Do you recognize these people with Minnesota connections?
The sites listed on this page are not created, maintained, or endorsed by the Minnesota Legislature.
| Artists | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Jim Brandenburg | Nature photographer/Author; Chased by the Light; United Nations Environmental Programme World Achievement Award, 1991 | Southwestern MN (born), Duluth, Luverne, Worthington, Ely |
| Wanda Gag | Illustrator/Painter/Author; Millions of Cats, 1928 | New Ulm (born) |
| Mary GrandPre | Illustrator/Artist; Harry Potter series (American version), 1997-2007 | South Dakota (born), Bloomington (raised), Minneapolis, St. Paul |
| LeRoy Neiman | Painter, incorporates sports themes | St. Paul (born) |
| Charles Schulz | Cartoonist; Peanuts; Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cartoonists Society, 2000; Congressional Gold Medal, 2000 | Minneapolis (born), St. Paul (raised), Minneapolis |
|
|
||
| Authors | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Carol Bly | Author; The Tomcat's Wife and Other Stories, 1991 | Duluth (born), Minneapolis, Northfield, St.Paul, Sturgeon Lake |
| Robert Bly | Poet/Author/Editor; Minnesota's first Poet Laureate, 2008; founder of the expressive men's movement; National Book Award for Poetry, 1968 | Madison (born), Northfield |
| F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald | Author; The Great Gatsby, 1925; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1996 | St. Paul (born) |
| Jon Hassler | Author; Rookery Blues, 1996 | Minneapolis (born), Staples, Plainview, Bemidji, Brainerd, Collegeville |
| Bill Holm | Poet/Essayist; Coming Home Crazy: An Alphabet of China Essays, 2000 | Swede Prairie Township (born), Minneota, St. Peter |
| Jerry Juhl | Writer; The Muppet Show, head writer, 1977-1981; The Muppet Movie and other Muppet movies, co-writer, 1979-1999; two Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street; Writers Guild of America awards, 1978 and 1979; Emmy Award, The Muppet Show, 1981; Fraggle Rock, head writer | St. Paul (born) |
| Garrison Keillor | Author/Humorist; Lake Wobegon Days, 1990; Radio personality, A Prairie Home Companion | Anoka (born), Minneapolis, St. Paul |
| Sinclair Lewis | Author; Main Street, 1920; first person from the United States to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1930; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1985 | Sauk Centre (born), Minneapolis, Duluth |
| Maud Hart Lovelace | Author; Betsy-Tacy series of books, 1940-1955 | Mankato (born) |
| Tim O'Brien | Author, writes on his experience as a Vietnam Veteran | Austin (born), St. Paul |
| Ole E. Rolvaag | Author; Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie, 1927; former professor at St. Olaf College | Donna Island, Norway (born); Northfield |
| LaVyrle Spencer | Author; Family Blessings, best-selling writer of romance novels | Browerville |
| Brenda Ueland | Author; If You Want to Write, 1938; first female reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune; Knights of St. Olaf medal from the Norwegian government, 1946 | Minneapolis (born), St. Paul |
| Thorstein Veblen | Author/Economist; The Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899; coined the term "conspicuous consumption" | Cato, WI (born); Northfield, Nerstrand |
| Laura Ingalls Wilder | Author; Little House on the Prairie, 1935 | Pepin, WI (born); Plum Creek; Walnut Grove; Spring Valley |
| August Wilson (Frederick August Kittel) | Playwright; Penumbra Theatre credited with launching his professional career; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1987 and 1990; Tony Award for Best Play, 1987 | Pittsburgh, PA (born); St. Paul; Minneapolis |
| For facts on more MN authors, visit the Minnesota Author Biographies Project website | ||
|
|
||
| Public Officials | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Harry Blackmun | U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1970-1994 | Nashville, IL (born); St. Paul; Minneapolis |
| Warren E. Burger | Jurist, Chief Justice U.S. Supreme Court, 1969-1986 | St. Paul (born) |
| Pierce Butler | U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1923-1939 | Northfield (born), St. Paul |
| William O. Douglas | U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1939-1975; longest serving Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court | Maine, MN (born) |
| Hubert H. Humphrey | Minneapolis Mayor, 1945-1948; U.S. Senator, 1949-64 and 1971-78; Vice President, 1965-69; Democratic presidential candidate, 1968; unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for president, 1972; Congressional Gold Medal, 1979; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1980; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1991 | Wallace, SD (born); St. Paul; Minneapolis; Waverly |
| Muriel B. Humphrey Brown | U.S. Senator, 1978; first female from Minnesota to serve in the United States Senate (she was appointed to fill the vacany caused by the death of her husband, Hubert H. Humphrey) | Huron, SD (born); Minneapolis; Waverly; Plymouth |
| Frank B. Kellogg | U.S. Senator, 1917-23; United States Secretary of State, 1925-29; Nobel Peace Prize, 1929 | Potsdam, NY (born); Rochester; St. Paul |
| Amy Klobuchar | U.S. Senator, 2007-; first female from Minnesota elected to serve in the United States Senate | Plymouth (born) |
| Coya G. Knutson | U.S. Congressional Representative, 1955-1958; first female to represent Minnesota in Congress | Edmore, ND (born); Moorhead; Plummer; Oklee |
| Eugene Joseph McCarthy | U.S. Congressional Representative, 1949-58; U.S. Senator, 1959-70; unsuccessful candidate for Democratic nomination for president, 1968, 1972 and 1992 | Watkins (born), Collegeville, Minneapolis, St. Paul |
| Walter F. Mondale | U.S. Senator, 1964-76; U.S. Vice President 1977-81; Democratic presidential candidate, 1984; U.S. Ambassador to Japan, 1993-1996 | Ceylon, MN (born); St. Paul; Minneapolis |
| Harold Stassen | Minnesota Governor, 1939-1943; unsuccessful candidate for Republican nomination for president, numerous years, first attempt was in 1948 | South St. Paul (born), St. Paul, Minneapolis, Bloomington |
| Jesse Ventura (James George Janos) | Minnesota Governor, 1999-2002; first Reform Party Governor/first Reform Party candidate to win statewide office; Brooklyn Park Mayor, 1991-1994; Wrestler/Entertainer/Educator | Minneapolis (born), Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Dellwood |
|
|
||
| Adventure/Sports | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Jeanne Arth | Tennis player; U.S. Doubles champion, 1958 and 1959; Wimbledon Doubles champion, 1959 | St. Paul (born) |
| Ann Bancroft | Polar explorer; first female to reach both the North Pole, 1986 and South Pole, 1993; one of the first females to cross Antartica, 2001 | Mendota Heights (born), St. Paul, Scandia |
| Charles Albert Bender | Baseball player; National Baseball Hall of Fame, 1953; member of the Chippewa tribe | White Earth Reservation, Crow Wing County (born) |
| Patty Berg | Golfer; in several golf halls of fame including the World Golf Hall of Fame, 1974; U.S. Women's Open winner, 1946; a founding member and first president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), 1950-52; Vare Trophy, 1953, 1955 and 1956; Bob Jones Award, 1963 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Herb Brooks | Hockey coach; coached the U.S. Olympic hockey team to its gold medal, 1980; U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 1990; coached the U.S. Olympic hockey team to its silver medal, 2002; coached several professional hockey teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) | St. Paul (born) |
| Aaron Broten (brother of Neal) | Hockey player; former Minnesota North Star and four other National Hockey League teams; U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007 | Roseau (born) |
| Neal Broten (brother of Aaron) | Hockey player; former Minnesota North Star; first hockey player born in the United States to achieve a 100 point season in NHL; U.S. Olympic hockey team gold medal, 1980; NCAA Hobey Baker Award, 1981; U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 2000 | Roseau (born) |
| Verne Gagne | Wrestler; Nine time American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Heavyweight Champion, Retired in 1981; World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Hall of Fame, 1993; Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, 2004; World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame Superstar, 2006 | Minnesota Farm (born), Robbinsdale |
| Phil Housley | Hockey player; one of the top scoring NHL hockey players born in the United States; U.S. Olympic hockey team silver medal, 2002; U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 2004 | South St. Paul (born), Lakeland |
| Kent Hrbek | Baseball player; Minnesota Twins, 1981-1994; World Series winner, 1987 and 1991 | Minneapolis (born), Bloomington (raised) |
| Tom Lehman | Golfer; British Open Champion, 1996 | Austin (born), Minneapolis |
| Greg LeMond | Bicyclist; first American to win the Tour de France, 1986; also won in 1989 and 1990 | Lakewood, CA (born), Medina |
| Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. | Aviator; first to complete solo, non-stop flight across Atlantic Ocean; Distinguished Flying Cross, 1927; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1927; Congressional Gold Medal, 1928 | Detroit, MI (born); Little Falls (raised) |
| John Madden | Sportscaster/Football coach; coached team to Super Bowl victory, 1976; Emmy Award, multiple times | Austin (born) |
| Roger Maris | Baseball player; broke Babe Ruth's record when he scored 61 home runs, 1961; World Series winner, 1961, 1962 and 1967; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1999 | Hibbing (born) |
| Joe Mauer | Baseball player, catcher; Minnesota Twins; American League, Most Valuable Player, 2009 | St. Paul (born) |
| Kevin McHale | Basketball player; Basketball Hall of Fame, 1999; NBA championship winner, 1981,1984, and 1986; seven-time All-Star; one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, 1996 | Hibbing (born), Minneapolis |
| Paul Molitor | Baseball player; Minnesota Twins, 1996-98; ranked 8th in all-time hits (3,319); World Series winner, 1993; seven-time All-Star; National Baseball Hall of Fame, 2004 | St. Paul (born), Minneapolis |
| Jack Morris | Baseball player; Minnesota Twins, 1991; World Series winner, 1984, 1991, 1992 and 1993; World Series Most Valuable Player, 1991; five-time All-Star | St. Paul (born) |
| Bronko Nagurski | Football player, college and professional; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1963; Wrestler, three-time world heavyweight champion, 1937, 1939 and 1941; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 2003 | Rainy River, Ontario (born); International Falls (raised); Minneapolis |
| Cindy Nelson | Downhill skier; first U.S. racer to win the World Cup downhill, 1974; Olympic bronze medal, 1976; Olympic silver medal, 1980; World Cup and National Champion titles, several times; first woman to serve as Chief of Course at a major alpine skiing competition, 1989; Colorado Ski Hall of Fame, 2002 | Lutsen (born) |
| Alan Page | Football player; Minnesota Vikings, 1967-1978; NFL Most Valuable Player, 1971; Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1988; Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, 1993-Present | Canton, OH (born), St. Paul |
| Kirby Puckett | Baseball player; Minnesota Twins, 1984-1995; World Series winner, 1987 and 1991; ten-time All-Star; National Baseball Hall of Fame, 2001 | Chicago, IL (born) |
| Ralph W. Samuelson | Inventor of water skiing, 1922; first water ski jumper and speed skier, 1925 | Lake City, Pine Island |
| Briana Scurry | Soccer goalie; U.S. Olympic women's soccer team gold medal, 1996; U.S. Women's Soccer World Cup Champion, 1999 | Minneapolis (born), Dayton (raised), Anoka |
| Will Steger | Polar explorer; first reached the North Pole in 1986 | Richfield (born), Ely |
| Linsey (Kildow) Vonn | Alpine Skier; Overall Champion, Women's World Cup, 2008 and 2009, first woman from the United States to win it twice | St. Paul (born) |
| Dave Winfield | Baseball player; Minnesota Twins, 1993-1994; World Series winner, 1992; twelve-time All-Star; National Baseball Hall of Fame, 2001 | St. Paul (born) |
| For a list of Minnesota's 50 greatest sports athletes, visit the Sports Illustrated website. | ||
|
|
||
| Music | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Andrews Sisters (LaVerne, Maxene, Patty) | Singers, popular during World War II; one of the United States' most successful female groups; Grammy Hall of Fame Award, 1996 (Bei Mir Bist Du Schon), 1998 (Don't Fence Me In), 2000 (Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy) | LaVerne and Maxene-Minneapolis (born), Patty-Mound (born) |
| Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) | Singer/Songwriter; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1988; Grammy Awards winner, multiple times; Oscar for best song, 2001 | Duluth (born), Hibbing (raised) |
| Jam and Lewis: Jimmy Jam (James Harris III) and Terry Lewis | Producers/Songwriters; Grammy Awards: Producers of the Year, 1986; Best Rhythm and Blues Song, 1993; Best Dance Recording, 2001; Recording Academy's Governors Award, 2004 | James-Minneapolis (born); Terry-Omaha,NE (born); Terry-Minneapolis (raised) |
| Prince (Rogers Nelson) | Singer/Songwriter; Grammy Awards winner, 1984, 1986 and 2005; Oscar for Best Soundtrack, 1984; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2004; Actor, Purple Rain, Graffiti Bridge; NAACP Vanguard Award, 2005 | Minneapolis (born), Chanhassen |
| Sounds of Blackness | Singing group/Gospel choir, originated at Macalester College; Grammy Awards winners, 1991, 1993 and 1998 | St. Paul |
|
|
||
| Actors/Performers | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Loni Anderson | Actor; WKRP in Cincinnati, 1978-82 | St. Paul (born) |
| Louie Anderson | Comedian | Minneapolis (born) |
| Richard Dean Anderson | Actor; MacGyver,1985-92; Stargate | Minneapolis (born), Roseville (raised) |
| James Arness | Actor; Gunsmoke, 1955-1975 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Lew Ayres | Actor; All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930; Dr. Kildare Movies, 1938-1942 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Jessica Biel | Actor; Seventh Heaven, 1996-2002 | Ely (born) |
| Aaron Brown | Anchor/Host; NewsNight with Aaron Brown, 2001-2005 | Hopkins (born) |
| Kelly Carlson | Actor; Nip/Tuck, 2003- | Minneapolis (born) |
| Ethan and Joel Coen | Filmmakers; Fargo, 1996 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Rachael Leigh Cook | Actor; She's All That, 1999 | Minneapolis (born) |
| William Demarest | Actor, My Three Sons | St. Paul (born) |
| Kimberly Elise | Actor; John Q, 2002; Diary of a Mad Black Woman, 2005 | Minneapolis (born), Wayzata |
| Mike Farrell | Actor; M*A*S*H, 1975-83; Providence, 1999-2002 | St. Paul (born) |
| Ed Flanders | Actor; St. Elsewhere, 1982-87 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Patrick Flueger | Actor; The 4400, 2004-06 | Red Wing (born) |
| Al Franken | Actor/Comedian, Saturday Night Live | New York City, NY (born); St. Louis Park (raised) |
| Judy Garland | Actor/Singer; Wizard of Oz, 1939; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 1990 | Grand Rapids (born) |
| Terry Gilliam | Actor/Writer/Director, Monty Python | Medicine Lake (born) |
| Genevieve Gorder | Designer; Trading Spaces, 2000-2006; Dear Genevieve, 2009 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Peter Graves (Peter Arness) | Actor; Mission Impossible, 1967-73 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Josh Hartnett | Actor; Pearl Harbor, 2001; Black Hawk Down, 2001 | San Francisco, CA (born); St. Paul (raised) |
| Tippi Hedren | Actor; The Birds, 1963 | New Ulm (born) |
| Linda Kelsey | Actor; Lou Grant, 1977-82 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Craig Kilborn | Anchor/Host; ESPN; Late, Late Show | Hastings (born) |
| T.R. Knight | Actor; Grey's Anatomy, 2005- | Minneapolis (born) |
| Charlie Korsmo | Actor; Dick Tracy, 1990; Hook, 1991 | Fargo, ND (born); Minneapolis (raised) |
| Peter Krause | Actor; Six Feet Under, 2001-2005 | Alexandria (born) |
| Jessica Lange | Actor; Tootsie , 1982 (Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar, 1983); Blue Sky, 1994 (Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar, 1995) | Cloquet (born), Stillwater |
| June Marlowe | Actor; Readin' and Writin', 1932; Little Rascals/Our Gang movies (Miss Crabtree) | St. Cloud (born) |
| E.G. Marshall | Actor, Emmy-award winner | Owatonna (born) |
| Marion Ross | Actor; Happy Days, 1974-84 | Albert Lea (born) |
| Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert) | Actor/Scientist; Watch Mr. Wizard, 1951-72; Mr. Wizard, 1972-75; Mr. Wizard's World, 1983-91 | Waconia (born) |
| Jane Russell | Actor; The Outlaw, 1943 | Bemidji (born) |
| Winona Ryder | Actor; The Crucible, 1996; Autumn in New York, 2000 | Winona (born) |
| Seann William Scott | Actor; The Dukes of Hazzard (movie), 2005 | Cottage Grove (born) |
| Gale Sondergaard (Edith Holm) | Actor; Anthony Adverse, 1936 (Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar, 1936) | Litchfield (born) |
| Kevin Sorbo | Actor; Hercules, 1995-99; Andromeda, 2000-05 | Mound (born) |
| Lea Thompson | Actor/Dancer; Back to the Future, 1985; Caroline in the City | Rochester (born), Minneapolis (raised) |
| Cheryl Tiegs | Actor/Supermodel | Breckenridge (born) |
| Vince Vaughn | Actor; Wedding Crashers, 2005; The Break-Up, 2006 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Gig Young | Actor; Young at Heart, 1954; They Shoot Horses Don't They?, 1969 | St. Cloud (born) |
| Steve Zahn | Actor; Sahara, 2005 | Marshall (born) |
| For a list of additional performers born in Minnesota, visit the Internet Movie Database. | ||
|
|
||
| Miscellaneous | Importance or Contribution | Birthplace/Minnesota Connections |
| Peter Agre | Chemist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, 2003 | Northfield (born); Minneapolis |
| Earl Bakken | Medical Entrepreneur; co-founder of Medtronic, Inc.; developed the first wearable, external, battery-powered, transistorized heart pacemaker, 1957; decorated by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau, 1989; National Academy of Engineering's Fritz J. and Delores H. Russ Prize, 2001 | Minneapolis (born) |
| H. David and Dotty Dalquist | Entrepreneurs; founders of Nordic Ware; invented the Bundt cake pan, the world's best selling cake pan, 1950 | H. David-Minneapolis (born), Duluth, Grand Marais, Edina |
| Jean Paul Getty | Oil Executive/Philanthropist; founder of Getty Oil Co.; billionaire, reported to be the richest man in the world when he died | Minneapolis (born) |
| James J. Hill | Businessman, founder of Great Northern Railway | Rockwood, Ontario (born); St. Paul |
| George A. Hormel | Entrepreneur, founder of Hormel Foods | Buffalo, NY (born); Austin |
| Sister Elizabeth Kenny | Nurse; discovered a revolutionary treatment for polio; rebuffed by the medical community until her success in Minneapolis; Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute founded in Minneapolis, 1942 | New South Wales, Australia (born); Minneapolis |
| Joan B. Kroc | Philanthropist; married Ray Kroc the founder of McDonald's Corp., 1969 | St. Paul (born) |
| Dr. C. Walton Lillehei | Surgeon; performed world's first open heart surgery, 1952 | Minneapolis (born) |
| Frank Mars and son: Forrest E. Mars | Candy makers; Frank-founder of the Mar-O-Bar Company, eventually renamed Mars, Inc.; created the Milky Way candy bar in Minneapolis, 1923; Forrest-created M&Ms, 1941; diversified and grew the company | Frank-Newport (born); Minneapolis |
| Dr. William Worrall Mayo and sons: William James, and Charles | Doctors; William W. was head of St. Mary's Hospital; with sons William J. and Charles founded the Mayo Clinic in Rochester | William Worrall-Eccles, England (born); William James-Le Sueur (born); Charles-Rochester (born); St. Paul; Duluth; Le Sueur; Rochester |
| Mother Alfred Moes | Catholic nun; founded St. Mary's Hospital, 1889, in Rochester and convinced Dr. William Worrall Mayo to head the hospital that eventually evolved into the Mayo Clinic | Germany/Luxembourg (born), Rochester |
| George "Pinky" Nelson | Astronaut | Charles City, IA (born); Willmar (raised) |
| Jeno Paulucci | Entrepreneur; founder Jeno's Frozen Pizza; Chun King Corporation, the first United States company to market canned Chinese food nationally; and Luigino's, Inc.; Ernst & Young International Lifetime Achievement Award for Activism, Entrepreneurship and Leadership, 2004 | Aurora (born), Hibbing |
| John S. Pillsbury | Flour miller/Minnesota Governor, 1876-1881/Entrepreneur; one of the family founders of C.A. Pillsbury and Company, which became the world's largest flour milling business | Sutton, NH (born); St. Anthony; Minneapolis; St. Paul |
| Richard W. Sears | Entrepreneur; co-founder and first president of the Sears, Roebuck and Company | Stewartville (born), Spring Valley, Mankato, North Redwood, Minneapolis |
| Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper | Astronaut, Minnesota's first woman in space | St. Paul (born) |
| Rose Totino | Entrepreneur; founder Totino's frozen pizza; first female vice-president of Pillsbury, 1975; first female inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame | Minneapolis (born), Fridley |
| DeWitt Wallace | Publisher; founder Reader's Digest magazine, 1922; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1972 | St. Paul (born) |
| Roy Wilkins | Civil rights leader; Executive Director of NAACP, 1955-1977; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1969; Congressional Gold Medal, 1984; featured on a U.S. postage stamp, 2001 | St. Louis, MI (born); St. Paul (raised); Minneapolis |
If there are errors on this page, please let us know.