What city was Richard Feynman born in?

Richard Feynman was born in New York City, specifically in the Queens borough, on May 11, 1918. His New York upbringing remained part of his public personality and distinctive speaking style throughout his life.

Feynman grew up in a Jewish family in Far Rockaway, Queens. His father, Melville Arthur Feynman, worked as a sales manager and encouraged him to ask questions rather than accept explanations automatically. His mother, Lucille, was a homemaker. Feynman later credited his father’s curiosity-driven approach with shaping the way he thought about science.

He went on to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University before becoming one of the twentieth century’s most influential theoretical physicists. His New York accent was strong enough that colleagues sometimes thought he exaggerated it, although it was simply part of his background. The answer is New York City rather than merely New York State: Queens was part of New York City when he was born and remains one of the city’s five boroughs.