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According to the Epilepsy Foundation, a number of famous people have had epilepsy. Among them:
Historic figures
St. Paul
Alexander the Great
Julius Caesar
Joan of Arc
Napoleon Bonaparte
Dante
Flaubert
Paganini
Tennyson
Byron
Charles Dickens
Fydor Dostoyevsky
Molière
Lewis Carroll
Agatha Christie
Handel
Beethoven
Vincent Van Gogh
Isaac Newton
Alfred Nobel
Individuals who have disclosed their epilepsy either in their own writing or in interviews
Danny Glover - Star of stage and screen, famous for his roles in films such as The Color Purple, Beloved and the Lethal Weapon series; diagnosed with epilepsy at age 15
Tony Coelho - Former United States congressman (D-CA), major fundraiser for the Democratic Party, COO Wertheim-Schroder, chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
Neil Abercrombie - U. S. Congressman from Hawaii
Neil Young - Musician since the 1960s; is reported to have had epilepsy as a child
Martha Curtis - violinist / lecturer featured on CBS 60-Minutes for her determination and courage in undergoing three brain surgeries for epilepsy
Sports figures
Marion Clignet - long-distance cyclist; raced for France in '92 Summer Olympics; attended University of Maryland while living in the U.S.; captured a Silver Medal for the French cycling team in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta
Buddy Bell - played more than 17 seasons of professional baseball and was named an all-star by fans five times; was later active as director of minor league operations for the Chicago Cubs; was also a manager of the Detroit Tigers; recorded a public service announcement for the Michigan affiliate in early 1997
Bobby Jones - former Denver Nuggets/Philadelphia '76ers basketball pro; helped the '76ers win the 1983 NBA championship and played in four NBA All-Star games; is now head basketball coach at a high school in North Carolina; recently nominated for Basketball Hall of Fame
Click here for the foundation's list of 12 common myths and misconceptions about epilepsy.
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