Film & TV · 1927–1999George C. Scottactor, directorOscar-winning star of Patton who grew up in Detroit and graduated from Redford High School before joining the Marines.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,940 famous people
- 270 Detroit places
- 16 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
15 people
Clear filtersFilm & TV · 1927–1999George C. Scottactor, directorOscar-winning star of Patton who grew up in Detroit and graduated from Redford High School before joining the Marines.
Science & invention · 1924–2021Isadore SingermathematicianMathematician who, with Michael Atiyah, proved the Atiyah–Singer index theorem, a bridge between geometry and physics; born and raised in Detroit.
Theatre & dance · 1925–2014Elaine Stritchactress, singer, comedianBroadway's tough, funny star of Company and At Liberty was born in Detroit, and after six decades in New York came home to Birmingham, Michigan, to spend her last year.
Sports · 1924–2016Norbert SchemanskyweightlifterDetroit-born weightlifter, the first to win four Olympic medals in the sport, who lived most of his life in nearby Dearborn, where a park is named for him.
Sports · 1929–1970Terry Sawchukice hockey goaltenderHall of Fame goaltender who won three of his four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and, at his death, held the all-time NHL records for wins and shutouts.
Comedy · 1926–2009Soupy Salescomedian, television hostPie-throwing comic whose Lunch with Soupy Sales on Detroit's WXYZ-TV (1953–1960) made him a local legend before he went national.
Sports · 1924–2018Clyde ScottAmerican football player and Olympic hurdlerOlympic hurdling medalist who played three seasons for the Lions, including their 1952 NFL championship season.
Sports · 1926–2003The Sheikprofessional wrestler, promoterLebanese-American wrestler from Lansing who owned Detroit's Big Time Wrestling and packed Cobo Arena as the wild 'Sheik' in his long feud with Bobo Brazil.
Press & broadcasting · 1926–2020Robin Seymourdisc jockey, TV dance-show hostDetroit-born DJ who pioneered rock and roll on WKMH from 1947 and hosted the TV dance shows Teen Town and Swingin' Time, a showcase for Motown and Detroit rock acts.
Law · 1922–1994Otis M. Smithlawyer, Michigan Supreme Court justice, GM general counselFirst African American justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1961–1966), who then rose to vice president and general counsel of General Motors at its Detroit headquarters.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗