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North Carolina
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 North Carolinians have played distinctive roles.
Born in North Carolina
| Famous North Carolinians | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Born / Died | Place | ||||
| Etta Baker
(Born: Etta Lucille Reid) Blues guitarist, Singer |
Born: | March 31, 1913 | Caldwell County | |||
| Died: | September 23, 2006 | Fairfax, Va. | ||||
| Robert "Bobby" Lee Bell, Jr.
Football player |
Born: | June 17, 1940 | Shelby | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Walter Jones "Walt" Bellamy
Basketball player |
Born: | July 24, 1939 | New Bern | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas Hart Benton
Writer, U.S. Senator, Politician |
Born: | March 14, 1782 | Harts Mill | |||
| Died: | April 10, 1858 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Charles Eldon Brady, Jr.
Astronaut, Doctor |
Born: | August 12, 1951 | Pinehurst | |||
| Died: | July 23, 2006 | Orcas Island, Wash. | ||||
| Braxton Bragg
Confederate States Army General |
Born: | March 22, 1817 | Warrenton | |||
| Died: | September 27, 1876 | Galveston, Tex. | ||||
| David McClure Brinkley
Newscaster |
Born: | July 10, 1920 | Wilmington | |||
| Died: | June 11, 2003) | Houston, Tex. | ||||
| Robert Carlyle Byrd
U.S. Senator |
Born: | November 20, 1917 | North Wilkesboro | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Shirley Caesar
Gospel Singer |
Born: | October 13, 1938 | Durham | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas Lanier Clingman
(AKA: The Prince of Politicians) U.S. Senator, Confederate Army General |
Born: | July 27, 1812 | Huntsville | |||
| Died: | November 3, 1897 | Morganton | ||||
| Levi Coffin
Educator, Abolitionist |
Born: | October 28, 1798 | Near New Garden | |||
| Died: | September 16, 1877 | Newport (Fountain City), Ind. | ||||
| Howard William Cosell
(Born: Howard William Cohen) Sports Journalist, Sportscaster, Lawyer |
Born: | March 25, 1918 | Winston-Salem | |||
| Died: | April 23, 1995 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten
(Born: Elizabeth Nevills) Blues/Folk singer |
Born: | January 5, 1895 | Chapel Hill | |||
| Died: | June 29, 1987 | Syracuse, N.Y. | ||||
| Elizabeth Hanford "Liddy" Dole
U.S. Senator |
Born: | July 29, 1936 | Salisbury | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| James Buchanan Duke
Tobacco magnate, Philanthropist |
Born: | December 23, 1856 | Durham | |||
| Died: | October 10, 1925 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Thomas C. Dula
Confederate soldier |
Born: | June 22, 1845 | Wilkes County | |||
| Died: | May 1, 1868 | Iredell County | ||||
| Carl Lee Eller
Football player |
Born: | January 25, 1942 | Winston-Salem | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Donna Fargo
(Born: Yvonne Vaughan) Singer, Songwriter |
Born: | Yvonne Vaughan | Mount Airy | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Roberta Flack
Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
Born: | February 10, 1937 | Asheville | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Ava Lavinia Gardner
Actress |
Born: | December 24, 1922 | Brogden | |||
| Died: | January 25, 1990 | London, England | ||||
| Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling
Inventor, Medical doctor |
Born: | September 12, 1818 | Hertford County | |||
| Died: | February 26, 1903 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Donald Eugene Gibson
Singer, Songwriter, Musician |
Born: | April 3, 1928 | Shelby | |||
| Died: | November 17, 2003 | Nashville, Tenn. | ||||
| William Franklin "Billy" Graham
Evangelist |
Born: | November 7, 1918 | Charlotte | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Kathryn Grayson
(Born: Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick) Actress, Singer |
Born: | February 9, 1922 | Winston-Salem | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Andy Samuel Griffith
Actor, Producer, Writer, Director, Gospel singer |
Born: | June 1, 1926 | Mount Airy | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr.
U.S. Senator |
Born: | October 18, 1921 | Monroe | |||
| Died: | July 4, 2008 | Raleigh | ||||
| Andrew JacksonNote 1
President of the United States |
Born: | March 15, 1767 | Waxhaws | |||
| Died: | June 8, 1845 | Nashville, Tenn. | ||||
| Andrew Johnson
President of the United States |
Born: | December 29, 1808 | Raleigh | |||
| Died: | July 31, 1875 | Elizabethtown, Tenn. | ||||
| Charles Kuralt
PROFESSION |
Born: | September 10, 1934 | Wilmington | |||
| Died: | July 4, 1997 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| "Sugar" Ray Charles Leonard
Boxer, Sports commentator |
Born: | May 17, 1956 | Wilmington | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Dorothea Payne Todd "Dolley" Madison
First Lady |
Born: | May 20, 1768 | Guilford County | |||
| Died: | July 12, 1849 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Ronnie Lee Milsap
Singer, Musician |
Born: | January 16, 1943 | Robbinsville | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thelonious Sphere Monk
Jazz pianist, Composer |
Born: | October 10, 1917 | Rocky Mount | |||
| Died: | February 17, 1982 | Weehawken, N.J. | ||||
| Edward Roscoe Murrow
(Born: Egbert Roscoe Murrow) Journalist, Newscaster |
Born: | April 25, 1908 | Guilford County | |||
| Died: | April 27, 1965 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Floyd Patterson
Boxer |
Born: | January 4, 1935 | Waco | |||
| Died: | May 11, 2006 | New Paltz, N.Y. | ||||
| Lee Arnold Petty
Race car driver |
Born: | March 14, 1914 | Randleman | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Richard Lee Petty
Race car driver |
Born: | July 2, 1937 | Level Cross | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Kyle Richard Petty
Race car driver |
Born: | June 6, 1960 | Randleman | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| James Knox Polk
President of the Unites States |
Born: | November 2, 1795 | Mecklenburg County | |||
| Died: | June 15, 1849 | Nashville, Tenn. | ||||
| William Sydney Porter
(Pen name: O. Henry) Writer |
Born: | September 11, 1862 | Greensboro | |||
| Died: | June 5, 1910 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Matt Whittaker Ransom
Confederate States Army General |
Born: | October 8, 1826 | Warren County | |||
| Died: | October 8, 1904 | Garysburg | ||||
| Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach
Percussionist, Drummer, Composer |
Born: | January 10, 1924 | Township of Newland | |||
| Died: | August 16, 2007 | New York City | ||||
| Thomas Eugene Robbins
Writer |
Born: | July 22, 1936 | Blowing Rock | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr.
Interviewer, Journalist |
Born: | January 5, 1942 | Henderson | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Soupy Sales
(Born: Milton Supman) Comedian, Actor, Writer, Television show host |
Born: | January 8, 1926 | Franklinton | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Earl Eugene Scruggs
Musician |
Born: | January 6, 1924 | Shelby | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Nina Simone
(Born: Eunice Kathleen Waymon) Singer |
Born: | February 21, 1933 | Tryon | |||
| Died: | April 21, 2003 | Carry-le-Rouet, France | ||||
| Randy Travis
(Born: Randy Bruce Traywick) Singer |
Born: | May 4, 1959 | Marshville | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| John Scott Trotter
Musician, Arranger, Conductor, Musical director: Kraft Music Hall |
Born: | June 14, 1908 | Charlotte | |||
| Died: | October 30, 1975 | New York, N.Y. | ||||
| Zebulon Baird Vance
Governor, U.S. Senator, Lawyer, Confederate Army Captain |
Born: | May 13, 1830 | Buncombe County | |||
| Died: | April 14, 1894 | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson
Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist |
Born: | March 3, 1923 | Deep Gap | |||
| Died: | ||||||
| Thomas Clayton Wolfe
Writer |
Born: | October 3, 1900 | Asheville | |||
| Died: | September 15, 1938 | Baltimore, Md. | ||||
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