Detroit
Detroit ranks 40th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind Sydney, Athens, and Warsaw. The most famous people from Detroit are Charles Lindbergh, Tom Selleck, and Francis Ford Coppola. The most famous people who died in Detroit are Aretha Franklin, Rosa Parks, and Harry Houdini. Detroit has been the birth place of many actors, and musicians and the death place of many athletes, and singers. Detroit is located in United States.
Detroit is the most populous city in the state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario. It is the 26th-most populous city in the United States and the largest U.S. city on the Canada–United States border, with a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census. The Metro Detroit area, at over 4.4 million people, is the 14th-largest metropolitan area in the nation and second-largest in the Midwest. The county seat of Wayne County, Detroit is a significant cultural center known for its contributions to music, art, architecture and design, in addition to its historical automotive and industrial background. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 1714 and 1994, Detroit was the birth place of 240 globally memorable people, including Charles Lindbergh, Tom Selleck, and Francis Ford Coppola. Additionaly, 35 globally memorable people have passed away in Detroit including Aretha Franklin, Rosa Parks, and Harry Houdini.
People Born in Detroit
Go to all RankingsCharles Lindbergh
PILOT
1902 - 1974
HPI: 81.92
Rank: 1
Tom Selleck
ACTOR
1945 - Present
HPI: 78.39
Rank: 2
Francis Ford Coppola
FILM DIRECTOR
1939 - Present
HPI: 77.90
Rank: 3
William Boeing
BUSINESSPERSON
1881 - 1956
HPI: 76.19
Rank: 4
Leon Czolgosz
EXTREMIST
1873 - 1901
HPI: 76.01
Rank: 5
Steve Ballmer
BUSINESSPERSON
1956 - Present
HPI: 76.00
Rank: 6
Pontiac
POLITICIAN
1714 - 1769
HPI: 73.32
Rank: 7
Alice Cooper
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 72.06
Rank: 8
Diana Ross
SINGER
1944 - Present
HPI: 71.67
Rank: 9
Sixto Rodriguez
MUSICIAN
1942 - 2023
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 10
George Peppard
ACTOR
1928 - 1994
HPI: 71.30
Rank: 11
Ellen Burstyn
ACTOR
1932 - Present
HPI: 70.96
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Detroit
Go to all RankingsNorah Vincent
WRITER
1968 - 2022
HPI: 53.60
Rank: 99
Carl Craig
MUSICIAN
1969 - Present
HPI: 45.24
Rank: 185
Tommy Clufetos
MUSICIAN
1979 - Present
HPI: 45.00
Rank: 189
Page Kennedy
ACTOR
1976 - Present
HPI: 42.50
Rank: 204
Connie Paraskevin
CYCLIST
1961 - Present
HPI: 42.02
Rank: 205
Walter Emanuel Jones
ACTOR
1970 - Present
HPI: 41.39
Rank: 208
Ellen Hollman
ACTOR
1983 - Present
HPI: 41.24
Rank: 210
Dan Gilbert
BUSINESSPERSON
1962 - Present
HPI: 40.17
Rank: 214
Darnell Hall
ATHLETE
1971 - Present
HPI: 39.68
Rank: 215
John Marshall Jones
ACTOR
1962 - Present
HPI: 39.67
Rank: 216
Steve McCrory
ATHLETE
1964 - 2000
HPI: 39.06
Rank: 221
Veronica Webb
MODEL
1965 - Present
HPI: 38.61
Rank: 222
People Deceased in Detroit
Go to all RankingsAretha Franklin
SINGER
1942 - 2018
HPI: 83.92
Rank: 1
Rosa Parks
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1913 - 2005
HPI: 79.14
Rank: 2
Harry Houdini
MAGICIAN
1874 - 1926
HPI: 78.67
Rank: 3
Sixto Rodriguez
MUSICIAN
1942 - 2023
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 4
Louis Chevrolet
BUSINESSPERSON
1878 - 1941
HPI: 68.03
Rank: 5
Mukesh
ACTOR
1923 - 1976
HPI: 67.41
Rank: 6
Chris Cornell
SINGER
1964 - 2017
HPI: 67.26
Rank: 7
Minoru Yamasaki
ARCHITECT
1912 - 1986
HPI: 66.50
Rank: 8
Henry Ford II
BUSINESSPERSON
1917 - 1987
HPI: 65.23
Rank: 9
Dinah Washington
SINGER
1924 - 1963
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 10
Ed Gordon
ATHLETE
1908 - 1971
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 11
Eddie Tolan
ATHLETE
1908 - 1967
HPI: 59.61
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Detroit
Go to all RankingsOccupations
Most individuals born in present day Detroit were actors (69), musicians (33), singers (27), writers (18), and basketball players (15), while most who died were athletes (8), singers (6), politicians (4), writers (3), and musicians (2).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, actors have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Detroit, including Tom Selleck, George Peppard, and Ellen Burstyn. Whereas, throughout history, actors have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Detroit, including Tom Selleck, George Peppard, and Ellen Burstyn.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in Detroit since 1700.




































