Famous People from Alabama

Tuscaloosa (1540 - ) A chief of the Choctaw tribe who is famous for leading a battle against conquistador Hernando de Soto. Born in What is now Tuscaloosa, AL (14)

Osceola (1804 - 1838) Seminole Indian leader. Born in Tallassee, AL (93)

Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron (1934 - ) Baseball player that holds the record for home runs and runs batted in. Born in Mobile, AL (1)

Richard Jr. Arrington (1934 - ) Was the first African American mayor of the city of Birmingham, Alabama (U.S.), serving 20 years, from 1979 to 1999. Born in Livingston, AL (812)

Mary Badham (1952 - ) Is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time, Badham (age 10) was the youngest actress ever nominated in this category. Born in Birmingham, AL (815)

Hank Ballard (1927 - 2003) Born John Henry Kendricks, was a rhythm and blues singer, the lead vocalist of Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and one of the first proto-rock 'n' roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. Born in Bessemer, AL (816)

Amber Nicole Benson (1977 - ) Is an American actress, writer, film director, and film producer. Born in Birmingham, AL (817)

Martha McChesney Berry (1865 - 1942) Was an United States educator and the founder of Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Born in Jackson County, AL (1184)

Bobby Bowden (1929 - ) Bobby Bowden Robert Cleckler Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons. Born in Birmingham, AL (818)

Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram (1915 - 1994) Born Maxwell Emmett Buttram Was an American actor, best known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. Born in Addison, AL (820)

Reginald E. Cathey (1958 - ) Is an American stage, film and television actor. Born in Huntsville, AL (822)

Nathaniel Adams "Nat King" Cole (1917 - 1965) Popular singer known as the man with the velvet voice and song "Unforgettable". Born in Montgomery, AL (2)

Louise Fletcher (1934 - ) Is an Academy Award winning American actress best known for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Born in Birmingham, AL (823)

Tod Griffin (1919 - 2002) Born as Arthur Griffin was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Born in Birmingham, AL (824)

Nell Ruth Hardy (1948 - 2003) Was an American singer, and film, stage, and television actress. Born in Birmingham, AL (821)

Emmylou Harris (1947 - ) Is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Birmingham, AL (867)

Taylor Reuben Hicks (1976 - ) Is an American singer who achieved fame in 2006, when he won the fifth season of American Idol. Born in Birmingham, AL (825)

Polly Dean Holliday (1937 - ) Is an American actress. She has successfully appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best remembered for her portrayal of sassy waitress "Flo" on the 1970s sitcom Alice. Born in Jasper, AL (826)

Kate Jackson (1948 - ) Born Lucy Kate Jackson Is an American actress, director, and producer. She is a three-time Emmy Award nominee, twice in the Best Actress category and once in the Best Supporting Actress category. Born in Birmingham, AL (827)

Mae Jemison (1956 - ) First African-American woman in space. Born in Decatur, AL (4)

Dean Carroll Jones (1931 - ) Is an American actor. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977. Born in Decatur, AL (828)

Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) Blind and deaf author and lecturer. Born in Tuscumbia, AL (5)

Coretta Scott King (1927 - 2006) Was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Born in Marion, AL (868)

Harper Lee (1926 - ) Pulitzer Prize author of To Kill a Mockingbird. Born in Monroeville, AL (6)

Carl Lewis (1961 - ) Olympic Gold Medallist in track and field. Born in Birmingham, AL (15)

Joe Louis (1914 - 1981) World heavyweight boxing champion (1937 - 1949); lived in Detroit; Considered to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. Born in LaFayette, AL (279)

Willie Howard Mays (1931 - ) Famous baseball player. Born in Westfield, AL (8)

James Cleveland (Jesse) Owens (1913 - 1980) Track & Field athlete. Winner of four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Born in Oakville, AL (9)

Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) Civil rights leader who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Born in Tuskegee, AL (7)

Heather Whitestone (1973 - ) Heather Whitestone McCallum became the first Miss America with a disability on September 17th, 1994. Born in Dothan, AL (753)

Hiram "Hank" Williams (1923 - 1953) Country Western singer. Born in Georgiana, AL (11)

Paul Williams (1939 - 1973) Was an American baritone singer and choreographer. Williams is noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations. Born in Birmingham, AL (965)