Good People and Good Things From Alabama

Alabama is home to much more than a space center and the Crimson Tide. Enjoy perusing the list below and let us know if you’d like to see something added!

Noccaulula Falls

Activists

  • Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader and wife of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • John Lewis, early civil rights leader and United States Representative

Actors/Comedians

  • Roy Wood, Jr., The Daily Show and NPR personality
  • Laverne Cox, nominated for Primetime Emmy for Orange Is the New Black, first transgender woman to win Daytime Emmy Award
  • Courtney Cox, star of cult hit, “Friends”

Astronauts

Mae Jemison, NASA engineer and physician and first black woman to travel into space (Space Shuttle Endeavor)

Athletes

  • Satchel Paige, early Major League Baseball player and National Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Mia Hamm, American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion

Authors

  • Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
  • Zig Ziglar, one of the first self-help authors, famous salesman

Entrepreneurs

  • Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Inc.
  • Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia

Firsts

  • 1947: First official celebration of Veterans’ Day
  • 1836: First state to declare Christmas a legal holiday

Journalists

  • Tom Joyner, journalist and radio personality
  • Robin Roberts, journalist and co-host of Good Morning America

National & International Individuals

  • Condoleeza Rice: US Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, political scientist

Musicians

  • ALABAMA, Southern Rock group extraordinaire
  • Lionel Richie, singer, songwriter, music producer, American Idol judge
  • Hank Williams, Sr., singer/songwriter, Country Music hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Places

  • Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, National Historic Registry and producer of recordings by Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, and many other famous recording artists
  • US Space & Rocket Center, “Earth’s largest space museum”

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