scorecard15 of Cambridge's most successful alumni of all time
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15 of Cambridge's most successful alumni of all time

Oliver Cromwell — Sidney Sussex College, 1617

15 of Cambridge's most successful alumni of all time

John Milton — Christ's College, 1629

John Milton — Christ

The "Paradise Lost" author ranked fourth in his year of graduates. Not a fan of his Cambridge peers though, Milton said of his fellow students: "They thought themselves gallant men, and I thought them fools."

Charles Darwin — Christ's College, 1831

Charles Darwin — Christ

Often coined the father of modern biology, Darwin was sent to Cambridge by his father to study the Arts, in the hope that he might one day become an Anglican country parson.

Alan Turing — King's College, 1934

Alan Turing — King

"The Imitation Game" protagonist unsurprisingly read maths at Cambridge — he was elected a college fellow on the strength of his dissertation.

Sir David Attenborough — Clare College, 1947

Sir David Attenborough — Clare College, 1947

The infamous broadcaster has collected 32 honourary degrees in addition to his bachelors in natural sciences from Clare College.

Stephen Hawking — Trinity Hall College, 1965

Stephen Hawking — Trinity Hall College, 1965

Hawking returned to Cambridge post graduating to lecture, which he did for 30 years in the same post that had previously been occupied by the likes of Isaac Newton.

Sir Martin Sorrell — Christ's College, 1966

Sir Martin Sorrell — Christ

Sorrell studied economics at Cambridge, and the advertising mogul is now the highest paid CEO in the UK. In 2015, his annual income was estimated to be £42,978,000.

Charles, Prince of Wales — Trinity College, 1970

Charles, Prince of Wales — Trinity College, 1970

After graduating with a 2:2 in archaeology, anthropology and history, Charles became the first heir to gain a university degree.

Arianna Huffington — Girton College, 1972

Arianna Huffington — Girton College, 1972

The Huffington Post co-founder and editor-in-chief was the first foreign (and third female) president of the Cambridge Union.

Emma Thompson — Newham College, 1980

Emma Thompson — Newham College, 1980

Thompson was the first woman to be invited to Cambridge's prestigious comedy club, "Footlights," where she earned the nickname "Emma Talented." The nickname was well-deserved — she has since become the only person in history to win an Oscar for both acting and writing.

Carol Vordemon — Sidney Sussex College, 1981

Carol Vordemon — Sidney Sussex College, 1981

The ex-"Countdown" presenter had a shaky career at university, joining the famous "Nines Club" by getting a third in all three years of her course in engineering,

Lord Bilimoria – Sidney Sussex College, 1988

Lord Bilimoria – Sidney Sussex College, 1988

The British Indian mogul came up with his multimillion-pound Cobra beer business while studying law at Cambridge – he wanted a beer to go with his curry that was refreshing like lager but smooth like ale.

Sacha Baron Cohen — Christ's College, 1993

Sacha Baron Cohen — Christ

The "Ali G" and "Borat" actor began his drama career at Cambridge – while studying history, he starred in a number of theatre performances.

Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad — Christ's College, 1993

Prince Zeid bin Ra

The Jordanian Prince gained a PhD from Cambridge before becoming the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He has publicly spoken out against president-elect Donald Trump.

Naomie Harris — Pembroke College, 1998

Naomie Harris — Pembroke College, 1998

The Moneypenny actress suffered from culture shock while studying social and political sciences at Cambridge, she told The Mirror: "They talked about Eton and skiing and here was I, this black girl from North London."

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