List of people from Colorado facts for kids

The location of the State of Colorado in the United States

Colorado is a state in the United States known for its beautiful mountains and wide-open spaces. Many amazing people have lived here, either born and raised in Colorado or having a strong connection to the state. This list introduces you to some of these notable Coloradans who have made a big impact in different areas like acting, sports, music, and science. They show how much talent comes from the Centennial State!

Actors and Entertainers from Colorado

Tim Allen

Lon Chaney

Douglas Fairbanks

Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker)

Hattie McDaniel

Colorado has been home to many famous actors and entertainers.

• Amy Adams (raised in Castle Rock) – A talented actress, she has been nominated for an Oscar five times for her roles in movies like Junebug and American Hustle.
• Tim Allen (born in Denver) – This actor and comedian is famous for starring in the TV show Home Improvement and the The Santa Clause movies. He also voiced Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.
• Melissa Benoist (raised in Littleton, Colorado) – She is well-known for playing the superhero in the TV series Supergirl.
• Jessica Biel (lived in Boulder) – An actress who starred in the TV show 7th Heaven and movies like The Illusionist.
• Lon Chaney (born in Colorado Springs) – Known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces," he was a legendary actor in silent films during the 1910s and 1920s.
• Don Cheadle (attended East High School in Denver) – An acclaimed actor, he has been nominated for an Oscar and won two Golden Globe Awards. He is known for films like Hotel Rwanda and Iron Man 2.
• Kristin Davis (born in Boulder) – She is famous for her role as Charlotte York in the popular TV series and movies Sex and the City.
• Douglas Fairbanks (born in Denver) – A silent film star, he was one of the first big action heroes in movies. He was also the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
• Pam Grier (attended East High School in Denver) – An actress known for her strong roles in films such as Foxy Brown and Jackie Brown.
• Jon Heder (born in Fort Collins) – He played the main character in the popular comedy movie Napoleon Dynamite.
• Jake Lloyd (born in Fort Collins) – He played the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
• Hattie McDaniel (lived in Fort Collins and Denver) – She was the first African American to win an Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind in 1940.
• Bill Murray (attended Regis University in Denver) – A beloved actor and comedian, he starred in classic movies like Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, and Lost in Translation.
• Trey Parker (born in Conifer) – He is the co-creator of the animated TV show South Park. He has won multiple Emmy Awards for his work.
• AnnaSophia Robb (born and lives in Denver) – An actress who starred in movies like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Bridge to Terabithia.
• Kristen Schaal (born in Longmont) – An actress and comedian, she is known for her roles in Flight of the Conchords and as the voice of Louise in Bob's Burgers.
• Matt Stone (lived in Denver and Littleton) – He is the co-creator of the animated TV show South Park with Trey Parker. He has also won several Emmy Awards.
• Frank Welker (born in Denver) – A famous voice actor, he has voiced many characters including Fred in Scooby-Doo and Nibbler in Futurama.

Athletes from Colorado

Jack Dempsey

Goose Gossage

Bobby Unser

Colorado has produced many talented athletes who have excelled in various sports.

• Chauncey Billups (born and raised in Denver) – A professional basketball player, he led the Detroit Pistons to an NBA championship in 2004 and was named the MVP of the NBA Finals.
• Jeremy Bloom (born in Loveland) – He is an Olympic and world champion freestyle skier in moguls. He also played football for the University of Colorado and in the NFL.
• Calais Campbell (born and raised in Denver) – A strong defensive end in the NFL, known for his time with the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Jack Dempsey (born in Manassa) – Known as "the Manassa Mauler," he was a legendary professional boxer and World Heavyweight Champion from 1919 to 1926.
• John Elway (lives in Englewood) – A famous NFL quarterback for the Denver Broncos, he led his team to two Super Bowl championships. He was also named NFL MVP in 1987.
• Missy Franklin (resides in Centennial) – A highly successful swimmer, she has won five Olympic gold medals.
• Richard "Goose" Gossage (born in Colorado Springs) – A Hall of Fame Major League Baseball pitcher, he was a key player for the New York Yankees when they won the 1978 World Series.
• Christian McCaffrey (born in Castle Rock) – An NFL running back for the San Francisco 49ers, known for his versatility and speed.
• Aaron Smith (born and raised in Colorado Springs) – A defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he won two Super Bowls with the team.
• Brian Shaw (born in Fort Lupton) – He is a four-time World's Strongest Man champion, showing incredible strength.
• Bobby Unser (born in Colorado Springs) – A famous auto racing driver, he won the Indianapolis 500 three times and was a 13-time winner at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
• Amy Van Dyken (born in Denver) – A record-breaking swimmer, she won six Olympic gold medals, including four at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Business and Community Leaders from Colorado

Horace Tabor

These individuals helped shape Colorado's economy and communities.

• William Bent (lived near La Junta) – He helped establish Bent's Fort, an important trading post, and worked as a peace negotiator with Native American tribes.
• Margaret Brown (lived in Colorado) – Known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," she was a socialite and philanthropist who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
• Adolph Coors (lived in Golden) – He founded the Coors brewing company, which became one of the largest in the nation. His family has also been active in Colorado's politics and charity work.
• Ruth Handler (born in Denver) – A businesswoman and inventor, she was the president of Mattel and is famous for creating the iconic Barbie doll.
• Otto Mears (lived in Silverton) – An entrepreneur and financier, he was known for building railroads in Colorado, including the Rio Grande Southern.
• General William Jackson Palmer (lived in Colorado Springs) – He founded Colorado Springs and developed the first narrow gauge railroad system, the Denver and Rio Grande.
• Horace Tabor (lived in Leadville) – A prospector, businessman, and politician, he became very wealthy during Colorado's mining boom.

Literary Figures from Colorado

Colorado has inspired and been home to many talented writers and journalists.

• Neal Cassady (raised in Denver) – A key figure of the Beat Generation, he was a close friend of writer Jack Kerouac and inspired a character in his famous novel On the Road.
• Clive Cussler (lived in Arvada and Golden) – A best-selling novelist known for his adventure stories, such as Raise the Titanic.
• Eugene Field (lived in Denver) – A poet and journalist famous for his children's literature, including poems like "Little Boy Blue" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod".
• Allen Ginsberg (lived in Boulder) – A leading Beat poet, he wrote "Howl" and helped found the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University.
• Helen Hunt Jackson (lived in Colorado Springs) – She wrote about the relationship between Coloradans and Native American Tribes, known for her novels like Ramona.
• James A. Michener (attended college in Greeley) – A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, his novel Centennial tells the story of Colorado's history.
• Hunter S. Thompson (lived in Woody Creek) – A unique author, he created Gonzo journalism, a style of writing where the reporter is part of the story.
• Dalton Trumbo (born in Montrose) – An Oscar-winning screenwriter, he wrote scripts for famous films like Spartacus and Exodus. He was also part of the "Hollywood Ten" during the 1950s.

Military Figures from Colorado

Colorado has contributed many brave individuals to the nation's military history.

• Arleigh Burke (born in Boulder) – An admiral in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War, he later served as the Chief of Naval Operations.
• Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (1809–1868) – A famous frontiersman and scout, he commanded Fort Garland and helped negotiate peace treaties with Native American tribes.
• Dwight David Eisenhower (married in Denver) – The 34th President of the United States, he had strong ties to Colorado, including choosing Colorado Springs as the site for the United States Air Force Academy.

Musicians from Colorado

John Denver

Colorado is a vibrant place for music, with many artists calling it home.

• 3OH!3 (formed in Boulder) – An electronica group known for their hit song "Don't Trust Me".
• Philip Bailey (attended East High School in Denver) – A singer and musician, he is a member of the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire.
• Ginger Baker (lived in Parker) – An English drummer, he was a member of the famous rock band Cream.
• Jello Biafra (born in Boulder) – The singer for the punk band Dead Kennedys and owner of Alternative Tentacles record label.
• Big Head Todd and the Monsters (formed at the University of Colorado Boulder) – A popular rock band with several albums reaching the Billboard charts.
• John Denver (lived in Aspen) – A beloved singer, guitarist, and songwriter, he is famous for songs like "Rocky Mountain High", which is one of Colorado's official state songs.
• DeVotchKa (formed in Denver) – A rock band that was nominated for a Grammy Award and helped compose music for the film Little Miss Sunshine.
• The Fray (formed in Denver) – A successful rock band known for their hit album How to Save a Life.
• India.Arie (born in Denver) – A talented singer, songwriter, and producer, she has won two Grammy Awards for her music.
• The Lumineers (based in Denver) – A popular folk rock band known for their catchy songs.
• Glenn Miller (lived in Fort Morgan and Boulder) – A famous trombonist and band leader, his Glenn Miller Orchestra was incredibly popular during the 1930s and 40s.
• OneRepublic (formed in Colorado Springs) – A successful rock band with platinum-certified albums.
• Paul Whiteman (born in Denver) – Considered by some the "King of Jazz," he was famous for blending jazz and classical music in hits like Rhapsody in Blue.

Politicians from Colorado

Colorado has played a role in shaping national and international politics through its residents.

• Madeleine Albright (spent her teen years in Denver) – She served as the U.S. Secretary of State (a top government official who handles foreign affairs) during the presidency of Bill Clinton.
• Gerald Ford (lived in Vail) – The 38th President of the United States, he had a home in Vail, Colorado.
• John Kerry (born in Aurora) – He served as the U.S. Secretary of State and was a longtime U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. He also ran for U.S. President in 2004.
• Golda Meir (spent part of her adolescence in Denver) – She later became the fourth prime minister of Israel, a very important leadership role.
• Chief Ouray (lived in Colorado) – A respected Native American leader of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute tribe in southwestern Colorado.
• Dana Perino (grew up in Denver) – She served as the White House Press Secretary (the main spokesperson for the President) during the presidency of George W. Bush.
• Condoleezza Rice (attended St. Mary's Academy in Cherry Hills Village) – She also served as the U.S. Secretary of State during the presidency of George W. Bush.
• Byron R. White (born in Fort Collins) – Appointed by President John F. Kennedy, he served as a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, one of the highest legal positions in the country. He was also a professional football player.

Scientists and Engineers from Colorado

Colorado has been a hub for scientific discovery and innovation.

• Sidney Altman (1939–2022) – A molecular biologist, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989 for discovering that ribonucleic acid (RNA) can act like an enzyme.
• Thomas Robert Čech (born 1947) – A biochemist, he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989 with Sidney Altman for their work on RNA.
• Eric Allin Cornell (born 1961) – A physicist, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001 for creating the first Bose–Einstein condensate, a special state of matter.
• John Lewis "Jan" Hall (born 1934) – A physicist, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005 for his work on precision spectroscopy and optical frequency comb techniques.
• Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) – A brilliant inventor and engineer, he conducted important high-voltage experiments in his laboratory in Colorado Springs between 1899 and 1900.
• Carl Edwin Wieman (born 1951) – A physicist, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001 with Eric Allin Cornell for creating the first Bose–Einstein condensate.

Other Notable People from Colorado

Justice Neil Gorsuch

• Mary "Mamie" Geneva Doud Eisenhower (lived in Denver) – She was the wife of Dwight David Eisenhower and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.
• Neil Gorsuch (born 1967) – He is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, one of the nine judges on the highest court in the country.
• Rick Reilly (born 1958) – A well-known sportswriter, author, and commentator for ESPN.

Images for kids

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  The location of the U.S. State of Colorado.

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  Tim Allen

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  Lon Chaney

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  Douglas Fairbanks

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  Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker)

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  Hattie McDaniel

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  Jack Dempsey

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  Goose Gossage

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  Bobby Unser

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  Horace Tabor

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  John Denver

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  Justice Neil Gorsuch