Abstract
The “famous persons” Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) provides a unique perspective on the medical literature indexed in the MEDLINE database. A total of 3,745 MEDLINE citations indexed with the term “famous persons” from 1966 through 1994 were examined. Discussions of possible diagnoses of creative artists, royalty, political leaders, and even fictional characters were a frequent preoccupation, as were assassinations. Publication dates of articles concerning a particular famous person are often clustered around an anniversary of the person's birth or death. A few famous persons account for a disproportionate number of citations.