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Famous people · Decatur

50 famous people were born in Decatur, more of them athletes than in most towns

Most widely known is Mae Jemison, the American doctor and NASA astronaut, with articles in 68 languages. The American actor Lucas Black ranks second, ahead of Dean Jones. Since 1970, 22 were born, the most of any period. The list runs from Richard W. Austin, born in 1857, to Javan Johnson, born in 1999.

#1 best knownMae JemisonScience & Medicine · born 1956
+46more
Born here
50
notable people
Best known
Mae Jemison
in 68 Wikipedia languages
First
1857
Richard W. Austin
Youngest
1999
Javan Johnson
Most common field
Sports
30 people
Also called it home
1
notable residents

What stands out about Decatur’s famous people

★ What stands out · The best known

Born in Decatur

By how many languages cover them, Mae Jemison comes first (68), then Lucas Black (40) and Dean Jones (33).

Mae Jemison#1
Science & Medicine

Mae Jemison

born 1956

American doctor and NASA astronaut

68 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
LB#2
Film, TV & Stage

Lucas Black

born 1982

American actor

40 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Dean Jones#3
Film, TV & Stage

Dean Jones

1931–2015

American actor

33 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years

When Decatur’s famous people were born

More of them were born in the 1980s than in any other ten years, 10 in all.

Mills & railroadsThe American centuryToday1850190019502000Dean JonesMae JemisonRichard W. AustinPop Gates
SportsPolitics & LawScience & MedicineNotableFilm, TV & StageMusicBusinessFaithMilitaryWriting & Arts

Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.

Known for

What Decatur is known for

Athletes stand out most, at 1.7 times the usual share.

The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.

Everyone

Everyone else born in Decatur

Another 47, 30 of them athletes.

Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers

born 1981

American football player

Richard Hendrix

Richard Hendrix

born 1986

American basketball player

Pop Gates

Pop Gates

1917–1999

American basketball player

Perrin Buford

Perrin Buford

born 1994

American basketball player

Richard W. Austin

Richard W. Austin

1857–1919

American politician, attorney and diplomat

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Grace Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston

Grace Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston

1879–1958

British-American noble

Charles Richard

Charles Richard

born 1959

American Navy admiral

LP

Luther Patrick

1894–1957

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
MS

Mandisa Stevenson

born 1982

American basketball player

SL

Seybourn Harris Lynne

1907–2000

United States federal judge

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Carson Tinker

Carson Tinker

born 1989

American football long snapper

JJ

Javan Johnson

born 1999

American basketball player

Rip Sewell

Rip Sewell

1907–1989

American Major League Baseball player, pitcher

Robin Henderson

Robin Henderson

born 1960

American space agency executive

Travis S. Taylor

Travis S. Taylor

born 1968

Scientist and author

Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
AK

Alan Koch

1938–2015

American professional baseball player

DS

David Stewart

born 1982

American football player, offensive tackle

Donold Lourie

Donold Lourie

1899–1990

American businessman, government official, and college football player and coach

GK

Gary Knotts

born 1977

American baseball player

Jerraud Powers

Jerraud Powers

born 1987

Player of American football

KB

Kendrick Burton

born 1973

American football player

LK

Leslie Kelley

born 1944

American football player

A chosen home

Also called Decatur home

Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Decatur, though born elsewhere.

Terri Collins

Terri Collins

born 1958

American politician

Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick

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Next door

Famous people from the towns next door

The neighbour with the most names is Huntsville, at 38.

From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Decatur and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.

Photo credits (22)