List of people from Kentucky
Encyclopedia
The following list contains persons of note who were born, raised, or spent portions of their lives in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Authors and journalists
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| James Lane Allen James Lane Allen James Lane Allen was an American novelist and short story writer whose work, including the novel A Kentucky Cardinal, often depicted the culture and dialects of his native Kentucky. His work is characteristic of the late-19th century local color era, when writers sought to capture the vernacular... (1849–1925) |
Author Author An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... , called the state's first important novelist |
Born near Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Harriette Simpson Arnow Harriette Simpson Arnow Harriette Arnow was an American novelist, who lived in Kentucky and Michigan. Arnow has been called an expert on the people of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, but she herself loved cities and spent crucial periods of her life in Cincinnati, and Detroit.-Early life and education:She was born... (1908–1986) |
Writer Writer A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images.... of novels, memoirs, and regional histories |
Born in Wayne County Wayne County, Kentucky Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 19,923. Its county seat is Monticello. The county was named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:... , Raised in Pulaski County Burnside, Kentucky Burnside is a city in Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 637 at the 2000 census. In 2005, Burnside became the only town in Pulaski County or any adjoining county to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in qualified establishments... |
| Wendell Berry Wendell Berry Wendell Berry is an American man of letters, academic, cultural and economic critic, and farmer. He is a prolific author of novels, short stories, poems, and essays... (b. 1934) |
Author and poet Poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary... |
Born in New Castle New Castle, Kentucky New Castle is a city in Henry County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 919. It is the county seat of Henry County. It is located on U.S. Route 421 30 miles northeast of Louisville.- History :... |
| Harry M. Caudill Harry M. Caudill Harry M. Caudill was an American author, historian, lawyer, legislator, and environmentalist from Letcher County, in the coalfields of southeastern Kentucky.-Biography:... (1922–1990) |
Author, historian Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... , and attorney Lawyer A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political... |
Born in Whitesburg Whitesburg, Kentucky Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Letcher County.-Culture:... |
| Warren H. Chaney, Ph.D. (1942) | Author Author An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... , Educator, and Executive Executive Executive may refer to:* Executive , branch of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy* Executive , monthly news magazine established in 1999... . |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , Raised in Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :... , Christian County |
| Irvin S. Cobb Irvin S. Cobb Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was an American author, humorist, and columnist who lived in New York and authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories.-Biography:... (1876–1944) |
Author, humorist | Born in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| Clive Cussler Clive Cussler Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times... (b.1931) |
Author and Oceanic Explorer | Lived in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Greg Downs Greg Downs For information about the former footballer, see Greg Downs Greg Downs is the author of the Flannery O'Connor Award-winning short story collection, Spit Baths published in 2006 by the University of Georgia Press and of the history book published in 2011 by the University of North Carolina Press... (b. 1971) |
Author | Raised in Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state... |
| Damon R. Eubank Damon R. Eubank Damon R. Eubank is an historian at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky, principally known for his study of the family of U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden, In the Shadow of the Patriarch: The John J... (b. 1959) |
Author and historian | Reared in Hardin County Hardin County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 94,174 people, 34,497 households, and 25,355 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 37,673 housing units at an average density of... and resident of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... in Taylor County Taylor County, Kentucky Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county... |
| John Fetterman John Fetterman (reporter) John Fetterman was a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal. He was awarded the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for local, general, or spot-news reporting for his story “PFC Gibson Comes Home.” About the death of a soldier in Vietnam, it focused on the young man's family in Knott... (1920–1975) |
Pulitzer prize Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City... -winning journalist for Louisville Courier-Journal |
Born in Danville Danville, Kentucky Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.... |
| Larry Flynt Larry Flynt Larry Claxton Flynt, Jr. is an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications . In 2003, Arena magazine listed him as the number one on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list.... (b. 1942) |
Hustler Hustler Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to... magazine publisher |
Born in Lakeville (Magoffin County Magoffin County, Kentucky Magoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky which was formed from parts of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties and officially created on 22 February 1860. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. Its county seat is Salyersville... ) |
| Joey Goebel Joey Goebel Joey Goebel is an American author whose work centers around the peculiarities of culture in Middle America. He was raised in Henderson, Kentucky, a small town on the Ohio River across from Evansville, Indiana... (b. 1980) |
Author | Born in Henderson Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more... |
| Betty Jane Gorin-Smith Betty Jane Gorin-Smith Betty Jane Mitchell Gorin-Smith, known as Betty Jane Gorin-Smith , is an independent historian from Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky, best known for her book Morgan Is Coming!': Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky, a study of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's... (b. 1940) |
Historian Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... , author of Morgan Is Coming! |
Born and reared in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Silas House Silas House Silas Dwane House is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist and columnist... (b. 1971) |
Author | Reared in Lily (Laurel County Laurel County, Kentucky Laurel County is a county in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 58,849 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is London.The London Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Laurel County.... ) |
| Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, and Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt... (b. 1978) |
Comic book writer, co-creator of The Walking Dead The Walking Dead The Walking Dead is a monthly black-and-white US comic book series published by Image Comics beginning in 2003. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, who was replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward, although Moore continued to do the covers through issue... |
Raised in Cynthiana Cynthiana, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile... |
| Bobbie Ann Mason Bobbie Ann Mason Bobbie Ann Mason is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and literary critic from Kentucky.With four siblings Mason grew up on her family's dairy farm outside of Mayfield, Kentucky. As a child she loved to read, so her parents, Wilburn and Christina Mason, always made sure she had... (b. 1940) |
Author | Born in Mayfield Mayfield, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile... |
| Ed McClanahan Ed McClanahan Ed McClanahan is an American novelist, essayist, and professor.-Biography:Edward Poage McClanahan was born in Brooksville, Kentucky in 1932 to Edward Leroy and Jesse McClanahan. He attended school there and later in nearby Maysville, Kentucky where the family relocated in 1948. McClanahan... (b. 1932) |
Novelist, essayist, professor | Born in Brooksville Brooksville, Kentucky Brooksville is a city in Bracken County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 589. It is the county seat of Bracken County.... ; lives in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Gurney Norman Gurney Norman Gurney Norman is an American novelist, documentarian, and professor.-Biography:Gurney Norman was born in Grundy, Virginia in 1937... (b. 1937) |
Novelist, documentarian, professor | Raised in Allais; worked for Hazard Herald; professor at University of Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... |
| Marsha Norman Marsha Norman Marsha Norman is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play night, Mother... (b. 1947) |
Author and lyricist Lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Andrew J. Offutt Andrew J. Offutt Andrew Jefferson Offutt is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his name in lower-case letters.-Life and family:Offutt has been married for over 50 years to Jodie McCabe... (b. 1934) |
Author, father of Chris Offutt Chris Offutt Christopher John "Chris" Offutt is an American writer.The son of author Andrew J. Offutt, Chris Offutt grew up in a small former mining community in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky. He quit high school to join the army, but failed the physical... |
Born near Morehead Morehead, Kentucky As of the census of 2010, there were 6,845 people, households, and families residing in the city. The population density was 726.2 people per square mile. There were 2,356 housing units at an average density of 253.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% White, 3.2% African... , lives in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Chris Offutt Chris Offutt Christopher John "Chris" Offutt is an American writer.The son of author Andrew J. Offutt, Chris Offutt grew up in a small former mining community in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky. He quit high school to join the army, but failed the physical... (b. 1958) |
Author | Raised in Haldeman (Rowan County Rowan County, Kentucky Rowan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 23,333. Its county seat is Morehead. The county was created in 1856 from adjacent counties originally part of Mason county, and named for John Rowan, who represented Kentucky in the U.S... ) |
| Elizabeth Madox Roberts Elizabeth Madox Roberts Elizabeth Madox Roberts was a Kentucky novelist and poet, primarily known for her novels and stories about the Kentucky mountain people, including The Time of Man , The Great Meadow and A Buried Treasure . All of her writings are characterized by her distinct, rhythmic prose... (1881–1941) |
Poet and novelist | Born in Perryville Perryville, Kentucky Perryville is a historical city in western Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... , spent most of her life in Springfield Springfield, Kentucky Springfield is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,634 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area.-Geography:... |
| Steve Raible Steve Raible Steve Carl Raible is a former NFL wide receiver and currently an anchor for KIRO 7 in Seattle, Washington.He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended college at Georgia Tech. An original member of the Seattle Seahawks as a second round selection in the 1976 NFL Draft , he played wide... (b. 1954) |
News anchor, sports announcer, former NFL player | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , attended Trinity High School Trinity High School (Louisville) Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within the Louisville Metro governmental area. Trinity first opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by... |
| Charles P. Roland Charles P. Roland Charles Pierce Roland is an American historian and professor emeritus of the University of Kentucky whose research specialty is in the fields of the American South and the Civil War.-Biographical sketch:... (born 1918) |
Historian | Reared in Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... , spent academic career at Tulane University Tulane University Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States... in New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population... and the University of Kentucky, retired to Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Allen Tate Allen Tate John Orley Allen Tate was an American poet, essayist, social commentator, and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1943 to 1944.-Life:... (1899–1979) |
Poet, novelist, literary critic | Born in Winchester Winchester, Kentucky Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
| Helen Thomas Helen Thomas Helen Thomas is an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and post-1958 successor United Press International for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager... (b. 1920) |
News service News agency A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence... reporter and a member of the White House press corps White House Press Corps The White House Press Corps is the group of journalists or correspondents usually stationed at the White House in Washington, D.C. to cover the president of the United States, White House events and news briefings. Their offices are located in the West Wing.... |
Born in Winchester Winchester, Kentucky Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
| Hunter S. Thompson Hunter S. Thompson Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to... (1937–2005) |
Journalist Journalist A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A... and Author |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Gilbert R. Tredway Gilbert R. Tredway Gilbert Riley Tredway is a retired historian from Indiana and Kentucky, who has authored two books relating to the American Civil War.-Early years, military, education:... (born 1922) |
Author and American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... historian Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... |
Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... native; professor in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the influential literary journal The Southern Review with Cleanth Brooks in 1935... (1905–1989) |
First poet laureate Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of... of the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Born in Guthrie Guthrie, Kentucky Guthrie is a city in Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,469 at the 2000 census. The city is named for James Guthrie, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad when the city was incorporated in 1867.-Geography:... |
Explorers, pioneers, and military personnel
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Bean Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of... (1825–1903) |
Eccentric Old West American Old West The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century... justice of the peace Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions... |
Born in Mason County Mason County, Kentucky Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 16,800. Its county seat is Maysville. The county is named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights"... |
| Stephen Bishop Stephen Bishop (cave explorer) Stephen Bishop was a mixed race slave famous for being one of the lead explorers and guides to the Mammoth Cave in the U.S. state of Kentucky.... (1780–1857) |
Slave, and cave explorer | Published the first map of Mammoth Cave |
| Jim Bowie Jim Bowie James "Jim" Bowie , a 19th-century American pioneer, slave trader, land speculator, and soldier, played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Alamo... (1796–1836) |
Died at the Battle of the Alamo Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed... , made famous the Bowie knife Bowie knife A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knife first popularized by Colonel James "Jim" Bowie in the early 19th Century. Since the first incarnation was created by James Black, the Bowie knife has come to incorporate several recognizable and characteristic design features, although its... |
Born in Logan County Logan County, Kentucky Logan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville... |
| Kit Carson Kit Carson Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married... (1809–1868) |
Indian Indigenous peoples of the Americas The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans... agent, trapper scout |
Born in Madison County Madison County, Kentucky Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2008, the population was 82,192. Its county seat is Richmond. The county is named for Virginia statesman James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. This is also where famous pioneer Daniel... |
| William J. Crowe William J. Crowe Admiral William James Crowe, Jr. was a United States Navy Admiral who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Bill Clinton.-Biography:Crowe was born in La Grange, Kentucky... Jr. (1925–2007) |
U.S. Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S... admiral Admiral Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"... and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff |
Born in La Grange La Grange, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 5,676 people, 2,216 households, and 1,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,514.8 people per square mile . There were 2,330 housing units at an average density of 621.8 per square mile... |
| William R. Higgins William R. Higgins William Richard "Rich" Higgins was a United States Marine Corps colonel who was captured in 1988 while serving on a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. He was held hostage, tortured and eventually murdered by his captors.-Biography:William Higgins was born in Danville, Kentucky on... (1945–1990) |
U.S. Marine United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States... colonel who was captured in 1988 and eventually murdered |
Born in Danville Danville, Kentucky Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.... |
| Joseph Holt Joseph Holt General Joseph Holt was a leading member of the Buchanan administration and was Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, most notably during the Lincoln assassination trials.-Early life:... (1807–1894) |
United States Postmaster General United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence... and Judge Advocate General Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army The Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army is composed of Army officers who are also lawyers and who provide legal services to the Army at all levels of command. The Judge Advocate General's Legal Service includes judge advocates, warrant officers, paralegal noncommissioned... |
Born in Breckinridge County Breckinridge County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 18,648 people, 7,324 households, and 5,309 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,890 housing units at an average density of... |
| Husband E. Kimmel Husband E. Kimmel Husband Edward Kimmel was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. He served as Commander-in-chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of the attack, he was removed from office and was reduced to his permanent two-star rank of rear admiral... (1882–1968) |
Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941... |
Born in Henderson Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more... |
| Franklin Sousley Franklin Sousley Franklin Runyon Sousley was one of the six men in the famous photograph of United States Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in World War II.-Childhood:... (1925–1945) |
One of the six flagraisers in the photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely... |
Born in Hilltop (Fleming County Fleming County, Kentucky Fleming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. As of 2000, the population was 13,792. Its county seat is Flemingsburg. The county is named for Colonel John Fleming. It's a prohibition or dry county... ) |
Film, radio, and television personalities
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Ned Beatty Ned Beatty Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award.... (b. 1937) |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| James Best James Best James Best is an American actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the CBS television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He has also worked as an acting coach, artist, and musician.-Early years:... (b. 1926) |
Actor | Born in Powderly Powderly, Kentucky Powderly is a city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 846 at the 2000 census. The city is named for Terence Powderly, who opened a coal mine there in 1887.-Geography:Powderly is located at .... |
| Rodger Bingham (b. 1947) nicknamed 'Kentucky Joe' | Fifth runner up on Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS... |
Lives in Crittenden Crittenden, Kentucky Crittenden is a city in Grant County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,401 at the 2000 census. It was named for Kentucky statesman John J... |
| Foster Brooks Foster Brooks Foster Brooks was an American actor and comedian most famous for his portrayal of a lovable drunken man in nightclub performances and television programs.-Biography:... (1912–2001) |
Actor and comedian Comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| W. Earl Brown W. Earl Brown W. Earl Brown is an American character actor who has appeared in many mainstream film and television projects. He is perhaps best known as Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood... (b. 1963) |
Actor | Born in Murray Murray, Kentucky Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky... |
| Tod Browning Tod Browning Tod Browning was an American motion picture actor, director and screenwriter.Browning's career spanned the silent and talkie eras... (1880–1962) |
Actor and director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Leo Burmester Leo Burmester Leo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ... (1944–2007) |
Actor | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jennifer Carpenter Jennifer Carpenter Jennifer Leann Carpenter is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Emily Rose in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Debra Morgan on Dexter, and the lead role in the 2008 horror movie Quarantine.-Early life:... (b. 1979) |
Actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| John Carpenter John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born... (b. 1948) |
Film director | Raised in Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... and attended Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier.... |
| Warren H. Chaney, Ph.D. (1942) | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... , Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... , screenwriter Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... and performer/actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , Raised in Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :... , Christian County |
| George Clooney George Clooney George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award... (b. 1961) |
Actor | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... , raised in Augusta Augusta, Kentucky Augusta is a city in Bracken County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2005 census, the city population was 2,004. When Bracken County was organized in 1796, Augusta was the county seat... |
| Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –... (1928–2002) |
Actress and singer | Born and raised in Maysville Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville... |
| William Conrad William Conrad William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television.... (1920–1994) |
Actor and narrator Narrator A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... in radio Radio Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space... , film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... and television Television Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound... |
Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Tom Cruise Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards.... (b. 1962) |
Actor and producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Kassie DePaiva Kassie DePaiva Kassie DePaiva is an American soap opera actress and singer. She was credited prior to 1996 as Kassie Wesley.-Private life:... (b. 1961) |
Actress | Born and raised in Morganfield Morganfield, Kentucky Morganfield is a city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,494 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union County... |
| Johnny Depp Johnny Depp John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol... (b. 1963) |
Actor | Born in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Bob Edwards Bob Edwards Robert Alan Edwards is a Peabody Award-winning member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He was the first broadcaster with a large national following to join the field of satellite radio... (b. 1947) |
NPR radio host | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Farah Fath Farah Fath Farah LeeAllen Fath is an American actress. She has portrayed Gigi Morasco on the ABC Daytime soap opera One Life to Live since Fall 2007 and then took over the role of what is believed to be Gigi's sister Stacy Morasco in October 2011, and is most notable for playing Mimi Lockhart Brady from 1999... (b. 1984) |
Actress | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Don Galloway Don Galloway Donald "Don" Galloway was an American actor of stage, film and television, a political libertarian and journalist, perhaps best-known for his role as Raymond Burr's protégé, Detective Sergeant Ed Brown, on the long-running crime drama Ironside... (1937–2009) |
Actor | Born and raised in Brooksville Brooksville, Kentucky Brooksville is a city in Bracken County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 589. It is the county seat of Bracken County.... |
| Rebecca Gayheart Rebecca Gayheart -Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent... (b. 1971) |
Actress | Born in Hazard Hazard, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile... |
| Billy Gilbert Billy Gilbert Billy Gilbert was an American comedian and actor known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows starting in 1929. He is not to be confused with silent film actor Billy Gilbert Billy Gilbert (September 12, 1894 – September 23,... (1894–1971) |
Actor and comedian | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| D. W. Griffith D. W. Griffith David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera... (1875–1948) |
Filmmaker | Born in La Grange La Grange, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 5,676 people, 2,216 households, and 1,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,514.8 people per square mile . There were 2,330 housing units at an average density of 621.8 per square mile... |
| Florence Henderson Florence Henderson Florence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974... (b. 1934) |
Actress | Raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Josh Hopkins Josh Hopkins William Joshua Hopkins is an American actor.-Career:Hopkins joined the fourth, and last season, of New York Undercover in 1998. In 1999 Hopkins starred in Alanis Morissette's "Unsent" music video... (b. 1970) |
Actor | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Elizabeth Ann Hulette Miss Elizabeth Elizabeth Ann Hulette , best known as Miss Elizabeth, was an American professional wrestling manager. She gained international fame from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the manager to the late... aka "Miss Elizabeth" (1960–2003) |
Professional wrestling manager Manager (professional wrestling) In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the... and valet |
Born and raised in Frankfort Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States... |
| Josh Hutcherson Josh Hutcherson Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles... (b. 1992) |
Actor | Born in Union Union, Kentucky Union is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,379 in the 2010 Census. Previously a small rural community, the city began to experience rapid residential development in the 1990s and 2000s and has now become one of Cincinnati's more affluent suburbs.- History :The... |
| Ashley Judd Ashley Judd Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes... (b. 1968) |
Actress | Raised in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| Patricia Kalember Patricia Kalember Patricia Kathryn Kalember is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Georgiana "Georgie" Reed Whitsig on the NBC drama Sisters , Susannah Hart Shepherd on the popular 1980s television show Thirtysomething and as Judge Karen Taten on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .- Life and... (b. 1956) |
Actress | Partly raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Robert Karnes Robert Karnes Robert A. Karnes was a prolific television actor who also appeared in some films early in his career, including mostly uncredited parts in The Best Years of Our Lives , Miracle on 34th Street , Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye , and From Here to Eternity... (1917–1979) |
Actor | Born in Kentucky; city not given |
| Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American film and television actress. She has had lead roles in TBS's The Bill Engvall Show and in the independent films The Burning Plain and Winter's Bone, for which she received critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress... (b. 1990) |
Actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Matt Long Matt Long Matthew Clayton "Matt" Long is an American actor. He played the teenaged Jack McCallister on Jack & Bobby, the younger Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, and Tyler Prince in Sydney White.... (b. 1980) |
Actor | Born in Winchester Winchester, Kentucky Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
| Lee Majors Lee Majors Lee Majors is an American television, film and voice actor, best known for his starring role as Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and as Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy .... (b. 1939) |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Raised in Middlesboro |
| Terrence Mann Terrence Mann Terrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades... (b. 1951) |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Born in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| William Mapother William Mapother William Reibert Mapother, Jr. is an American actor and former teacher, perhaps best known for his role as Ethan Rom on the television series Lost.-Personal life:... (b. 1965) |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Victor Mature Victor Mature Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,... (1915–1999) |
Actor | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Charles Napier Charles Napier (actor) Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:... (b. 1936) |
Actor | Born in Scottsville Scottsville, Kentucky Scottsville is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Scottsville is located at .... |
| Patricia Neal Patricia Neal Patricia Neal was an American actress of stage and screen. She was best known for her film roles as World War II widow Helen Benson in The Day the Earth Stood Still , wealthy matron Emily Eustace Failenson in Breakfast at Tiffany's , middle-aged housekeeper Alma Brown in Hud , for which she won... (1926–2010) |
Actress | Born in Packard Packard, Kentucky Packard is a ghost town in Whitley County, Kentucky, United States. Packard was located southeast of Williamsburg. The community was a coal town which served the Packard Coal Company; the community and the company were named after Whitley County school teacher Amelia Packard... (Whitley County Whitley County, Kentucky Whitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities... ) |
| Grady Nutt Grady Nutt Grady Lee Nutt was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism and earned him the title as "The Prime Minister of Humor."... (1937–1981) |
Religious humorist; television personality (Hee Haw Hee Haw Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being... ) |
Lived in Louisville from 1960 until his death including the entire time of his rise to fame |
| Warren Oates Warren Oates Warren Mercer Oates was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah including The Wild Bunch and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia... (1928–1982) |
Actor | Born in Depoy (Muhlenberg County Muhlenberg County, Kentucky Muhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville.... ) |
| Sean O'Bryan Sean O'Bryan Sean O'Bryan is an American film and television actor.-Career:O'Bryan has guest-starred on such television series as MacGyver, Cold Case, Quantum Leap, Murder, She Wrote, Chicago Hope, Roseanne, Six Feet Under, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Bones, and the middle. He... (b. 1963) |
Actor | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Annie Potts Annie Potts Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress... (b. 1952) |
Actress | Born in Franklin Franklin, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 3,251 households, and 2,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,074.7 people per square mile . There were 3,609 housing units at an average density of 485.1 per square mile... |
| Lawrence Pressman Lawrence Pressman David M. Pressman, Senior is an American actor, probably best known for roles on Doogie Howser, M.D., Ladies Man, a recurring role on Profiler, the titular character on Mulligan's Stew and as a fictional scientist in the 1971 film The Hellstrom Chronicle.His first role was on the soap opera The... (b. 1939) |
Actor | Born in Cynthiana Cynthiana, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile... |
| Wes Ramsey Wes Ramsey Wesley A. Ramsey is an American actor.He is perhaps best known for his performance in the romantic drama Latter Days and for his multiple appearances in Charmed as Wyatt Halliwell.- Film credits :*Way Off Broadway... (b. 1977) |
Actor | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jeffrey Reddick Jeffrey Reddick Jeffrey Reddick is an American screenwriter best known for creating The Final Destination series. He also wrote the horror film Tamara and the remake of Day of the Dead. Raised in Jackson, Kentucky, he graduated Breathitt County High School in 1987 and attended Berea College... |
Screenwriter Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... , actor, and film producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Raised in Jackson Jackson, Kentucky There were 1,005 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had... |
| Rob Riggle Rob Riggle Robert Allen "Rob" Riggle, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and United States Marine Corps officer. He is best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 2006–2008, as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2004–2005, and for his comedic roles in films such... (b. 1970) |
Actor on The Daily Show The Daily Show The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998... , The Office, and SNL |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Kelly Rutherford Kelly Rutherford Kelly Danne Melissa Rutherford is an American actress known for her roles of Stephanie "Sam" Whitmore on Generations, Megan Lewis on Melrose Place from 1996 to 1999 and currently as Lily van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl... (b. 1968) |
Actress on Melrose Place and Gossip Girl Gossip Girl Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite... |
Born in Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state... |
| Jeri Ryan Jeri Ryan Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series... (b. 1968) |
Actress | Raised in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,... (b. 1928) |
Actor | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Diane Sawyer Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America .... (b. 1945) |
TV journalist Journalist A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A... |
Born and raised in Glasgow Glasgow, Kentucky Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine... ; lived in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| William Shatner William Shatner William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T... (b. 1931) |
Actor | Seasonally resides in Woodford County Woodford County, Kentucky Woodford County is a county located in the heart of the Bluegrass region of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 23,208. Its county seat is Versailles. The county is named for General William Woodford, who was with General George Washington at Valley Forge... |
| Molly Sims Molly Sims Molly Sims is an American model and actress. Sims is known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her role as Delinda Deline in the NBC drama Las Vegas. She is also an ambassador for Operation Smile... (b. 1973) |
Actress and model | Born in Murray Murray, Kentucky Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky... |
| J. Smith-Cameron J. Smith-Cameron J. Smith-Cameron is an American actress.Smith-Cameron was born Jean Isabel Smith in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of architect Richard Sharpe Smith. She was raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and attended Florida State University where she was enrolled in the School of Theatre... (b. 1955) |
Actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Harry Dean Stanton Harry Dean Stanton Harry Dean Stanton is an American actor, musician, and singer. Stanton's career has spanned over fifty years, which has seen him star in such films as Paris, Texas, Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, Alien, Repo Man, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, The Green Mile and The Pledge... (b. 1926) |
Actor | Born in West Irvine (Estill County Estill County, Kentucky Estill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1808. As of 2000, the population was 15,307. Its county seat is Irvine, Kentucky. Formed in 1808, the county is named after Captain James Estill, a Kentucky militia officer killed in the Battle of Little Mountain... ) |
| Chrishell Stause Chrishell Stause Terrina Chrishell Stause is an American actress, best known for role Amanda Dillon on All My Children.-Life and career:Terrina Chrishell Stause from Draffenville, Kentucky. Stause attended Murray State University where she received her B.A. in Theater in 2003... (b. 1981) |
Actress | Born in Draffenville Draffenville, Kentucky Draffenville is an unincorporated community in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. It lies at the intersection of the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway, U.S. Route 68, and U.S. Route 641. Several businesses, Marshall County High School, and Mike Miller County Park are located in the... (Marshall County Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 30,125. The 2007 Census Bureau population estimate was 31,258. Its county seat is Benton. It was a dry county until 2004, when residents of Calvert City voted to allow sales of liquor by the drink in... ) |
| Madame Sul-Te-Wan Madame Sul-Te-Wan Madame Sul-Te-Wan was an American actress. The daughter of freed slaves, she began her career in entertainment touring the east coast with various theatrical companies and moved to California to become a member of the fledgling film community... (1873–1959) |
Actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Gus Van Sant Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the... (b. 1952) |
Film director | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jim Varney Jim Varney James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P... (1949–2000) |
Actor and comedian | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Jack Warden Jack Warden Jack Warden was an American character actor.-Early life:Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Laura M. and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician. He was of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry... (1920–2006) |
Actor | Raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Chuck Woolery Chuck Woolery Charles Herbert "Chuck" Woolery is an American game show host. He has had long-running tenures hosting several different game shows. He was the original host of Wheel of Fortune from 1975–81, the original incarnation of Love Connection from 1983–94, and Scrabble from 1984–90... (b. 1940) |
Game show host | Born in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| Sean Young Sean Young Sean Young is an American actress, best known for her performance in films from the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out.-Early life:... (b. 1959) |
Actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Steve Zahn Steve Zahn -Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School... (b. 1967) |
Actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Lives in Scott County Scott County, Kentucky Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 47,173 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Georgetown.Scott County is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
Government and political leaders
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Alben W. Barkley Alben W. Barkley Alben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman.... (1877–1956) |
Vice President of the United States Vice President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term... |
Born in Graves County Graves County, Kentucky Graves County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was formed in 1824. As of 2000, the population was 37,028. Its county seat is Mayfield. The county is named for Major Benjamin Franklin Graves, soldier in the War of 1812... , lived much of his adult life in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| Louis Brandeis Louis Brandeis Louis Dembitz Brandeis ; November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916 to 1939.He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Jewish immigrant parents who raised him in a secular mode... (1856–1941) |
Supreme Court Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases... Justice |
Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| John C. Breckinridge John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S... (1821–1875) |
Vice President of the United States | Born just outside Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| John Y. Brown, Jr. John Y. Brown, Jr. This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ... (b. 1933) |
Governor of Kentucky Governor of Kentucky The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| A.B. "Happy" Chandler Happy Chandler Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and... (1898–1991) |
Governor of Kentucky and Baseball Commissioner Baseball Commissioner The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts... |
Born in Corydon Corydon, Kentucky Corydon is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 744 at the 2000 census. Settled in 1848, the city is named for the hero of the song Pastoral Elegy.-Geography:Corydon is located at .... |
| Henry Clay Henry Clay Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives... (1777–1852) |
Statesman Statesman A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term... |
Lived in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810–1903) | Abolitionist and newspaper editor | Born and lived in Clermont Clermont, Kentucky Clermont is a USGS-designated populated place in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States, south of Louisville.-History:The area was officially recognized by the USGS on September 20, 1979, during the rapid expansion of Shepherdsville due to the development of Interstate 65. A large portion of... |
| Jefferson Davis Jefferson Davis Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis... (1808–1889) |
President of the Confederacy Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S... |
Born in Todd County Todd County, Kentucky Todd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population is 11,971. Its county seat is Elkton. The county is named after Colonel John Todd, who was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782... |
| John Marshall Harlan John Marshall Harlan John Marshall Harlan was a Kentucky lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court. He is most notable as the lone dissenter in the Civil Rights Cases , and Plessy v... (1833–1911) |
Supreme Court Justice | Born in Boyle County Boyle County, Kentucky Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Danville. In 2000, its population was 28,432. It was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle , a U.S... |
| Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson was the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren . He was the only vice-president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment. Johnson also represented Kentucky in the U.S... (1780–1850) |
Supreme Court Justice | Born in Jefferson County Jefferson County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of... |
| Mae Street Kidd Mae Street Kidd State Representative Mae Street Kidd born in Millersburg, Kentucky was an innovative businesswoman, a civic leader, and a skilled politician during a time when both her gender and her inter-racial background made such accomplishments more difficult than they would be today... (1909–1999) |
State legislator | Represented a district in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Juanita M. Kreps Juanita M. Kreps Juanita Morris Kreps was U.S. Secretary of Commerce from January 23, 1977 until October 31, 1979 under President Jimmy Carter and was the first woman to hold that position, and the fourth woman to hold any cabinet position.-Life and career:Kreps was born Clara Juanita Morris in Lynch, Kentucky,... (b. 1921) |
Former United States Secretary of Commerce United States Secretary of Commerce The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"... |
Born in Lynch Lynch, Kentucky There were 408 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone... |
| Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... (1809–1865) |
16th President of the United States President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
Born in a portion of Hardin County Hardin County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 94,174 people, 34,497 households, and 25,355 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 37,673 housing units at an average density of... that now lies in LaRue County LaRue County, Kentucky LaRue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is included in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 13,373. Its county seat is Hodgenville... . |
| Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :... (b. 1942) |
U.S. Senator United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each... and Senate Minority Leader Party leaders of the United States Senate The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive... |
Raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Robert L. Miller Robert L. Miller Robert L. Miller, Sr., also known as Bobby Miller , was a politician and civic leader from Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky. He was principally known for his work as the mayor of the small city of Campbellsville from 1966 to 1998.-Background:Miller was born in Taylor County to... (1927–2011) |
Mayor Mayor In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city.... of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... from 1966-1998 |
Born in Taylor County Taylor County, Kentucky Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county... and resident of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Samuel Freeman Miller Samuel Freeman Miller Samuel Freeman Miller was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1862–1890. He was a physician and lawyer.-Early life and education:... (1816–1890) |
Supreme Court Justice | Born in Richmond Richmond, Kentucky There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had... |
| Doug Moseley Doug Moseley Douglas Dewayne Moseley, known as Doug Moseley , is a retired United Methodist minister and author who served as a Republican member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1974 to 1986... (b. 1928) |
State senator (1974–1987) | Resident of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... , Columbia Columbia, Kentucky Columbia is a city in Adair County, Kentucky, United States, just above Russell Creek. The area was settled around 1802 by Daniel Trabue. The post office was opened on April 1, 1806 by John Field, who also ran a local store. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of... , and Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... |
| Carrie Nation Carrie Nation Carrie Amelia Moore Nation was a member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol in pre-Prohibition America. She is particularly noteworthy for promoting her viewpoint through vandalism. On many occasions Nation would enter an alcohol-serving establishment and attack the bar with a hatchet... (1846–1911) |
Prohibition Prohibition Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the... ist |
Born in Garrard County Garrard County, Kentucky Garrard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is pronounced 'Gair-ad' with the third "r" silent. It was formed in 1797 and was named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Its county seat is Lancaster. The population was 16,912 in the 2010 Census... |
| Paul E. Osborne Paul E. Osborne Paul Edward Osborne is a realtor who served as the mayor of Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky from 1999 to 2002.... (b. ca. 1939) |
Mayor Mayor In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city.... of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... (1999-2002) |
Resident of Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Herman Rattliff Herman Rattliff Herman Willard Rattliff is a retired businessman from Campbellsville, Kentucky, who served from 1968-1986 as a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. He authored the Rattliff-Ward Textbook Act of 1976.... (b. 1926) |
Kentucky State Representative from Taylor County Taylor County, Kentucky Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county... |
Born in Green County Green County, Kentucky Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1793. As of 2000, the population was 11,518. Its county seat is Greensburg. The county is named for Nathanael Greene... ; resides in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Stanley Forman Reed Stanley Forman Reed Stanley Forman Reed was a noted American attorney who served as United States Solicitor General from 1935 to 1938 and as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1938 to 1957. He was the last Supreme Court Justice who did not graduate from law school Stanley Forman Reed (December 31,... (1844–1980) |
Supreme Court Justice | Born in Minerva |
| Wiley Blount Rutledge Wiley Blount Rutledge Wiley Blount Rutledge, Jr. was an American educator, lawyer, and justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.-Early life:... (1894–1949) |
Supreme Court Justice {1943–1949} | Born in Cloverport Cloverport, Kentucky Cloverport is a city in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, United States, on the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 1,256 at the 2000 census. Under Kentucky state law, it is a fifth class city.-History:... |
| Tony Snow Tony Snow Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and... (1955–2008) |
White House Press Secretary White House Press Secretary The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration.... to President George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
Born in Berea Berea, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,851 people, 3,693 households, and 2,426 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,055.4 people per square mile . There were 4,115 housing units at an average density of 440.9 per square mile... |
| James Speed James Speed James Speed was an American lawyer, politician and professor. In 1864, he was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to be the United States' Attorney General. He previously served in the Kentucky Legislature, and in local political office.Speed was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to Judge John Speed... (1812–1887) |
United States Attorney General Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person... under Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
Born in Jefferson County Jefferson County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of... |
| Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835–1914) | Vice President of the United States | Born in Christian County Christian County, Kentucky Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1797. As of 2000, its population was 72,265. Its county seat is Hopkinsville, Kentucky... |
| Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass... (1784–1850) |
President of the United States | Raised in Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
| Fred M. Vinson Fred M. Vinson Frederick Moore Vinson served the United States in all three branches of government and was the most prominent member of the Vinson political family. In the legislative branch, he was an elected member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisa, Kentucky, for twelve years... (1890–1953) |
Chief Justice of the United States Chief Justice of the United States The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States... |
Born in Louisa Louisa, Kentucky Louisa is a city in Lawrence County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,018 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lawrence County. The Levisa Fork River and Tug Fork River join at Louisa to form the Big Sandy River... |
| Roger Vinson Roger Vinson Clyde Roger Vinson is a senior federal judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.-Life and career:... (b. 1940) |
Senior Federal Judge | Born in Cadiz Cadiz, Kentucky Cadiz is a city in Trigg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,373 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Trigg County. It is an old town located close to the Land Between the Lakes, a popular recreation area, and was a base of Union and Confederate operations in the American... |
| James E. Whitlock James E. Whitlock James E. Whitlock, known as Jimmy Whitlock , is a former Democratic member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Lebanon, the seat of Marion County, Kentucky.... (b. 1934) |
State Representative | Resident of Marion County Marion County, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 18,212 people, 6,613 households, and 4,754 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,277 housing units at an average density of... |
| Whitney Young Whitney Young Whitney Moore Young Jr. was an American civil rights leader.He spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban League from a relatively passive civil rights organization into one that aggressively fought for equitable access to... (1921–1971) |
Civil rights Civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include... administrator |
Born in Lincoln Ridge |
Infamous persons
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Birkhead Larry Birkhead Larry E. Birkhead was a partner of Anna Nicole Smith and is the father of her daughter, Dannielynn. He was in a child custody battle for his daughter until DNA results proved his paternity.-Personal life:... (b. 1973) |
Father of Anna Nicole Smith's Anna Nicole Smith In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys... daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead Dannielynn Birkhead paternity case The Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead paternity case, a.k.a Birkhead v. Marshall, centered on a child born September 7, 2006 to Vickie Lynn Marshall... . |
Born, resides in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Ray Chapman Ray Chapman Raymond Johnson Chapman was an American baseball player, spending his entire career as a shortstop for Cleveland.... (1891–1920) |
Only Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... player to be killed during a game. |
Born in Beaver Dam Beaver Dam, Kentucky Beaver Dam is a city in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,033 at the 2000 census. It is named for nearby Beaver Dam Creek.-Geography:Beaver Dam is located at .... |
| Floyd Collins Floyd Collins William Floyd Collins was a celebrated pioneer cave explorer in central Kentucky, an area that is the location of hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, including the Mammoth Cave National Park... (1887–1925) |
Cave explorer | Trapped and killed in Sand Cave |
| Lynndie England Lynndie England Lynndie Rana England is a former United States Army reservist who served in the 372nd Military Police Company. She was one of eleven military personnel convicted in 2005 by Army courts-martial in connection with the torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the occupation... (b. 1982) |
Convicted in the Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib... prison abuse scandal |
Born in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| Casey Jones Casey Jones John Luther Jones was an American railroad engineer from Jackson, Tennessee, who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad... (1863–1900) |
Railroad engineer of song; killed trying to stop a train collision | Born in Cayce Cayce, Kentucky Cayce, Kentucky is a small town in western Kentucky.The town was named for James Hardie Cayce, who established stores in Moscow, Clinton, and Cayce. Cayce is centrally located in Kentucky's westernmost county, Fulton... |
| Charles Manson Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction... (b. 1934) |
Convicted serial killer Serial killer A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification... |
Raised in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
Musicians
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| John J. Becker John J. Becker John Joseph Becker was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He is grouped together with Charles Ives, Carl Ruggles, Henry Cowell, and Wallingford Riegger as a member of the "American Five" composers of "ultra-modern" music.The John J... (1886–1961) |
Composer | Born in Henderson Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more... |
| Adrian Belew Adrian Belew Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer... (b. 1949) |
Guitarist and vocalist for the band King Crimson King Crimson King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history... |
Born in Covington Covington, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile... |
| Laura Bell Bundy Laura Bell Bundy Laura Ashley Bell Bundy is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. Her best known Broadway roles are the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and the original Elle Woods in the musical... (b.1981) |
Country singer and Actress | Raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Steven Curtis Chapman Steven Curtis Chapman Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,... (b. 1962) |
Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith... ian |
Born and raised in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| John Conlee John Conlee John Conlee is an American country music singer. Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of thirty-two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and recorded eleven studio albums... (b. 1946) |
Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... singer |
Born and raised in Versailles Versailles, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%... |
| Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon... (b. 1961) |
Country Country music Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... singer and Actor |
Born in Flatwoods Flatwoods, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 7,605 people, 3,114 households, and 2,282 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,691.9 people per square mile . There were 3,338 housing units at an average density of 742.6 per square mile... |
| Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis Mary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo... (1931–2004) |
Country singer | Born in Dry Ridge Dry Ridge, Kentucky Dry Ridge is a city in Grant County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,995 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dry Ridge is located at .... |
| Don Everly The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing... (b. 1937) |
Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,... and the Country Music Hall of Fame |
Born near Central City Central City, Kentucky Central City is a city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,893 at the 2000 census. It is also the largest city in the county and the principal community in the Central City Micropolitan Statistical Area which includes all of Muhlenberg County and the communities... |
| Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s... (b. 1951) |
Country singer | Born in Paintsville Paintsville, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile... |
| Troy Lee Gentry (b. 1967) | Country singer | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Tom T. Hall Tom T. Hall Thomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100... (b. 1936) |
Country singer and songwriter Songwriter A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... |
Born in Olive Hill Olive Hill, Kentucky There were 791 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone... |
| Larnelle Harris Larnelle Harris Larnelle Steward Harris is a gospel singer and songwriter. During his 30-plus years of ministry, Harris has recorded 18 albums, won five Grammy Awards and 18 Dove Awards, and has had several number one songs on the inspirational music charts.-Early life:A native of Danville, Kentucky, Harris... |
Gospel Gospel music Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music.... singer |
Born in Danville Danville, Kentucky Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.... |
| Lionel Hampton Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy... (1908–2002) |
Jazz Jazz Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th... musician |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Telma Hopkins Telma Hopkins Telma Louise Hopkins is an American singer and television actress. A member of the 1970s pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn, she later starred in several television sitcoms, including Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, Getting By, and Half & Half... (b. 1948) |
Singer and actress | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Naomi Judd Naomi Judd Naomi Judd is an American country music singer, songwriter, and activist.-Personal life:She was born Diana Ellen Judd to Charles Glen Judd and his wife Pauline Judd on January 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her father owned a gas station; her mother started out as a homemaker but later became a... (b. 1946) |
Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| Wynonna Judd Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds... (b. 1964) |
Country singer | Born and raised in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... |
| James Kottak James Kottak James Kottak is an American drummer for the heavy metal band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996.... (b. 1962) |
Former drummer for hard rock Hard rock Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock... groups Kingdom Come Kingdom Come (band) Kingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:... , Wild Horses and Warrant; current drummer for German Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... heavy metal Heavy metal music Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States... band The Scorpions Scorpions (band) Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Nick Lachey Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released... (b. 1973) |
Member of the band 98 Degrees 98 Degrees 98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California.... Married to Jessica Simpson and starred on reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica |
Born in Harlan Harlan, Kentucky Harlan is a city in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,081 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 1,880 in 2007. It is the county seat of Harlan County.-History:... |
| Brian Littrell Brian Littrell Brian Thomas Littrell is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. He is also a contemporary Christian recording artist and released a solo album, Welcome Home, in 2006... (b. 1975) |
Member of the Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Patty Loveless Patty Loveless Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and... (b. 1957) |
Country singer | Born in Pikeville Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
| Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he... (b. 1934) |
Country singer | Born and raised in Butcher Holler Butcher Hollow, Kentucky Butcher Hollow is a coal-mining community located in Johnson County, Kentucky, USA. Its claim to fame is being the birthplace of country music legend Loretta Lynn, who paid tribute to the community in the song Coal Miner's Daughter, which begins with the lyrics"Well, I was born a coal miner's... |
| Bill Monroe Bill Monroe William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader... (1911–1996) |
"Father of bluegrass music Bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music... " and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame |
Born and raised in Rosine Rosine, Kentucky Rosine is an unincorporated town in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. Bill Monroe, The Father of Bluegrass, is not only buried in the town but also memorialized with a bronze cast disk affixed to the barn where his music remains alive. The community was named for the pen name of Jenny Taylor... |
| Eddie Montgomery (b. 1963) | Country singer | Born in Danville Danville, Kentucky Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.... raised in Garrard County Garrard County, Kentucky Garrard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is pronounced 'Gair-ad' with the third "r" silent. It was formed in 1797 and was named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Its county seat is Lancaster. The population was 16,912 in the 2010 Census... |
| John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "... (b. 1965) |
Country singer | Born in Danville Danville, Kentucky Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.... raised in Garrard County Garrard County, Kentucky Garrard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is pronounced 'Gair-ad' with the third "r" silent. It was formed in 1797 and was named for James Garrard, Governor of Kentucky from 1796 to 1804. Its county seat is Lancaster. The population was 16,912 in the 2010 Census... |
| Will Oldham Will Oldham Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music... (b. 1970) |
Songwriter Songwriter A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... and musician Musician A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Joan Osborne Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb... (b. 1963) |
Singer and songwriter | Born in Anchorage Anchorage, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 2,264 people, 729 households, and 643 families residing in the city. The population density was 744.0 people per square mile . There were 750 housing units at an average density of 246.5 per square mile... |
| Artimus Pyle Artimus Pyle Thomas Delmer "Artimus" Pyle is an American musician best known for playing drums with Lynyrd Skynyrd, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.-Early life and career:... (b.1948) |
Former drummer for the Southern Rock Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals... band Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Dottie Rambo Dottie Rambo Dottie Rambo was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy and multiple Dove Award-winning artist. Rambo, along with husband Buck and daughter Reba, formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos... (1934–2008) |
Member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame Gospel Music Hall of Fame The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1971 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music.-Inductees:... |
Born in Madisonville Madisonville, Kentucky Madisonville is a city in Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States of the Western Coal Field region, located along US 41 and The Pennyrile Parkway. The population was 19,307 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hopkins County. The city was named in honor of U.S... , raised in Morganfield Morganfield, Kentucky Morganfield is a city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,494 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union County... . |
| Kevin Richardson Kevin Richardson (musician) Kevin Scott Richardson is an American singer and a former member of the Backstreet Boys, model, actor, and composer. He was the oldest member of the band during his tenure.- Early years :... (b. 1971) |
Member of the Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... , raised in Irvine Irvine, Kentucky Irvine is a city in and county seat of Estill County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 2,843 at the 2000 census. It is located on the Kentucky River at the junction of Kentucky Route 52 and Kentucky Route 89.... . |
| Jean Ritchie Jean Ritchie Jean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest... (b. 1922) |
Folk Folk music Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers.... singer |
Born in Viper Viper, Kentucky Viper is an unincorporated community in Perry County, Kentucky, United States. Viper is located along Kentucky Route 7 south-southeast of Hazard. Viper has a post office with ZIP code 41774.... (Perry County Perry County, Kentucky Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :... ) |
| Ricky Skaggs Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:... (b. 1954) |
Bluegrass and country music artist | Born and raised in Cordell (Lawrence County Lawrence County, Kentucky Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 15,569. Its county seat is Louisa. The county is named for James Lawrence, and co-founded by Isaac Bolt, who served as a Lawrence County Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. It is the home of... ) |
| Kevin Skinner Kevin Skinner Patrick Kevin Skinner , better known as Kevin Skinner, is an American country music singer from the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky. He was the winner of the fourth season of America's Got Talent.- Early life :... (b. 1974) |
Country singer, winner of 2009 America's Got Talent America's Got Talent America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of... |
Native of Mayfield Mayfield, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile... |
| Rick Steier Rick Steier Rick Steier is a guitarist who has played in the bands Warrant, Kingdom Come, Wild Horses, and KrunK/Kottak... (b. 1960) |
Former guitarist for hard rock groups Kingdom Come, Wild Horses and Warrant | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Mark Stuart Mark Stuart (musician) Mark Allen Stuart is a Christian rock musician, and is best known for being the vocalist for the now-retired Christian rock band Audio Adrenaline.-Early life:... (b. 1968) |
Member of the Christian band Audio Adrenaline Audio Adrenaline Audio Adrenaline was a Christian rock band that formed in the late 1980s at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. During the band's 17-year existence, they were awarded two Grammy awards, multiple Dove Awards and they released 17 number one singles. They were regular performers at the... |
Born and raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Merle Travis Merle Travis Merle Robert Travis was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many well-known songs are "Sixteen Tons", "Re-Enlistment Blues" and "Dark as a Dungeon"... (1917–1983) |
Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame | Born in Rosewood (Muhlenberg County Muhlenberg County, Kentucky Muhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville.... ) |
| Keith Whitley Keith Whitley Jackie Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 until his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters... (b. 1955-1989) |
Country singer | Born in Sandy Hook Sandy Hook, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 678 people, 292 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The population density was 716.1 people per square mile . There were 332 housing units at an average density of 350.7 per square mile... |
| Dwight Yoakam Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music... (b. 1956) |
Country singer | Born in Pikeville Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
Scientists and inventors
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| James Gilbert Baker James Gilbert Baker James Gilbert Baker was an American astronomer and designer of optics systems.-Biography:He was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Jesse B. Baker and Hattie M. Stallard, the fourth child of that couple. He attended Louisville duPont Manual High School then majored in mathematics at the University of... (1914–2005) |
Astronomer Astronomer An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using... , designer of optics Optics Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light... systems, co-founder of Louisville Astronomical Society Louisville Astronomical Society The Louisville Astronomical Society was founded in 1931 in Louisville, Kentucky by amateur astronomers, including James Gilbert Baker. Monthly meetings are held at 8:00 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. Monthly observing sessions , are held at the society's dark sky location, the James G... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , graduated from University of Louisville University of Louisville The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General... |
| Rex Geveden Rex Geveden Rex Geveden is the president of Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama. Previously he was the Associate Administrator of NASA. He was selected for that position by NASA chief Michael Griffin on August 17, 2005, after having served in an acting capacity since June of that year. Griffin... |
Associate Administrator of NASA | Born in Mayfield Mayfield, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile... |
| Robert H. Grubbs Robert H. Grubbs Robert Howard Grubbs is an American chemist and Nobel laureate.As he noted in his official Nobel Prize autobiography, "In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot [NB: both in Marshall County]... (b. 1942) |
2005 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Nobel Prize in Chemistry The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,... |
Born in Marshall County Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 30,125. The 2007 Census Bureau population estimate was 31,258. Its county seat is Benton. It was a dry county until 2004, when residents of Calvert City voted to allow sales of liquor by the drink in... , raised in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| William Lipscomb William Lipscomb William Nunn Lipscomb, Jr. was a Nobel Prize-winning American inorganic and organic chemist working in nuclear magnetic resonance, theoretical chemistry, boron chemistry, and biochemistry.-Overview:... (b. 1919) |
1976 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Garrett A. Morgan Garrett A. Morgan Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr. was an inventor who invented a type of respiratory protective hood , credited with having a patent for a type of traffic signal, and invented a hair-straightening preparation... (1877–1963) |
Traffic light Traffic light Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic... and gas mask Gas mask A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word... inventor |
Born in Paris Paris, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%... |
| Thomas Hunt Morgan Thomas Hunt Morgan Thomas Hunt Morgan was an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and embryologist and science author who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for discoveries relating the role the chromosome plays in heredity.Morgan received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in zoology... (1866–1945) |
1933 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Phillip A. Sharp (b. 1944) | 1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Born in Falmouth Falmouth, Kentucky Falmouth is a small city in Pendleton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pendleton County and is the meeting point of the South and Main forks of the Licking River.-Geography:... |
| Nathan Stubblefield Nathan Stubblefield Nathan B. Stubblefield was an American inventor and Kentucky melon farmer. It has been claimed that Stubblefield invented the radio before either Nikola Tesla or Guglielmo Marconi, but his devices seem to have worked by audio frequency induction or, later, audio frequency earth conduction rather... (1860–1928) |
Inventor, demonstrated wireless radio | Born in Murray Murray, Kentucky Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky... |
| John T. Thompson John T. Thompson John Taliaferro Thompson, , was a United States Army officer best remembered as the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun.-Early life:... (1860–1940) |
Inventor of the "Tommy" Gun Thompson submachine gun The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals... |
Born in Newport Newport, Kentucky Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which... |
| George Whitesides George M. Whitesides George M. Whitesides is an American chemist and professor of chemistry at Harvard University. He is best known for his work in the areas of NMR spectroscopy, organometallic chemistry, molecular self-assembly, soft lithography, microfabrication, microfluidics, and nanotechnology... (b. 1939) |
Harvard University Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... chemistry Chemistry Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds.... professor |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Terrence W. Wilcutt Terrence W. Wilcutt Terrence Wade Wilcutt is an United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of four space shuttle missions... (b. 1949) |
Astronaut Astronaut An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.... |
Born in Russellville Russellville, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 7,149 people, 3,064 households, and 1,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 672.1 people per square mile . There were 3,458 housing units at an average density of 325.1 per square mile... |
Sports figures
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Nate Adcock Nathan Adcock (baseball) Nathan Masler Adcock is a baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.Before playing professionally, Adcock attended North Hardin High School... (b. 1988) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... relief pitcher Relief pitcher A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter... |
Born in Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state... |
| David Akers David Akers David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville.... (b. 1974) |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... placekicker Placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... |
Born and raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Shaun Alexander Shaun Alexander Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and... (b. 1977) |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Born and raised in Florence Florence, Kentucky Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,951 at the 2010 census.-History:The Florence area was originally known as Crossroads, because of the convergence of several roads from Burlington and Union at Ridge Road... |
| Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist... (born Cassius Clay) (b. 1942) |
Boxer Boxing Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds... and activist |
Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Dave Anderson (b. 1960) | MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... infielder Infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles... and coach Coach (baseball) In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Derek Anderson (b. 1974) | NBA National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... shooting guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Josh Anderson Josh Anderson (baseball) Joshua Aaron Anderson is an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed... (b. August 10, 1982) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... center fielder Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field... |
Born and raised in Somerset Somerset, Kentucky The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of... |
| Butch Beard Butch Beard Alfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is a former National Basketball Association player and head coach. He was the head coach at Morgan State University until he stepped down in March 2006. Butch Beard played college basketball at the University of Louisville... (b. 1947) |
Former NBA player and head coach | Born and raised in Hardinsburg Hardinsburg, Kentucky Hardinsburg is a city in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,345 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Breckinridge County. By Kentucky state law, it is classified as a fifth class city... |
| Rob Bironas Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro... (b. 1978) |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... placekicker Placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points... |
Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jay Buhner Jay Buhner Jay Campbell Buhner , nicknamed "Bone", is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He was among the most recognizable players of his day, noted for his shaved head, thick goatee, and patch of pine tar on the right hip of his uniform... (b. 1964) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... outfielder Outfielder Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jim Bunning Jim Bunning James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career... (b. 1931) |
Baseball Hall of Famer and politician | Born in Southgate Southgate, Kentucky Southgate is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, a part of metropolitan Cincinnati, Ohio. The population was 3,472 at the 2000 census.-History:... |
| Chris Burke Chris Burke (baseball player) Christopher Alan Burke is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent. Burke is known for his versatility; he has played every position except pitcher and catcher.-College:... (b. 1980) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... second baseman Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Paul Byrd Paul Byrd Paul Gregory Byrd is an American professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2009. He is known as being the "nicest guy in baseball"... (b. 1970) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... pitcher Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Dwane Casey Dwane Casey Dwane Casey is a former NCAA basketball player and coach who currently is a head coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.-Early years:Casey was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Union County High School in 1975.... (b. 1957) |
Assistant Coach for the Dallas Mavericks Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011... |
Born in Morganfield Morganfield, Kentucky Morganfield is a city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,494 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union County... |
| Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat... (b. 1960) |
National Horse Racing Hall of Fame National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers... jockey Jockey A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:... |
Born in Covington Covington, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile... , raised in Walton Walton, Kentucky Walton is a city in Boone and Kenton Counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,635 in the 2010 Census.-Tourism:Nearby Florence offers thoroughbred racing at Turfway Park.... |
| Rex Chapman Rex Chapman Rex Everett Chapman is a retired American professional basketball player. Chapman was a college standout at the University of Kentucky and went on to play for four NBA teams through his 12-year career in the league... (b. 1967) |
Former NBA shooting guard | Born in Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... , attended Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... 's Apollo High School |
| Jerry Claiborne Jerry Claiborne Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8... (1928–2000) |
College Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move... coach |
Born in Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :... |
| Cris Collinsworth Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for... (b. 1959) |
Former wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... for the Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
Resides in Fort Thomas Fort Thomas, Kentucky Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan... |
| Earle Combs Earle Combs Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team... (1889–1976) |
Baseball Hall of Famer | Born in Pebworth (Owsley County Owsley County, Kentucky Owsley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 4,858. Its county seat is Booneville. The county is named for William Owsley, the Governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848. It is a prohibition or dry county... ) |
| Tim Couch Tim Couch Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky... (b. 1977) |
NFL quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
Born and raised in Hyden Hyden, Kentucky Hyden is a city in Leslie County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 365 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Leslie County. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 421 and Kentucky Route 80, along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River.... |
| Dave Cowens Dave Cowens David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991... (b. 1948) |
Basketball Hall of Fame Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide... r |
Born and raised in Newport Newport, Kentucky Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which... |
| Denny Crum Denny Crum Denzil E. "Denny" Crum is a former American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships and six Final Fours... (b. 1937) |
Basketball Hall of Fame coach | Lives in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Dermontti Dawson Dermontti Dawson Dermontti Farra Dawson is a former American football center in the National Football League. He played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.... (b. 1965) |
NFL center Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Paul Derringer Paul Derringer Samuel Paul Derringer was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three National League teams from 1931 to 1945, primarily the Cincinnati Reds.... (1906–1987) |
MLB pitcher Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... |
Born in Springfield Springfield, Kentucky Springfield is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,634 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area.-Geography:... |
| E. A. Diddle Edgar Diddle Edgar Allen Diddle was a college men's basketball coach. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school... (1895–1972) |
Basketball Hall of Fame coach | Born in Gradyville Gradyville, Kentucky Gradyville is an unincorporated community in Adair County, Kentucky, United States. Its elevation is 699 feet . It was the birthplace of Western Kentucky University basketball coach Edgar Diddle.-Gradyville flood:... (Adair County Adair County, Kentucky Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population is 18,656. Its county seat is Columbia, Kentucky. The county is named for John Adair, then Speaker of the House in Kentucky and later Governor of Kentucky .... ) |
| Scott Downs Scott Downs Scott Jeremy Downs is an American professional baseball relief pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays... (b. 1976) |
MLB relief pitcher Relief pitcher A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Steve Finley Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,... (b. 1965) |
MLB outfielder Outfielder Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder... |
Raised in Paducah Paducah, Kentucky Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,... |
| Woodie Fryman Woodie Fryman Woodrow Thompson Fryman was a Major League Baseball pitcher. A two-time National League All-Star, he is best remembered as the mid-season acquisition that helped lead the Detroit Tigers to the 1972 American League Championship Series.-Pittsburgh Pirates:Fryman was 25 years old when he signed with... (b. 1940) |
MLB Baseball | Born and raised in Ewing Ewing, Kentucky Ewing is a city in Fleming County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 278 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ewing is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.... |
| Joe Fulks Joe Fulks Joseph Franklin "Jumping Joe" Fulks was an American professional basketball player, sometimes called "the first of the high-scoring forwards". He was one of the first players, albeit posthumously, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978... (1921–1976) |
Basketball Hall of Famer | Born in Birmingham Birmingham, Kentucky Birmingham, Kentucky was a town in Kentucky that was destroyed by the creation of Kentucky Lake.Birmingham was located on land owned by Thomas A. Grubbs in 1849, was laid out and platted in 1853 and incorporated in 1860. Early residents included L. S. Locker, Thomas Love and Thomas C. Grubbs... (Marshall County Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 30,125. The 2007 Census Bureau population estimate was 31,258. Its county seat is Benton. It was a dry county until 2004, when residents of Calvert City voted to allow sales of liquor by the drink in... ) |
| Tyson Gay Tyson Gay Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and... (b. 1982) |
Sprinter; 2007 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... world champion IAAF World Championships in Athletics The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:... at 100 and 200 meters |
Born and raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Sean Green Sean Green (baseball) Sean William Green is an American professional baseball pitcher. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky.-Biography:Green grew up in east Louisville, Kentucky, in the Fincastle community.... (b. 1979) |
MLB relief pitcher Relief pitcher A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Nicky Hayden Nicky Hayden Nicholas "Nicky" Patrick Hayden , nicknamed the The Kentucky Kid, is an American professional motorcycle racer, who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006.-Beginnings and AMA Championship:... (b. 1981) |
MotoGP racer | Born and raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| JB Holmes J. B. Holmes John Bradley "J.B." Holmes is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Holmes was born in Campbellsville, the seat of Taylor County, in central Kentucky. Holmes began to play on the varsity golf team at Taylor County High School in Campbellsville when he was in the third grade. He suffered a... (b. 1982) |
PGA Tour PGA Tour The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America... golf Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... er |
Born and raised in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |
| Paul Hornung Paul Hornung Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66... (b. 1935) |
Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... r |
Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Allan Houston Allan Houston Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire... (b. 1971) |
Former NBA shooting guard | Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Gregory Kaidanov Gregory Kaidanov Gregory Kaidanov is a Grandmaster of chess.As of April 2007, his Elo rating was 2587, making him the #9 player in the US and the 179th-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating was 2646 in 2002.... (b. 1959) |
U.S. chess grandmaster | Lives in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Austin Kearns Austin Kearns Austin Ryan Kearns is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent.-Cincinnati Reds:... (b. 1980) |
MLB outfielder Outfielder Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Shawn Kelley Shawn Kelley Shawn Andrew Kelley is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He attended Ballard High School, and later Austin Peay State University. Kelley was drafted by the Mariners in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his professional debut in 2007, and later made his... (b. 1984) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... relief pitcher Relief pitcher A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Shipwreck Kelly Shipwreck Kelly John Simms "Shipwreck" Kelly was a professional American football player who played halfback in the National Football League; he was also an owner and banker, most prominent in New York City in the 1930s and 1940s. He played five seasons for the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers... (1910–1986) |
NFL halfback Halfback (American football) A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive... |
Born in Simstown Washington County, Kentucky Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 10,916. Its county seat is Springfield. The county is named for George Washington. Washington County was the first county formed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky when it reached statehood... |
| Roy Kidd Roy Kidd Roy Kidd is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up... (b. 1931) |
College Football Hall of Fame coach | Born in Corbin Corbin, Kentucky - Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss... |
| Jeremy Mayfield Jeremy Mayfield Jeremy Allen Mayfield is a former NASCAR driver who last competed in 2009 due to legal troubles and an indefinite suspension by NASCAR. Prior to 2009, Mayfield drove cars for the Sadler Brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas... (b. 1969) |
NASCAR NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr... driver |
Born and raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Trever Miller Trever Miller Trever Douglas Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-High school:... (b. 1973) |
MLB pitcher Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| C. J. Mosley C. J. Mosley Calvin Michael "C. J." Mosley, Jr. is an American football defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... (b. 1983) |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Born in Fort Knox Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet... |
| John Pelphrey John Pelphrey John Leslie Pelphrey is an American college basketball coach and was the 14th head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas . After being named Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky. Prior to coaching the Razorbacks, he... (b.1968) |
Former University of Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... standout basketball player & current Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... Head Coach |
Born in Paintsville Paintsville, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile... |
| Kenny Perry Kenny Perry James Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, for which he became eligible following his 50th birthday.-Early years:... (b. 1960) |
Professional golfer | Born in Elizabethtown Elizabethtown, Kentucky Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state... , raised and now lives in Franklin Franklin, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 3,251 households, and 2,174 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,074.7 people per square mile . There were 3,609 housing units at an average density of 485.1 per square mile... , graduated from high school in Lone Oak Lone Oak High School (Kentucky) Lone Oak High School is a public secondary school located in Lone Oak, Kentucky, a community served by the post office of nearby Paducah. Its nickname is Purple Flash, and its school colors are purple and gold, although some athletic teams, such as the marching band and football team, are... . |
| Frank Ramsey Frank Ramsey (basketball) Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr. is a former professional basketball player and coach. A 6-3 guard, he played his entire nine-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics and played a major role in the early part of their dynasty, winning seven championships... (b. 1931) |
Basketball Hall of Famer | Born in Corydon Corydon, Kentucky Corydon is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 744 at the 2000 census. Settled in 1848, the city is named for the hero of the song Pastoral Elegy.-Geography:Corydon is located at .... |
| Jon Rauch Jon Rauch Jon Erich Rauch is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. At 6' 11" , he is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist.-Early years:... (b. 1978) |
Professional baseball pitcher | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... and raised in Westport |
| Pee Wee Reese Pee Wee Reese Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted... (1918–1999) |
Baseball Hall of Famer | Born in Ekron Ekron, Kentucky Ekron is a city in Meade County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 170 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ekron is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.... |
| Mark Reynolds Mark Reynolds (baseball) Mark Andrew Reynolds is a third baseman/first baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals... (b. 1983) |
MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... infielder |
Born in Pikeville Pikeville, Kentucky Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork... |
| Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a... (b. 1986) |
Professional basketball player | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jack Roush Jack Roush Jack Roush is the founder, CEO, and co-owner along with John Henry of Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR team headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, and is Chairman of the Board of Roush Enterprises.... (b. 1942) |
International Motorsports Hall of Fame International Motorsports Hall of Fame The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer... r |
Born in Covington Covington, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile... |
| John Shelby John Shelby John T. Shelby is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981–1991. His nickname was "T-Bone" for his slight frame... (b. 1958) |
Former MLB Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... outfielder |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Jeff Sheppard Jeff Sheppard Jeffrey Kyle Sheppard is a retired American professional and collegiate basketball player.Sheppard was Player of the Year in Georgia in 1993 at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City.... (b. 1974) |
College basketball star for Kentucky Wildcats | resides in London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... (Laurel Co.) |
| Phil Simms Phil Simms Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number... (b. 1955) |
Former NFL quarterback | Born in Lebanon Lebanon, Kentucky Lebanon is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,331 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Lebanon is located in central Kentucky, southeast of Louisville. A national cemetery is located nearby.... , raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Danny Sullivan Danny Sullivan Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:... (b. 1950) |
Former C.A.R.T. and Formula 1 driver; winner of 1985 Indianapolis 500 | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Jacob Tamme Jacob Tamme Jacob Tamme is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky Wildcats.-High school:... (b. 1985) |
NFL tight end | Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Dan Uggla Dan Uggla Daniel Cooley Uggla is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.... (b. 1980) |
MLB second baseman | Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Wes Unseld Wes Unseld Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team... (b. 1946) |
Basketball Hall of Famer | Born and raised in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,... (b. 1947) |
Former NASCAR driver, current NASCAR broadcaster | Born and raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Michael Curtis Waltrip is a semi-former professional race car driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and a published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in... (b. 1963) |
NASCAR driver | Born and raised in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Brandon Webb Brandon Webb Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G... (b. 1979) |
Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... pitcher Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... ; 2006 National League National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional... Cy Young Award Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955... winner. |
Born and raised in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... . |
Visual artists
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| John James Audubon John James Audubon John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats... (1785–1851) |
Wildlife artist | Spent much of his career painting in Henderson Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more... |
| Lance Burton Lance Burton Lance Burton is a stage illusionist. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan... (b. 1960) |
Stage magician Magic (illusion) Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Frank Duveneck Frank Duveneck Frank Duveneck was an American figure and portrait painter.-Youth:Duveneck was born in Covington, Kentucky, the son of German immigrant Bernard Decker. Decker died when Frank was only a year old and his widow remarried Joseph Duveneck... (1848–1919) |
Figure and portrait painter | Born in Covington Covington, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile... |
| Fontaine Fox Fontaine Fox Fontaine Talbot Fox Jr. was an American cartoonist and illustrator born near Louisville, Kentucky.Fox is best known for writing and illustrating his Toonerville Folks comic panel. It ran from 1913 to 1955 in 250 to 300 newspapers across North America.The cartoons are set in the small town of... (1884–1964) |
Cartoonist Cartoonist A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Mac King Mac King Mac King is a comedy magician who has performed on television specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show," at the Harrah's Las Vegas in the Clint Holmes Theater.... (b. 1959) |
Stage magician Magic (illusion) Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means... |
Born in Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :... |
| Loren Long Loren Long Loren Long is an American #1 New York Times best-selling illustrator and has won the SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award for his picture book illustration. -Life:He graduated from University of Kentucky, with a BA in Graphic Design... |
Illustrator Illustrator An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text... |
Raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| David W. Mack David W. Mack David W. Mack is an American comic book artist and writer, best known for his creator-owned series Kabuki. Mack is known for his unique painted and collage-like work... (b. 1972) |
Comic book Comic book A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including... artist & writer |
Lives in Bromley Bromley, Kentucky Bromley is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 838 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bromley is located at .... , graduate of Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University |type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159... |
| Kate Matthews Kate Matthews Kate Seston Matthews was a photographer who depicted tableaux vivants and scenes of everyday life in her community of Pewee Valley, Kentucky, at the turn of the 20th century.- Early life :... (1870–1956) |
Photographer | Born in New Albany, Indiana New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of... , but spent most of her life in Pewee Valley Pewee Valley, Kentucky Pewee Valley is a city in Oldham County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,436 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pewee Valley is located at .... |
| Don Rosa Don Rosa Keno Don Hugo Rosa, known simply as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other characters created by Carl Barks for Disney comics, such as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.-Early life:Don Rosa's grandfather,... (b. 1951) |
Cartoonist, Donald Duck Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most... illustrator |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Gideon Shryock Gideon Shryock Gideon Shryock was an American Greek Revival architect.Shryock was a native of Lexington, Kentucky, the son of a housebuilder and contractor, Mathias Shryock, who had moved to Kentucky from Maryland and who would father 10 other children in Kentucky besides Gideon... (1802–1880) |
Architect Architect An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Moneta Sleet Jr. (1926–1996) | 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography has been awarded since 1968 for a distinguished example of feature photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album.... |
Born in Owensboro Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's... |
| Bruce Tinsley Bruce Tinsley Edward Bruce Tinsley IV is an American cartoonist, best known for his politically conservative comic strip Mallard Fillmore.-Early life and education:... (1958–) |
Cartoonist, known for his comic strip Mallard Fillmore Mallard Fillmore Mallard Fillmore is a comic strip written and illustrated by Bruce Tinsley that has been syndicated by King Features Syndicate since May 30, 1994. The strip follows the exploits of its title character, an anthropomorphic green-plumaged duck who works as a politically conservative reporter at... |
Born in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Edgar Tolson Edgar Tolson Edgar Tolson was a woodcarver from Kentucky who became a well-known folk artist.He was born in Trent Fork, Wolfe County as the fourth of eleven children and educated through the sixth grade. He worked as a carpenter and stonemason and was married twice, fathering eighteen children in all. From his... (1904–1984) |
Woodcarver and folk artist | Born in Trent Fork |
Other notable persons
| Name | Notable for | Connection to Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Damon E. Allen Damon E. Allen Damon Earl Allen, Sr., was an optometrist from Campbellsville in central Kentucky, who as a three-term president of the Kentucky Optometric Association led the campaign to procure passage in the Kentucky State Legislature of a bill permitting optometrists to prescribe medication for their... (1921–2009) |
Optometrist | Born in Fordsville Fordsville, Kentucky Fordsville is a city in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 531 at the 2000 census. The town is named for early merchant Elisha Ford.-Geography:Fordsville is located at .... ; practiced in Columbia Columbia, Kentucky Columbia is a city in Adair County, Kentucky, United States, just above Russell Creek. The area was settled around 1802 by Daniel Trabue. The post office was opened on April 1, 1806 by John Field, who also ran a local store. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of... ; resided in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... ; lobbied to gain empowerment of optometrists to prescribe medication for their patients |
| David Boaz David Boaz David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, an American libertarian think tank. He played a key role in the Institute's development and the American libertarian movement.... (b. 1953) |
Executive Vice President of the Cato Institute Cato Institute The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held... |
Born in Mayfield Mayfield, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile... |
| LaVerne Butler LaVerne Butler LaVerne L. Butler was a prominent Southern Baptist pastor and college president in Kentucky who was a leader in the "Conservative Resurgence" in his denomination during the 1970s and 1980s.-Background:... (1926-2010) |
Clergy Clergy Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional.... man and college president |
Born in Henderson County Henderson County, Kentucky Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land... ; pastored of 9th & O Baptist Baptist Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion... Church in Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , president of Mid-Continent University Mid-Continent University Mid-Continent University is a four-year, liberal arts Christian institution located near Mayfield, Kentucky.- History :The university opened in January 1949 in Clinton, Kentucky. The University is now located four miles north of Mayfield.... in Mayfield Mayfield, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile... , also resided in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Brian Cashman Brian Cashman Brian McGuire Cashman is an American Major League Baseball executive for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Cashman was born in Rockville Centre, New York and raised in Washingtonville, New York. He was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, where his... (b. 1967) |
Senior VP and General Manager for the New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division... |
Raised in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance... (1877–1945) |
Mystic | Born in Beverly, seven miles (11 km) south of Hopkinsville Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :... |
| Thomas D. Clark Thomas D. Clark Thomas Dionysius Clark was perhaps Kentucky's most notable historian. Clark saved from destruction a large portion of Kentucky's printed history, which later become a core body of documents in the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives... (1903–2005) |
Historian Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... credited with preserving much of Kentucky's history History History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... |
Lived in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... , taught at University of Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... for more than seven decades. |
| Chris Clarke Chris Clarke (missionary) William Christopher Clarke, known as Chris Clarke , is a non-traditional Southern Baptist minister and missionary in Kentucky, who carries the gospel message to people at equestrian events, including horse shows, horse auctions, or rodeos.-Early life and education:Born in Salem, Kentucky, Clarke... (born 1957) |
Southern Baptist missionary Missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin... to the equestrian community |
Operates Happy Trails Ministry in Burna Burna, Kentucky Burna is an unincorporated community in central Livingston County, Kentucky, United States. The name was decided upon by a contest. A young girl named Burna was selected as the winner, and so the town was named after her... |
| David and Mary Conley | The Amazing Race The Amazing Race The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams... contestants, known as Team Kentucky |
Live in Stone Stone, Kentucky Stone is an unincorporated community in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. It was established in 1912. Stone was a mining community named for Galen Stone, head of the Pond Creek Coal Company which was based in Stone. In 1922 the Pond Creek Coal Company was sold to Fordson Coal Company, which... . |
| Tara Conner Tara Conner Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American beauty queen and model, who was Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Fantasies in 2004,... (b. 1985) |
2006 Miss USA Miss USA The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA... |
Raised from early childhood in Russell Springs Russell Springs, Kentucky Russell Springs is the largest city in Russell County, Kentucky, United States. Also is the Gateway to Lake Cumberland one of the largest man made lakes in the region, created by Wolf Creek Dam. The area has thrived since the 1850s as a health resort because of its location near a chalybeate spring... . |
| Heather French Henry Heather French Heather Renee French Henry is a Miss America title holder, personality and fashion designer.Raised in Maysville, Kentucky, Heather French Henry graduated from The University of Cincinnati School of Design, Art, and Architecture & Planning. She competed in pageants through her teens, including the... (b. 1974) |
2000 Miss America Miss America The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands... |
Born in Augusta Augusta, Kentucky Augusta is a city in Bracken County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2005 census, the city population was 2,004. When Bracken County was organized in 1796, Augusta was the county seat... , raised in Maysville Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville... . |
| Mordecai Ham Mordecai Ham Mordecai Fowler Ham, Jr. , was an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader. He entered the ministry in 1901 and in 1936 began a radio broadcast reaching into seven southern states... (1877–1961) |
Tent revival Tent revival A tent revival is a gathering of Christian worshipers in a tent erected specifically for revival meetings, healing crusades, and church rallies. Tent revivals have had both local and national ministries.... ist who preached the sermon, converting Billy Graham Billy Graham William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for... to Christianity Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings... |
Born in Allen County Allen County, Kentucky Allen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population is 19,956. Its county seat is Scottsville, Kentucky. The county is named for Colonel John Allen, who was killed at the Battle of Frenchtown, Michigan during the War of 1812. Allen County is a prohibition or... |
| Duncan Hines Duncan Hines Duncan Hines was an American pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers. He is best known today for the brand of food products that bears his name.-History:... (1880–1959) |
Food critic | Born in Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... |
| Robert S. James (1818–1850) | Revivalist Pastor. Father of Jesse James Jesse James Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary... and Frank James Frank James Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:... . Cofounder of William Jewell College William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the... . |
Born in Logan County Logan County, Kentucky Logan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville... |
| Venus Ramey Venus Ramey Venus Ramey was Miss America in 1944, and was the first red-haired contestant to win the title.Ramey competed as Miss District of Columbia and worked during her reign to help win suffrage for Washington D.C. in 1945... |
1944 Miss America Miss America The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands... |
Born in Ashland Ashland, Kentucky Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the... , raised in Paintsville Paintsville, Kentucky -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile... . |
| Gene Robinson Gene Robinson Vicki Gene Robinson is the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Robinson was elected bishop in 2003 and entered office in March 2004... (b. 1947) |
First openly gay noncelibate Episcopal bishop Bishop A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the... |
Born in Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
| Col. Harland Sanders (1890–1980) | Founder of KFC KFC KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global... |
Lived in Corbin Corbin, Kentucky - Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss... |
| "Papa" John Schnatter John Schnatter John H. Schnatter , better known as "Papa John", is the founder, chairman, and current CEO of Papa John's International, Inc. He founded the company in October 1984. He is also spokesman for Papa John's.-Biography:... (b. 1962) |
Founder of Papa John's Pizza Papa John's Pizza Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"... |
Lives in Anchorage Anchorage, Kentucky As of the census of 2000, there were 2,264 people, 729 households, and 643 families residing in the city. The population density was 744.0 people per square mile . There were 750 housing units at an average density of 246.5 per square mile... |
| Forest Shely Forest Shely Forest Franklin Shely was a physician from Campbellsville, Kentucky, who served as a trustee at the Baptist-affiliated Campbellsville University for fifty-six years.-Background:... (1924-2010) |
Physician who served 56 years as a trustee of Campbellsville University Campbellsville University Campbellsville University, also known as CU, is a private university in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the seat of Taylor County. Founded as Russell Creek Academy, a Baptist institution, the university currently enrolls more than 3,000 students and is open to students of all denominations... |
Born in Lawrenceburg Lawrenceburg, Kentucky Lawrenceburg is a city in Anderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,505 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Anderson County... and resided in Campbellsville Campbellsville, Kentucky Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University... |