Notable People from Virginia

George Washington

founding Father and first U.S. president; soldier and slave owner (1732–1799)

Thomas Jefferson

president of the United States from 1801 to 1809 (1743–1826)

James Madison

President of the United States from 1809 to 1817 (1751–1836)

James Monroe

president of the United States from 1817 to 1825 (1758–1831)

Zachary Taylor

president of the United States from 1849 to 1850

John Tyler

president of the United States from 1841 to 1845

William Henry Harrison

president of the United States in 1841

Robert E. Lee

Confederate States general (1807–1870)

Ella Fitzgerald

American jazz singer (1917–1996)

Martha Washington

First Lady of the United States from 1789 to 1797

Napoleon Hill

American author (1883-1970)

Willa Cather

American writer (1873–1947)

George C. Scott

American actor, film director and producer (1927–1999)

Sam Houston

American statesman, politician, and soldier (1793-1863)

Richard E. Byrd

American naval officer, explorer (1888-1957)

Patsy Cline

American country singer (1932–1963)

John Marshall

chief justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835, (1755-1835)

William Styron

American novelist and essayist (1925–2006)

Tom Wolfe

American author and journalist (1930–2018)

Patrick Henry

American Founding Father, orator and politician (1736 – 1799)

Joseph Cotten

American actor (1905–1994)

Randolph Scott

American actor (1898–1987)

Desmond Doss

American solder, pacifist, and combat medic; recipient of the Purple Heart medal, recipient of the Medal of Honor (1919–2007)

Moses Malone

American basketball player

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson

First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921

Mary Jackson

American mathematician and aerospace engineer

Henry Clay

American politician from Kentucky (1777-1852)

June Carter Cash

American singer (1929–2003)

Henry Draper

American physician and astronomer (1837–1882)

Margaret Sullavan

American actress

Letitia Christian Tyler

First Lady of the United States (1790-1842)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts

President of Liberia (1809–1876)

Meriwether Lewis

American explorer (1774-1809)

Martha Jefferson Randolph

First Lady of the United States from 1801 to 1809

Henrietta Lacks

American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line (1920–1951)

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor

first female Member of Parliament to take her seat (1879-1964)

Gene Vincent

American rock musician (1935–1971)

David M. Brown

American astronaut (1956–2003)

Pearl Bailey

American actress and singer (1918–1990)

Winfield Scott

United States Army general (1786–1866)

Rachel Jackson

wife of Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States (1767–1828)

Gladys West

American mathematician (1930–2026)

Henry King

American film director (1886–1982)

Dee Dee Ramone

American bassist (1951–2002)

Pat Robertson

American media mogul and minister (1930–2023)

Jerry Falwell

American evangelical pastor, televangelist, and conservative political commentator

Cy Twombly

American painter, sculptor and photographer (1928–2011)

Christopher C. Kraft

American aerospace engineer (1924–2019)

Edmund Randolph

American attorney (1753-1813)

William Clark

American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor (1770-1838)