List of people from Virginia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Virginia, live in Virginia, or for whom Virginia is a significant part of their identity:
==Born and raised in Virginia== Politics, Military, Business
- George Rogers Clark (1752-1818), Revolutionary War military leader
- William Clark (1770-1838), explorer (Lewis and Clark Expedition); brother of George Rogers Clark
- William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), 9th President of the United States
- Patrick Henry (1736-1799), American Revolution figure and first Governor of Virginia after American independence
- Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863), Confederate military leader (note: Jackson was born and raised in a part of Virginia that is now in West Virginia.)
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia
- Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), Confederate military leader, commander of Army of Northern Virginia
- Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), explorer (Lewis and Clark Expedition)
- James Madison (1751-1836), 4th President of the United States, co-author of Federalist Papers, "father of the United States Constitution"
- William Mahone (1826-1895, Confederate General, founder of Norfolk and Western Railroad, now Norfolk Southern
- George Mason (1725-1792, politician, author of Virginia Declaration of Rights, model for the US Bill of Rights.
- Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806–1873), USN national observatory, naval observatory, astronomer, astrophysicist, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, educator.
- James Monroe (1758-1831), 5th President of the United States, namesake of Monroe Doctrine
- Pocahontas (1595-1617) Indian princess of Powhattan tribe
- Chief Powhatan (1547-1618), ruler of Eastern Virginia at the time of the founding of Jamestown.
- Winfield Scott (1786-1866), Military leader
- J.E.B. Stuart (1833-1864), Confederate military leader
- William Taptico (-1719), King of Wicomicco Indians
- Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), 12th President of the United States
- Nat Turner (1800-1831) leader of famous slave rebellion
- John Tyler (1790-1862), 10th President of the United States
- George Washington (1732-1799), 1st President of the United States, commander-in-chief of Continental Army in the Revolutionary War
- Douglas Wilder (1931-), first elected African American governor of a U.S. state (Governor of Virginia, 1990-1994)
Arts, Entertainment, Sports
- Arthur Ashe (1943-1993), tennis star and social activist
- Ronde Barber (1975-), Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback
- Tiki Barber (1975-), New York Giants running back
- Warren Beatty (1937-), actor
- Chris Brown (1989-), singer
- Sandra Bullock (1964-), actress
- Plaxico Burress (1977-), New York Giants wide receiver
- Jeff Burton (1967-), NASCAR driver
- Ward Burton (1961-), NASCAR driver
- Charlie Byrd, jazz guitarist
- Patsy Cline (1932-1963), singer
- Katie Couric (1957-), anchor, CBS Evening News
- Tyrone Davis (American football) (1972 -), NFL football player
- Missy Elliott (1971-), rapper
- DeAngelo Hall (1983-), Atlanta Falcons cornerback
- Denny Hamlin (1980-), NASCAR driver, 2006 rookie
- Kate Higgins, Anime Voice actor
- Bruce Hornsby (1954-), musician
- Chad Hugo (1974-), musician and music producer, one-half of The Neptunes
- Allen Iverson (1975-), NBA star
- Mickie James (1979-), WWE Diva
- Joey Mercury (1979-), WWE Superstar
- Julius Jones (1981-), NFL football player, Dallas Cowboys
- Thomas Jones (1978-), NFL football player, Chicago Bears
- Jake E. Lee (1957-), guitarist for RATT, Rough Cutt, Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands, and others
- Shirley MacLaine (1934-), actress and author
- Moses Malone (1955-), former NBA star, Basketball Hall of Famer
- Aimee Mann, composer
- Jordan Martin(1988-), national rower
- John Most (1977-), poet
- Alonzo Mourning (1970-), NBA star
- Diandra Newlin, Actress, Singer, Model
- Johnny Newman, (1963-), former NBA star
- Tyler Ricci, (1989-), cross country runner, swimmer and rower
- Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, dancer
- Elliot Sadler (1975-), NASCAR driver
- George C. Scott (1927-1999), Actor, Won an Oscar for portraying George Patton in Patton (film)
- Willard Scott (1934-), former weather reporter on The Today Show; earlier, was the original Ronald McDonald
- Sam Sloan (1944-), political prisoner, kidnapping victim
- Bruce Smith (1963-), former NFL star and career Sack leader
- Trey Songz (1984-), singer
- Ralph Stanley (1927-), musician
- William Styron (1925-2006), novelist
- Lawrence Taylor (1959-), former NFL star, Football Hall of Famer
- Timbaland (1974-), music producer/rapper
- Scott Travis (1961-), drummer for Judas Priest and Racer X
- Michael Vick (1980-), Atlanta Falcons quarterback
- Marcus Vick (1984-), Miami Dolphins wide receiver/punt return/quarterback specialist
- Billy Wagner (1971-), MLB pitcher, currently playing for the New York Mets
- Travis Wall (1971-), reality TV star from So You Think You Can Dance: Season 2
- Pharrell Williams (1973-), musician and music producer, one-half of The Neptunes
- Stan Winston, film special effects designer
- Tom Wolfe (1931-), journalist and novelist
Science, Education
- Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), Educator, Activist, founder of Tuskegee Institute.
Religion
- Jerry Falwell (1933-), Christian minister, televangelist, and political leader
- Lottie Moon (1840-1912) Christian Missionary to China
- Pat Robertson (1930-), Christian televangelist and political leader
[edit] Born in Virginia but raised elsewhere
- Rainey Bethea (1909–1936), last person publicly executed in the United States
- Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), legendary jazz singer
- Joseph Meek (1810-1875), explorer and fur trader
- Fran Tarkenton, American football player
- Skeet Ulrich, actor, starred in Scream (film), The Newton Boys, and currently the drama series Jericho (TV series) on CBS.
- Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), 28th President of the United States
- Kiely Williams- member of 3LW
[edit] Raised in Virginia but born elsewhere
- Chris Marion, (1962-) musician, member of classic rock band Little River Band
- Forrest Gander (1956-) poet, essayist and translator
- Grant Hill (1972-), NBA star
- Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), poet and author
- David Robinson (1965-), former NBA star
- Paul Wellstone (1944-2002), U.S. Senator from Minnesota
- Clipse, rap group
- Chris Daughtry, American Idol finalist, attended high school in Charlottesville. Born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina and relocated to Greensboro.
- Elliott Yamin (1978-), American Idol finalist
- Lauren Graham- Gilmore Girls
- Dave Grohl- (1969-), Drummer in Nirvana, Frontman of the Foo Fighters.
[edit] Otherwise connected to Virginia
- AVAIL, Richmond punk rock band*
- FOUR WALLS FALLING, Richmond hardcore punk band
- GWAR, shock-rock punk thrash band
- Lamb of God, contemporary extreme metal band
- Mae, Indie/Indie Rock band
- Samuel Barton, (1749-1810), Explorer, pioneer, Patriot, early settler of Nashville, Tn
- Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), World War II and Korean War military leader, mother from Norfolk, MacArthur always considered Norfolk his home town because he spent more time there as a child than anywhere else and it was a stable force in his life, He and his wife are buried in downtown Norfolk.
- George Marshall (1880-1959), World War II military leader, winner of Nobel Peace Prize for developing the Marshall Plan (graduate of Virginia Military Institute)
- Dave Matthews (1967-), musician, frontman of Dave Matthews Band (has lived most of his adult life in Charlottesville)
- William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873), creator of McGuffey Readers (spent his later years as a professor at the University of Virginia)
- Jim Morrison (1943-1971), singer and songwriter, frontman of The Doors (attended and graduated from high school in Alexandria)
- George Patton (1885-1945), World War II military leader, family was from Fredericksburg, attended Virginia Military Institute.
- Pig Destroyer, death metal band
- John Smith of Jamestown (1580-1631) co-founder Jamestown, 1st English Colony in America 1607.
- John Rolfe (c1585-1622) settler at Jamestown, first developer of cultivated tobacco for the European market.
- Lauren Graham-Gilmore Girls
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