NNDB (original) (raw)

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Online biographical database (2002–updated until 2022)

Notable Names Database

Type of site Online biographical database of prominent historical and modern people
Available in English
Owner Soylent Communications
URL nndb.com
Commercial Yes
Launched August 7, 2002 (2002-08-07)
Current status Online but no longer updated

The Notable Names Database (NNDB) is an online database of biographical details of over 40,000 people. Soylent Communications, a sole proprietorship that also hosted the later defunct Rotten.com,[1] describes NNDB as an "intelligence aggregator" of noteworthy persons, highlighting their interpersonal connections.[2] The Rotten.com domain was registered in 1996 by former Apple and Netscape software engineer Thomas E. Dell, who was also known by his internet alias, "Soylent".[3]

Each entry has an executive summary followed by a brief narrative about their life.[4] It also lists date and cause of death if deceased. Businesspeople and government officials are listed with chronologies of their posts, positions, and board memberships.[4]

As of 2022, the site is no longer updated.

The NNDB Mapper, a visual tool for exploring connections between people, was made available in May 2008. It required Adobe Flash 7.[5]

  1. ^ "The legacy of Rotten.com". The Kernel. October 26, 2014. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "NNDB". October 15, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  3. ^ "Rotten.com is offline", The Outline, November 29, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Schofield, Jack (March 17, 2008). "Meet the new Who's Who". The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  5. ^ Lowensohn, Josh (May 15, 2008). "Connecting executives (and celebs) with NNDB Mapper". cnet news. Retrieved October 15, 2009.