Famous People Born in Connecticut a to z

Benedict Arnold was an American Revolutionary War general best known for his defection from the Continental Army to the British side of the conflict in 1780.

William Atherton is an American actor known for playing heavies in films like Ghostbusters and Die Hard.

The first U.S. commissioner of education, Henry Barnard founded the Connecticut Common School journal and the Rhode Island Institute of Instruction.

Henry Ward Beecher was an American Congressional clergyman, best known for his Protestant sermons and his involvement in a high-profile adultery scandal.

Chris Berman has served as a host, anchor, and commentator on numerous ESPN programs, including NFL Countdown, NFL Sundays, SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight.

Michael Bolton is a singer-songwriter known for his soft-rock ballads in the adult contemporary genre.

Actor Ernest Borgnine’s role in the film Marty transformed him from a stereotyped character actor to a leading man, earning him an Academy Award as Best Actor.

John Brown was a 19th-century militant abolitionist known for his raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.

Brooke Burke is an entrepreneur and television celebrity best known as the co-host of ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars. Burke is also well known as a fitness model.

George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States. He led his country's response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and initiated the Iraq War in 2003.

Actress Glenn Close is best known for her many Oscar-nominated roles, like the psychotic mistress in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

American writer Suzanne Collins is the author of the bestselling The Hunger Games series and The Underland Chronicles.

Samuel Colt was an inventor and industrialist who created the revolver—most notably the .45-calibre Peacemaker model, which was introduced in 1873—and paved the way for the interchangeable parts system of manufacturing.

Diane Crump was a professional jockey who racked up more than 230 victories in her career.

Actor Brian Dennehy was born on July 9, 1938, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. One of his first film roles was in Looking for Mister Goodbar (1977). Dennehy went on to act in more than 60 films and 70 television roles. He also won Tony awards for his stage

Paul Giamatti is an actor known for roles in such diverse films as Private Parts, Sideways and Rock of Ages.

Writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman penned the short story "The Yellow Wall-Paper." A feminist, she encouraged women to gain economic independence.

American inventor Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanizing rubber. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was posthumously named after him.

Minister and lecturer Sylvester Graham was a major figure of the 19th century dietary reform movement and was also known as the person behind Graham crackers.

Nathan Hale graduated from Yale University in 1773, joined the American Revolution and was hanged by the British for espionage in 1776.

Katharine Hepburn was an actress known as a spirited performer with a touch of eccentricity in films such as The African Queen and On Golden Pond.

Fashion designer Betsey Johnson developed her edgy, offbeat style during the new wave/punk era of the late 1970s.

Edwin Land is best known as the inventor of the Polaroid camera and film, and as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation.

Annie Leibovitz, considered one of America's best portrait photographers, developed her trademark use of bold colors and poses while at Rolling Stone.

Sol Lewitt was an American artist best known for helping to launch Conceptual Art and Minimalism of the Post-War era.

Christopher Lloyd is an American actor best known for his role as the eccentric "Doc" Brown in the successful Back to the Future films.

Seth MacFarlane is best known for writing, animating and producing the hit TV show Family Guy.

Architect Thom Mayne helped found the architectural design firm Morphosis, and co-founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).

Dylan McDermott is an American actor known for such films as Steel Magnolias and In the Line of Fire, and for TV's The Practice.

Stephenie Meyer is best known for authoring the Twilight book series, which was later adapted for a film franchise.

A legendary tough guy on and off-screen, Robert Mitchum was one of the most memorable leading men of the twentieth century.

J.P. Morgan founded the banking company J.P. Morgan & Co., one of the leading financial firms in the country, in 1871.

Constance Baker Motley was a legal advocate in the Civil Rights Movement. She became the first female African-American federal judge in 1966.

Actor George Murphy starred in more than 45 films, including Little Miss Broadway opposite Shirley Temple. In 1964, he was elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

Attorney Ralph Nader is an auto-safety reformer and consumer advocate. He’s run for president several times, having been both a Democrat and Green Party member.

Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted helped design many U.S. public parks. His first project was Central Park in New York City.

American actor John Ratzenberger, best known as mailman Cliff Clavin from the television series Cheers, has also contributed voice-acting to every animated Pixar feature film.

Theater and film actress Rosalind Russell costarred in His Girl Friday with Cary Grant, and played Auntie Mame in both the Broadway play and the movie version.

Roger W. Sperry was a 20th century scientist who won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on brain hemispheres.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was an author and social activist best known for her popular anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Entrepreneur Charles Tiffany co-founded Tiffany & Young, which later became the premier jewelry store Tiffany & Co.

Gideon Welles was a 19th century journalist and politician who served as secretary of the U.S. Navy under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

Casino resort developer Steve Wynn brought new life to the Las Vegas strip by renovating the Golden Nugget and opening The Mirage and The Bellagio.