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!
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”