Famous Cambridge Alumni

There are lots of famous people who have studied in Cambridge. Here are just a few notable names that you could follow in the footsteps of while you study English in Cambridge

Stephen Hawking 
Stephen Hawking was a famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He obtained a PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics from Gonville and Caius College Cambridge in 1966.

Charles Darwin 
Charles Darwin is well known for his evolutionary theory that all species descend from common ancestors which is outlined in his 1859 book ‘On the Origin of Species’. He obtained a degree in Theology from Christ College in 1831. 

Eddie Redmayne 
Eddie Redmayne is a famous actor who has stared in Les Misérables, the Danish Girl, and Fantastic Beasts. He also plays the role of Stephen Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything. He studied Art at Trinity College in 2003.

Isaac Newton 
Isaac studied at Trinity College in 1661. In 1687, he published his universal gravitation theory. The story of Newton discovering gravity by being struck on the head by an apple falling from an apple tree at Trinity College is a myth, no such tree existed in Cambridge at the time! It was when he visited his mother at home while studying at Cambridge that he observed apples falling off a tree in the garden and this sparked his gravitational theory. 

Prince Charles of Wales 
Prince Charles is Queen Elizabeth II eldest child who studied anthropology, archaeology and history at Trinity College Cambridge in 1967.

Stephen Fry 
Stephen Fry is best known for being one half of the double act Fry & Laurie in the Footlights, as well as his appearance in Blackadder and hosting the TV Quiz show QI. He is also the audiobook voice for all seven of the Harry Potter Books in the UK. He studied English Literature at Queens College Cambridge.

David Attenborough
David Attenborough is an English presenter and natural historian who is famous for his programmes on the BBC such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet. He studied geology and zoology at Clare College Cambridge with a scholarship in 1945.

Emma Thompson 
Emma Thompson, a famous actress, studied English at Newnham College in 1977.  She was the first female member of the Footlights where she performed with the likes of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie at the ADC Theatre which is right next to our school!

Tom Hiddleston 
Tom Hiddleston is an English Actor known for playing the character of Loki in Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World. He has also been the lead in the BBC series The Night Manager and featured in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris film. He studied classics at Pembroke College Cambridge and earned a double first.

Follow in the footsteps of these famous names and explore the colleges and places that they loved while you study English in Cambridge with us!

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