b. 1947, NBA superstar, won 3 NCAA titles with UCLA and 5 NBA titles with the LA Lakers, holds NBA career scoring record
1902-1984, Photographer of Yosemite, Taos Pueblo, other western sites
1907-1998, Singing film cowboy, wrote 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', owner of KTLA and Los Angeles Angels, endowed Western Heritage Museum
1830-1885, Port of Los Angeles developer, owned land that became Drum Barracks, General in CA militia during Civil War
1901-1975, Female barnstorming aviator, proprietor of Happy Bottom Riding Club
1917-1998, African-American Mayor of Los Angeles from 1973 to 1993
b. 1938, Governor of CA (D, 1975-83 and 2011-2019); Son of Governor of CA
1905-1996, mid-20th century CA governor responsible for California Aqueduct, UC expansion
1920-2012, Jazz pianist known for “Take Five” and “In Your Own Sweet Way”
1904-1971, African-American diplomat, won Nobel Peace Prize for Palestine mediation efforts
1849-1926, plant breeder who created the pluot and numerous other varieties of fruits and vegetables
1848-1932, Canadian-American irrigator of Imperial Valley, Etiwanda
1927-1993, Mexican-American male who co-founded the United Farm Workers
1822-1888, Banker, member of the Big Four railroaders
1881-1959, Producer/director of many 20th century blockbusters, including “The Ten Commandments” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”
1914-1999, 1930s-40s Yankees hitter with 3 MVPs, record hit streak
1901-1966, Hollywood animator, studio exec, theme park creator
1892-1981, Aircraft engineer, founder of eponymous Southern California aviation company
1900-1980, Actress, Congresswomen (D, 1945-51) whose political career was derailed by allegations of Communist ties
1907-1978, American designer of eponymous chair, Case Study House #8
1897-ca. 1937, Pioneering female aviator, lost while attempting round-the-world flight
1930-2010, Bolivian-American math teacher chronicled in the film “Stand and Deliver”
b. 1933, Fmr. San Francisco mayor, current CA Senator (D)
1813-1890, Explorer, Mexican-American War and Civil War general, first Republican presidential nominee
b. 1929, Canadian-born modern architect of Disney Hall, many other buildings in Los Angeles
1870-1949, founder of Bank of Italy (later rechristened Bank of America)
1879-1974, producer, studio executive with Paramount, namesake of MGM
1872-1939, Author of “Riders of the Purple Sage” and many other Western novels
1868-1938, Astronomer who founded Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories
b. 1956, Actor in Toy Story, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Philadelphia, and Saving Private Ryan
1836-1902, Author and poet who wrote about the California Gold Rush
1863-1951, Publishing tycoon with political aspirations, inspiration for Citizen Kane
1874-1944, Metallurgist, translated 'De re metallica' into English, First Lady of the United States from 1929 to 1933
1903-2003, Actor/comedian known for “Road” movies, Oscars, golf jokes, USO shows
b. 1930, female co-founder of the United Farm Workers, advocate for immigrants’ and women’s rights
1850-1927, Los Angeles landowner and booster, built Pacific Electric and famous Library
1887-1962, Carmel-based environmentalist poet, artist and pacifist
1955-2011, Founder and CEO of Apple Computer
1866-1945, CA Governor (P, 1911-17) and Senator (P/R, 1917-45), called for progressive reforms such as recall
b. 1935, Decathlete, won gold at 1960 Olympics, tackled RFK’s assassin, lit torch at 1984 Olympic Games
1851-1931, Founding President of Stanford University
1826-1863, Surveyed route of the Central Pacific Railroad
1882-1967, Steel magnate and shipbuilder, founded eponymous health care company
b. 1936, Current center-right Supreme Court justice
1911-2003, Chancellor of the University of California during the expansion and unrest of the 1960s
b. 1943, female tennis player, women’s and LGBT rights advocate
1824-64, Unitarian minister who preached that California should support the Union during the American Civil War
1902-1984, built the McDonald’s fast food chain into an empire
1895-1965, Depression-era photographer
1876-1916, Author who wrote “Call of the Wild” and other blooks about life in the Klondike
1832-1913, American Civil War balloonist, amateur scientist, builder of eponymous mountain railway
1859-1928, Journalist, Southern California booster, founded Southwest Museum of the American Indian
b. 1936, Oakland Raiders coach, NFL commentator, video game namesake
1862-1944, Los Angeles Times writer, authored 'The Mission Play' and several books of California poetry
1890-1944, Angelus Temple-based Foursquare radio evangelist
1930-1978, Gay rights activist, assassinated while SF Supervisor
1913-2008, Wine grower, endowed UC Davis viticultural school
1926-1962, Blonde bombshell in films such as The Seven Year Itch and Some Like it Hot
1872-1957, Architect of Hearst Castle and Asilomar
1943-1971, Lead singer of The Doors
1838-1914, Naturalist who founded Sierra Club, urged protection of Yosemite
1855-1935, Los Angeles water engineer responsible for aqueduct construction from Owens Valley
1942-1989, founder of the Black Panther Party
1913-1994, U.S. President who went to China, resigned after Watergate scandal
1831-1899, most recent Hispanic governor of California, first Hispanic Congressman
1912-1996, Co-founder and CEO of co-eponymous computer and printer company (the first in the Silicon Valley), endowed Monterey Bay Aquarium
1885-1945, World War II General who commanded U.S. Third Army, slapped a solider
1901-1994, CalTech professor who investigated quantum chemistry
1916-2003, Good-guy actor in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Gentleman’s Agreement”, “The Big Country”
b. 1940, CA Congresswoman, First Female Speaker of the House (D, 2007-2011)
1801-1894, SoCal don, last Mexican governor of California (i.e. before it became part of America)
1911-2004, Actor turned U.S. President known for conservatism, attempting to end Cold War
1951-2012, First American woman in space
1919-1972, African-American Baseball player who broke the color barrier
1879-1965, Italian-American who built Watts Towers
1914-1995, Developed the first polio vaccine, later founded La Jolla-based cancer institute
1908-1981, Armenian-American dramatist and screenwriter behind “Time of Your Life” and “My Heart’s in the Highlands”
1942-1996, leftist activist, leader of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement
b. 1947, Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor and CA Governor (R, 2003-11)
1713-1784, Franciscan friar who founded nine Spanish missions in California
1904-1991, Author of “The Cat in the Hat”, “Fox in Socks”, and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
1878-1968, muckraking author of “The Jungle” and “Oil!”, 1938 Socialist Gubernatorial candidate
1824-1893, Politician, Member of the 'Big Four' Railroaders, Endowed eponymous university
1940-2017, Historian of California intellectual history, wrote series of books on the California Dream
1866-1936, San Francisco-born author of “The Shame of the Cities”
1902-1968 Author known for portrayal of Great Depression, Monterey in books such as 'The Grapes of Wrath', 'Of Mice and Men', 'East of Eden'
1829-1902, German-born outfitter of the California Gold Rush, founded blue jeans company
1830-1898, Engineer and businessman, made millions off Comstock Lode, mayor and developer of San Francisco
1803-1880, German settler who settled Sacramento area, owned fort where gold was discovered
b. 1952, Author of “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Bonesetter’s Daughter”
b. 1944, Pianist, symphony conductor known for interpretations of American classical and folk music
b. 1937, Airline executive, organizer of the 1984 Summer Olympics, MLB Commissioner
b. 1953, Mexican-American who was mayor of Los Angeles from 2005-2013
1891-1974, Governor of CA (1943-53), Supreme Court Chief Justice (1953-69) during Brown v. Board of Education decision
1907-1979, Academy Award-winning actor in “True Grit”, “Stagecoach”, “The Quiet Man”, other Westerns and war movies
1811-1878, TN-born pioneer who became San Gabriel Valley don, early Mayor of Los Angeles
b. 1942, Singer/songwriter who fronted the Beach Boys
b. 1975, Black/Asian golfer with most majors still currently playing
b. 1923, USAF test pilot who broke sound barrier at Edwards Air Force Base
1917-2014, USC Olympic miler, WWII POW
Quiz Playlist
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Similar to my "100 Americans" series, except they're all Californians. "Californian" is somewhat loosely defined; many people on this list weren't born in California, but flourished there and/or lived there for a significant part of their lifetime. Includes Californians from many different walks of life.
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