Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/1
David Michael Letterman (born
April 12,
1947) is an award-winning
American television personality,
late night talk show host,
television producer,
Indy Racing League car
owner and
philanthropist. His first major success was on the long-running
NBC television program
Late Night with David Letterman, before he transferred to
CBS in
1993 to his current position on
The Late Show. Letterman's
ironic, often
absurd comedy is heavily influenced by comedians
Steve Allen,
Andy Kaufman and
Johnny Carson.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/2
Larry Joe Bird (born
December 7,
1956) is an
American former
NBA basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest players to ever play, and one of the best
clutch performers in the history of sports.
Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the
Boston Celtics in
1978, Bird played
small forward and
power forward for thirteen seasons. He retired as a player from the NBA in
1992. Bird was voted to the
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in
1996 and inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in
1998. After working as an assistant in the Celtics front office from
1992 to
1997, Bird served as head coach of the
Indiana Pacers from
1998 to
2000. In
2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, which he currently still holds.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/3
James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American film actor. Dean's mainstream status as a cultural icon is best embodied in the title of his most cited role in Rebel Without a Cause. His enduring fame and popularity rests on only three films, his entire starring output. He was the first person to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and remains the only person to have two such nominations posthumously. Dean began his professional acting career with a Coca Cola television commercial, followed by a stint as a stunt tester for the Beat the Clock game show.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/4
John Herbert Dillinger (
June 22,
1903 –
July 22,
1934) was an American
bank robber, considered by some to be a dangerous criminal, while others idealized him as a latter-day
Robin Hood. He gained this reputation (and the nickname "Jackrabbit") for his graceful movements during bank heists, e.g. leaping over the counter, and narrow getaways from police. His exploits, along with those of other criminals of the
1930s Depression era, such as
Bonnie and Clyde and
Ma Barker, dominated the attentions of the American press and its readers during what is sometimes referred to as the
public enemy era, between
1931 and
1935.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/5
Rex Grossman (born
August 23,
1980) is a
quarterback for the
Chicago Bears of the
National Football League. An
Indiana native, Grossman graduated from
Bloomington High School South and attended the
University of Florida on an
athletic scholarship. He led the
Florida Gators to two championship games, and was the
runner-up for the 2001
Heisman Trophy. Grossman began his professional career with the
Chicago Bears as the twenty-second overall selection in the
2003 NFL Draft, but spent most of his first three seasons sidelined with injures. He completed his first full season in
2006, leading the Bears to a
National Football Conference Championship, and helping the team score the second most points in the league.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/6
William Henry Harrison (
February 9,
1773 –
April 4,
1841) was an
American military leader,
politician, and the ninth
President of the United States. He served as the first
Governor of the
Indiana Territory and later as a
U.S. Representative and
Senator from
Ohio. Harrison first gained national fame as a
war hero, defeating
American Indians at the
Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 and earning the
nickname "Tippecanoe" (or "Old Tippecanoe"). As a
general in the subsequent
War of 1812, his most notable contribution was a victory at the
Battle of the Thames, which brought the war in his region to a successful conclusion.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/7
Benjamin Harrison (
August 20,
1833 –
March 13,
1901) was the 23rd
President of the United States, serving one term from 1889 to 1893. He had previously served as a senator from
Indiana. His administration is best known for a series of legislation including the
McKinley Tariff and federal spending that reached a billion dollars. Democrats attacked the "Billion Dollar Congress" and defeated the GOP in 1890 and defeated Harrison's bid for reelection in 1892. A grandson of President
William Henry Harrison and great-grandson of
Benjamin Harrison V, Benjamin was born in
North Bend,
Hamilton County, Ohio as the second of eight children of
John Scott Harrison and Elizabeth Ramsey Irwin.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/8
Michael Joseph Jackson (born
August 29,
1958), also known as the "
King of Pop," is an
American musician,
entertainer and
pop icon, whose
successful music career and
controversial personal life have been a part of
pop culture for the last quarter-century. Michael Jackson is widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers and popular recording artists in
modern times, heralding and displaying new physical techniques, like the
robot and the
moonwalk, that have redefined mainstream entertainment. At his height, he was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power."
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/9
Donald Arthur Mattingly (nicknamed "
Donnie Baseball" and "
The Hit Man") (born
April 20,
1961) is a retired
first baseman who played for the
New York Yankees of the
American League from
1982-
1995. He is currently one of
Joe Torre's coaches for the
Los Angeles Dodgers. His popularity is comparable to that of Yankee greats like
Babe Ruth,
Mickey Mantle,
Yogi Berra and
Joe DiMaggio. Mattingly grew up in
Evansville, Indiana and was one of the nation's top prospects as a high school player at
Reitz Memorial High School in
1979, earning a brief write-up in
Sports Illustrated magazine.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/10
John Mellencamp (born
October 7,
1951 in
Seymour, Indiana) is an
American rock/
roots rock singer,
songwriter, and
guitarist, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "
Jack and Diane", "
Pink Houses" and others, and by his role in the
Farm Aid charity event. Mellencamp lives in
Bloomington, Indiana and married former
supermodel Elaine Irwin on
September 5,
1992. Mellencamp has five children from three marriages. He is known to be a rabid
Indiana University basketball fan (he often attends games), and has been a staunch supporter of the university itself for a number of years.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/11
James Warren "Jim" Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was the American founder of the Peoples Temple group, which committed mass suicide on November 18, 1978. Jones was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head among the 913 corpses there. Jim Jones was born to James and Lynetta Thurman Jones and graduated from high school at Richmond High School in Richmond, Indiana. He became a preacher in the 1950s. He obtained a bachelors degree at Butler University in 1961, and after graduate school from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, Jim sold pet monkeys door-to-door to raise money to fund his own church, Wings of Deliverance.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/12
Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool". He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular "anti-hero" persona. He was born Terence Steven McQueen in Beech Grove, Indiana. His father was a stunt pilot for an aerial circus and abandoned Steve and his mother shortly after McQueen was born. His mother left him at an early age to be raised in Slater, Missouri by his Uncle Claude. At the age of 12, he was unhappily reunited with his mother and a new, abusive step-father and went to live with them in Los Angeles, California.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/13
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997) was an American comedian who was best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, clubs and casinos, while pursuing another career as a painter. Born in Vincennes, Indiana, Skelton was the son of a Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus clown who died in 1913 shortly before the birth of his son. Skelton himself got one of his earliest tastes of show business with the same circus as a teenager.
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Tecumseh (c.
1768? -
October 5,
1813), Tecumseh whose given name might be more accurately rendered as
Tecumtha or
Tekamthi, was a famous
Shawnee leader. He spent much of his life attempting to rally disperate
Native American tribes in a mutual defense of their lands, which eventually culminated in his death in the
War of 1812. Tecumseh remains a respected icon for Native Americans and is considered a national hero in
Canada. Even his longtime adversary
William Henry Harrison considered Tecumseh to be "one of those uncommon geniuses which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions and overturn the established order of things."
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/15
Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (
April 3,
1926 –
January 27,
1967) was a
United States Air Force pilot and the second
American astronaut to fly in space. He was killed during a training exercise for the
Apollo One mission on January 27, 1967, at Launch Complex 34 at Cape Kennedy. A native of
Mitchell, Indiana, Grissom earned a
B.S. from
Purdue University in
1950 and joined the
United States Air Force.
Receiving his wings in March,
1951, during the
Korean War he flew 100 combat missions in
F-86s with the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Grissom rose to the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel. In 1959, after physical and psychological tests, Grissom was chosen as one of the seven
Project Mercury astronauts.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/16
KeKe Wyatt (born as Ketara Shavon Wyatt, March 10, 1982, Indianapolis, Indiana), is a multi-talented Multiracial-American R&B recording artist mostly noted for her soulful vocal style and exotic looks. She became popular after a highly successful collaboration with R&B singer Avant on his platinum album My Thoughts. This lead to her debut Certified Gold album Soul Sista in 2001, and a promising solo career with MCA Records. Her career experienced a temporary halt in 2002, however, after she allegedly stabbed her road manager-husband.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/17
Ryan Wayne White (
December 6,
1971 –
April 8,
1990) was a young man from
Kokomo, Indiana who became a national
poster child for
HIV/
AIDS, after being expelled from school because of his infection. A
hemophiliac, he became infected with
HIV from a tainted blood treatment and, when diagnosed in 1984, was given six months to live. Though doctors said he posed no risk to other students, AIDS was poorly understood at the time and when White tried to return to school, many parents and teachers in Kokomo rallied against him. A lengthy legal battle with the school system ensued, and media coverage of the struggle made White into a national celebrity and spokesman for AIDS research and public education. He appeared frequently in the media with celebrities such as singer
Elton John, pop star
Michael Jackson and talk show host
Phil Donahue. Surprising his doctors, White lived five years longer than predicted and died shortly before completing high school in April 1990.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/18
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 in Brazil, Indiana, disappeared July 30, 1975), was an American labor leader. As the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Hoffa wielded considerable influence. After he was convicted of attempted bribery of a grand juror, he served nearly a decade in prison. He is also well-known in popular culture for the mysterious circumstances surrounding his unexplained disappearance and presumed death. His son James P. Hoffa is the current president of the Teamsters.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/19
John Robert Wooden (born
October 14,
1910) is a retired
American basketball coach. He is a member of the
Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (class of 1961) and a coach (class of 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories; only
Lenny Wilkens and
Bill Sharman have since been so honored. His 10
NCAA National Championships while at
UCLA are unmatched. Born in the small town of
Hall, Indiana to Roxie Anna and Joshua Hugh Wooden, his family moved to a small farm in
Centerton in 1918. After his family moved to the town of
Martinsville when he was 14, he led the
High School team to the state championship finals for three consecutive years, winning the tournament in
1927. He was a three time All-State selection. After graduating in
1928. He attended
Purdue University, located in
West Lafayette, Indiana, where he was a three-time All-American guard.
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/20
Portal:Indiana/Selected biography/20
