FILM DIRECTOR
Ken Burns
1953 - Today

Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBS. Burns lives in the small town of Walpole, New Hampshire. Burns's widely known documentary series include The Civil War (1990), Baseball (1994), Jazz (2001), The War (2007), The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), Prohibition (2011), The Roosevelts (2014), The Vietnam War (2017), and Country Music (2019). He was also executive producer of both The West (1996), and Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015). Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 38 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 35 in 2024). Ken Burns is the 1,472nd most popular film director (down from 1,395th in 2024), the 10,749th most popular biography from United States (down from 9,548th in 2019) and the 399th most popular American Film Director.
Ken Burns is trending today!
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Ken Burns by language
Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, Ken Burns ranks 1,472 out of 2,041. Before him are Pablo Berger, Dan Gilroy, Attila Dargay, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Ellen Kuras, and Montxo Armendáriz. After him are Melvin Frank, Tarsem Singh, Semih Kaplanoğlu, Jorge Fons, Allen Daviau, and Peter Segal.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsPablo Berger
1963 - Present
HPI: 52.08
Rank: 1,466
Dan Gilroy
1959 - Present
HPI: 52.08
Rank: 1,467
Attila Dargay
1927 - 2009
HPI: 52.07
Rank: 1,468
Kleber Mendonça Filho
1968 - Present
HPI: 52.06
Rank: 1,469
Ellen Kuras
1959 - Present
HPI: 52.04
Rank: 1,470
Montxo Armendáriz
1949 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 1,471
Ken Burns
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 1,472
Melvin Frank
1913 - 1988
HPI: 52.00
Rank: 1,473
Tarsem Singh
1961 - Present
HPI: 51.99
Rank: 1,474
Semih Kaplanoğlu
1963 - Present
HPI: 51.97
Rank: 1,475
Jorge Fons
1939 - 2022
HPI: 51.97
Rank: 1,476
Allen Daviau
1942 - 2020
HPI: 51.97
Rank: 1,477
Peter Segal
1962 - Present
HPI: 51.94
Rank: 1,478
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1953, Ken Burns ranks 500. Before him are Andy Hertzfeld, Jan Möller, Valero Rivera López, Basanti Bisht, Ilkka Hanski, and Mokhtar Naili. After him are Don Dokken, Pat Symonds, Paul Mariner, Mayumi Aoki, Christine Ebersole, and Carol Thatcher.
Others Born in 1953
Go to all RankingsAndy Hertzfeld
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.12
Rank: 494
Jan Möller
SOCCER PLAYER
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.10
Rank: 495
Valero Rivera López
COACH
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.08
Rank: 496
Basanti Bisht
SINGER
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.06
Rank: 497
Ilkka Hanski
BIOLOGIST
1953 - 2016
HPI: 52.03
Rank: 498
Mokhtar Naili
SOCCER PLAYER
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.03
Rank: 499
Ken Burns
FILM DIRECTOR
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 500
Don Dokken
SINGER
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.99
Rank: 501
Pat Symonds
ENGINEER
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.99
Rank: 502
Paul Mariner
SOCCER PLAYER
1953 - 2021
HPI: 51.98
Rank: 503
Mayumi Aoki
ATHLETE
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.98
Rank: 504
Christine Ebersole
ACTOR
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.97
Rank: 505
Carol Thatcher
JOURNALIST
1953 - Present
HPI: 51.95
Rank: 506
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ken Burns ranks 10,751 out of 20,380. Before him are Florence Turner (1885), Richard Speight Jr. (1969), Bob Bradley (1958), Virgil Abloh (1980), Tracy McGrady (1979), and Kimmy Robertson (1954). After him are Erin Heatherton (1989), Chris Broderick (1970), Barbara Bush (1981), Sylvia Robinson (1935), Andy Jassy (1968), and Tim LaHaye (1926).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsFlorence Turner
ACTOR
1885 - 1946
HPI: 52.03
Rank: 10,745
Richard Speight Jr.
ACTOR
1969 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,746
Bob Bradley
COACH
1958 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,747
Virgil Abloh
DESIGNER
1980 - 2021
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,748
Tracy McGrady
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1979 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,749
Kimmy Robertson
ACTOR
1954 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,750
Ken Burns
FILM DIRECTOR
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,751
Erin Heatherton
MODEL
1989 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,752
Chris Broderick
MUSICIAN
1970 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,753
Barbara Bush
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1981 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,754
Sylvia Robinson
MUSICIAN
1935 - 2011
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,755
Andy Jassy
BUSINESSPERSON
1968 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,756
Tim LaHaye
WRITER
1926 - 2016
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 10,757
Among FILM DIRECTORS In United States
Among film directors born in United States, Ken Burns ranks 399. Before him are Sally Menke (1953), Lee Garmes (1898), Alan Taylor (1959), Joseph Kosinski (1974), Dan Gilroy (1959), and Ellen Kuras (1959). After him are Melvin Frank (1913), Allen Daviau (1942), Peter Segal (1962), Dick Richards (1936), Callie Khouri (1957), and Vincent Sherman (1906).
Sally Menke
1953 - 2010
HPI: 52.24
Rank: 393
Lee Garmes
1898 - 1978
HPI: 52.20
Rank: 394
Alan Taylor
1959 - Present
HPI: 52.16
Rank: 395
Joseph Kosinski
1974 - Present
HPI: 52.10
Rank: 396
Dan Gilroy
1959 - Present
HPI: 52.08
Rank: 397
Ellen Kuras
1959 - Present
HPI: 52.04
Rank: 398
Ken Burns
1953 - Present
HPI: 52.02
Rank: 399
Melvin Frank
1913 - 1988
HPI: 52.00
Rank: 400
Allen Daviau
1942 - 2020
HPI: 51.97
Rank: 401
Peter Segal
1962 - Present
HPI: 51.94
Rank: 402
Dick Richards
1936 - Present
HPI: 51.94
Rank: 403
Callie Khouri
1957 - Present
HPI: 51.88
Rank: 404
Vincent Sherman
1906 - 2006
HPI: 51.88
Rank: 405











































