Quickly accessible, concise information about each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia!
Missouri
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 Missourians have played distinctive roles.
Born in Missouri
| Famous Missourians | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Born / Died | Place | ||||
| Dr. Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen
Basketball coach |
Born: | November 18, 1885 | Jamesport | |||
| Died: | September 16, 1974 | Lawrence, Kan. | ||||
| Robert Bernard Altman
Film director |
Born: | February 20, 1925 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | November 20, 2006 | Los Angeles | ||||
| Maya Angelou
(born Marguerite Ann Johnson) Poet, Playwright, Author, Educator, Civil Rights activist |
Born: | April 4, 1928 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Henry Armstrong
(born Henry Jackson, Jr.) Boxer |
Born: | December 12, 1912 | Columbus | |||
| Died: | October 22, 1988 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Burt Bacharach
Pianist, Composer |
Born: | May 12, 1928 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Josephine Baker
(born Freda Josephine McDonald) Entertainer |
Born: | June 3, 1906 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | April 12, 1975 | Paris, France | ||||
| John Riley Banister
Cowboy, Texas Ranger, Law officer |
Born: | May 24, 1854 | Banister Hollow, Coleman County | |||
| Died: | August 1, 1918 | Coleman, Tex. | ||||
| Wallace Fitzgerald Beery
Academy Award-winning actor |
Born: | April 1, 1885 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | April 15, 1949 | Beverly Hills, Calif. | ||||
| Robert Russell Bennett
Composer, Arranger |
Born: | June 15, 1894 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | August 18, 1981 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| William W. Bent
Trapper, Rancher |
Born: | May 23, 1809 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | May 19, 1869 | Westport, Kan. | ||||
| Thomas Hart Benton
Artist |
Born: | April 15, 1889 | Neosho | |||
| Died: | January 19, 1975 | Kansas City | ||||
| Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
Baseball player, Manager, Coach |
Born: | May 12, 1925 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry
Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist |
Born: | October 18, 1926 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Susan Elizabeth Blow
Educator, Reformer, First public kindergarten |
Born: | June 7, 1843 | Carondelet (now part of St. Louis) | |||
| Died: | March 27, 1916 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| William Warren "Bill" Bradley
Basketball player, Politician |
Born: | July 28, 1943 | Crystal City | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Omar Nelson Bradley
(nickname: The G.I.'s General) Five-star Army General |
Born: | February 12, 1893 | Clark | |||
| Died: | April 8, 1981 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Frank Woodruff Buckles
First World War veteran |
Born: | February 1, 1901 | Harrison County | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Grace Melzia Bumbry
Soprano |
Born: | Janurary 4, 1937 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| William Seward Burroughs II
Novelist, Essayist, Critic, Painter |
Born: | February 5, 1914 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | August 2, 1997 | Lawrence, Kan. | ||||
| August Anheuser Busch, Jr.
(nickname: Gussie Busch) Businessman, Brewer |
Born: | March 28, 1899 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | September 29, 1989 | St. Louis | ||||
| Martha Jane Cannary-Burke
(born Martha Jane Cannary) (nickname: Calamity Jane) Frontierswoman, Scout, Mail carrier |
Born: | May 1, 1852 | Princeton | |||
| Died: | August 1, 1903 | Terry, S.D. | ||||
| Dale Breckenridge Carnegie
(born Dale Breckenridge Carnegey) Writer, Trainer, Self-improvement proponent |
Born: | November 24, 1888 | Buffalo | |||
| Died: | November 1, 1955 | Queens, New York, N.Y. | ||||
| George Washington Carver
Botanical researcher, Educator |
Born: | July 12, 1864 | Diamond | |||
| Died: | January 5, 1943 | Tuskegee, Ala. | ||||
| Frank Swift Chase
Artist, Founder: Woodstock Artists Association |
Born: | March 12, 1886 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | July 27, 1958 | Woodstock, N.Y. | ||||
| Kate Chopin
(born Katherine O'Flaherty) Author |
Born: | February 8, 1850 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | August 22, 1904 | St. Louis | ||||
| Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr.
Broadcast journalist, Anchorman |
Born: | November 4, 1916 | St. Joseph | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| John William "Jimmie" Crutchfield
Baseball player |
Born: | May 25, 1910 | Ardmore | |||
| Died: | March 31, 1993 | Chicago, Ill. | ||||
| Robert "Bob" Cummings
Actor |
Born: | June 10, 1908 | Joplin | |||
| Died: | December 2, 1990 | Woodland Hills, Calif. | ||||
| Jane Darwell
(born Patti Woodard) Academy Award-winning actress |
Born: | October 15, 1879 | Palmyra | |||
| Died: | August 13, 1967 | Woodland Hills, Calif. | ||||
| Dwight Filley Davis
Tennis player, Politician, Founder: Davis Cup competition |
Born: | July 5, 1879 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | November 28, 1945 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| John Wesley Donaldson
Baseball player |
Born: | February 20, 1892 | Glasgow | |||
| Died: | April 14, 1970 | Chicago, Ill. | ||||
| Charles Stark Draper
Engineer, Educator, Administrator |
Born: | October 2, 1901 | Windsor | |||
| Died: | July 25, 1987 | Cambridge, Mass. | ||||
| Jeanne Eagels
(born Amelia Jean Eagels) Actress |
Born: | June 26, 1890 | Kanas City | |||
| Died: | October 3, 1929 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot
Poet, Playwright, Critic |
Born: | September 26, 1888 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | January 4, 1965 | London, England | ||||
| Don Faurot
Football coach |
Born: | June 23, 1902 | Mountain Grove | |||
| Died: | October 19, 1995 | Columbia | ||||
| James Fergason
Inventor |
Born: | January 12, 1934 | Wakenda | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Eugene Field
Poet, Journalist |
Born: | September 2, 1850 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | November 4, 1895 | Chicago, Ill. | ||||
| Redd Foxx
(born John Elroy Sanford) Comedian, Actor |
Born: | December 9, 1922 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | October 11, 1991 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| James William Fulbright
Politician, Law professor |
Born: | April 9, 1905 | Sumner | |||
| Died: | February 9, 1995 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Joseph Henry "Joe" Garagiola, Sr.
Baseball player, Television Host |
Born: | February 12, 1926 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Dr. Linda Maxine Godwin
Astronaut, Doctor of Physics |
Born: | July 2, 1952 | Cape Girardeau | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| John Stephen Goodman
Actor |
Born: | June 20, 1952 | Affton | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable
Dancer, Singer, Actress |
Born: | December 18, 1916 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | July 2, 1973 | Santa Monica, Calif. | ||||
| Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory
Comedian, Vegetarian, Civil Rights activist |
Born: | October 12, 1932 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Jean Harlow
(born Harlean Harlow Carpenter) Actress |
Born: | March 3, 1911 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | June 7, 1937 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Robert Anson Heinlein
Writer |
Born: | July 7, 1907 | Butler | |||
| Died: | May 8, 1988 | Carmel, Calif. | ||||
| Edwin Powell Hubble
Astronomer |
Born: | November 20, 1889 | Marshfield | |||
| Died: | September 28, 1953 | San Marino, Calif. | ||||
| James Langston Hughes
Poet, Writer, Columnist |
Born: | February 1, 1902 | Joplin | |||
| Died: | May 22, 1967 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| John Marcellus Huston
Academy Award-winning Director, Actor |
Born: | August 5, 1906 | Nevada | |||
| Died: | August 28, 1987 | Middletown, R.I. | ||||
| Alexander Franklin "Frank" James
Outlaw, Guerrila soldier |
Born: | January 10, 1843 | Clay County | |||
| Died: | February 18, 1915 | Near Kearny | ||||
| Jesse Woodson James
Outlaw, Guerilla soldier |
Born: | September 5, 1847 | Clay County | |||
| Died: | April 3, 1882 | St. Joseph | ||||
| Jack St. Clair Kilby
Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Inventor |
Born: | November 8, 1923 | Jefferson City | |||
| Died: | June 20, 2005 | Dallas, Tex. | ||||
| William Powell "Bill" Lear
Inventor, Businessman, Founder: Lear Jet |
Born: | June 26, 1902 | Hannibal | |||
| Died: | May 14, 1978 | Reno, Nev. | ||||
| Rush Hudson Limbaugh III
Radio host |
Born: | January 12, 1951 | Cape Girardeau | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Mary Margaret McBride
Radio host, writer |
Born: | November 16, 1899 | Paris | |||
| Died: | April 7, 1976 | West Shokun, N.Y. | ||||
| Marianne Moore
Poet, writer, teacher |
Born: | November 15, 1887 | Kirkwood | |||
| Died: | February 5, 1972 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Marie Elizabeth Oliver
(nickname: Betsy Ross of Missouri) Designer: Missouri flag, librarian |
Born: | January 11, 1854 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | October 18, 1944 | Cape Girardeau | ||||
| Geraldine Sue Page
Actress |
Born: | November 22, 1924 | Kirksville | |||
| Died: | June 13, 1987 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| James Cash Penney
Businessman, Founder: J.C. Penney |
Born: | September 16, 1875 | near Hamilton | |||
| Died: | February 12, 1971 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Richard Marlin Perkins
Wild Kingdom television host, Zoo director, Zoologist |
Born: | March 28, 1905 | Carthage | |||
| Died: | June 14, 1986 | Clayton | ||||
| John Joseph Pershing
Army General, Schoolteacher |
Born: | September 13, 1860 | near Laclede | |||
| Died: | July 15, 1948 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Vincent Leonard Price, Jr.
Actor, Art connoisseur and collector |
Born: | May 27, 1911 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | October 25, 1993 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Ginger Rogers
(born Virginia Katherine McMath) Actress |
Born: | July 16, 1911 | Independence | |||
| Died: | April 25, 1995 | Rancho Mirage, Calif. | ||||
| Nellie Tayloe Ross
Politician, First female governor, Director: U.S. Mint |
Born: | November 29, 1876 | near St. Joseph | |||
| Died: | December 19, 1977 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Charles Marion "C.M." Russell
Artist |
Born: | March 19, 1864 | St. Joseph | |||
| Died: | October 24, 1926 | Great Falls, Mont. | ||||
| Ted Shawn
Dancer |
Born: | October 21, 1891 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | January 9, 1972 | Orlando, Fla. | ||||
| Jess Stacy
(born: Jesse Alexandria Stacy) Jazz pianist |
Born: | August 11, 1904 | Bird's Point | |||
| Died: | January 1, 1995 | Los Angeles, Calif. | ||||
| Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel
(nicknames: The Old Professor, Dutch) Baseball manager, Player |
Born: | July 30, 1890 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | September 29, 1975 | Glendale, Calif. | ||||
| Gladys Swarthout
Contralto |
Born: | December 25, 1900 | Deepwater | |||
| Died: | July 7, 1969 | Florence, Italy | ||||
| Sara Teasdale
(born Sarah Trevor Teasdale) Poet |
Born: | August 8, 1884 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | January 29, 1933 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Virgil Garnett Thomson
Composer, Music critic |
Born: | November 25, 1896 | Kansas City | |||
| Died: | September 30, 1989 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Harry S. Truman
President of the United States |
Born: | May 8, 1884 | Lamar | |||
| Died: | December 26, 1972 | Kansas City | ||||
| Samuel Langhorne Clemens
(Pen name: Mark Twain) Humorist, Writer, Satirist, Lecturer, Journalist |
Born: | November 30, 1835 | Florida | |||
| Died: | April 21, 1910 | Redding, Conn. | ||||
| Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke
Actor, Comedian, Dancer |
Born: | December 13, 1925 | West Plains | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Porter Wayne Wagoner
(nickname: Mr. Grand Ole Opry) Singer |
Born: | August 12, 1927 | West Plains | |||
| Died: | October 28, 2007 | Nashville, Tenn. | ||||
| Dennis Weaver
(born William Dennis Weaver) Actor |
Born: | June 4, 1924 | Joplin | |||
| Died: | February 24, 2006 | Ridgway, Colo. | ||||
| Pearl Fay White
Actress |
Born: | March 4, 1889 | Green Ridge | |||
| Died: | August 4, 1938 | Neuilly-sur-Seine, France | ||||
| Roy Wilkins
Civil rights activist |
Born: | August 30, 1901 | St. Louis | |||
| Died: | September 8, 1981 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
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