guard officer and was honored with the prestigious Army Commendation Medal for his services. Also a skilled swimmer, Pete Hegseth swam across the Hudson Riverin support of military veterans in 2019 and 2020.

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 37 

Susie Dent

(English Lexicographer, Etymologist and Media Personality)

Birthdate: November 19, 1964

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Surrey, England, United Kingdom

An integral part of British game show, Countdown, on Channel 4 since 1992, Susan Dent is a well-known authority in English lexicography and etymology. Famous for her commentary on words and phrases and tracing their origins, she authored a number of books and worked for the Oxford University Press on producing dictionaries. She also appeared on BBC quiz shows.

Birthdate: June 4, 1952

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

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 39 

John Bardeen

(American Physicist, Engineer and the Only Person to Win the Nobel Prize in Physics Twice)

Birthdate: May 23, 1908

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Died: January 30, 1991

American engineer, physicist and Nobel laureate John Bardeen is the only person who received the Nobel Prize in Physics twice. He shared the first Nobel with William Shockley and Walter Brattain in 1956 for inventing the transistor, and the second with Leon N Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer in 1972 for proposing the BCS theory, a microscopic theory of superconductivity.

Birthdate: August 23, 1951

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Height: 5'5" (165 cm)

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Birthdate: February 5, 1900

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: July 14, 1965

Adlai Stevenson II served as the Illinois governor from 1949 to 1953. He contested as the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956 but was defeated by Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower both the times. Stevenson II also served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 to 1965.

 42 

Jason Garrett

(Former American Football Quarterback and Head Coach of the 'Dallas Cowboys' in the 2010's)

Birthdate: March 28, 1966

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Abington Township, Pennsylvania, United States

Jason Garrett is a football player turned coach. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Beginning his career as a college football quarterback at Princeton University, he has also played for  New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. He began his coaching career in 2005.

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 43 

Jeffrey R. MacDonald

(Military physician, Soldier)

Birthdate: October 12, 1943

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: United States of America

 44 

Abhijit Banerjee

(Indian-born American Economist, Professor and 2019 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences)

Birthdate: February 21, 1961

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Born to economics professor parents, Abhijit Banerjee grew up in India before he moved to the U.S. to study at Harvard. He later taught at Harvard and Princeton and is now associated with MIT. His studies on the ways of reducing world poverty won him a Nobel Prize.

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 45 

Thornton Wilder

(Playwright)

Birthdate: April 17, 1897

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Died: December 7, 1975

Birthdate: August 12, 1942

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Albany, New York, United States

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Birthdate: August 20, 1947

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Englewood, New Jersey

Lawrence Kudlow began his career as staff economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and then served as financial analyst at Wall Street, before joining the Ronald Reagan administration. Later he became an economic media commentator with National Review, and hosted several shows on CNBC. During the Trump administration, he served as Director of the National Economic Council.

Birthdate: April 28, 1930

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States

Attorney James Baker was made the White House chief of staff and then the secretary of the treasury by President Ronald Reagan. He managed George H. W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign and became the White House chief of staff under him, witnessing the Gulf War and the Cold War.

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Birthdate: September 25, 1978

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada

Canadian actor, Rossif Sutherland, has been active in the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. The son of actors, Donald Sutherland and Francine Racette, he decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Since making his debut in the early 2000s, he has appeared in many TV shows and films. He has been nominated for one Canadian Screen Award.

 50 

Pete Conrad

(NASA Astronaut Who Became the Third Person to Walk on the Moon)

Birthdate: June 2, 1930

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: July 8, 1999

Pete Conrad was an American aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, aviator, test pilot, and naval officer. He is credited with commanding the Apollo 12 mission, during which he became only the third person ever to walk on the Moon. Apart from winning awards like the Harmon Trophy, Pete Conrad was also inducted into several Astronaut and Aviation Halls of Fame.

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Students who are familiar with famous American universities would probably understand how reputed Princeton University is. This renowned educational institution, which started way before the American Revolution, is one of the wealthiest universities in the world, with an endowment of more than $20 Billion USD. The university has often been praised for having one of the most beautiful campuses in the whole of America. Princeton University has a long history spanning several decades and several eminent yesteryear personalities have been associated with this renowned institution. For instance, the world famous scientist Albert Einstein, known for his ‘Theory of Relativity’, was a member of the ‘Institute For Advanced Study’, affiliated with the ‘Princeton University’. James F Williamson earned himself a place in history after the first ‘Princeton University’ graduate to acquire a ‘Doctorate in Philosophy’, back in 1877. Several noteworthy celebrities had once been students of this famous university situated in New Jersey. The 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, was an alumnus of this great institution. Other famous celebrities who studied at the Princeton University are former American first lady Michelle Obama, legendary mathematician Alan Turing, slain American president John F Kennedy and actress Brook Shields. Alan Turing is considered the father of Artificial Intelligence and has contributed immensely to the field of mathematics. Michelle Obama had graduated from Princeton University back in 1985. This list consists of the names of several noteworthy celebrities who were once students of the world renowned ‘Princeton University’. Some of them have become chapters in history, thanks to their remarkable achievements.