Quickly accessible, concise information about each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia!
Michigan
People
Every state of the Union has given birth to people who have left a lasting impression on our history and culture. The following native Michiganians have played distinctive roles.
Born in Michigan
| Famous Michiganians | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Born / Died | Place | ||||
| Nelson Algren
(born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham) Writer |
Born: | March 28, 1909 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 9, 1981 | Sag Harbor, N.Y. | ||||
| James Anthony Bailey
(born James Anthony McGuiness) Impresario, Formed Barnum & Bailey Circus |
Born: | July 4, 1847 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | April 11, 1906 | Mt. Vernon, N.Y. | ||||
| Liberty Hyde Bailey
Botanist |
Born: | March 15, 1858 | near South Haven | |||
| Died: | December 25, 1954 | Ithaca, N.Y. | ||||
| Steven Anthony Ballmer
Businessman |
Born: | March 24, 1956 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Sandra Gail Bernhard
Comedian, Actress, Author, Singer |
Born: | June 6, 1955 | Flint | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| William Edward Boeing
Businessman, Aviation pioneer, Founder: Boeing Company |
Born: | October 1, 1881 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | September 28, 1956 | Aboard yacht out of Seattle Yacht Club | ||||
| Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono
Record Producer, Singer, Actor, Politician |
Born: | February 16, 1935 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | January 5, 1998 | South Lake Tahoe, Calif. | ||||
| Avery Brundage
Olympic athlete, Sports official, Philanthropist, Art Collector |
Born: | September 28, 1887 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 8, 1975 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany | ||||
| Robert Ray "Bob" Buhl
Baseball player |
Born: | August 12, 1928 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | February 16, 2001 | Titusville, Fla. | ||||
| Ralph Johnson Bunche
Diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize-winner |
Born: | August 7, 1904 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | December 9, 1971 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Ellen Burstyn
(born Edna Rae Gillooly) Actress |
Born: | December 7, 1932 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Charles Bruce Catton
Journalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian |
Born: | October 9, 1899 | Petoskey | |||
| Died: | August 28, 1978 | Frankfort | ||||
| Roger Bruce Chaffee
Astronaut, Navy pilot |
Born: | February 15, 1935 | Grand Rapids | |||
| Died: | January 27, 1967 | Cape Canaveral, Fla. | ||||
| Roy Dikeman Chapin, Jr.
Automaker, Industrialist |
Born: | February 23, 1880 | Lansing | |||
| Died: | February 10, 1936 | Detroit | ||||
| Alice Cooper
(born Vincent Damon Furnier) Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
Born: | February 4, 1948 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Francis Ford Coppola
Film producer, Director, Screenwriter |
Born: | April 7, 1939 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Eanger Irving Couse
Painter |
Born: | 1866 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | 1936 | Albuquerque, N.M. | ||||
| David Albert "Dave" DeBusschere
Basketball player, Coach |
Born: | October 16, 1940 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 14, 2003 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| John Zachary DeLorean
Automobile executive, Mechanical engineer |
Born: | January 6, 1925 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | March 19, 2005 | Summit, N.J. | ||||
| Thomas Edmund Dewey
Politician, Governor, District Attorney |
Born: | March 24, 1902 | Owosso | |||
| Died: | March 16, 1971 | Bal Harbour, Fla | ||||
| Horace Elgin Dodge
Automobile manufacturer, Machinist |
Born: | May 17, 1868 | Niles | |||
| Died: | December 10, 1920 | Palm Beach, Fla. | ||||
| John Francis Dodge
Automobile manufacturer, Machinist |
Born: | October 25, 1864 | Niles | |||
| Died: | January 14, 1920 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg
Sportcaster |
Born: | January 9, 1935 | Mount Clemens | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| David Grandison Fairchild
Botanist, Agricultural explorer |
Born: | April 7, 1869 | Lansing | |||
| Died: | August 6, 1954 | Coconut Grove, Fla. | ||||
| Edna Ferber
Writer |
Born: | August 15, 1885 | Kalamazoo | |||
| Died: | April 16, 1968 | New York | ||||
| Edsel Bryant Ford
Automotive executive, Head of Ford Motor Company, Designer |
Born: | November 6, 1893 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 26, 1943 | Detroit | ||||
| Henry Ford
Industrialist, Founder: Ford Motor Company |
Born: | July 30, 1863 | near Dearborn | |||
| Died: | April 7, 1947 | Dearborn | ||||
| Henry Ford II
Industrialist, Head of Ford Motor Company |
Born: | September 4, 1917 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | September 29, 1987 | Detroit | ||||
| Charles Leonard "Charlie" Gehringer
Baseball player |
Born: | May 11, 1903 | Fowlerville | |||
| Died: | January 21, 1993 | Bloomfield Hills | ||||
| George "The Iceman" Gervin
Basketball player |
Born: | April 27, 1952 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| George "The Gipper" Gipp
Football player, University of Notre Dame |
Born: | February 18, 1895 | Laurium | |||
| Died: | December 14, 1920 | South Bend, Ind. | ||||
| Berry Gordy, Jr.
Businessman, Founder: Motown Record Corporation |
Born: | November 28, 1929 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Julia Ann "Julie" Harris
Actress |
Born: | December 2, 1925 | Grosse Pointe | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Gustave Henry Edward "Ed" Heinemann
Military aircraft designer |
Born: | March 14, 1908 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | November 26, 1991 | |||||
| William Reddington Hewlett
Businessman, Engineer, Co-founder: Hewlett-Packard Company |
Born: | May 20, 1913 | Ann Arbor | |||
| Died: | January 12, 2001 | Palo Alto, Calif. | ||||
| Kim Hunter
(born Janet Cole) Actress |
Born: | November 12, 1922 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | September 11, 2002 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Robert Koffler Jarvik
Scientist, Physician |
Born: | May 11, 1946 | Midland | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Gregory Bruce Jarvis
Astronaut, Electrical engineer |
Born: | August 24, 1944 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | January 28, 1986 | Cape Canaveral, Fla. | ||||
| Brent Ward Jett, Jr.
Astronaut, Navy pilot |
Born: | October 5, 1958 | Pontiac | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson
Aircraft engineer, Innovator |
Born: | February 27, 1910 | Ishpeming | |||
| Died: | December 21, 1990 | Stockton, Calif. | ||||
| Earvin Effay "Magic" Johnson, Jr.
Basketball player, Businessman |
Born: | August 14, 1959 | Lansing | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| William Nelson "Bill" Joy
Co-founder: Sun Microsystems, Computer scientist, Electrical engineer |
Born: | November 8, 1954 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Donald B. Keck
Inventor, Physicist |
Born: | January 2, 1941 | Lansing | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Will Keith Kellogg
Businessman, Inventor |
Born: | April 7, 1860 | Battle Creek | |||
| Died: | October 6, 1951 | Battle Creek | ||||
| Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe, Jr.
Air Force Pilot |
Born: | July 2, 1928 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | July 26, 1958 | Edwards AFB, Calif. | ||||
| Julieanne Louise "Julie" Krone
Jockey |
Born: | July 24, 1963 | Benton Harbor | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Ringgold Wilmer "Ring" Lardner
Sports columnist, Writer |
Born: | March 6, 1885 | Niles | |||
| Died: | September 25, 1933 | |||||
| Charles Augustus Lindbergh
Aviator |
Born: | February 4, 1902 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | August 26, 1974 | Maui, Hawaii | ||||
| Madonna
(born Louise Ciccone Ritchie) Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, Actress, Entrepreneur |
Born: | August 16, 1958 | Bay City | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Lee Majors
(born Harvey Lee Yeary) Actor |
Born: | April 23, 1939 | Wyandotte | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Richard "Dick" Martin
Comedian |
Born: | January 30, 1922 | Battle Creek | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Edward "Ed" Peter Leo McMahon, Jr.
Comedian, Game Show Host, Announcer, Television personality, Marine pilot |
Born: | March 6, 1923 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| John Newton Mitchell
Attorney General, Campaign Manager, Lawyer, Naval officer |
Born: | September 15, 1913 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | November 9, 1988 | Georgetown, Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Michael Francis Moore
Author, Film producer, Director |
Born: | April 23, 1954 | Flint | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Harold "Hal" Newhouser
Baseball player |
Born: | May 20, 1921 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | November 10, 1998 | Southfield | ||||
| "Chief" Okemos
(adopted "John" aka John Okemos) Native American tribal leader |
Born: | ca. 1775 | Shiawassee County | |||
| Died: | ca. 1858 | near DeWitt | ||||
| Harlan O. Page
Basketball player, Coach |
Born: | March 20, 1887 | Watervliet | |||
| Died: | November 23, 1965 | |||||
| Lawrence Edward "Larry" Page
Entrepreneur, Co-founder: Google, Computer scientist |
Born: | March 26, 1973 | Lansing | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| John T. Parsons
Inventor |
Born: | October 11, 1913 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | April 18, 2007 | Traverse City | ||||
| George Peppard Jr.
Actor |
Born: | October 1, 1928 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 8, 1994 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Harriet Quimby
Aviator |
Born: | May 11, 1875 | Arcadia | |||
| Died: | July 1, 1912 | Squantum, Mass. | ||||
| Gilda Radner
Comedienne, Actress |
Born: | June 28, 1946 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | May 20, 1989 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Della Reese
(born Delloreese Patricia) Singer, Actor |
Born: | July 6, 1931 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr.
Singer, Songwriter |
Born: | February 19, 1940 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Theodore Huebner Roethke
Pullitzer Prize-winning poet |
Born: | May 25, 1908 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | August 1, 1963 | Bainbridge Island, Wash. | ||||
| Diana Ross
(born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross) Singer, Songwriter, Actress |
Born: | March 26, 1944 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas Schippers
Composer, Conductor |
Born: | March 9, 1930 | Portage | |||
| Died: | December 16, 1977 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Glenn Theodore Seaborg
Nobel Prize-winning nuclear chemist |
Born: | April 19, 1912 | Ishpeming | |||
| Died: | February 25, 1999 | Lafayette, Calif. | ||||
| Robert Clark "Bob" Seger
Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
Born: | May 5, 1945 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas William "Tom" Selleck
Actor |
Born: | January 25, 1945 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Del Shannon
(born Charles Weedon Westover) Singer |
Born: | December 30, 1934 | Coopersville | |||
| Died: | February 08, 1990 | Santa Clarita, Calif. | ||||
| John C. Sheehan
Chemist |
Born: | September 23, 1915 | Battle Creek | |||
| Died: | March 21, 1992 | Key Biscayne, Fla. | ||||
| Potter Stewart
Supreme Court Justice, Lawyer |
Born: | January 23, 1915 | Jackson | |||
| Died: | December 7, 1985 | Hanover, N.H. | ||||
| May Jean "Lily" Tomlin
Comedienne, Actress, Writer, Producer |
Born: | September 1, 1939 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Danny Thomas
(born Amos Alphonsus Muzyad Yaqoob) Comedian, Actor, Philanthropist |
Born: | January 6, 1914 | Deerfield | |||
| Died: | February 6, 1991 | Los Angeles | ||||
| Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas
Actress, Writer |
Born: | November 21, 1937 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Samuel Chao Chung Ting
Nobel Prize-winning physicist |
Born: | January 27, 1936 | Ann Arbor | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Chris Van Allsburg
Writer, Illustrator |
Born: | June 18, 1949 | Grand Rapids | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas Huckle Weller
Nobel Prize-winning virologist |
Born: | June 15, 1915 | Ann Arbor | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Margaret Whiting
Singer |
Born: | July 22, 1924 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson
Singer |
Born: | June 9, 1934 | Detroit | |||
| Died: | January 21, 1984 | Mount Holly, N.J. | ||||
| Serena Jameka Williams
Tennis player |
Born: | September 26, 1981 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Stevie Wonder
(born Stevland Hardaway Judkins) Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Record producer | Born: | May 13, 1950 | Saginaw | |||
| Died: | ||||||
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