Famous People Born in Maryland a to z

Spiro Agnew was twice elected U.S. vice president under Richard Nixon, but resigned from his second term after being charged with bribery, conspiracy and tax fraud.

Benjamin Banneker was a largely self-educated mathematician, astronomer, compiler of almanacs, inventor and writer.

Ragtime pianist Eubie Blake was one of the most famous composers of 20th century musicals, known for hits like "I'm Just Wild About Harry."

On April 14, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln while he was watching Our American Cousin at Ford Theater in Washington, D.C.

Samuel Chase was an associate Supreme Court justice until he was impeached. His political views gradually turned from support of states’ rights to Federalism.

Joshua Scott ("JC") Chasez performed in the mega-popular boy band N'Sync before becoming a solo artist, songwriter and reality-show judge.

Tom Clancy is a New York Times Best Selling American author, best known for his thrillers that include themes of espionage, military, science, politics and technology.

In 1996, Dominique Dawes won Olympic gold with the U.S. women's gymnastics team as well as an individual bronze medal—becoming the first African American to win an individual Olympic medal in women's gymnastics.

John Dickinson, an American statesman often referred to as the "Penman of the Revolution," wrote letters that helped turn opinion against the Townshend Acts created by the Parliament of Great Britain.

Frederick Douglass, a former slave and eminent human rights leader in the abolition movement, was the first black citizen to hold a high U.S. government rank.

Kevin Durant is a top-scoring American professional basketball player, who plays for the National Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Thunder franchise.

Cass "Mama Cass" Elliot was known for her heavyset figure, and was one of four members of the late 1960s pop sensation The Mamas and the Papas.

Sociologist E. Franklin Frazier blazed a trail in the 1940s and 50s for African American academics who studied black culture.

Henry Highland Garnet was an African-American best known as an abolitionist whose “Call to Rebellion” speech encouraged slaves to rebel against their owners.

American radio personality Ira Glass is the creator, host and executive producer of the award-winning public radio show “This American Life.”

Philip Glass is an American composer often associated with minimalism. He has composed numerous film and theatrical scores, including "Koyaanisqatsi" and "The Hours."

Actress Linda Hamilton is best known for her role as Sarah Connor in The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day—films that essentially made her the first female action hero and earned her the title of "Body Of The Nineties."

Dashiell Hammett was an American writer of hard-boiled crime fiction, including the novels The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.

David Hasselhoff is a TV actor who hit it big with two wildly successful shows: Knight Rider and Baywatch.

Escaped slave and minister Josiah Henson became involved in the Underground Railroad, leading slaves to freedom and developed his own Afro-Canadian community.

Matthew Henson was an African American explorer best known as the co-discoverer of the North Pole with Robert Edwin Peary in 1909.

Spike Jonze is best known for his films Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Where the Wild Things Are. He produced MTV's Jackass.

Francis Scott Key was an attorney and poet who wrote the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner," the U.S. national anthem.

American novelist and social activist Barbara Kingsolver wrote the best-selling novel The Poisonwood Bible. She was awarded the National Humanities Medal.

Lisa Loeb made a name for herself in the mid-1990s with her contemporary rock sound and hit single "Stay."

Thurgood Marshall was instrumental in ending legal segregation and became the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court.

Kweisi Mfume is the former President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

For three decades, Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland has served in the U.S. Congress and been a strong supporter of women's issues.

Mo'Nique is an actress and stand-up comedian who won an Academy Award for her role in Precious.

Charles Willson Peale was an American painter best known as one of the most prolific artists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He painted more than a dozen heroic portraits of George Washington.

Politician Nancy Pelosi became the first female Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives as well as the first female Speaker of the House.

Swimmer Michael Phelps has set the record for winning the most medals, 22, of any Olympic athlete in history.

Jada Pinkett Smith is an American actress, is married to Will Smith, and is the mother of Jaden and Willow Smith.

Robin Quivers is a radio broadcaster best known for co-hosting The Howard Stern Show for more than three decades.

Adrienne Rich is a U.S. poet, scholar and critic whose work exhibits her commitment to the women's movement and a lesbian/feminist aesthetic influence.

Basebally player Cal Ripken, Jr. played 21 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. By the time he retired in 2001, he set a new record by playing in 2,632 consecutive games.

Tennis player Pete Sampras is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. In 2002 he set the career mark for most Grand Slam victories with 14 titles.

Sargent Shriver was a political administrator and diplomat perhaps best known for designing the U.S. Peace Corps, which was established in 1961. Shriver served as first director of the organization from its inception until 1966.

Paul Stookey was the comedic member of the award-winning folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, and wrote the hit "The Wedding Song (There is Love)."

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney made the pro-slavery ruling in the 1857 Dred Scot Case that deemed blacks weren't citizens of the United States.

Margaret Taylor was best known for her marriage to Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President of the United States.

Toni Braxton is an R&B singer-songwriter and actress best known for the hits "Un-Break My Heart," "You Mean the World to Me" and "Breathe Again."

Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad.

Filmmaker, director and writer John Waters, sometimes called the "King of Bad Taste" or the "Pope of Trash," has built a reputation for shocking his audiences.

Author and actor Montel Williams rose to fame in 1991 with the launch of his talk show, The Montel Williams Show, which ran for 17 seasons and earned its host an Emmy.

Musician Frank Zappa made more than 60 albums during his career. Flouting convention and fusing musical genres, Zappa's music was often politically charged and intentionally shocking.