List of people from Washington

The following is a list of prominent people who were born in the U.S. state of Washington, live in Washington, or are strongly associated with the state.

A

* Philip Abelson (1913-2004), physicist and science writer
* Oleta Adams (born 1962), singer
* Sherman Alexie (born 1966), author
* Paul Allen (born 1953), co-founder of Microsoft, owner of NFL's Seattle Seahawks and NBA's Portland Trail Blazers
* Dorothy Anstett (born c.1948), Miss USA 1968
* Earl Averill (1902-1983) Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player

B

* Bob Barker (born 1923), game-show host for "The Price Is Right"
* Glenn Beck (born 1964), conservative talk radio and television host.
* Bruce Bennett (1906-2007), athlete and actor
* Steven Jesse Bernstein (1950-1991), poet, author, essayist
* Greg Biffle (born 1969), NASCAR driver
* Josie Bissett (born 1970), actress
* Drew Bledsoe (born 1972), quarterback for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
* Bill Bowerman (1911-1999), track coach at University of Oregon; Nike co-founder
* Richard Brautigan (1935-1984), writer
* Linda B. Buck (born 1947), scientist, Nobel prize winner
* Ted Bundy (born 1946), serial killer
* Raegan Butcher, poet
* George Washington Bush (born 1779), pioneer
* Octavia Butler (1947-2006), science fiction writer

C

* Dyan Cannon (born 1937), actress
* Jerry Cantrell (born 1966), guitarist for Alice in Chains
* Maria Cantwell (born 1958), United States Senator, former VP of RealNetworks
* Orson Scott Card (born 1951), author and professor at Southern Virginia University
* Chester Carlson (1906-1968), inventor of xerography
* Raymond Carver (1938-1988), author
* Neko Case (born 1970), chanteuse
* Pat Cashman, actor and radio personality
* James Caviezel (born 1968), actor
* Ron Cey (born 1948), former All-Star Major League Baseball player
* Carol Channing (born 1921), actress
* Dale Chihuly (born 1941), glass artist
* Jori Chisholm (born 1975), Champion bagpiper
* Erika Christensen (born 1982), actress
* Chuck Close (born 1940), artist
* Kurt Cobain (1967-1994), Nirvana vocalist and guitarist
* Judy Collins (born 1939), folk singer
* Jeff Conine (born 1966), All-Star Major League Baseball player
* Chris Cornell (born 1964), Vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave
* Fred Couples (born 1959), golfer
* Bing Crosby (1903-1977), singer and actor
* Merce Cunningham (born 1919), dancer and choreographer

D

* Gail Devers (born 1966), athlete
* Corey Dillon (born 1974), running back for the NFL's New England Patriots
* James Doohan (1920-2005), actor
* William O Douglas (1898-1980), longest ever serving Justice of U.S. Supreme Court
* Howard Duff (1913-1990), radio, stage, and film actor

E

* Harris Ellsworth (1899-1986), member of U.S. Congress from Oregon.
* John Elway, NFL Quarterback and three time Super Bowl winner.

F

* Anna Faris (born 1976), star of Scary Movie trilogy
* Frances Farmer (1914-1970), actress
* Tom Foley (born 1929, Speaker of the US House of Representatives 1989-1995

G

* Kenny G (born 1956), musician
* Bill Gates (born 1955), of Microsoft, world's second richest man
* Vernon Greene (1908-1965), cartoonist
* David Guterson (born 1956), author

H

* Ivar Haglund (1905-1985, folk singer, restaurateur
* Spencer Hawes (born 1988), NBA player
* Roman Heart (born 1986), Porn Star
* Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), guitarist
* Frank Herbert (1920-1986), author of the Dune series of science fiction books
* Gordon Hirabayashi (born 1918), sociologist
* Marcus Hahnemann (born 1972), goalkeeper for Reading F.C.
* Fred Hutchinson (1919-1964), Major League Baseball player and manger of the Cincinnati Reds

I

* Burl Ives (1909-1995), actor and folk singer

J

* Henry M. Jackson (1912-1983), Long serving US Senator and two time Presidential candidate
* Robert Joffrey (1930-1988), choreographer
* Russell Johnson (born 1924), actor ("The Professor" on Gilligan's Island)
* Chuck Jones (1912-2002), animator
* Quincy Jones (born 1933), musician

K

* Brian Kendrick, WWE Superstar
* Kasey Kahne (born 1980), NASCAR driver
* Richard Karn (born 1956), actor
* Carol Kaye (born 1935), musician
* John Keister (born 1956), comedian
* Kasey Keller (born 1969), soccer goalkeeper for Team USA
* Hank Ketcham (born 1920), cartoonist
* Edward Kienholz (1927-1994), artist
* Dale Kinkade (born 1933), linguist and professor
* Kip Kinkel (born 1982), school shooter
* Ed Kirkpatrick (born 1944), former Major League Baseball player
* Kitsap, Suquamish leader
* John Kitzhaber, (born 1947, Oregon Governor, 1995-2003

L

* Steve Largent (born 1954), football player and congressman
* Rick Larsen (born 1965), member of the United States House of Representatives
* Gary Larson (born 1950), cartoonist and creator of "The Far Side"
* Gypsy Rose Lee (1911-1970), entertainer
* Leschi (1808-1858), Nisqually chief
* Blake Lewis (born 1981), American Idol runner-up, singer and beatboxer
* Mary Livingstone (1905-1983), comedienne
* Kenny Loggins (born 1948), singer and songwriter

M

* Warren G. Magnuson (1905-1989)Six term US Senator and Dean of the United States Senate 1979-1981
* Sanjaya Malakar (born 1989), American Idol finalist
* Kevin McCarthy (born 1914), actor
* Mary McCarthy (1912-1989), author
* Mike McCready (born 1966), Pearl Jam guitarist
* Darren McGavin (1922-2006), actor
* Joel McHale (born 1971), actor
* Steve Miller (born 1943), rock musician
* Jeff Monson Mixed Martial Artist, UFC fighter
* Mark Morris (born 1956), dancer and choreographer
* Adam Morrison (born 1984), current Charlotte Bobcats basketball player
* Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), American Abstract Expressionist painter
* Patty Murray (born 1950), United States Senator
* Edward R Murrow (1908-1965) CBS News Correspondent

N

* Craig T. Nelson, (born 1944), actor
* Billy North (born 1948), former Major League Baseball player
* Krist Novoselic (born 1965), Nirvana Bassist
* Bill Nye (born 1955), scientist and host of the Emmy Award-winning show "Bill Nye the Science Guy

O

* Pat O'Day (born 1934) KJR radio disc jockey considered to be the godfather of the Seattle rock music scene
* Apolo Ohno (born 1982), speed skater
* John Olerud (born 1968), former Major League Baseball first baseman
* Robert Osborne, (born 1932) film historian

P

* Janis Paige (born 1922), actress

R

* John Ratzenburger (born 1947), Cliff Clavin on Cheers
* Pamela Reed (born 1949), actress
* John Requa (born 1967), screenwriter Cats and Dogs and Bad Santa
* Roger Revelle (born 1909), scientist and pioneer of global warming studies
* Gary Ridgway (born 1949), serial killer
* Tom Robbins (born 1936), author
* Howard Percy Robertson (born 1903), prominent cosmologist
* Jimmie Rodgers (born 1933), pop singer
* Ann Rule (born 1935), popular true crime writer

* Ryne Sandberg (born 1959), former Major League Baseball second baseman, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
* Larry Sanger (born 1968), Wikipedia co-founder
* Ron Santo (born 1940), former Major League Baseball third baseman, radio broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs
* Dan Savage (born 1964), writer of the internationally syndicated advice column "Savage Love" and editor of Seattle weekly newspaper "The Stranger"
* Francis Scobee (1939-1986), astronaut, commander of Space Shuttle Challenger
* Seattle (c. 1786-1866), Duwamish/Suquamish leader and diplomat
* Kyle Secor (born 1957), actor
* Sir Mix-a-Lot (born Anthony Ray, 1963), hip-hop artist
* Jeff Smith (1939-2004), food expert
* Shawn Smith (born 1965), rock musician
* Smohalla (c. 1851-1895), Sahaptin spiritual leader
* Layne Staley (1967-2002), vocalist for Alice in Chains
* Rick Steves (born 1955), authority on European travel
* John Stockton (born 1962), former star with the NBA's Utah Jazz and a likely future member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
* Mel Stottlemyre (born 1941), former Major League Baseball pitcher, former pitching coach for the New York Yankees
* Rodney Stuckey (born 1986), NBA player
* Gloria Wilson Swisher (born 1935), composer and educator

T

* Brian Thompson (born 1959, actor in over 100 films and TV shows: X-Files, Cobra, , Joe Dirt, Terminator, Three Amigos
* Earl Torgeson (1924-1990), former Major League Baseball player
*Rachel Trachtenburg (born 1993), drummer, singer and member of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

U

* Blair Underwood (born 1964), actor

V

* Eddie Vedder (born 1964), vocalist for Pearl Jam

W

* Jennifer Warnes (born 1947), singer
* Chris Wedes (born 1928) aka JP Patches, longest running locally produced children's program in US history.
* Adam West (born 1928), actor who played Batman on the TV show (1966 - 1968)
* Sammy White (1928-1991), former Major League Baseball player
* Marcus Williams (born 1986) NBA player
* Ann (born 1950) and Nancy Wilson (born 1954), the principal members of Heart
* Rainn Wilson (born 1968), actor

Y

* Takuji Yamashita (born 1874), early 20th century civil rights pioneer