ENGINEER
Kelly Johnson
1910 - 1990

Kelly Johnson
Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson (February 27, 1910 – December 21, 1990) was an American aeronautical and systems engineer. He is recognized for his contributions to a series of important aircraft designs, most notably the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird. Besides the first production aircraft to exceed Mach 3, he also produced the first fighter capable of Mach 2, the United States' first operational jet fighter, as well as the first fighter to exceed 400 mph, and many other contributions to various aircraft. As a member and first team leader of the Lockheed Skunk Works, Johnson worked for more than four decades and is said to have been an "organizing genius". Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Kelly Johnson is the 185th most popular engineer (up from 190th in 2019), the 4,558th most popular biography from United States (down from 3,968th in 2019) and the 13th most popular American Engineer.
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Among ENGINEERS
Among engineers, Kelly Johnson ranks 185 out of 389. Before him are John Smeaton, Ma Jun, Kerim Kerimov, Gotthilf Hagen, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, and Pierre-Paul Riquet. After him are Agustín de Betancourt, Genichi Taguchi, Eduard Totleben, Louis Dollo, Jorge Chávez, and Marc Isambard Brunel.
Most Popular Engineers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJohn Smeaton
1724 - 1792
HPI: 60.31
Rank: 179
Ma Jun
200 - 265
HPI: 60.24
Rank: 180
Kerim Kerimov
1917 - 2003
HPI: 60.18
Rank: 181
Gotthilf Hagen
1797 - 1884
HPI: 60.15
Rank: 182
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
1754 - 1825
HPI: 60.14
Rank: 183
Pierre-Paul Riquet
1609 - 1680
HPI: 60.10
Rank: 184
Kelly Johnson
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 185
Agustín de Betancourt
1758 - 1824
HPI: 59.80
Rank: 186
Genichi Taguchi
1924 - 2012
HPI: 59.71
Rank: 187
Eduard Totleben
1818 - 1884
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 188
Louis Dollo
1857 - 1931
HPI: 59.66
Rank: 189
Jorge Chávez
1887 - 1910
HPI: 59.65
Rank: 190
Marc Isambard Brunel
1769 - 1849
HPI: 59.64
Rank: 191
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1910, Kelly Johnson ranks 161. Before him are Barbara O'Neil, Barbara Castle, Helmut Kunz, Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, and José Lezama Lima. After him are Cyril Cusack, Attilio Pavesi, Ernst Schäfer, Hazi Aslanov, Jean Servais, and Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow. Among people deceased in 1990, Kelly Johnson ranks 128. Before him are Rashad Khalifa, Feng Youlan, Matvey Blanter, Venedikt Yerofeyev, Dodie Smith, and Hans Freudenthal. After him are Dámaso Alonso, Gordon Jackson, Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow, Aldo Fabrizi, Luís Carlos Prestes, and Rodolfo Orlandini.
Others Born in 1910
Go to all RankingsBarbara O'Neil
ACTOR
1910 - 1980
HPI: 60.33
Rank: 155
Barbara Castle
POLITICIAN
1910 - 2002
HPI: 60.28
Rank: 156
Helmut Kunz
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1910 - 1976
HPI: 60.20
Rank: 157
Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
NOBLEMAN
1910 - 2001
HPI: 60.10
Rank: 158
Aleksandr Tvardovsky
WRITER
1910 - 1971
HPI: 60.06
Rank: 159
José Lezama Lima
WRITER
1910 - 1976
HPI: 60.03
Rank: 160
Kelly Johnson
ENGINEER
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 161
Cyril Cusack
ACTOR
1910 - 1993
HPI: 59.97
Rank: 162
Attilio Pavesi
CYCLIST
1910 - 2011
HPI: 59.96
Rank: 163
Ernst Schäfer
BIOLOGIST
1910 - 1992
HPI: 59.85
Rank: 164
Hazi Aslanov
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1910 - 1945
HPI: 59.84
Rank: 165
Jean Servais
ACTOR
1910 - 1976
HPI: 59.82
Rank: 166
Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.77
Rank: 167
Others Deceased in 1990
Go to all RankingsRashad Khalifa
CHEMIST
1935 - 1990
HPI: 60.38
Rank: 122
Feng Youlan
PHILOSOPHER
1895 - 1990
HPI: 60.38
Rank: 123
Matvey Blanter
COMPOSER
1903 - 1990
HPI: 60.37
Rank: 124
Venedikt Yerofeyev
WRITER
1938 - 1990
HPI: 60.18
Rank: 125
Dodie Smith
WRITER
1896 - 1990
HPI: 60.13
Rank: 126
Hans Freudenthal
MATHEMATICIAN
1905 - 1990
HPI: 60.04
Rank: 127
Kelly Johnson
ENGINEER
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 128
Dámaso Alonso
WRITER
1898 - 1990
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 129
Gordon Jackson
ACTOR
1923 - 1990
HPI: 59.87
Rank: 130
Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.77
Rank: 131
Aldo Fabrizi
ACTOR
1905 - 1990
HPI: 59.71
Rank: 132
Luís Carlos Prestes
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1990
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 133
Rodolfo Orlandini
SOCCER PLAYER
1905 - 1990
HPI: 59.58
Rank: 134
In United States
Among people born in United States, Kelly Johnson ranks 4,558 out of 20,380. Before him are Tommy Aldridge (1950), Bruno Kirby (1949), Bix Beiderbecke (1903), Frank Elmore Ross (1874), Harry Hillman (1881), and Dick Button (1929). After him are George Crumb (1929), Clarence Clemons (1942), Frederick Jackson Turner (1861), Edward Gorey (1925), Josephine Hull (1877), and Elihu Yale (1649).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsTommy Aldridge
MUSICIAN
1950 - Present
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,552
Bruno Kirby
ACTOR
1949 - 2006
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,553
Bix Beiderbecke
MUSICIAN
1903 - 1931
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,554
Frank Elmore Ross
ASTRONOMER
1874 - 1960
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,555
Harry Hillman
ATHLETE
1881 - 1945
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,556
Dick Button
SKATER
1929 - 2025
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,557
Kelly Johnson
ENGINEER
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 4,558
George Crumb
COMPOSER
1929 - 2022
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 4,559
Clarence Clemons
MUSICIAN
1942 - 2011
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 4,560
Frederick Jackson Turner
HISTORIAN
1861 - 1932
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 4,561
Edward Gorey
WRITER
1925 - 2000
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 4,562
Josephine Hull
ACTOR
1877 - 1957
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 4,563
Elihu Yale
POLITICIAN
1649 - 1721
HPI: 59.97
Rank: 4,564
Among ENGINEERS In United States
Among engineers born in United States, Kelly Johnson ranks 13. Before him are Jack Parsons (1914), Jack Swigert (1931), Vannevar Bush (1890), Donald Wills Douglas Sr. (1892), Jimmy Doolittle (1896), and J. Walter Christie (1865). After him are Joseph Strauss (1870), Eugene Stoner (1922), Emily Warren Roebling (1843), Gene Kranz (1933), Seymour Cray (1925), and Jon Postel (1943).
Jack Parsons
1914 - 1952
HPI: 66.17
Rank: 7
Jack Swigert
1931 - 1982
HPI: 64.60
Rank: 8
Vannevar Bush
1890 - 1974
HPI: 64.55
Rank: 9
Donald Wills Douglas Sr.
1892 - 1981
HPI: 64.10
Rank: 10
Jimmy Doolittle
1896 - 1993
HPI: 63.61
Rank: 11
J. Walter Christie
1865 - 1944
HPI: 61.48
Rank: 12
Kelly Johnson
1910 - 1990
HPI: 59.99
Rank: 13
Joseph Strauss
1870 - 1938
HPI: 59.55
Rank: 14
Eugene Stoner
1922 - 1997
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 15
Emily Warren Roebling
1843 - 1903
HPI: 59.06
Rank: 16
Gene Kranz
1933 - Present
HPI: 58.79
Rank: 17
Seymour Cray
1925 - 1996
HPI: 58.40
Rank: 18
Jon Postel
1943 - 1998
HPI: 58.18
Rank: 19