List of Famous people born in Pennsylvania, United States of America
Jameer Nelson
Jameer Lamar Nelson is an American professional basketball executive and former player who serves as assistant general manager for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks, where he was named national college player of the year in 2004. Drafted 20th overall in the 2004 NBA draft, Nelson spent the first ten years of his NBA career with the Orlando Magic. In 2009, he was named an All-Star and made an appearance in the NBA Finals. He has also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons.
Joni Sledge
Joan Elise Sledge was an American singer–songwriter, actress and producer. Sledge was best known as a founding member of the American family vocal group Sister Sledge, who were best known for their hits during the mid–1970s through the mid–1990s; most notably 1979's "We Are Family" and "He's the Greatest Dancer". Sledge died from natural causes on March 10, 2017 at age 60.
Brad Wanamaker
Bradley Daniel Wanamaker is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh. Wanamaker earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2017.
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez Jackson is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and California Angels. Jackson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is an American semi-retired auto racing driver and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series and amassed 42 race victories, the most in the CART era and fourth-most all time. Since his retirement from active racing, Andretti has owned Andretti Autosport, which has won four IndyCar Series championships and five Indianapolis 500 races.
Heather Donahue
Rei Hance is an American writer, businesswoman, and retired actress. She is known for her roles as Heather in the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project and Mary Crawford in the miniseries Taken.
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova was an American writer. He was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, six-time winner of the Hugo Award, an editor of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, an editorial director of Omni; he was also president of both the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America.
Norman Morrison
Norman Morrison was a Baltimore Quaker best known for his act of self-immolation at age 31 to protest United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The Erie, Pennsylvania-born Morrison graduated from the College of Wooster in 1956. He was married and had two daughters and a son. On November 2, 1965, Morrison doused himself in kerosene and set himself on fire below Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's Pentagon office. This may have been taken after Thích Quảng Đức and other Buddhist monks, who burned themselves to death to protest the repression committed by the South Vietnam government.
William Goldman
William I. Goldman, also known as Billy Goldman, was an American commercial photographer based in Reading, Pennsylvania. A freemason and pillar of the community, Goldman photographed the citizens of Reading but also secretly assembled a collection of photographs of the prostitutes of Sallie Shearer's brothel, which was near his studio.
Mike Powell
Michael Anthony Powell is an American former track and field athlete, and the holder of the long jump world record. He is a two-time world champion in this event and two-time Olympic silver medallist, and has a world record of 8.95m. He is considered one of the best Long jumpers in Track and Field history.