Famous Georgians
Juliette Gordon Low(1860-1927) -Born in
Savannah,
Low is the Founder of the Girl Scouts of America. Influence
by Boy Scouts
Founder Robert Baden-Powel of England, Juliette began the
Girl Scouts of America in 1912 with just 8 girls. She not
only taught skills necessary for homemaking but the outdoor
skills taught to the boys. By 1920 there were nearly 42,000
girl scouts.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) -This Atlanta
native is known for his leadership of the Civil Rights
movement. He worked to break the bonds of discrimination
and injustice to minority groups. In 1957, King founded
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to fight segregation
through peaceful protest. Despite his push for peace, King
was met with much violent oppression. His most famous speech
– “I have a dream” was given at the Lincoln Memorial, to 200,000 people. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in non-violent black equality.
Jimmy Carter (1924 - ) -Born in Plains, GA, he became the 39th President in 1976. Before his election President Carter served in the Georgia Senate and as Governor. During his Presidential term he improved relations between Egypt and Israel, and built America’s Connections with Russia. However, on the home front, the economy struggled. After leaving office in 1980, President Carter has continued to help with foreign negotiations and works relentlessly with Habitat for Humanity. He is also the author of more than a dozen books.
Georgia is the birth place of a number of musicians whose vocals talents range from blues and rock to country and opera.
Blues Singers:
Willie McTell (1901-1959)
Ma Rainey (1886-1939)
Country Singers:
Alan Jackson (1958- )
Doug Stone (1956-)
Trisha Yearwood (1964- )
Travis Tritt (1963- )
Soul Music:
Otis Redding (1941-1967)
James Brown (1941-2006)
Opera:
Jessye Norman (1945- )
Rock:
James Brown (1829-2006)
Little Richard (1932-)
Gladys Knight (1944- )
Georgians are huge sports fans and Georgia has been the birthplace of many athletes.
Jim Brown (1936-) - Football running back for the Cleveland Browns, 3x MVP winner, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971
Ty Cobb (1886-1961) – Baseball player for Detroit had a career batting average of .366, most runs scored (2,245), and led in stolen bases. He was one of the first five players elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He did all this without the help of steroids making him a true baesball hero, unlike many of the "best" players today.
Bobby Jones (1902-1971) - Considered by many to be the greatest golfer ever. He won the U.S. Open 4 times; the British open 3 times, the National Amateur Championship 5 times and ultimately started the Masters Golf Tournament in 1934.
Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) - the first black Major league baseball player at UCLA he was the first student to letter in four sports (football, basketball, baseball, and track). In 1947 he began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1962 he became the first African American player inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson is a true American hero.
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