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Russian Ancestry

ANCESTRY

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Paul Ableman
Novelist
13-Jun-1927 25-Oct-2006 I Hear Voices
Roman Abramovich
Business
24-Oct-1966   Russian oligarch
Bella Abzug
Politician
24-Jul-1920 31-Mar-1998 Feminist and former Congresswoman
Stew Albert
Activist
4-Dec-1939 30-Jan-2006 Founding Yippie
Herb Alpert
Musician
31-Mar-1935   Tijuana Brass and the "A" in A&M Records
Leon Ames
Actor
20-Jan-1902 12-Oct-1993 Character actor, a SAG founder
Diane Arbus
Photographer
14-Mar-1923 26-Jul-1971 Influential photographer
Alan Arkin
Actor
26-Mar-1934   Catch 22
Isaac Asimov
Author
2-Jan-1920 6-Apr-1992 Foundation
Harvey Atkin
Actor
18-Dec-1942   Sgt. Coleman on Cagney and Lacey
Red Auerbach
Basketball
20-Sep-1917 28-Oct-2006 Boston Celtics coach
Isaac Babel
Author
1-Jul-1894 17-Mar-1941 Soviet master of short stories
Kenneth Bialkin
Attorney
1929   Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer
Boris Blacher
Composer
19-Jan-1903 30-Jan-1975 Die Nachtschwalbe
David Blaine
Magician
4-Apr-1973   World's least engrossing daredevil
Yasmine Bleeth
Actor
14-Jun-1968   Baywatch
Sorrell Booke
Actor
4-Jan-1930 11-Feb-1994 Boss Hogg on Dukes of Hazzard
Elayne Boosler
Comic
18-Aug-1952   Has had 7 cable comedy specials
Sydney Brenner
Scientist
13-Jan-1927   Genetic regulation of organ development
Joseph Brodsky
Poet
24-May-1940 28-Jan-1996 Social parasite turned Poet Laureate
Charles Bronson
Actor
3-Nov-1921 30-Aug-2003 Death Wish
Aaron Brown
Journalist
10-Nov-1948   CNN Newsnight host
Agnes Bruckner
Actor
16-Aug-1985   Soap star, movie star
Gordon Bunshaft
Architect
9-May-1909 6-Aug-1990 Skyscraper architect
Sid Caesar
Comic
8-Sep-1922   Your Show of Shows
Melvin Calvin
Chemist
8-Apr-1911 8-Jan-1997 Deciphered photosynthesis
Oleg Cassini
Fashion Designer
11-Apr-1913 17-Mar-2006 Fashion designer
Phoebe Cates
Actor
16-Jul-1963   Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Ernst B. Chain
Scientist
19-Jun-1906 12-Aug-1979 Discovered penicillin
Jule Charney
Scientist
1-Jan-1917 16-Jun-1981 Quasi-gesotrophic theory
Michael Chertoff
Government
28-Nov-1953   US Homeland Security Czar
Noam Chomsky
Linguist
7-Dec-1928   Linguist, dissident intellectual
Anatoly Chubais
Government
16-Jun-1955   Oligarch, heads Russian electric utility
Marcia Clark
Attorney
31-Aug-1953   Former O.J. prosecutor
David Copperfield
Magician
16-Sep-1956   Disappeared the Statue of Liberty
Leon Czolgosz
Assassin
1873 29-Oct-1901 President McKinley's assassin
Stuart Damon
Actor
5-Feb-1937   Alan Quartermaine on General Hospital
Moshe Dayan
Politician
20-May-1915 16-Oct-1981 Israeli military leader
Sandra Dee
Actor
23-Apr-1942 20-Feb-2005 Gidget
Ivan Desny
Actor
28-Dec-1922 13-Apr-2002 Pan-European character actor
T. G. Dobzhansky
Scientist
25-Jan-1900 18-Dec-1975 Genetics and the Origin of Species
E. L. Doctorow
Author
6-Jan-1931   The Book of Daniel
Illeana Douglas
Actor
25-Jul-1965   Grace of My Heart
Kirk Douglas
Actor
9-Dec-1916   Spartacus
Fran Drescher
Actor
30-Sep-1957   The Nanny
Isabelle Eberhardt
Author
17-Feb-1877 21-Oct-1904 Transvestite Muslim author
Eric S. Edelman
Diplomat
1951   Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Samuel Eilenberg
Mathematician
30-Sep-1913 30-Jan-1998 Category theory
Gertrude B. Elion
Scientist
23-Jan-1918 21-Feb-1999 Developed medicines for leukemia, herpes, AIDS
Bill Evans
Jazz Musician
16-Aug-1929 15-Sep-1980 Jazz pianist
Peter Falk
Actor
16-Sep-1927   Detective Columbo
Dianne Feinstein
Politician
22-Jun-1933   US Senator from California
Marty Feldman
Comic
8-Jul-1933 2-Dec-1982 Eye-gor in Young Frankenstein
Richard Feynman
Physicist
11-May-1918 15-Feb-1988 Surely he's joking
Carrie Fisher
Actor
21-Oct-1956   Princess Leia in Star Wars
Eddie Fisher
Singer
10-Aug-1928   Crooner dumped by Liz Taylor
Max M. Fisher
Business
15-Jul-1908 3-Mar-2005 Gas station tycoon
Robert W. Fogel
Economist
1-Jul-1926   Cliometrics
Harrison Ford
Actor
13-Jul-1942   Han Solo in Star Wars
Melyssa Ford
TV Personality
7-Nov-1976   BET personality
Nikolai Fraiture
Bassist
13-Nov-1978   Bassist for The Strokes
Barney Frank
Politician
31-Mar-1940   Congressman, Massachusetts 4th
Betty Friedan
Activist
4-Feb-1921 4-Feb-2006 Rights for women spokesperson
Jerome I. Friedman
Physicist
28-Mar-1930   Verified existence of quarks
Kinky Friedman
Musician
31-Oct-1944   Texas Jewboy
Justine Frischmann
Guitarist
16-Sep-1969   Guitarist, Elastica
Serge Gainsbourg
Singer/Songwriter
2-Apr-1928 2-Mar-1991 Je t'aime ... moi non plus
Victor Garber
Actor
16-Mar-1949   Jack Bristow on Alias
George Gaynes
Actor
16-May-1917   Henry Warnimont on Punky Brewster
David Geffen
Business
21-Feb-1943   Music industry mogul
Gina Gershon
Actor
10-Jun-1962   Showgirls
George Gershwin
Songwriter
26-Sep-1898 11-Jul-1937 Rhapsody In Blue
Ira Gershwin
Composer
6-Dec-1896 17-Aug-1983 American composer
Allen Ginsberg
Poet
3-Jun-1926 5-Apr-1997 Howl!
Arthur J. Goldberg
Judge
8-Aug-1908 19-Jan-1990 Supreme Court Justice, 1962-65
Raisa Gorbachev
First Lady
5-Jan-1932 20-Sep-1999 First Lady of the Soviet Union
Susan Greenfield
Scientist
1-Oct-1950   Brain Story
Paul Greengard
Scientist
11-Dec-1925   Signal transduction in the nervous system
Jesse L. Greenstein
Astronomer
15-Oct-1909 21-Oct-2002 Co-Discoverer of quasars
Andre Gregory
Theater Director
11-May-1934   My Dinner with Andre
Alexander Grothendieck
Mathematician
28-May-1928   Grothendieck topologies
Jonathan Harris
Actor
6-Nov-1914 3-Nov-2002 Dr. Zachary Smith on Lost in Space
Rita E. Hauser
Activist
12-Jul-1934   Former Partner, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
Barbara Hershey
Actor
5-Feb-1948   Boxcar Bertha and Mary Magdalene
Don Hewitt
Film/TV Producer
14-Dec-1922   60 Minutes creator
Steven Hill
Actor
24-Feb-1922   Adam Schiff on Law & Order
Abbie Hoffman
Activist
30-Nov-1936 12-Apr-1989 Steal This Book
Nick Holonyak
Physicist
3-Nov-1928   Light-emitting diodes
David Horowitz
Activist
10-Jan-1939   Conservative activist
H. Robert Horvitz
Scientist
8-May-1947   Genetic regulation of organ development
Conrad Hubert
Business
15-Apr-1856 12-Mar-1928 Flashlights
Michael Ignatieff
Author
12-May-1947   Blood and Belonging
Ze'ev Jabotinsky
Military
18-Oct-1880 4-Aug-1940 Founder of the Jewish Legion
Billy Joel
Pianist
9-May-1949   Didn't start the fire
Erica Jong
Author
26-Mar-1942   Fear of Flying
Mauricio Kagel
Composer
24-Dec-1931 18-Sep-2008 Absurdist composer
Carol Kane
Actor
18-Jun-1952   Simka on Taxi
Bernard Katz
Scientist
26-Mar-1911 20-Apr-2003 Neurotransmitters and the pineal gland
Alfred Kazin
Critic
5-Jun-1915 5-Jun-1998 On Native Grounds
Nicholas Kemmer
Physicist
7-Dec-1911 21-Oct-1998 Nuclear weapons and reactors
Bernard Kerik
Government
4-Sep-1955   NYC Police Commissioner, 2000-01
Alan King
Comic
26-Dec-1927 9-May-2004 Jewish comic and Friars Club fixture
Larry King
Talk Show Host
19-Nov-1933   Larry King Live
Ben Kingsley
Actor
31-Dec-1943   Gandhi
Paul Klebnikov
Journalist
3-Jun-1963 9-Jul-2004 Forbes journalist, killed in Moscow
Walter Koenig
Actor
14-Sep-1936   Chekov on Star Trek
Jon Krakauer
Author
12-Apr-1954   Into Thin Air
Lenny Kravitz
Musician
26-May-1964   Wants to fly away yeah
Ann Landers
Columnist
4-Jul-1918 22-Jun-2002 Syndicated advice columnist
Joe Lando
Actor
9-Dec-1961   Byron Sully on Dr. Quinn
Ralph Lauren
Fashion Designer
14-Oct-1939   Founder, Polo Ralph Lauren
Piper Laurie
Actor
22-Jan-1932   Catherine Packard in Twin Peaks
Frank Lautenberg
Politician
23-Jan-1924   US Senator from New Jersey
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Actor
5-Feb-1962   Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Mike Leigh
Film Director
20-Feb-1943   Naked, Topsy-Turvy
Alfred Lerner
Business
8-May-1933 23-Oct-2002 CEO of MBNA, 1982-2002
Oscar Levant
Pianist
27-Dec-1906 14-Aug-1972 Panelist, Information Please
Philip Levine
Poet
10-Jan-1928   What Work Is
Monica Lewinsky
Government
23-Jul-1973   Engaged in Presidential cigar play
Karina Lombard
Actor
21-Jan-1964   The L Word
André Lwoff
Scientist
8-May-1902 30-Sep-1994 Operon theory of genetic control
Eugene Lyons
Author
1-Jul-1898 1985 Anti-Communist Editor of American Mercury
Rachel Maddow
TV Personality
1-Apr-1973   The Rachel Maddow Show
Walter Matthau
Actor
1-Oct-1920 1-Jul-2000 Messy half of the Odd Couple
Country Joe McDonald
Musician
1-Jan-1942   Country Joe and the Fish
Alice McGrath
Activist
5-Apr-1917   Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee
Ilya Mechnikov
Scientist
16-May-1845 16-Jul-1916 Researched the immune system
Mike Medavoy
Business
21-Jan-1941   TriStar, Orion, Phoenix Pictures chairman
Debra Messing
Actor
15-Aug-1968   Grace on Will & Grace
Judith Miller
Journalist
2-Jan-1948   Credulous NY Times WMD maven
Hyman Minsky
Economist
23-Sep-1919 25-Oct-1996 Inherently unstable markets
Brigitte Mira
Actor
20-Apr-1910 8-Mar-2005 Fassbinder actress
Helen Mirren
Actor
26-Jul-1945   Prime Suspect
Bess Myerson
Model
16-Jul-1924   First Jewish Miss America
Daniel Nathans
Scientist
30-Oct-1928 16-Nov-1999 Restriction enzymes (DNA cleavage)
Victor Navasky
Publisher
5-Jul-1932   Publisher of The Nation
S. I. Newhouse, Sr.
Publisher
24-May-1895 29-Aug-1979 Founder of Advance Publications
Herbert S. Okun
Diplomat
27-Nov-1930   US Ambassador to the UN, 1985-89
Marvin Olasky
Pundit
12-Jun-1950   The Tragedy of American Compassion
Suze Orman
Author
5-Jun-1951   The Road to Wealth
Benjamin Orr
Bassist
8-Sep-1947 3-Oct-2000 Bassist for The Cars
Cynthia Ozick
Author
17-Apr-1928   The Puttermesser Papers
Chuck Palahniuk
Author
21-Feb-1962   Fight Club
Charlemagne Palestine
Pianist
14-Aug-1945   Strumming Music
Olof Palme
Head of State
30-Jan-1927 28-Feb-1986 Swedish Prime Minister, assassinated
Vladimir Peniakoff
Military
30-Mar-1897 May-1951 Head of Popski's Private Army
Chris Penn
Actor
10-Oct-1965 24-Jan-2006 Nice Guy Eddie in Reservoir Dogs
Leo Penn
Film Director
27-Aug-1921 5-Sep-1998 The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
Michael Penn
Musician
1-Aug-1958   Sean Penn's brother
Sean Penn
Actor
17-Aug-1960   Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Grigori Perelman
Mathematician
13-Jun-1966   Proved the Poincaré conjecture
S. J. Perelman
Author
1-Feb-1904 17-Oct-1979 New Yorker humorist
Hy Peskin
Photographer
5-Nov-1915 2-Jun-2005 Sports photojournalist
Philippe I
Royalty
23-May-1052 29-Jul-1108 King of France 1060-1108
Bronson Pinchot
Actor
20-May-1959   Balki on Perfect Strangers
Gregory Pincus
Scientist
9-Apr-1903 22-Aug-1967 Inventor of oral contraceptives
Roman Polanski
Film Director
18-Aug-1933   Chinatown
Alexander M. Poniatoff
Business
1892 1980 Founder of Ampex
Laura Prepon
Actor
7-Mar-1980   Donna on That '70s Show
Stanley B. Prusiner
Scientist
28-May-1942   Prions
Yitzhak Rabin
Head of State
1-Mar-1922 4-Nov-1995 Twice Prime Minister of Israel
Sergei Rachmaninov
Composer
20-Mar-1873 28-Mar-1943 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Ayn Rand
Author
2-Feb-1905 6-Mar-1982 Atlas Shrugged
John Randolph
Actor
1-Jun-1915 24-Feb-2004 Prizzi's Honor
Judith Reisman
Author
1935   Hates Kinsey
Frank Rich
Columnist
2-Jun-1949   New York Times
Joan Rivers
Comic
8-Jun-1933   Can we talk?
Rene Rivkin
Business
6-Jun-1944 1-May-2005 Disgraced Australian stockbroker
Irv Robbins
Business
6-Dec-1917 5-May-2008 Co-Founder of Baskin-Robbins
Ernestine Rose
Activist
13-Jan-1810 4-Aug-1892 Suffragette and abolitionist
Irwin Rose
Scientist
16-Jul-1926   Ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation
Ethel Rosenberg
Relative
28-Sep-1915 19-Jun-1953 Executed for being married to Julius Rosenberg
Julius Rosenberg
Spy
12-May-1918 19-Jun-1953 Leaked atomic bomb secrets to USSR
Dennis B. Ross
Diplomat
c. 1949   US Middle East Envoy, 1992-2000
Eugene Victor Rostow
Educator
25-Aug-1913 25-Nov-2002 Dean of Yale Law School, 1955-65
Walt Rostow
Government
7-Oct-1916 13-Feb-2003 National Security Advisor, 1966-69
Mstislav Rostropovich
Cellist
27-Mar-1927 27-Apr-2007 Cellist and conductor
Murray Rothbard
Economist
2-Mar-1926 7-Jan-1995 Anarcho-capitalist
Oliver Sacks
Doctor
9-Jul-1933   Awakenings
David Sarnoff
Business
27-Feb-1891 12-Dec-1971 CEO of RCA, founder of NBC
Herschel Savage
Pornstar
25-Nov-1952   Go-to performer for Seymore Butts
Michael Savage
Radio Personality
31-Mar-1942   Savage Nation
Robert Scheer
Columnist
4-Apr-1936   Former L.A. Times columnist
Nicole Scherzinger
Dancer
29-Jun-1978   The Pussycat Dolls
Laura Schlessinger
Radio Personality
16-Jan-1947   The Dr. Laura Show
Daniel Schorr
Journalist
31-Aug-1916   Veteran journalist, Nixon enemy
Brian Schweitzer
Politician
4-Sep-1955   Governor of Montana
Raymond Scott
Musician
10-Sep-1908 8-Feb-1994 Powerhouse, invented the sequencer
Jay Sekulow
Activist
10-Jun-1956   American Center for Law and Justice
Albert Shanker
Labor Leader
14-Sep-1928 22-Feb-1997 American Federation of Teachers
Ariel Sharon
Head of State
26-Feb-1928   Prime Minister of Israel, 2001-06
Iosif S. Shklovskii
Astronomer
1-Jul-1916 3-Mar-1985 Synchrotron radiation of the Crab Nebula
David Shoenberg
Physicist
4-Jan-1911 10-Mar-2004 Physicist at Cambridge
Isaac Shoenberg
Engineer
1-Mar-1880 25-Jan-1963 405-line format television
Sylvia Sidney
Actor
8-Aug-1910 1-Jul-1999 Mama Carlson on WKRP
Igor Sikorsky
Business
25-May-1889 26-Oct-1972 Helicopter magnate
Beverly Sills
Singer
25-May-1929 2-Jul-2007 Soprano at the New York City Opera
Sarah Silverman
Comic
1-Dec-1970   The Sarah Silverman Program
Dimitri K. Simes
Government
?   Nixon Center
Louis Slotin
Physicist
1-Dec-1910 30-May-1946 Died tickling the dragon's tail
Ron Sommer
Business
29-Jul-1949   Chairman of Deutsche Telekom, 1995-2002
Richard Sorge
Spy
4-Oct-1895 7-Nov-1944 Warned Stalin of Operation Barbarossa
Frank Soskice
Politician
23-Jul-1902 1-Jan-1979 UK Home Secretary, 1964-65
Arlen Specter
Politician
12-Feb-1930   US Senator from Pennsylvania
Phil Spector
Music Producer
26-Dec-1940   Creator of the Wall of Sound
Jerry Stahl
Author
1953   Permanent Midnight
Sergey Stanishev
Head of State
5-May-1966   Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Peter Steele
Musician
4-Jan-1962   Frontman for Type O Negative
I. F. Stone
Journalist
24-Dec-1907 17-Jul-1989 I. F. Stone's Weekly
Igor Stravinsky
Composer
17-Jun-1882 6-Apr-1971 The Rite of Spring
Otto Struve
Astronomer
12-Aug-1897 6-Apr-1963 Hydrogen in the interstellar medium
Bo Svenson
Actor
13-Feb-1944   North Dallas Forty
Burton M. Tansky
Business
c. 1938   CEO of Neiman Marcus
Teller
Magician
14-Feb-1948   The nonspeaking half of Penn and Teller
Mel Tormé
Singer
13-Sep-1925 5-Jun-1999 The Velvet Fog
Alex Trebek
Game Show Host
22-Jul-1940   Jeopardy
Laurence Tribe
Attorney
10-Oct-1941   Harvard Law Professor
Fyodor Tyutchev
Poet
23-Nov-1803 15-Jul-1873 Russian Golden Age poet
Vladimir Ussachevsky
Composer
3-Nov-1911 2-Jan-1990 Tape music composer
John R. Vane
Scientist
29-Mar-1927 19-Nov-2004 Prostaglandins
Mike Vaska
Activist
1960   Discovery Institute
Hans von Spakovsky
Government
11-Mar-1959   FEC Commissioner
Andrei Vyshinsky
Government
10-Dec-1883 22-Nov-1954 Soviet Prosecutor General during the Great Purge
Lew Wasserman
Business
22-Mar-1913 3-Jun-2002 Chairman and CEO of MCA, 1946-95
Allen Weinstein
Historian
1-Sep-1937   US National Archivist
Melissa F. Wells
Diplomat
18-Nov-1932   US Ambassador to Estonia, 1998-2001
Paul Wellstone
Politician
21-Jul-1944 25-Oct-2002 US Senator killed in plane crash
Nathanael West
Author
17-Oct-1903 22-Dec-1940 The Day of the Locust
Gene Wilder
Actor
11-Jun-1933   Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Natalie Wood
Actor
20-Jul-1938 29-Nov-1981 Rebel Without A Cause
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
Physicist
19-Jul-1921   Developed radioimmunoassay technique
Georgi Zhukov
Military
1-Dec-1896 18-Jun-1974 Soviet commander during WWII
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Actor
30-Nov-1918   The F.B.I.
Howard Zinn
Historian
24-Aug-1922   A People's History of the United States
Vladimir Zworykin
Inventor
30-Jul-1889 29-Jul-1982 Patented color televison


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