DIPLOMAT

William J. Burns

1956 - Today

Photo of William J. Burns

Icon of person William J. Burns

William Joseph Burns (born April 11, 1956) is an American diplomat and served as the 8th director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Biden administration from March 19, 2021 to January 20, 2025. He previously served as U.S. deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2014; in 2009 he served as acting secretary of state for a day, prior to the confirmation of Hillary Clinton. Burns retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2014 after a 32-year career. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of William J. Burns has received more than 466,084 page views. His biography is available in 29 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 23 in 2019). William J. Burns is the 42nd most popular diplomat (up from 54th in 2019), the 2,680th most popular biography from United States (up from 4,249th in 2019) and the 9th most popular American Diplomat.

Memorability Metrics

  • 470k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 61.82

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 29

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 4.57

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.24

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among DIPLOMATS

Among diplomats, William J. Burns ranks 42 out of 90. Before him are Ralph Bunche, Porfirio Rubirosa, Dean Acheson, Martin Luther, Mikhail Borodin, and Jean Kennedy Smith. After him are Richard Holbrooke, Zannanza, Friedrich Martens, Victoria Nuland, Carl Jacob Burckhardt, and Roger Casement.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1956, William J. Burns ranks 102. Before him are Elie Hobeika, Gianni De Biasi, Hans van Breukelen, King Diamond, Luis Guzmán, and Yegor Gaidar. After him are El Risitas, Andoni Goikoetxea Olaskoaga, Horacio Cartes, Kazuyo Sejima, Sebastian Coe, and Mari Boine.

Others Born in 1956

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In United States

Among people born in United States, William J. Burns ranks 2,680 out of 20,380. Before him are Dan Gurney (1931), John Hillerman (1932), George Reeves (1914), Carolyn Jones (1930), Pancho Gonzales (1928), and Eric Schmidt (1955). After him are Flannery O'Connor (1925), Suzanne Vega (1959), Laura Linney (1964), Philip Sheridan (1831), Ronald Evans (1933), and Sonny Boy Williamson I (1914).

Others born in United States

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Among DIPLOMATS In United States

Among diplomats born in United States, William J. Burns ranks 9. Before him are John R. Bolton (1948), Antony Blinken (1962), George F. Kennan (1904), Ralph Bunche (1904), Dean Acheson (1893), and Jean Kennedy Smith (1928). After him are Richard Holbrooke (1941), Victoria Nuland (1961), Adlai Stevenson II (1900), Joseph Grew (1880), Edward M. House (1858), and J. Christopher Stevens (1960).

American born Diplomats

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