Famous People From Missouri
- Ed Asner, born on November 15, 1929, in Kansas City, Missouri, is a legend in the world of entertainment with his unmatched talent and distinct voice. The son of Morris David Asner, a small business owner, and Lizzie Seliger, a housewife, Asner's humble beginnings did not deter him from pursuing a career in acting. After serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he honed his craft at the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago, propelling him towards a successful career in Hollywood. Asner's breakthrough came when he was cast as Lou Grant in the television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. His portrayal of the gruff but lovable news director garnered him critical acclaim and set the stage for a spin-off series titled Lou Grant. With these roles, Asner made history by becoming the first actor to receive Emmy Awards for a sitcom and a drama for the same character. He continued to demonstrate his versatility by voicing characters in popular animated films and series, including Carl Fredricksen in Up and Santa Claus in Elf. Beyond his acting career, Asner was also a respected figure in the realm of social activism. Serving two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild, he used his platform to champion workers' rights within the entertainment industry. His commitment to causes such as ending homelessness, improving conditions for migrant farm workers, and advocating for universal healthcare further solidified his legacy. In recognition of his efforts, he received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2002. On August 29, 2021, Asner passed away at his Los Angeles home at the age of 91.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Kevin Delaney Kline is an American actor with a career spanning more than four decades. His impressive repertoire includes roles in both comedic and dramatic films, earning him the reputation as a versatile performer. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Kline's foundation was built on the tenets of classical theatrical performance, an influence that would later manifest in his depth of characterization and nuanced performances. Kline began his acting career on stage, making Broadway appearances in shows like On the Twentieth Century and The Pirates of Penzance, for which he received two Tony Awards. However, it was his role in the 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda that catapulted him into mainstream Hollywood, earning him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His rich filmography also includes notable films such as The Big Chill, In & Out, and De-Lovely. Despite his successful film career, Kline never strayed far from his love for theater. He periodically returned to the stage, where he continued to deliver powerful performances. His portrayal of Falstaff in the 2008 New York Shakespeare Festival production of Henry IV garnered him much critical acclaim. Offstage, Kline is known for his commitment to arts education and advocacy, demonstrating an unwavering passion for the performing arts.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
The Best Kevin Kline MoviesSee all
- 1Dave156 Votes
- 2A Fish Called Wanda139 Votes
- 3French Kiss140 Votes
- Kimora Lee Simmons is a prominent figure in the fashion industry, celebrated for her entrepreneurial spirit and innovative designs. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 4, 1975, to a Japanese mother and African-American father, she grew up in an environment that cultivated her unique sense of style. At the tender age of 14, she was scouted by Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of the prestigious brand Chanel, who swiftly made her his muse. This early exposure introduced Simmons to the glamorous world of fashion, sparking a passion that would shape her professional journey. Simmons's ascendency in the fashion industry continued with her joining Baby Phat, a subsidiary of Phat Fashions, as the Creative Director in 2000. Under her leadership, Baby Phat blossomed into a highly sought-after brand, appealing to women seeking to flaunt their individuality with confidence. Her contribution to the industry goes beyond designing; she also pioneered the inclusion of diverse models on the runway, reinforcing the notion that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The impact of her work resonated beyond the confines of fashion, rippling into the realms of body positivity and inclusivity. Outside of her career in fashion, Simmons has shown a strong commitment to philanthropy. She founded the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund at her high school alma mater in St. Louis. Simmons also established the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation with her then-husband, Russell Simmons.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Born in Flat Creek, Missouri, Don Johnson is a multitalented figure who has made significant contributions to American entertainment. He is best known for his performances in television and film, notably as James "Sonny" Crockett in the popular 1980s TV series Miami Vice, which won him a Golden Globe. However, Johnson's talent isn't confined to acting; he's also a producer, director, singer, and songwriter. Johnson's early life was filled with the arts. He participated in high school plays and eventually attended the University of Kansas, where he studied drama. His breakout role came in 1969 with the Los Angeles production of Fortune and Men's Eyes. This led to numerous roles on stage, film, and television, but it was Miami Vice that catapulted him to international stardom. His portrayal of the stylishly dressed detective in the pastel-infused Miami underworld resonated with audiences worldwide, turning Johnson into a household name. Beyond acting, Johnson showcased his musical talents by releasing two albums, Heartbeat in 1986 and Let It Roll in 1989. The title track from Heartbeat became a top five hit, further cementing his status as a multi-talented artist. His directorial skills were also put to the test with episodes of Miami Vice and later with the CBS crime series Nash Bridges, where he not only starred but also served as an executive producer. From acting to music and directing, Don Johnson's diverse career in entertainment makes him a remarkable figure in Hollywood.
- Birthplace: Flat Creek, Missouri, USA
- Ginger Rogers, born Virginia Katherine McMath in 1911, was an iconic American actress, singer, and dancer who left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Her journey towards stardom began at an early age. At just 14 years old, she won a Charleston dance contest that launched her vaudeville career, which eventually led her to Broadway. Her breakthrough role came in 1933 when she starred in the film 42nd Street. However, it was her partnership with Fred Astaire that truly cemented her status as a Hollywood icon. Together, they starred in ten films, creating some of the most memorable dance sequences in cinema history. Rogers' talent wasn't limited to dancing; she was also a gifted actress. In 1940, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kitty Foyle, where she portrayed a working-class girl, demonstrating her ability to take on serious roles beyond the light-hearted musicals she was known for. Over her career, she appeared in more than 70 films, spanning a variety of genres from comedies and dramas to musicals. Despite her successful career, Ginger Rogers' personal life was marked by turbulence. She was married five times, each ending in divorce. She was candid about her struggles in her autobiography, Ginger: My Story, published in 1991. Despite these challenges, she remained committed to her craft until her retirement in the late 1980s. Ginger Rogers passed away in 1995, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and influence the world of entertainment. Her grace, talent, and resilience remain as enduring reminders of her remarkable life and career.
- Birthplace: Independence, Missouri, USA
The 70+ Best Ginger Rogers MoviesSee all- 1Top Hat78 Votes
- 2Swing Time81 Votes
- 3Bachelor Mother104 Votes
- John Goodman, an American actor renowned for his larger-than-life performances in film and television, has been a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. Born on June 20, 1952, in Affton, Missouri, Goodman discovered his passion for acting while attending Southwest Missouri State University, where he studied drama. After graduating, he moved to New York City to pursue his dream, working in commercials and off-Broadway productions before landing his breakthrough role. Goodman's career took off in the late 1980s when he was cast as Dan Conner on the hit sitcom Roseanne. His portrayal of the hard-working, lovable father earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. While he enjoyed significant success on television, Goodman also made his mark on the big screen. He delivered memorable performances in films such as The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Monsters, Inc., showcasing his versatility as an actor who could master both comedic and dramatic roles. In addition to his acting prowess, Goodman is known for his collaborations with esteemed directors like the Coen brothers and his voice work in animated films. Despite facing personal challenges, including struggles with alcoholism, he has managed to maintain a successful and enduring career in Hollywood. His contributions to the entertainment industry have been recognized with multiple awards and nominations, cementing his legacy as one of America's most beloved actors. Through his diverse body of work, John Goodman continues to captivate audiences with his exceptional talent and undeniable charisma.
- Birthplace: Affton, Missouri, USA
John Goodman's Best MoviesSee all- 1The Big Lebowski445 Votes
- 2Monsters, Inc.378 Votes
- 3O Brother, Where Art Thou?354 Votes
- Jean Harlow, born as Harlean Harlow Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 3, 1911, was a legendary American actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Her journey to stardom began when she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 16, eventually signing a contract with Howard Hughes for her first major film, Hell's Angels, in 1930. Despite having no formal acting training, Harlow's alluring screen presence and natural talent quickly catapulted her to fame. Harlow's career flourished under the roof of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where she became one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors. Her roles in films like Red Dust (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Bombshell (1933) showcased her comedic prowess and unique ability to captivate audiences with her striking blonde hair and distinctive voice. She starred in over 36 films during her short-lived career, working alongside stars such as Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. However, Harlow's life was tragically cut short when she died suddenly from kidney failure at the age of 26 in 1937. Although her career was brief, her impact on Hollywood was profound and lasting. Harlow redefined the image of the leading lady in Hollywood, breaking away from the traditional mold with her sensual, liberated persona. She continues to be remembered as one of the original "blonde bombshells", setting a precedent for future Hollywood icons.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, USA, Missouri
The 25+ Best Jean Harlow MoviesSee all- 1Bombshell49 Votes
- 2Red Dust59 Votes
- 3Dinner at Eight57 Votes
- Without a doubt one of the most influential, prolific directors of any era, John Huston's reach spanned several decades and numerous film genres that displayed vast imagination while focusing on characters struggling for individuality despite constraints from the world around them. Huston led quite an adventurous life even before he began his Hollywood career, often recalling his days as a boxer, Mexican cavalry officer and avid horseback rider in many of his films. After a false start as a screenwriter in the early days of talkies, Huston re-emerged in the late-1930s as a successful contract writer who penned such hits as "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" (1938), "Sergeant York" (1941) and "High Sierra" (1941). During this time, he developed a strong working collaboration with Humphrey Bogart, who became a major star following his turn in Huston's directorial debut, "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), one of the best film noirs ever made. The two had even greater success with "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" (1948), which earned Huston and his father, actor Walter Huston, Academy Awards. From there, the director entered into what became his most fruitful period, helming such long-held classics as "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951) and "The African Queen" (1952), which delivered Bogie his only Oscar. He also began acting later in his career, turning in an acclaimed supporting performance in "The Cardinal" (1963) while being best remembered for his portrayal of the vile Noah Cross in "Chinatown" (1974). In the last decade of his life, Huston returned to critical and box office prominence with "Prizzi's Honor" (1985), which earned daughter Anjelica an Academy Award, making the Hustons the first family to win Oscars in three successive generations. As for Huston himself, he left behind a compelling legacy that included an adventurous life and a career that cemented him as arguably the greatest director in Hollywood history.
- Birthplace: Nevada, Missouri, USA
The 30+ Best John Huston MoviesSee all- 1Chinatown28 Votes
- 2Winter Kills10 Votes
- 3The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean21 Votes
- Born on November 29, 1964, in Kansas City, Missouri, Don Cheadle's journey to stardom was marked by hard work and unwavering dedication. He developed an interest in acting during his high school years and pursued it further at the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. Cheadle's breakthrough came in 1995 when he delivered a standout performance in the critically acclaimed film, Devil in a Blue Dress, earning him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. Since then, his career has been a series of remarkable roles that have demonstrated his range and depth as an actor. His portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004) garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also gained widespread recognition for his role as Marty Kaan in the Showtime series House of Lies, which won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. In addition to his acting prowess, Cheadle has also made his mark behind the camera. He made his directorial debut with Miles Ahead (2015), a biographical film about jazz musician Miles Davis, in which he also starred. His commitment to social issues has been equally noteworthy. An active campaigner against genocide in Darfur, Cheadle co-authored Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond with John Prendergast.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
The 40+ Best Don Cheadle MoviesSee all- 1Hotel Rwanda60 Votes
- 2Ocean's Eleven42 Votes
- 3Iron Man 334 Votes
- Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, was a seminal figure in the field of literature and activism. She is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences, the first and most highly acclaimed of which, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells of her life up to the age of seventeen and brought her international recognition and acclaim. Angelou's life was marked by a series of remarkable metamorphoses: from a child victim of racism, to a single mother working odd jobs to secure her son's future; from a nightclub dancer and performer to a renowned poet and author; from a coordinator for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference to a friend and advisor to two U.S. Presidents. She mastered several languages and worked as a newspaper editor in Egypt and Ghana during the decolonization of Africa. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded her the country's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for her collected works of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Maya Angelou's contributions to literature and culture were not limited to her prolific writing. She also held a successful career in the arts, including stage performance, directing, producing, and acting in film and television. A trailblazer in the truest sense, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the 1973 play Look Away and for a Pulitzer Prize for her 1971 volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie. Maya Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014, but her words and influence continue to resonate, inspiring countless individuals worldwide.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Chuck Berry, born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri, is a name that resonates with the birth of rock and roll music. His vibrant life was marked by numerous accomplishments that not only shaped his career but also significantly influenced the evolution of popular music. Berry's artistic journey was a blend of talent, charisma, and groundbreaking ideas that catapulted him into the limelight as one of the pioneers of rock and roll. Berry's interest in music began at a young age. He honed his skills by playing at school concerts and local events, which led to his first performance at the Cosmopolitan Club in St. Louis in 1952. This initial exposure to the public eye marked the beginning of his groundbreaking career. In 1955, he met Muddy Waters, who suggested he contact Leonard Chess of Chess Records. This introduction led to Berry's first recording contract and his inaugural single, "Maybellene," which became an instant hit. Throughout his career, Berry released numerous chart-topping tracks such as "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music," and "Johnny B. Goode." Berry's influence transcends his discography. He was known for his energetic performances, distinctive guitar riffs, and innovative songwriting, often including narrative lyrics featuring teenage life and consumerism‚ a novelty in the music industry at the time. His unique style had a profound impact on future generations of musicians across various genres. In recognition of his contributions to music, Berry was among the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His life and work continue to inspire millions worldwide, solidifying his legacy as one of the founding fathers of rock and roll.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Cedric the Entertainer, born as Cedric Antonio Kyles on April 24, 1964, in Jefferson City, Missouri, is a dynamic figure in the world of American comedy. With his charismatic stage presence and unique style, he has firmly established himself as a top-tier comedian, actor, and game show host. His journey towards stardom began with humble beginnings at Budweiser's national comedy competition in the late 1980s where he captured the audience with his humor and offbeat characters. Cedric's big break came when he joined the groundbreaking The Steve Harvey Show, which aired from 1996 to 2002, earning him multiple NAACP Image Awards for his role. He further catapulted to fame as one of the four comedians featured in Spike Lee's The Original Kings of Comedy, a film that captured the essence of the most significant comedy tour of its time. Beyond the comedy realm, Cedric has showcased his versatility in various acting roles across both television and film. Notably, he starred in the popular Barbershop movie series and provided the voice for characters in animated films like Madagascar and Charlotte's Web. His hosting prowess was displayed on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, where he enlivened the classic game show with his trademark wit. As a testament to his influence and contribution to entertainment, Cedric the Entertainer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Birthplace: Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
- Long recognized as a true auteur in American cinema despite his rather confrontational on set demeanor, director Robert Altman brought an ironic and irreverent perspective to his films that often deconstructed classic film genres like Westerns, crime dramas, musicals and classic whodunits. His films were filled with unexpected quirks, overlapping dialogue - often improvised - and an acutely iconoclastic point of view that was deftly used to skewer long-standing American values. Following a rather inauspicious entry into moviemaking by way of industrial films, Altman cut his teeth in television on shows like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS/NBC, 1955-1965) before making his mark on American cinema with "M*A*S*H" (1970), a loose and irreverent look at a group of hedonistic army surgeons and nurses that tapped into the angst of the antiwar generation growing up under the shadow of the Vietnam War. Altman next turned his attention to revitalizing the Western with "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" (1971), before earning the enmity of critics who blasted the director for his irreverent caricature of Philip Marlowe in "The Long Goodbye" (1973). But he earned back their admiration tenfold with "Nashville" (1975), a multi-layered satire that followed 24 main characters in numerous intersecting storylines that ably weaved a tapestry depicting the folly of pursuing fame in America. After that critical success, which was later widely considered to be his best film, Altman hit a long, slow slide that ended in the commercial and critical debacle known as "Popeye" (1980). The director spent the ensuing decade making interesting low-budget indies like "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (1982), "Secret Honor" (1984) and "Vincent and Theo" (1990) before returning to the Hollywood fold with a biting satire, "The Player" (1992), which savaged the very industry that embraced his return. Altman helmed another multi-character piece, "Short Cuts" (1993), a darkly comic look at relationships surviving contemporary Los Angeles that recalled his efforts on "Nashville" two decades prior. Following another brief creative lull that saw "Ready to Wear (Pret-a-Porter)" (1994) and "Kansas City" (1996) added to his canon, the director earned high praise and fawning reverence for the comedy-of-manners wrapped around a country manor whodunit, "Gosford Park" (2001), which underscored arguably one of the most important cinematic careers of the late 20th century.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- In the vast landscape of contemporary music, Aliaune Thiam, better known as Akon, is a figure whose influence spans across borders, cultures, and genres. Born in 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Senegalese parents, Akon's exposure to diverse forms of music from an early age shaped his sound and vision as an artist. His family's roots in West African music, combined with his own experiences growing up in the United States, became foundational elements in the creation of his distinct rhythmic style. Akon catapulted into the global music scene in 2004 with his debut album Trouble, which included the hit singles "Locked Up" and "Lonely." His unique blend of R&B, hip hop, and world music resonated with listeners worldwide, paving the way for future successful albums such as Konvicted and Freedom. Aside from his solo career, Akon has demonstrated his versatile musical prowess through collaborations with esteemed artists like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Gwen Stefani. His successful forays into music production and his entrepreneurial ventures have further established him as a force within the entertainment industry. Yet, Akon's impact extends beyond music. He is also recognized for his philanthropic efforts, particularly through his initiative "Akon Lighting Africa." Launched in 2014, this venture aims to provide solar-powered electricity to rural communities across Africa, reflecting Akon's commitment to use his platform for positive change. Throughout his career, Akon has forged a path that transcends the conventional boundaries of an artist, embodying the role of musician, entrepreneur, and humanitarian with equal vigor.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. He moved to New York City as a young man, where he made his career. One of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue".Growing up in a series of Midwestern towns, Hughes became a prolific writer at an early age. He graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio and soon began studies at Columbia University in New York City. Although he dropped out, he gained notice from New York publishers, first in The Crisis magazine, and then from book publishers and became known in the creative community in Harlem. He eventually graduated from Lincoln University. In addition to poetry, Hughes wrote plays, and short stories. He also published several non-fiction works. From 1942 to 1962, as the civil rights movement was gaining traction, he wrote an in-depth weekly column in a leading black newspaper, The Chicago Defender.
- Birthplace: USA, Joplin, Missouri
- With a keen eye for trends and an insatiable love for pop culture, Andy Cohen helped reshape television viewing in the new millennium. As an executive of original programming and development for the Bravo network, Cohen oversaw the creation and production of a number of hit series, from the groundbreaking makeover program "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (Bravo, 2003-07), to the Emmy Award-winning reality competition series "Project Runway" (Bravo, 2004-08; Lifetime, 2008- ). In addition to his work as an executive producer, Cohen also hosted various Bravo reunion specials, including the provocative "The Real Housewives of " franchise (2006- ). In 2009, Cohen's late night talk show "Watch What Happens: Live" premiered, with the witty and charming host providing off-kilter commentary on various shows, trading punch lines with Hollywood's A-list, and interacting with loyal viewers. The top-rated program, much like the slew of others he launched on Bravo, established the hardworking Cohen as one of the most visionary and formative television personalities of his time. He parlayed that fame into best-selling books and multimedia ventures ranging from appearing in a Lady Gaga video to launching his own satellite radio channel.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher, who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–63, 1965), all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was an 18-time All-Star and won 10 World Series championships as a player—more than any other player in MLB history. Berra had a career batting average of .285, while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. He is one of only five players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Berra was a native of St. Louis and signed with the Yankees in 1943 before serving in the United States Navy as a gunner's mate in the Normandy landings during World War II, where he earned a Purple Heart. He made his major-league debut at age 21 in 1946 and was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup during the team's championship years beginning in 1949 and continuing through 1962. Despite his short stature (he was 5 feet 7 inches tall), Berra was a power hitter and strong defensive catcher. He caught Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. Berra played 18 seasons with the Yankees before retiring after the 1963 season. He spent the next year as their manager, then joined the New York Mets in 1965 as coach (and briefly a player again). Berra remained with the Mets for the next decade, serving the last four years as their manager. He returned to the Yankees in 1976, coaching them for eight seasons and managing for two, before coaching the Houston Astros. He was one of seven managers to lead both American and National League teams to the World Series. Berra appeared as a player, coach or manager in every one of the 13 World Series that New York baseball teams won from 1947 through 1981. Overall, he appeared in 22 World Series, 13 on the winning side. The Yankees retired his uniform number 8 in 1972; Bill Dickey had previously worn number 8, and both catchers had that number retired by the Yankees. The club honored him with a plaque in Monument Park in 1988. Berra was named to the MLB All-Century Team in a vote by fans in 1999. For the remainder of his life, he was closely involved with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, which he opened on the campus of Montclair State University in 1998. Berra quit school after the eighth grade. He was known for his malapropisms as well as pithy and paradoxical statements, such as "It ain't over 'til it's over", while speaking to reporters. He once simultaneously denied and confirmed his reputation by stating, "I really didn't say everything I said."
- Birthplace: The Hill, USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American constitutional lawyer and movement conservative. She held staunchly conservative social and political views, supported antifeminism, opposed abortion, and successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Her book, A Choice Not an Echo (1964), a polemic against Republican leader Nelson Rockefeller, sold more than three million copies. Schlafly co-authored books on national defense and was critical of arms control agreements with the Soviet Union. In 1972, Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum, a conservative political interest group, and remained its chairwoman and CEO until her death in 2016.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Kevin Nealon, born on November 18, 1953, is an American comedian and actor best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member on the popular television show Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1986 to 1995. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Nealon's initial dreams were not associated with comedy or acting. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It wasn't until later that he discovered his knack for bringing humor into people's lives, which eventually led him to pursue a career in entertainment. Before stepping into the spotlight, Nealon honed his skills in stand-up comedy at various clubs in Los Angeles. His wry sense of humor and comedic timing caught the attention of fellow comedian Dana Carvey who recommended Nealon to SNL creator Lorne Michaels. This recommendation proved fruitful, and Nealon joined the SNL cast where he became renowned for his impressions and anchoring the Weekend Update segment. His nine years on SNL made him one of the longest-running cast members in the show's history. After departing from SNL, Nealon didn't fade from the public eye. Instead, he utilized his versatile acting skills and comedic prowess to secure roles in multiple sitcoms and films. He starred alongside Adam Sandler in several hit movies like Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. On the small screen, he gained recognition for his role as Doug Wilson on the critically acclaimed Showtime series, Weeds, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the world of comedy and acting.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive and felon convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray was convicted on his 41st birthday after entering a guilty plea to forgo a jury trial. Had he been found guilty by jury trial, he would have been eligible for the death penalty.
- Birthplace: Alton, Illinois
- Jessica Brooke Capshaw Gavigan (born August 9, 1976) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Jamie Stringer in The Practice and Arizona Robbins on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. She was introduced in Grey's Anatomy's fifth season as an attending surgeon and the new head of pediatric surgery. Originally contracted to appear in three episodes, Capshaw's contract was extended to the remainder of the fifth season, with her becoming a series regular in the sixth season.
- Birthplace: USA, Columbia, Missouri
- Richard Hirschfeld Williams (May 7, 1929 – July 7, 2011) was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967 to 1969 and from 1971 to 1988, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National League pennant, and two World Series triumphs. He is one of eight managers to win pennants in both major leagues, and joined Bill McKechnie in becoming only the second manager to lead three franchises to the Series. He and Lou Piniella are the only managers in history to lead four teams to seasons of 90 or more wins. Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 following his election by the Veterans Committee.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Pooja Kumar is an actress who appeared in "Brawl in Cell Block 99," "Vishwaroop 2," and "Man on a Ledge."
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- George Coleman Poage (November 6, 1880 – April 11, 1962) was the first African-American athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games, winning two bronze medals at the 1904 games in St. Louis.
- Birthplace: Hannibal, Missouri
- Robert Guillaume became one of the best-beloved and respected television actors of the late 1970s and 1980s playing one character in two different series and establishing a trademark capacity to render bone-dry wit, stoic demeanor and even thoughtful compassion. An accomplished Broadway performer and singer through the 1960s and '70s, Guillaume came to national prominence on the groundbreaking and controversial sitcom "Soap" (ABC, 1977-1981) as Benson, the domestic servant with anything but a servile attitude or respect for his upper class employers. Benson proved such a breakthrough character that in 1979, ABC spun Guillaume off into his own eponymous series, in which he eventually, improbably, ran for the office of governor of a Southern state. Nominated seven times, he would become the first African-American to win a Best Actor Emmy. He went on to establish himself as a go-to voiceover actor with extensive work in Disney's much-traveled "Lion King" franchise as the wise Rafiki. His most extended return to series TV, "Sports Night" (ABC, 1998-2000), was conspicuously marked by a stroke he suffered on-set and the producers' and Guillaume's decision to write it and the subsequent recovery process into his character's arc. Though more broadly remembered for his signature sitcom work, Guillaume built a legacy as a multi-gifted performer who defied the traditional parameters too long drawn for African-American thespians. His death on October 24, 2017 from prostate cancer at the age of 89 was mourned by generations of fans and fellow actors.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Harry Caray (born Harry Christopher Carabina; March 1, 1914 – February 18, 1998) was an American sportscaster on radio and television. He covered five Major League Baseball teams, beginning with 25 years of calling the games of the St. Louis Cardinals with two of these years also spent calling games for the St. Louis Browns. After a year working for the Oakland Athletics and eleven years with the Chicago White Sox, Caray spent the last sixteen years of his career as the announcer for the Chicago Cubs.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Eschewing roles typically reserved for emerging, young stars, Evan Peters instead portrayed rebels and outcasts who survived outside the fringes of social norms. He launched his acting career innocently enough with supporting roles, such as the title character's best friend on the Disney Channel sci-fi series "Phil of the Future" (2004-06) and as a goofy skateboarder in the teen comedy "Sleepover" (2004). Peters began taking on more layered characters in feature films like "Never Back Down" (2008), about teens who competed in underground martial arts matches. Yet it was his career-making turn on the provocative and genre-bending series "American Horror Story" (FX, 2011- ) that turned Peters from a supporting player to a viable lead. Cast as Tate Langdon - a teen who committed an unspeakable crime against his classmates that left him dead and eternally searching for redemption - opened Hollywood's eyes to the sheer talent and courage of an actor capable of taking on roles that pushed boundaries while entertaining viewers at the same time.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Keith Boykin (born August 28, 1965) is an American progressive broadcaster, author and commentator. He was editor of The Daily Voice, a CNBC contributor, a CNN political commentator, and a co-host of the BET TV talk show My Two Cents.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956), nicknamed "The Red Baron" is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals between 1976 and 1994. Sutcliffe is currently a broadcaster for ESPN. A right-hander, Sutcliffe was a three-time All-Star. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1979 and the National League Cy Young Award in 1984.
- Birthplace: Independence, Missouri
Demetrious Johnson
Age: 63Demetrious Johnson (born July 21, 1961) is a former professional American football player. Johnson is a native St. Louisan who grew up in the Darst-Webbe Housing Project. He was the youngest of eight children and was raised by a single parent. With the odds against him, Johnson was able to stay focused and graduated from McKinley High School, and earned a full athletic scholarship to attend the University of Missouri, Columbia. During his years at Columbia, Johnson was recognized as a premier defensive back, including Big 8 All Star. Johnson graduated with a bachelor's degree in Education with a major in Counseling Psychology. Upon graduation, the Detroit Lions drafted Johnson. Johnson’s professional football career lasted five years. During his career, Johnson was the Lions' defensive captain and earned numerous awards, including Player of the Week. Johnson ended his professional football career with the Miami Dolphins in 1987.- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Chris Cooper, born on July 9, 1951, in Kansas City, Missouri, is an accomplished American actor with a career spanning several decades. Notably, he was raised in the Midwest where his father served as a doctor and his mother was a homemaker. His early life was marked by his father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease, an experience which would later profoundly influence his acting choices. Cooper studied at the University of Missouri School of Drama before moving to New York City to pursue a career in acting. Cooper's acting career took flight in the 1980s with a series of stage performances, however, it was his role in John Sayles's Matewan (1987) that marked his film debut. Over the years, he demonstrated a remarkable range, portraying diverse characters in films like American Beauty (1999), October Sky (1999), and The Bourne Identity (2002). However, it was his performance in Adaptation (2002) that won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Aside from his acting career, Cooper is also known for his dedication to his family. He married Marianne Leone, an actress and writer, in 1983, and their bond grew stronger after the birth of their son, Jesse, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Despite the challenges, they remained committed to providing their son with a normal life and advocating for disability rights. Cooper's life, both in front of and behind the camera, is a testament to his resilience, versatility, and commitment to his craft and family.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Harry Edwards (born November 22, 1942) is an American sociologist and civil rights activist. He completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University and is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. Edwards' career has focused on the experiences of African-American athletes.
- Birthplace: East St. Louis, Illinois
- L. John Doerr (born June 29, 1951) is an American investor and venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins in Menlo Park, California. In February 2009, Doerr was appointed a member of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board to provide the President and his administration with advice and counsel in trying to fix America's economic downturn. In 2017, related to Forbes, he was recognized the 40th Richest In Tech. As of July 2017, Forbes ranked Doerr as the 105th richest person in the United States and the 303rd richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$ 7.5 billion as of February 16, 2018. Doerr is the author of Measure What Matters, a book about goal-setting. For 2019, his net worth increased up to $7.7 billion, being the 215th in the Billionaires 2019 list and the 56th in The Midas List: Top Tech Investors 2019.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball catcher, later an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. Garagiola played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and New York Giants. He was later well known outside baseball for having been one of the regular panelists on The Today Show for many years and for his numerous appearances on game shows as a host and panelist.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983) is an American professional wrestler who performs on the independent circuit as Matt Sydal. He is most recently known for his time in Impact Wrestling where he is a former Impact Grand Champion and Impact X Division Champion. Sydal is also known from his time in WWE, where he performed as Evan Bourne, where he was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, with Kofi Kingston. Between 2000 and 2007, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit, for promotions including NWA Midwest, IWA-Mid South, and Ring of Honor, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived Wrestling Society X and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's early pay-per-view events. Beginning in 2005, he wrestled for Dragon Gate in Japan, and won the Open the Brave Gate Championship in early 2007. He signed with WWE in 2007, and made his main roster debut as Evan Bourne on ECW the following year. In 2011, he formed an alliance with Kofi Kingston, known as Air Boom, and they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. In 2012, he was suspended for violating WWE's wellness policy, and then injured his foot in a motorcycle accident, forcing him out of action. Without reappearing on television, he was released from WWE in 2014 and returned to wrestling on the independent circuit under his former ring name. He has also wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. Korklan is known for his high flying but hybrid lucha libre and puroresu styles of wrestling and was named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Best Flying Wrestler in 2008.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Enos Stanley Kroenke (; born July 29, 1947) is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He is the owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which is the holding company of English Premier League football club Arsenal, the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, and the newly formed Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League. The Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche franchises are currently owned by his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, to satisfy NFL ownership restrictions that forbid a team owner from owning teams in other markets. Ann is the daughter of Walmart co-founder James "Bud" Walton. He was estimated to be worth US$8.5 billion by Forbes in 2018.
- Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri
- Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst (; February 2, 1923 – June 6, 2018) was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB), and is largely known for his coaching, managing, and playing years with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for 19 years with the St. Louis Cardinals (1945–1956, 1961–1963), New York Giants (1956–1957) and Milwaukee Braves (1957–1960), and was named to 10 All Star teams. He then managed the Cardinals from 1965 through 1976 – the second-longest managerial tenure in the team's history (behind Tony La Russa). Under his direction, St. Louis won the 1967 and 1968 National League pennants and the 1967 World Series, and he was named National League Manager of the Year in both 1967 and 1968. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. At the time of his death, he had worn a Major League uniform for 74 consecutive years as a player, coach, or manager, and had served 67 of his 76 years in baseball with the Cardinals.
- Birthplace: Germantown, Illinois
- William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. He served three terms as a Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for president in the 2000 election. Bradley was born and raised in Crystal City, Missouri, a small town 45 miles south of St. Louis. He excelled at basketball from an early age. He did well academically and was an all-county and all-state basketball player in high school. He was offered 75 college scholarships, but declined them all to attend Princeton University. He won a gold medal as a member of the 1964 Olympic basketball team and was the NCAA Player of the Year in 1965, when Princeton finished third in the NCAA Tournament. After graduating in 1965, he attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, delaying a decision for two years on whether or not to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). While at Oxford, Bradley played one season of professional basketball in Europe and eventually decided to join the New York Knicks in the 1967–68 season, after serving six months in the Air Force Reserve. He spent his entire ten-year professional basketball career playing for the Knicks, winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. Retiring in 1977, he ran for a seat in the United States Senate the following year, from his adopted home state of New Jersey. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1990, left the Senate in 1997, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination. Bradley is the author of seven non-fiction books, most recently We Can All Do Better, and hosts a weekly radio show, American Voices, on Sirius Satellite Radio. He is a corporate director of Starbucks and a partner at investment bank Allen & Company in New York City. Bradley is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One. He also serves on that group's Advisory Board. In 2008 Bradley was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
- Birthplace: USA, Crystal City, Missouri
- Joyce Meyer (born Pauline Joyce Hutchison; June 4, 1943) is an American Charismatic Christian author and speaker and president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Joyce and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered near the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Steven Wright (born 1955) is an American comedian and actor. Steven or Steve Wright may also refer to: Steve Wright (American football, born 1942), former American football offensive tackle Steve Wright (American football, born 1959), former American football offensive lineman and Survivor contestant Steven Wright (baseball) (born 1984), American baseball player Steve Wright (DJ) (born 1954), British radio broadcaster Steve Wright (serial killer) (born 1958), British serial killer Steve Wright (bassist) (1950-2017), bassist with the Greg Kihn Band Steve Wright (footballer, born 1893) (1893–1959), English football player, manager and trainer Steve Wright (footballer, born 1959) (born 1959), English footballer
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Brooke Nichole Adams (born December 4, 1984), is an American model and professional wrestler, best known by the ring names Miss Tessmacher and Brooke Tessmacher. She is a three–time TNA Knockouts Champion, and a former one–time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Tara, known collectively as TnT. She previously worked for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) between 2006 and 2007, appearing with Kelly Kelly and Layla in the dance troupe Extreme Exposé, on the company's former ECW brand.
- Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
- Michael McDonald (born February 12, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer known for his distinctive, soulful voice and as a member of the bands The Doobie Brothers (1975-1982, 1987) and Steely Dan (1974). McDonald wrote and sang several hit singles with The Doobie Brothers, including “What a Fool Believes,” “Minute By Minute,” and “Takin' It to the Streets.” McDonald has also performed as a prominent backing vocalist on numerous recordings by artists like Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, and Kenny Loggins. He is considered an influential figure in the development of the yacht rock genre. McDonald's solo career consists of nine studio albums and a number of singles, including the 1982 hit "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)." During his career, McDonald has collaborated with a number of other artists, including James Ingram, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Patti LaBelle, Lee Ritenour, the Winans, Aretha Franklin, Toto, Grizzly Bear, Joni Mitchell, and Thundercat. He has also recorded for television and film soundtracks. McDonald is the recipient of five Grammy Awards.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for hosting Tattletales, Super Password and Win, Lose or Draw.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Robert Louis "Bob" Behnken (born July 28, 1970 in Creve Coeur, Missouri) is a United States Air Force officer, NASA astronaut and former Chief of the Astronaut Office. Behnken holds a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering and holds the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Col. Behnken has logged over 1,000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft. He flew aboard Space Shuttle missions STS-123 (2008) and STS-130 (2010) as a Mission Specialist, accumulating over 708 hours in space, including 37 hours of spacewalk time. Behnken was also assigned as Mission Specialist 1 to the STS-400 rescue mission. He is married to fellow astronaut K. Megan McArthur.
- Birthplace: Creve Coeur, St. Louis, Missouri
- David A. Catania (born January 16, 1968) is an American independent politician and lawyer from Washington, D.C. He was formerly an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia, which he gave up to pursue an unsuccessful run in the 2014 mayoral election.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Joseph Pierre "Joe" Torry (born September 28, 1965) is an American actor and comedian.- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973) is an American country artist. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party. Wilson followed this album one year later with All Jacked Up, the title track of which became the highest-debuting single for a female country artist upon its 2005 release. A third album, One of the Boys, was released in 2007. Overall, Wilson has charted 13 singles on the Billboard country charts, of which five have reached Top Ten: the Number One "Redneck Woman", as well as "Here for the Party" (#3, 2004), "When I Think About Cheatin'" (#4, 2004), "Homewrecker" (#2, 2005), and "All Jacked Up" (#8, 2005). The album Here for the Party was certified 5× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for sales of five million copies, while All Jacked Up was certified platinum. She has sold over 8 million records worldwide.
- Birthplace: Pocahontas, Illinois, USA
- Daniel Charles Piraro (born 1958) is a painter, illustrator, and cartoonist best known for his syndicated cartoon panel Bizarro. Piraro's cartoons have been reprinted in 16 book collections (as of 2012). He has also written three books of prose.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
- Faye Marder Kellerman (born July 31, 1952) is an American writer of mystery novels, in particular the "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series as well as three non-series books, The Quality of Mercy, Moon Music and Straight into Darkness.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder, and manager, best known as the manager of both the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, of the expansion New York Mets. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. Stengel was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1890. In 1910, he began a professional baseball career that would span over half a century. After almost three seasons in the minor leagues, Stengel reached the major leagues late in 1912, as an outfielder, for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His six seasons there saw some success, among them playing for Brooklyn's 1916 National League championship team; but he also developed a reputation as a clown. After repeated clashes over pay with the Dodgers owner, Charlie Ebbets, Stengel was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1918; however, he enlisted in the Navy that summer, for the remainder of World War I. After returning to baseball, he continued his pay disputes, resulting in trades to the Philadelphia Phillies (in 1919) and to the New York Giants (in 1921). There, he learned much about baseball from the manager, John McGraw, and had some of the glorious moments in his career, such as hitting an inside-the-park home run in Game 1 of the 1923 World Series to defeat the Yankees. His major league playing career ended with the Boston Braves in 1925, but he then began a career as a manager. The first twenty years of Stengel's second career brought mostly poor finishes, especially during his MLB managerial stints with the Dodgers (1934–1936) and Braves (1938–1943). He thereafter enjoyed some success on the minor league level, and Yankee general manager George Weiss hired him as manager in October 1948. Stengel's Yankees won the World Series five consecutive times (1949–1953), the only time that has been achieved. Although the team won ten pennants in his twelve seasons, and won seven World Series, his final two years brought less success, with a third-place finish in 1959, and a loss in the 1960 World Series. By then aged 70, he was dismissed by the Yankees shortly after the defeat. Stengel had become famous for his humorous and sometimes disjointed way of speech while with the Yankees, and these skills of showmanship served the expansion Mets well when they hired him in late 1961. He promoted the team tirelessly, as well as managing it to a 40–120 win–loss record, the most losses of any 20th century MLB team. The team finished last all four years he managed it, but was boosted by considerable support from fans. Stengel retired in 1965, and became a fixture at baseball events for the rest of his life. Although Stengel is sometimes described as one of the great managers in major league history, others have contrasted his success during the Yankee years with his lack of success at other times, and concluded he was only a good manager when given good players. Stengel is remembered as one of the great characters in baseball history.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
Charles Ray Hatcher
Dec. at 55 (1929-1984)Charles Ray Hatcher (July 16, 1929 – December 7, 1984) was an American serial killer who confessed to having murdered 16 people between 1969 and 1982.- Birthplace: Mound City, Missouri
- Kelly Stables is an actress of many talents; in addition to her on-screen work in such major projects as "Two and a Half Men" and "The Ring," Stables is a veteran stage performer and occasional Hollywood stuntwoman. After graduating from college, Stables moved to Los Angeles and appeared in minor roles in the direct-to-video film "Bring It On Again" and the indie comedy "Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy," which updated the classic Jane Austen novel with a Utah setting and Mormon sensibility. After working as a stuntwoman in "The Ring," based on the Japanese horror film about a mysterious videotape that causes the death of anyone who views it, Stables caught a major break when she appeared as the off-tape incarnation of the evil spirit Samara in "The Ring Two." From 2004 to 2006, she voiced Will Vandom, a spirited tomboy with magical powers, in the TV adaptation of the popular Italian comic book series "W.I.T.C.H.," and also lent her voice to the fairy-tale crime caper "Hoodwinked!." Stables has since portrayed a mean-spirited sorority vice-president in the collegiate TV drama "Greek" and appeared as an elven princess in the 2008 fantasy adventure film "Dragon Hunter." She has also appeared in a recurring role on the prime-time sitcom "Two and a Half Men" as Melissa, Alan Harper's (Jon Cryer) former secretary and sometime girlfriend.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Edward Joseph Hoffman (January 1, 1942 – July 1, 2004) helped invent the first human PET scanner, a commonly used whole-body scanning procedure for detecting diseases like cancer. Hoffman, with Michael E. Phelps, developed the Positron Emission Tomography scanner in 1973. Hoffman was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a BS chemistry from St. Louis University in 1963, his Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis in 1970 and completed postgraduate work in nuclear chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1972 he joined the faculty of Washington University’s School of Medicine, where he and Dr. Michael Phelps began developing what later became known as the PET scanner, used to detect cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. In 1975, Phelps and Hoffman moved to the University of Pennsylvania.Starting in 1976, Hoffman was a professor at UCLA medical school in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Radiological Sciences. In 1999, he authored a book that reviews the biochemical basis of alternative medical treatments for cancer. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.He died of liver cancer in Los Angeles, California.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Harry Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919 – November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer with a rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS television series Dallas from 1981–1991.
- Birthplace: USA, Gillespie, Illinois
- Robert Budd Dwyer (November 21, 1939 – January 22, 1987) was the 30th State Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He served from 1971 to 1981 as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the state's 50th district. He then served as the 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania from January 20, 1981, until his death by suicide during a press conference. In the early 1980s, Pennsylvania discovered its state workers had overpaid federal taxes due to errors in state withholding. Many accounting firms competed for a multimillion-dollar contract to determine compensation to each employee. In 1986, Dwyer was convicted of receiving a bribe from the California firm that ultimately won the contract. He was scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on January 23, 1987. On January 22, 1987, Dwyer called a news conference in the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg where he killed himself in front of the gathered reporters, by shooting himself in the mouth with a .357 Magnum revolver. Dwyer's suicide was broadcast later that day to a wide television audience across Pennsylvania. Throughout Dwyer's trial and after his conviction, he maintained that he was not guilty of the charges levied against him, and that he had been framed. Decades later, the prosecution's primary witness, William Trickett Smith, whose testimony was largely used to obtain Dwyer's conviction, stated in the documentary Honest Man: The Life of R. Budd Dwyer, as he did at Dwyer's trial, that he offered Dwyer a bribe and that Dwyer accepted it. He expressed regret for the decision to offer Dwyer a bribe and for the role it played in Dwyer's death. James J. West, the former acting United States Attorney who prosecuted Dwyer, affirmed Dwyer's guilt in 2010.
- Birthplace: Saint Charles, Missouri, USA
- Guy Lewis Steele Jr. (; born October 2, 1954) is an American computer scientist who has played an important role in designing and documenting several computer programming languages and technical standards.
- Birthplace: Missouri
- Matthew Erich "Mancow" Muller (born June 21, 1966) is an American radio and television personality, actor, and former child model. Considered a shock jock, his career has been well known for controversy and clashes with the Federal Communications Commission. He is best known for Mancow's Morning Madhouse, a Chicago-based syndicated radio show, and The Mancow Radio Experience, which have been nationally distributed by Talk Radio Network. Muller also co-starred with his brother, Mark, in the reality TV series God, Guns & Automobiles, which aired on History Channel. He was most recently host of the morning show on WLUP-FM/97.9, before he was fired on March 6, 2018 upon WLUP-FM/97.9 was to being sold. In January 2019, Muller returned to radio on WLS to host mornings.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Ub Iwerks (; March 24, 1901 – July 7, 1971) was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician, who designed Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. The works Iwerks produced alongside Walt Disney won numerous awards, including multiple Academy Awards.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Otto Herbert Schmitt (April 6, 1913 – January 6, 1998) was an American inventor, engineer, and biophysicist known for his scientific contributions to biophysics and for establishing the field of biomedical engineering. Schmitt also coined the term biomimetics and invented the Schmitt trigger, the cathode follower, the differential amplifier, and the chopper-stabilized amplifier.He was awarded the John Price Wetherill Medal in 1972.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Annie Wersching injected fresh life into the final two seasons of the espionage drama "24" as FBI Special Agent Renee Walker, serving as a foil, ally, and eventual romantic interest for rule-breaking CTU agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). "24"'s creators cast Wersching based on her work as a potential series regular in "Company Man," a passed-over 2007 pilot that they had also produced. Before landing the "24" gig, the St. Louis native played small roles in the sci-fi spin-off "Star Trek: Enterprise," the fantasy series "Charmed," and the David E. Kelley drama "Boston Legal." The 2002 "Enterprise" episode was her first television role, and apparently made an impression among "Star Trek" fans, who, she says, "[still] send me trading cards of my character. I'm like, I was in one episode! How could I possibly have a trading card?" She also appeared for five months in 2007 on hallowed CBS soap opera "General Hospital" as revenge-seeking TV producer Amelia Joffe. Wersching married actor and comedian Stephen Full in 2009. Annie Wersching died of cancer on January 29, 2023 at the age of 45.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Thomas Sturges Watson (born September 4, 1949) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions, formerly on the PGA Tour. In the 1970s and 1980s, Watson was one of the leading players in the world, winning eight major championships and heading the PGA Tour money list five times. He was the number one player in the world according to McCormack's World Golf Rankings from 1978 until 1982; in both 1983 and 1984, he was ranked second behind Seve Ballesteros. He also spent 32 weeks in the top 10 of the successor Sony Rankings in their debut in 1986.Watson is also notable for his longevity: at nearly sixty years of age, and 26 years after his last major championship victory, he led after the second and third rounds of The Open Championship in 2009, but lost in a four-hole playoff. With a chance to win the tournament with par on the 72nd hole, he missed an 8-foot (2.4 m) putt, then lost to Stewart Cink in the playoff. Several of Watson's major victories came at the expense of Jack Nicklaus, the man he replaced as number one, most notably the 1977 Masters, 1977 Open Championship, and the 1982 U.S. Open. Though his rivalry with Nicklaus was intense, their friendly competitiveness served to increase golf's popularity during the time. In Watson's illustrious career, his eight major championships include five Open Championships, two Masters titles, and one U.S. Open title. The only major that has eluded him is the PGA Championship, which would put him in an elite group of golfing "career grand slam" winners that includes Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. In all, Watson's eight majors ranks sixth on the list of total major championship victories, behind only Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Hogan, and Player. Watson is also regarded as one of the greatest links players of all time, a claim backed up by his five Open Championship victories, his runner-up finishes at the 1984 Open Championship and 2009 Open Championship, and his three Senior British Open Championship titles in his mid-50s (2003, 2005, and 2007). Watson played on four Ryder Cup teams and captained the American side to victory in 1993 at The Belfry in England. More than twenty years later, Watson again captained the U.S. Team in 2014 in Scotland, this time in a loss.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
- Colleen J. McElroy is an American poet, short story writer, editor, memoirist.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok's. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure. She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire. Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in could not be proven. She did not have a formal education and suffered from alcoholism.
- Birthplace: Princeton, Missouri
- Sara Teasdale (August 8, 1884 – January 29, 1933) was an American lyric poet. She was born Sarah Trevor Teasdale in St. Louis, Missouri, and used the name Sara Teasdale Filsinger after her marriage in 1914.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Danielle Bunten Berry (February 19, 1949 – July 3, 1998), born Daniel Paul Bunten, and also known as Dan Bunten, was an American game designer and programmer, known for the 1983 game M.U.L.E. (one of the first influential multiplayer games), and 1984's The Seven Cities of Gold. In 1998 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Computer Game Developers Association. And in 2007, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences chose Bunten to be inducted into their Hall of Fame.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Kate Brosnahan Spade was the co-founder and namesake of the designer brand, Kate Spade New York.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- A native of St. Louis, David Kaufman is a character actor who has done extensive voice work for animated productions. Kaufman began appearing in plays as a child and started taking on screen roles during his teens, with featured parts in episodes of the TV shows "Little House on the Prairie" and "Remington Steele" during the early 1980s. After starring as a regular on the sitcom "Down to Earth," he continued to appear in guest spots on episodes of shows such as "Night Court" and "Valerie's Family," and in '91, Kaufman began doing voice work, portraying the lead character of Marty McFly on the "Back to the Future" animated series. While still occasionally featured in live-action productions (the sitcoms "Wings" and "Dweebs"), Kaufman increasingly focused on cartoons, lending his voice to "Freakazoid!" and "Superman," where he played the hero's sidekick, Jimmy Olsen. Appearing in small parts on episodes of the TV dramas "The West Wing" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and in the feature film "Pearl Harbor," Kaufman later voiced the title characters of the animated shows "Stuart Little" and "Danny Phantom," marking some of the biggest roles of his prolific career.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Harry Harris (September 8, 1922 – March 19, 2009) was an American television and film director.Harris moved to Los Angeles in 1937 and got a mailroom job at Columbia Studios. After attending UCLA, he became an apprentice sound cutter, assistant sound effects editor, and then an assistant film editor at Columbia Pictures. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces at the start of World War II, and as part of the First Motion Picture Unit, reported to Hal Roach Studios in Culver City. His supervisor there was Ronald Reagan, who hired him as sound effects editor for training and combat films.At the end of World War II, Harris became an assistant film editor and then an editor for Desilu, the studio of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. Over the next five decades, he directed hundreds of TV episodes, with significant contributions to Gunsmoke, Eight is Enough, The Waltons, and Falcon Crest. He won an Emmy Award for directing a 1982 episode of Fame, and was nominated for two other Emmy Awards and a Directors Guild of America Award.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Zachariah Davis "Zack" Wheat (May 23, 1888 – March 11, 1972), nicknamed "Buck", was a Major League Baseball left fielder for Brooklyn in the National League. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1959. A consistent hitter throughout his 19-year career, he still holds many Dodger franchise records. Most notably, Wheat has the most hits by any player while still a member of the team in the franchise's history, with 2,804. His brother McKinley "Mack" Wheat also played in the major leagues, and the two were teammates in Brooklyn for five seasons.
- Birthplace: Hamilton, Missouri
- Eric Robert Greitens (; born April 10, 1974) is an American politician, humanitarian, author, and former Navy SEAL who was the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in June 2018.Born and raised in St. Louis, Greitens received a doctorate from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, as a Rhodes scholar. During his four tours of duty as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer, he rose to the rank of lieutenant commander, commanded a unit targeting Al-Qaeda, and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Later, after being a White House Fellow, Greitens founded a nonprofit organization, The Mission Continues, to benefit veterans. In 2013 Time included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.Greitens joined the Republican Party after having been a Democrat. He ran for governor of Missouri as a Republican in 2016. After defeating three opponents in the Republican primaries, he faced state Attorney General Chris Koster, whom he defeated in the general election. One of Greitens's signature accomplishments in office was signing Missouri's right-to-work law, which was later repealed by statewide referendum. In February 2018, Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner charged Greitens with a felony invasion of privacy charge relating to alleged actions associated with an affair he had had before becoming governor; all charges were later dropped. On June 1, he resigned from office. Since leaving office, Greitens has returned to the U.S. Navy Reserve and is reported to be working on a book about his Jewish faith.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Norbert Wiener (November 26, 1894 – March 18, 1964) was an American mathematician and philosopher. He was a professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A child prodigy, Wiener later became an early researcher in stochastic and mathematical noise processes, contributing work relevant to electronic engineering, electronic communication, and control systems. Wiener is considered the originator of cybernetics, a formalization of the notion of feedback, with implications for engineering, systems control, computer science, biology, neuroscience, philosophy, and the organization of society. Norbert Wiener is credited as being one of the first to theorize that all intelligent behavior was the result of feedback mechanisms, that could possibly be simulated by machines and was an important early step towards the development of modern AI.
- Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri
- Respected for her remarkable versatility and profound depth in acting, Dianne Wiest is a titan of both the big screen and theatre. Born on March 28, 1948, in Kansas City, Missouri, Wiest pursued a degree in Arts from the University of Maryland before embarking upon her acclaimed career. Her journey began on stage, performing in several off-Broadway productions and regional theater shows, where she honed her craft and prepared herself for the illustrious career that was to follow. Wiest's breakthrough came via her collaboration with the iconic director Woody Allen, which has been a significant marker in her career. She delivered unforgettable performances in Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994), earning her two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, Wiest's performance in Parenthood (1989) earned her an Academy Award nomination, further cementing her place in Hollywood. However, her prowess is not limited to films alone. Wiest's television credits are equally impressive, having won two Emmy Awards - one for her role in the series Road to Avonlea (1990) and the other for the drama In Treatment (2008). Yet, despite her cinematic accomplishments, Wiest remains deeply rooted in the world of theatre. She continued her stage work parallel to her screen appearances, earning a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in Othello (1982), and later, two Obie Awards for The Art Of Dining (1979) and Rasheeda Speaking (2016). Simultaneously, she received Tony nominations for her work in In the Summer House (1993) and The Seagull (1998). Wiest's commitment to her craft, her versatility across mediums, and the depth of her performances, firmly place her as one of the most respected actors in the annals of American performance arts.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray Jr. (August 12, 1939 – August 3, 2008) was an American sportscaster, best known for his long career as a radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. He was the son of baseball announcer Harry Caray, and the father of fellow Braves broadcaster Chip Caray; another son, Josh Caray, is a reporter for All News 106.7.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- An accomplished Tony Award-nominated stage actor, Scott Bakula earned his loyal small screen following through his starring role as the time-traveling, identity-shifting protagonist of the sci-fi series "Quantum Leap" (NBC, 1989-1993). Bakula was occasionally featured in films, including comedies "Necessary Roughness" (1991) and acclaimed dramas "American Beauty" (1999) and "Life as a House" (2001), but his rugged, all-American looks and "everymen" appeal generally made him a better fit for television work. He spent two seasons sparring with "Murphy Brown" (CBS, 1988-1998) and commanded leading roles on the "Star Trek" offering "Enterprise" (UPN, 2001-05), and as Ray Romano's mid-life crisis buddy on "Men of a Certain Age" (TNT, 2009-11). Bakula's versatility led to over two decades of steady screen success, where he was equally appealing as square-jawed men of authority or charming, sensitive dreamboats in both comedies and dramas.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Aljur Guiang Abrenica (born March 24, 1990) is a Filipino actor, dancer, model and singer. He appeared on the fourth season of StarStruck.
- Birthplace: Angeles, Philippines
- Helen Herring Stephens (February 3, 1918 – January 17, 1994) was an American athlete and a double Olympic champion in 1936.
- Birthplace: Fulton, Missouri
- David Norman Schramm (October 25, 1945 – December 19, 1997) was an American astrophysicist and educator, and one of the world's foremost experts on the Big Bang theory. Schramm was a pioneer in establishing particle astrophysics as a vibrant research field. He was particularly well known for the study of Big Bang nucleosynthesis and its use as a probe of dark matter (both baryonic and non-baryonic) and of neutrinos. He also made important contributions to the study of cosmic rays, supernova explosions, heavy-element nucleosynthesis, and nuclear astrophysics generally.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Matthew Stewart Wertz (born February 17, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. Originally from Liberty, Missouri, he now lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
- Bessie Potter Vonnoh (August 17, 1872 – March 8, 1955) was an American sculptor best known for her small bronzes, mostly of domestic scenes, and for her garden fountains. Her stated artistic objective, as she told an interviewer in 1925, was to “look for beauty in the every-day world, to catch the joy and swing of modern American life.”
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Thomas Francis Eagleton (September 4, 1929 – March 4, 2007) was a United States senator from Missouri, serving from 1968 to 1987. He is best remembered for briefly being the Democratic vice presidential nominee under George McGovern in 1972. He suffered from bouts of depression throughout his life, resulting in several hospitalizations, which were kept secret from the public. When they were revealed, it humiliated the McGovern campaign and Eagleton was forced to quit the race. He later became adjunct professor of public affairs at Washington University in St. Louis.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Kathryn Kuhlman (May 9, 1907 – February 20, 1976) was an American evangelist known for hosting healing services.
- Birthplace: Concordia, Missouri
- Linda Maxine Godwin Ph.D. (born July 2, 1952) is an American scientist and retired NASA astronaut. Godwin joined NASA in 1980 and became an astronaut in July 1986. She retired in 2010. During her career, Godwin completed four space flights and logged over 38 days in space. Godwin also served as the Assistant to the Director for Exploration, Flight Crew Operations Directorate at the Johnson Space Center. Since retiring from NASA, she accepted the position of Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri.
- Birthplace: Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- Frederick Kenneth Blassie (February 8, 1918 – June 2, 2003), better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate", he was a one-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Juan Manuel Garcia III (born May 27, 1966) was the 17th United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 32nd District from 2007 until 2009. He is currently the Global Leader for Career Advancement for Amazon.com.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984) better known by the ring name T.J. Perkins or TJP, is an American professional wrestler, currently working primarily on the independent circuit. He has also recently worked for Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In his first Impact Wrestling tenure, he is a former TNA X Division Champion, where he used the ring name Manik, a spin-off of the Suicide. He is also known for his time with WWE. In WWE, he is the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion, as well as the winner of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He also worked on the independent circuit as T.J. Perkins, TJP, or under a mask as Puma (also stylized as PUMA).
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, USA, California
- Kate Chopin (, also US: ; born Katherine O'Flaherty; February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904) was an American author of short stories and novels based in Louisiana. She is now considered by some scholars to have been a forerunner of American 20th-century feminist authors of Southern or Catholic background, such as Zelda Fitzgerald. Of maternal French and paternal Irish descent, Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She married and moved with her husband to New Orleans. They later lived in the country in Cloutierville, Louisiana. From 1892 to 1895, Chopin wrote short stories for both children and adults that were published in such national magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, The Century Magazine, and The Youth's Companion. Her stories aroused controversy because of her subjects and her approach; they were condemned as immoral by some critics. Her major works were two short story collections: Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included "Désirée's Baby" (1893), a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana, "The Story of an Hour" (1894), and "The Storm" (1898). "The Storm" is a sequel to "At the Cadian Ball," which appeared in her first collection of short stories, Bayou Folk.Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The characters in her stories are usually residents of Louisiana. Many of her works are set in Natchitoches in north central Louisiana, a region where she lived. Within a decade of her death, Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, "some of [Chopin's] work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. [She displayed] what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius."
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Christina Duckworth Romer (née Duckworth; born December 25, 1958) is the Class of 1957 Garff B. Wilson Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and a former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama administration. She resigned from her role on the Council of Economic Advisers on September 3, 2010.After her nomination and before the Obama administration took office, Romer worked with economist Jared Bernstein to co-author the administration's plan for recovery from the 2008 recession. In a January 2009 video presentation, she discussed details of the job creation program that the Obama administration submitted to Congress.
- Birthplace: Alton, Illinois, USA
- Harold Eugene "Gene" Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best-known originals from this period, including "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", "She Don't Care About Time", and "Set You Free This Time". Although he did not achieve commercial success as a solo artist, Clark was in the vanguard of popular music during much of his career, prefiguring developments in such disparate subgenres as psychedelic rock, baroque pop, newgrass, country rock, and alternative country.
- Birthplace: Tipton, Missouri
- Arthur Mastick Hyde (July 12, 1877 – October 17, 1947) was an American Republican politician, who served as the 35th Governor of Missouri from 1921 to 1925, and as the United States Secretary of Agriculture for President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.
- Birthplace: Princeton, Missouri, USA
Maureen Chiquet
Age: 61Maureen Chiquet is the CEO of fashion house Chanel, a role she has been in since 2007. She is also the CEO of the clothing chain Peek Aren't You Curious Inc.- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- David Merrick's gift for producing scores of wildly successful plays and musicals was not the only factor that assured him a place in the annals of Broadway. Dubbed the 'Abominable Showman', the Tony Award-winning producer was equally well-known for his hot temper, abrasive personality, multiple stormy marriages and outrageous publicity stunts as he was for the popularity of the shows he financed.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Juanita Wright (October 24, 1934 – September 10, 1996) was a professional wrestling valet and wrestler best known as "Sweet" Sapphire in the World Wrestling Federation where she managed Dusty Rhodes in 1989 and 1990. She also wrestled on the independent circuit as Princess Dark Cloud.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- John William McDaniel is an American theatre producer, composer, conductor, and pianist. He is known as the lead composer and producer of the 1996 television talk show The Rosie O'Donnell Show, for which he received six Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning two. McDaniel is also known for his collaborations with Patti LuPone, most notably her 1995 concert Patti LuPone: Live!, which debuted on Broadway after a Los Angeles engagement. He won a Grammy Award for producing the cast album of Annie Get Your Gun, as well as a Tony Award for producing the Broadway production of the latter.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Emily Sharp (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional wrestler known under the ring name Daizee Haze. She is best known for her time on the independent circuit, where she performed for numerous promotions such as Chikara, Ring of Honor and Shimmer Women Athletes, where she was a one-time Tag Team Champion.
- Birthplace: USA, Missouri, Cape Girardeau
- William Harold Wheeler Jr. (born July 14, 1943), better known as Harold Wheeler, is an American orchestrator, composer, conductor, arranger, record producer, and music director. He has received numerous Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for orchestration, and won the 2003 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations for Hairspray.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Jerrell C. Jones (born March 28, 1986), better known by his stage name J-Kwon, is an American rapper from St. Louis best known for his 2004 rap single "Tipsy," which rose to number 2 in 2004.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- James William Fulbright (April 9, 1905 – February 9, 1995) was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from January 1945 until his resignation in December 1974. Fulbright is the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations, he was also a segregationist who signed the Southern Manifesto. Fulbright opposed McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee and later became known for his opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War. His efforts to establish an international exchange program eventually resulted in the creation of a fellowship program which bears his name, the Fulbright Program.
- Birthplace: USA, Sumner, Missouri
- Michael Groo Massee (September 1, 1952 – October 20, 2016) was an American actor. He starred as Funboy in 1994 film The Crow, Ira Gaines in 24, and The Gentleman in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man. He also reprised this role in the 2014 sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, USA, Missouri
James Fergason
Dec. at 74 (1934-2008)James Lee Fergason (January 12, 1934 – December 9, 2008) was an American inventor and business entrepreneur. A member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Fergason is best known for his work on an improved Liquid Crystal Display, or LCD. He held over one hundred U.S. patents at the time of his death.- Birthplace: Wakenda, Missouri
Tom Santschi
Dec. at 50 (1880-1931)Tom Santschi was an American actor who appeared in "In Old Arizona," "Three Bad Men," and "My Own Pal."- Birthplace: Lucerne, Switzerland
- Elaine Joyce (born Elaine Joyce Pinchot; December 19, 1945) is an American actress.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Jane Froman made her mark in the world of entertainment when she worked on "Radio City Revels" (1938). In 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1929, she made her radio debut on WLW on October 9, 1929, on "The King Taste Night Club." In 1937, she hosted a radio show with vaudevillian Don Ross on the NBC Red Network. In 1933, she joined the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1940, she appeared in the musical revue "Keep Off the Grass" on Broadway.
- Birthplace: University City, Missouri, USA
James E. Stowers
Dec. at 90 (1924-2014)James E. "Jim" Stowers, Jr. (January 10, 1924 – March 17, 2014) was an American businessman who was the founder of American Century Investments and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri
- Jack St. Clair Kilby (November 8, 1923 – June 20, 2005) was an American electrical engineer who took part (along with Robert Noyce) in the realization of the first integrated circuit while working at Texas Instruments (TI) in 1958. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on December 10, 2000. To congratulate him, American President Bill Clinton wrote, "You can take pride in the knowledge that your work will help to improve lives for generations to come."Kilby is also the co-inventor of the handheld calculator and the thermal printer, for which he has the patents. He also has patents for seven other inventions.
- Birthplace: Jefferson City, Missouri
- Actor Robert Mandan has appeared in several hit television shows over the years, but he'll forever be best-known as the devious but ultimately good-hearted millionaire Chester Tate on the soap opera parody "Soap." Mandan first began acting professionally during the early 1960s, with stints on quickly-forgotten television shows like "From These Roots" and "Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine." But by the middle of the decade, he had landed his breakout role as businessman Sam Reynolds on the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow." After leaving the show in 1970, Mandan would spend several years landing small roles on such popular shows as the controversial social satire "All in the Family" and the gritty crime drama "Kojak," before taking on the key role as Chester Tate on "Soap" in 1977. After "Soap" left the air in 1981, Mandan played opposite John Ritter on the short-lived "Three's Company" spinoff "Three's a Crowd."
- Birthplace: Clever, Missouri, USA
- Russell Edward "Russ" Mitchell (born March 25, 1960) is an American journalist best known for his career at CBS where he was anchor of The Early Show on Saturday, news anchor for The Early Show during the week, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News. In December 2011, it was announced that he would leave CBS to join WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio, as a lead anchor, starting in January 2012.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Laura La Plante (born Laura LaPlant; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose most notable performances were in the silent era.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice-President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970. He is the father of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010. A native of Lubao, Pampanga, Macapagal graduated from the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, both in Manila, after which he worked as a lawyer for the government. He first won election in 1949 to the House of Representatives, representing a district in his home province of Pampanga. In 1957, he became Vice-President under the rule of President Carlos P. Garcia, whom he defeated in the 1961 polls. Diosdado P. Macapagal was also a reputed poet in the Chinese and Spanish language, though his poetic oeuvre was eclipsed by his political biography. As President, Macapagal worked to suppress graft and corruption and to stimulate the Philippine economy. He introduced the country's first land reform law, placed the peso on the free currency exchange market, and liberalized foreign exchange and import controls. Many of his reforms, however, were crippled by a Congress dominated by the rival Nacionalista Party. He is also known for shifting the country's observance of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the day President Emilio Aguinaldo unilaterally declared the independence of the First Philippine Republic from the Spanish Empire in 1898. He stood for re-election in 1965, and was defeated by Ferdinand Marcos, who subsequently ruled for 21 years. Under Marcos, Macapagal was elected president of the Constitutional Convention which would later draft what became the 1973 Constitution, though the manner in which the charter was ratified and modified led him to later question its legitimacy. He died of heart failure, pneumonia, and renal complications, in 1997, at the age of 86.
- Birthplace: Lubao, Philippines
Mark Albrecht
Age: 74Mark J. Albrecht (born March 10, 1950) is a senior aerospace and telecommunications executive with broad government and industry experience. He completed his BA and MA from UCLA (Phi Beta Kappa) and PhD from the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He was the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council from 1989–1992 and was the principal advisor to President George H. W. Bush on space. He was the Legislative Assistant for National Security Affairs to United States Senator Pete Wilson of California from 1983 - 1989. Albrecht was a senior executive at SAIC from 1992–1997 and was President of Lockheed Martin's International Launch Services from 1999 - 2006. Albrecht was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is credited in government with reform of NASA and implementation of the 'faster, cheaper, better' approach to space development and in the space launch business is credited for inventing and implementing the concept of 'mutual backup' that revolutionized commercial space launch. Albrecht was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the DOD distinguished civilian service medal and is the recipient of the Space Pioneer award of the National Space Society. He is or has been on many corporate and advisory boards. He has three children, one of them is Alexander "Alex" Albrecht, host of the Diggnation, Totally Rad Show, and Project Lore podcasts.- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Frank Buckles
Dec. at 110 (1901-2011)Frank Woodruff Buckles (born Wood Buckles, February 1, 1901 – February 27, 2011) was a United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 at the age of 16 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley, driving ambulances and motorcycles near the front lines in Europe. During World War II, a month before his forty-first birthday, he was captured by Japanese forces while working in the shipping business, and spent three years in the Philippines as a civilian prisoner. After the war, Buckles married in San Francisco and moved to Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia. A widower at age 98, he worked on his farm until the age of 105. In his last years, he was Honorary Chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. As chairman, he advocated the establishment of a World War I memorial similar to other war memorials in Washington, D.C.. Toward this end, Buckles campaigned for the District of Columbia War Memorial to be renamed the National World War I Memorial. He testified before Congress in support of this cause, and met with President George W. Bush at the White House. Buckles was awarded the World War I Victory Medal at the conclusion of that conflict, and the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal retroactively following the medal's creation in 1941, as well as the French Legion of Honor in 1999. His funeral was on March 15, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery, with President Barack Obama paying his respects prior to the ceremony with full military honors.- Birthplace: Bethany, Missouri
Leon W. Johnson
Dec. at 93 (1904-1997)General Leon William Johnson (13 September 1904 – 10 November 1997) was a United States Air Force general who was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the attack on the Ploesti oil fields during World War II. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Johnson was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1926. He joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1929, and qualified as a pilot. He earned a master of science degree in meteorology from California Institute of Technology in 1936. During World War II, Johnson was one of the first four flying officers of the Eighth Air Force, and served on it staff during its formative period at Savannah, Georgia. In 1943, he assumed command of the 44th Bombardment Group, which flew the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Johnson led the attack on the German naval installations at Kiel in May 1943 and the attack on the Ploesti oil fields in August 1943, for which the 44th Bombardment Group received Distinguished Unit Citations. He commanded the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing from September 1943 until May 1945. After the war, Johnson commanded the Strategic Air Command's Fifteenth Air Force. He returned to England in 1948 to lead the 3rd Air Division, and then the Third Air Force, as it was redesignated in 1951. Despite his lowly rank of major general, he was able to hold his own in dealings with more senior British officers and officials, and performed his duties with diplomacy and sensitivity. He returned to the United States in 1952 as head of the Continental Air Command. He was air deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, at SHAPE Headquarters from 1958 until he retired in 1961, but on later that year he was recalled to active duty to become director of the National Security Council's Net Evaluation Subcommittee Staff at the Pentagon. He finally retired in 1965.- Birthplace: Columbia, Missouri
- Ryan James Howard (born November 19, 1979), nicknamed "The Big Piece", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Howard spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, from 2004 to 2016. He is known for being the fastest player in baseball history to reach 1,000 RBIs, 100 home runs, and 200 home runs. Howard also holds numerous Phillies franchise records. Howard made his MLB debut in 2004. He won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 2006. Howard was a three-time NL All-Star (2006, 2009, 2010), and won the Silver Slugger Award, Hank Aaron Award, and the NL Championship Series MVP Award in 2009. Known for his power, Howard is a member of the 50 home run club. He was a two-time NL home run champion (2006, 2008), and became the fastest player to reach both the 100 and 200 home run milestones in MLB history, passing the marks in 2007 and 2009, respectively. He is also tied with Sammy Sosa for the most National League 140 RBI seasons at 3 and the most National League 130 RBI seasons at 4. However, Howard is Major League Baseball’s (ignominious) all-time record-holder for most lifetime Golden Sombrero awards.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Pearl White was an American actress who appeared in "Any Wife," "The Perils of Pauline," and "The Exploits of Elaine."
- Birthplace: Green Ridge, Missouri, USA
- Norman Dale "Buddy" Baker (January 4, 1918 – July 26, 2002) was an American composer who scored many Disney films, such as The Apple Dumpling Gang in 1975, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again in 1979, The Shaggy D.A. in 1976, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1977, and The Fox and the Hound in 1981.
- Birthplace: Springfield, Missouri
- Thomas Michael Shannon (born July 15, 1939), is an American former professional baseball infielder / outfielder, who spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1962–1970). Shannon is currently a Cardinals radio broadcaster. Shannon was raised in St. Louis, Missouri and was an integral part of some of the Cards’ most successful seasons, during the 1960s. He was the proprietor of Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood restaurant, in downtown St. Louis, until its closing, on January 30, 2016. Shannon still operates two Mike Shannon's Grill locations, in Edwardsville, IL, and at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, which is run by his grandson, Justin VanMatre.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- Curtis Hughes (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked on TV for the American Wrestling Association, the American Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling. He trained wrestlers at WWA4 wrestling school for more than 10 years and wrestles on the independent circuit.
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- William Eugene "Bill" Stumpf (March 1, 1936 – August 30, 2006) was a designer for Herman Miller who helped design the Aeron, Embody and Ergon chairs. It was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Stumpf, working with specialists in orthopedic and vascular medicine, conducted extensive research into ergonomics, specifically in the way people sit. In 1974, Herman Miller commissioned him to apply his research to office seating. Two years later, the Ergon chair was introduced.
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
- John Ellis Martineau (December 2, 1873 – March 6, 1937) was the 28th Governor of Arkansas and was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. His term as Governor was marked by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, with Martineau serving as President of the Tri-State Flood Commission.
- Birthplace: Missouri, USA
- Bryan Kreutz is a Television Director and Producer and a Radio Producer from Saint Louis Missouri. In 2010 he became the Director and producer of the Christian Television Network (CTN) affiliate program "Revolution 618" in which he also played an integral part of producing and creating the concept of the program. Starting in September 2009 and in less than 4 months Bryan began the concept of spearheading the launch of transitioning "The Revolution Radio Broadcast" program from radio into a Television format. On May 3,2011 another CTN Premiere gave Bryan credit as Director and now as Executive Producer for a Co-Created TV program titled "Rescued Nation TV". Released to viewers on the CTN network and later in the month another Network called God's Stations Television Network added the half hour program to the lineup. Since Early 2011 the creation of "Rescued radio" into a television format as a TV talk show added a mixture of on location interviews around the Midwest with additional outreach event footage that the TV program sponsors. Bryan is noted for writing and producing voice over’s and commercials since 1994. On St. Louis radio, in late 2007 through the ending of the Bob Wells show in 2010, Bryan voiced and wrote his own Star Trek news update segment. In 2014 he created, produced, and directed a co-written high school drama television series about young leaders at a high-school titled “Up on High Ground” airing 9 episodes in syndication and on the CW network. Bryan and his wife have three children and reside in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Birthplace: USA, St. Louis, Missouri
- Joseph Hamilton (born August 28, 1938) is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days, Hamilton was best known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended, Hamilton wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel (bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and, for over a decade, Hamilton and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley and "Hercules" Hernandez under the trademark gold and black masks of the Assassins.In the late 1980s, Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed, Hamilton worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant training facility. In 2005, Hamilton reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
- Birthplace: Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA
