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Famous People from Delaware


Valerie Bertinelli (1960 - ) An American actress best known for her roles on the sitcom One Day at a Time, TV series Touched by an Angel and sitcom Hot in Cleveland. Born in Wilmington, DE (81)

Robert Montgomery Bird (1806 - 1854) An American novelist, playwright, and doctor. His most successful novel was Nick of the Woods. Born in New Castle, DE (86)

Annie Jump Cannon (1863 - 1941) An American astronomer. Her work was instrumental in the development of a classification scheme that organized and classified stars based on their temperatures. Born in Dover, DE (82)

Joseph Maull Carey (1845 - 1924) Mayor of Cheyenne, first U.S. Senator from Wyoming and Governor of Wyoming. Born in Milton, DE (666)

Delino Lamont DeShields (1969 - ) Former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos (1990-93), Los Angeles Dodgers (1994-96), St. Louis Cardinals (1997-98), Baltimore Orioles (2000-01) and Chicago Cubs (2001-02). Born in Seaford, DE (977)

Oliver Evans (1755 - 1819) An American inventor, engineer and businessman. He was a pioneer in the fields of automation, materials handling and steam power. One of the most prolific and influential inventors in the early years of the United States. Born in Newport, DE (979)

Yvette Freeman (1957 - ) An American actress best known for her role as Haleh Adams on the NBC drama ER. She is one of the longest serving recurring characters on the show, having appeared in every season since 1994. Born in Wilmington, DE (980)

Joseph "Joey" Graham (1982 - ) An American professional basketball player. Born in Wilmington, DE (981)

Henry Heimlich (1920 - ) Thoracic surgeon and inventor who developed the Heimlich Maneuver to save choking victims. Born in Wilmington, DE (83)

Doug Hutchison (1960 - ) An American actor, known for his roles in The Green Mile, as corrections officer Percy Wetmore, Eugene Victor Tooms in The X-Files, as Horace Goodspeed in Lost and as Davros in 24. Born in Dover, DE (982)

Eldridge Reeves Johnson (1867 - 1945) Co-created the Victor Talking Machine Company alongside Emile Berliner, and built it into the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. Born in Wilmington, DE (983)

Patrick Kerr (1956 - ) An American television actor. He is probably best known for his recurring role as Noel Shempsky on Frasier. Born in Wilmington, DE (984)



Sugar Ray Leonard (1941 - ) Born Ray Charles Leonard. He was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses. He won world titles in 5 weight divisions and was named "Boxer of the Decade" for the 1980s. Born in Wilmington, DE (422)

Teri Polo (1969 - ) Born Theresa Elizabeth Polo. An American actress known for her role as Pam Focker in the movie Meet the Parents and its sequels. Her television roles include the sitcom I'm with Her, the drama series The West Wing and The Fosters. Born in Dover, DE (985)

Howard Pyle (1853 - 1911) An American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. Born in Wilmington, DE (84)

Judge Reinhold (1957 - ) Born Edward Ernest Reinhold, Jr. An actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy. Born in Wilmington, DE (986)

Caesar Rodney (1728 - 1784) Patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and President of Delaware during most of the American Revolution. Born in Kent County, DE (88)

Elisabeth Shue (1963 - ) Actress known for roles in movies like The Karate Kid , Back to the Future Part II and III and Leaving Las Vegas. She also starred in the television police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Born in Wilmington, DE (85)

Andrew Shue (1967 - ) An American actor, known for his role as Billy Campbell on the television series Melrose Place (1992-1998). Brother of actress Elisabeth Shue. Born in Wilmington, DE (1649)

Sean Patrick Thomas (1970 - ) An American actor. He is perhaps best known for his co-starring role in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District. Born in Wilmington, DE (1650)

James Tilton (1745 - 1822) An American physician and soldier. He was a delegate for Delaware in the Continental Congress of 1783 and 1784, and served as Surgeon General of the United States Army during the War of 1812. Born in Dover, DE (987)

Herta Ware (1917 - 2005) An American actress and political activist. Known for her role in the film Cocoon and its sequel. She has made guest appearances on the television series Knots Landing, Highway to Heaven, The Golden Girls and ER. Born in Wilmington, DE (1651)

Cori Ann Yarckin (1982 - ) An American actress and singer. She first became known for her role in the Nickelodeon TV series Noah Knows Best, where she played Camille Ruiz. Born in Seaford, DE (990)