Famous People

Jane Addams (1860 - 1935) Earned a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in helping the inner city poor. Born in Cedarville, IL (136)

Robert O. Anderson (1917 - ) Founder of ARCO Oil & Gas; lives in Roswell. Born in Chicago, IL (398)

Bonnie Blair (1964 - ) The only American woman to Win a U.S. record of five individual gold medals over three Olympic Games; She is a speedskater. Born in Champaign, IL (400)

Hillary Rodham Clinton (1947 - ) Lawyer, politician, First Lady to President Bill Clinton, First Lady elected to the United States Senate. Born in Chicago, IL (139)

Miles Davis (1926 - 1991) Trumpeter, Composer, Bandleader, and Artist. Born in Alton, IL (151)

Walt Disney (1901 - 1966) Creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Theme Parks; lived in Hollywood. Born in Chicago, IL (41)

Fred Dubois (1851 - 1930) American politician who served 2 terms in the U.S. Senate. Born in Crawford County, IL (131)

Abigail Scott Duniway (1834 - 1915) Journalist and woman-suffrage leader. She is also the author of many books including Captain Gray's Company; lived in Lafayette. Born in Groveland, IL (487)

George Ferris (1859 - 1896) Inventor of the Ferris wheel. Born in Galesburg, IL (142)

Harrison Ford (1942 - ) Actor made famous in Star Wars and as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and its' sequels. Born in Chicago, IL (141)

Dorothy Hamill (1956 - ) Olympic gold medallist and professional ice skater with the Ice Capades; grew up in Riverside. Born in Chicago, IL (70)

Black Hawk (1767 - 1838) Sauk leader who led the Indians in the Black Hawk War. Born in Rock Island, IL (137)

Ernest Hemingway (1899 - 1961) Nobel Prize winning author; best known for his novel "The Old Man and the Sea". Born in Oak Park, IL (143)

James "Wild Bill" Hickok (1837 - 1876) A scout and U.S. marshall in the Old West. Born in Troy Grove, IL (194)

Marlee Matlin (1965 - ) The youngest recipient (21) to win an Oscar for an acting role. Born in Morton Grove, IL (145)

Bill Murray (1950 - ) Actor made famous in Saturday Night Live and movies such as Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. Born in Wilmette, IL (146)

Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911 - 2004) The 40th President of the United States. Born in Tampico, IL (147)

Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967) Pulitzer Prize winning author of Abraham Lincoln; The War Years.He was also a poet, historian, balladeer, and folklorist. Born in Galesburg, IL (148)

Shel Silvertstein (1930 - 1999) Author of children's books such as Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree. Born in Chicago, IL (149)

Clyde Tombaugh (1906 - 1997) The astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto; grew up in Burdette. Born in Streator, IL (193)

Robin Williams (1951 - ) Actor made famous in the television show Mork and Mindy and movies such as Patch Adams and Toys. Born in Chicago, IL (150)