Richard Arlen. Actor, born in Charlottesville. Arthur Ashe. Tennis player and writer, born in Richmond. Lady Astor. Viscountess, politician, born Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Danville. Pearl Bailey. Vocalist, movie and stage actress, born in Newport News. Russell Baker. Columnist, born in Loudoun County. Lynn Bari. Actress, born in Roanoke. Warren Beatty. Actor, producer, director, born in Richmond. George Bingham. Painter, born in Augusta County. Richard E. Byrd. Aviator, explorer, born in Winchester. The Carter Family. The most influential group in country music history, from the Clinch Mountains area. Willa Cather. Author, born in Back Creek Valley (later Gore). Roy Clark. Country music artist, born in Meherrin. William Clark. Soldier, explorer, born in Caroline County. Henry Clay. U.S. representative/senator, born in Hanover County. Patsy Cline. Country music singer, born in Winchester. Joseph Cotton. Actor, born in Petersburg. Ella Fitzgerald. Singer, born in Newport News. Irene Langhorne Gibson. Inspiration for the "Gibson Girl" look of the early 1900s, born in Richmond. Ellen Glasgow. Writer, poet, born in Richmond. Freeman Gosden. Actor, born in Richmond. Earl Hamner, Jr.. Writer, born in Schuyler. William Henry Harrison. 9th U.S. President, born in Charles City County. Kathryn Harrold. Actress, born in Tazewell. Patrick Henry. Orator, political leader, born in Hanover County. Eddie Holman. Singer, songwriter, born in Norfolk. Sam Houston. Texas leader, born near Lexington. David Huddleston. Actor/producer, born in Vinton. Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. Soldier, born in Clarksburg. Thomas Jefferson. 3rd U.S. President, statesman, inventor, born in Albermarle County. Henry King. Director, producer, actor, writer and editor, born in Christiansburg. John Mercer Langston. Virginia's first black representative to Congress, born in Louisa County. Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee. Captain in the Continental Army, born in Leesylvania near Dumfries. Richard Henry Lee. Legislator, Revolutionary statesman, born in Westmoreland County. Robert E. Lee. Confederate general, born in Westmoreland County. Meriwether Lewis. Explorer, born in Albemarle County. Thomas Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln's father, born in Augusta County. James Madison. 4th U.S. President, born in Port Conway. Shirley MacLaine. Actress, dancer, writer, born in Richmond. Cyrus McCormick. Inventor, manufacturer, born in Rockbridge County. Moses Malone. Basketball player, born in Petersburg. John Marshall. Supreme Court justice, born in Prince William (now Fauquier) County. George Mason. Public official, planter, born in Fairfax County. James Monroe. 5th U.S. President, born in Westmoreland County. Tommy Newsom. Musician, bandleader, born in Portsmouth. Juice Newton. Singer, born in Virginia Beach. Wayne Newton. Singer, born in Norfolk. John Payne. Actor, born in Roanoke. Pocahontas. Indian princess, born in present-day Virginia. Edgar Allen Poe. Author, raised in Richmond. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. Protestant clergyman, born in Franklin County. Powhatan. Indian leader, born near present-day Richmond. Walter Reed. Army surgeon, born in Gloucester County. Tim Reid. Actor/director, born in Charlottesville. Matthew Ridgeway. Army Chief of Staff, born at Fort Monroe. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Dancer, born in Richmond. Edmund Ruffin. Fired the first shot of the Civil War, born in Prince George County. Ralph Sampson. Basketball player, born in Harrisonburg. Greorge C. Scott. Actor, born in Wise. Randolph Scott. Actor, born in Orange County. Wendell Oliver Scott. Racecar driver, born in Danville. Winfield Scott. General, U.S. Army officer, Commander in Chief, born in Petersburg. Kate Smith. Singer, born in Greenville. Sam Snead. Golfer, born in Ashwood, near Hot Springs. The Statler Brothers. Singing group, born in Staunton. James (Jeb) Stuart. Confederate Army officer, born in Patrick County. William Styron. Author, born in Newport News. Fran Tarkenton. Football player, born in Richmond. Zachary Taylor. 12th U. S. President, born in Orange County. Nat Turner. Leader of slave uprising, born in Southhampton. John Tyler. 10th U. S. President, born in Charles City. Gene Vincent. Singer, born in Norfolk. Maggie Walker. Businesswoman and community leader, born in Richmond. Booker T. Washington. Educator, founder of Tuskegee Institute. born in Franklin County. George Washington. First U.S. President, born in Westmoreland County. L. Douglas Wilder. First African-American governor of any state, born in Richmond. Woodrow Wilson. 28th U. S. President, born in Staunton. Tom Wolfe. Author, born in Richmond.
Who did we miss? Is any information inaccurate? Please email me at with additions/corrections!
Richard Arlen. Actor, born in Charlottesville.
William Clark. Soldier, explorer, born in Caroline County.
