Cambridge is a very well-known and historic city. Over the years it has been home to many renowned people. In this blog post, we have put together the famous locals of Cambridge, past and present. How many of them do you know?
And who knows, your neighbour could be a famous person of the future!
Stephen Hawking
The world-renowned theoretical physicist started his career as a graduate in Cambridge in the 1960s. Stephen Hawking was the founder and director of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University.
Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is an extremely well-known actor, most recently seen in The Night Manager series. Hugh studied at Selwyn College while living in Cambridge, where he took park in the iconic Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Emma Thompson
We could not create a list of famous locals of Cambridge without including Emma Thompson. She is a highly acclaimed and Academy Award-winning actress. Emma is perhaps best known for her parts in ‘Saving Mr Banks’ and ‘Love Actually’. However, Emma has performed in many modern and cult classics since studying at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is most often recognised for his role as host of the television programme QI. He is also a well-respected comedian, actor and writer. Stephen secured a scholarship for Queens College Cambridge to study English. He was part of the drama group called Footlights where he met future acclaimed actor Hugh Laurie.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin is a famous local of Cambridge due to his contributions to the science of evolution. It was at Cambridge that Charles was celebrated as a biologist and encouraged to pursue his passion for natural science. When you visit Cambridge, you can see a statue of him within the grounds of Christ’s College.
Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough is best known for his role in Jurassic Park. He is well-respected for prowess both in front of and behind the camera. Richard was born in Cambridge in 1923 and played a role in the Second World War in the Royal Air Force, before going into acting and entertainment.
Olivia Newton-John
Not many people realise that Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge due to Olivia emigrating to Australia when she was just a child. However, Olivia grew up surrounded by the stunning buildings and incredible history that Cambridge has to offer
Cambridge has been home to many famous people over the years. While some famous locals of Cambridge only called the area home for a short while. Many return time and time again, to this wonderful city that many of us are lucky enough to call home.
