Hoosier Favorite Hoosier?

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"Indiana", from a word meaning land of the Indians, was inhabited by six different Indian peoples when the French arrived in 1731. France ceded the area to Britian in 1763, and America won it from Britian in 1779, during the American Revolution. The U.S. fought the Miami Indians in the late 1700s and Tecumseh's Indian confederation in 1811. Indiana entered the Union in December 1816, to add the 19th star to the American Flag. Indiana contains a National Historical Park, a National Memorial, and a National Lakeshore (Lake Michigan). Current population is a little less than 6 million. Capital is Indianapolis, home of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. My hometown is Bloomington, home of Indiana University.

Famous Hoosiers:

Babyface aka Kenneth Edmunds- singer/songwriter, record producer. Indianapois.
Larry Bird- High ranking basketball player, went to Indiana State, played for Boston Celtics, now head coach of Indiana Pacers. West Baden.
Avery Brooks- Actor, "Hawk" in"Spenser For Hire" (TV), The Big Hit, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"(TV). Evansville.
Ambrose Burnside- Union Major General for the U.S. Civil War.
Steve Burton- Actor, "Days of Our Lives" (TV), "General Hospital" (TV). Indianapolis.
Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael- Composer, musician. Bloomington.
Jim Davis- Cartoonist, creator of "Garfield" comic. Marion. Graduated Ball State.
James Dean- Actor, East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause. Marion, Fairmount.
Eugene V. Debs-
Joyce DeWitt- Actress, Janet from "Three's Company" (TV). Speedway. Went to Ball State in Muncie.
Vivica A. Fox- Actress, "Robyn" of "Getting Personal" (TV), Soul Food, Independance Day. Indianapolis.
Brendan Fraser- Actor, George of the Jungle, School Ties, With Honors, Encino Man. Indianapolis.
James Guy aka Jules Guy- Actor, "Roscoe P. Coltrain" from "Dukes of Hazzard" (TV). Corydon.
Christa Hanson- Student, aspiring zoologist, writer, actress, bass player, HTML master, and anything else that fancies her. Bloomington.
Florence Henderson- Actress, "Carol Brady" from "The Brady Bunch" (TV). Dale.
Gil Hodges-First baseman for Brooklyn, LA and NY in the 50s and early 60s Princeton.
The Jacksons- Janet, Michael, LaToya, Jermaine, Randy, Tito, Jackie, Marlon. Gary.
Greg Kinnear- Actor, "Talk Soup" (TV) (host), As Good As It Gets, Dear God, Sabrina. Logansport.
David Letterman- Host, "Late Night with David Letterman" (TV) Indianapois. Graduated Ball State.
Carole Lombard aka Jane Peters- Actress, 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Fort Wayne.
Shelley Long- Actress, "Diane" from "Cheers" (TV), Fort Wayne.
Don Mattingly- Former baseball player, New York Yankees #23, numerous awards. Evansville.
Steve McQueen- Actor, The Magnificent Seven, Enemy of the People. Beech Grove.
John Mellencamp- Musician, rock singer, songwriter. Seymour, Bloomington.
Jane Pauly- Host of NBC's "Dateline" (TV).
Cole Porter- Composer, writer, Anything Goes, "Don't Fence Me In".
Dan Quayle- Former U.S. Vice President. Huntington County.
David Lee Roth- Singer/songwriter, rock musician. Bloomington.
Gene Stratton Porter- Photographer and author, "A Girl of the Limberlost", "Laddie: A True Blue Story". Hopewell.
Ernie Pyle- War correspondant killed in action in Ie Shima 1945.
James Whitcomb Riley- Poet. Greenfield, Indianapolis.
Oscar Roberston- Former NBA player for Cincinnati and Milwaukee, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Red Skelton aka Richard Bernard Skelton- Comedian, painter. Host of "Red Skelton Show" for twenty years. Vinecennes.
Booth Tarkington- Writer. Indianapolis.
Kurt Vonnegut- Author, Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, Welcome to the Monkey House
Lew Wallace- Writer, Ben Hur.Brookville.
Wendell L. Willkie- Lawyer and politician (D), supporter of Roosevelt and New Deal. Elwood.
Wilbur Wright- Poet, painter, and one-half of the famous Wright brothers who built and flew the first airplane. (Orville was born in Dayton, OH.) Milville, Richmond.

Some Hoosier Honorable Mentions-

Abraham Lincoln- Born in Kentucky, grew up on a farm in Southern Indiana (now Lincoln City), lived in Illinois when elected the 16th President of the United States.
Woody Harrelson- Born in Texas, grew up in Ohio, graduated from Hanover College in Indiana.
Kevin Kline- Born in St. Louis, Misssouri, graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Scott Ferrall- Syndicated Sports commentator. Born in Chicago, raised in Pittsburgh, graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington.

If you have any information to add or correct to this page, please e-mail it to me. If you know of famous Hoosiers that I've overlooked or neglected, please submit them to me!

Indiana historical facts thanks to seventh grade Social Studies class with Mr. Weimer, and some are copied straight from the 1998 World Almanac and Book of Facts.

Thank You, Come Again.

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This page last updated 7-20-98.