Famous Mainers
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- Joan Benoit Samuelson
- Born 1957 Cape Elizabeth. Won Boston Marathon. Bowdoin College. Went to Olympics. Today is a coach. Started Beach to Beacon Road Race.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Born in 1807 in Portland, Maine. Died in 1882. Studied at Bowdoin College and later became a professor there. An American educator and poet. Some famous works include Paul Revere's Ride and The Song of Hiawatha, and "Evangeline".
- Robert E. Peary
- Born in Pennsylvania 1856. Died 1920. Moved to Maine and attended Portland High School. Graduated from Bowdoin College. Was an Arctic explorer. Had 8 toes amputated.
- Rachel Carson
- Marine biologist, author and environmentalist. Editor-in-Chief for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Born in Pennsylvania in 1907. Summered on Southport Island and inspired by the Maine Coast. Wrote several books including Silent Spring A National Wildlife Refuge was established in Maine in 1966 in this person's honor. Died in 1964 of cancer.
- Chester Greenwood
- Born 1858. Inventor. Most famous for inventing earmuffs. Dec. 21st is a day in his honor. Died 1937. Buried in Farminton
- Cornelia Crosby
- Born Franklin county 1854. Nicknamed "Fly Rod" First Maine Licensed Guide. Wrote a column in the newspaper. First Maine Woman to shoot a Caribou. Died 1946.
- Patrick Dempsey
- Born January 1966 Lewiston, Maine. Placed first in Maine State Alpine Race. Founder of a Center for Cancer Hope and Healing at Central Maine Medical Center. Currently stars in the TV series Grey's Anatomy
- George Mitchell
- Born Waterville, ME- graduated from Bowdoin College. Political career. Worked for Maine Senate. Solved conflict between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Milton Bradley
- Born 1836 Vienna, Maine. game inventor. Invented game of Life, Candyland, Battleship, Twister. Died 1911 age 74 .
- Margaret Chase Smith
- Born in Skowhegan, Maine 1897. First woman to be elected to both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Served four terms in the Senate and thirty-two years in Congress, Died in 1995.
- John Ford
- Born 1894 Cape Elizabeth Maine. Attended Portland HS. Worked in Theatre program. Wrote plays for Portland. Became director. Won 4 Academy Awards for videos- Grapes of Wrath, The Informer, The Quiet Man, How Green is my Valley. Famous for outdoor films. Was in the Navy. Died. Aug. 1973. Buried in California.
- Percival Baxter
- Born Portland Maine. Elected to Maine House of Represenatives and State Senate. Was also Maine's Governor. Died 1969. He purchased lots of land to preserve as a State Park and donated it to the state of Maine. The Park was named after him and his ashes were spread throughout the park.
- Louis Sockalexis
- Born 1871 Penobscot Reservation Played professioinal baseball played for Cleveland Spiders (name changed to Cleveland Indians in his honor) Drinking problems. Could throw a baseball over the Penobscot River (over 600 feet) Died 1913 from heart failure.
- James G. Blaine
- Born 1830 moved to Maine worked for Kennebec Journal. Wrote book titled "20 years in Congress". Elected to legislature of Maine. Elected to US house of Rep. in 1860's. Attempted to run for President four times. Also elected to Senate. Political dishonesty ruined his runs for presidency. Died 1893. Buried in Augusta.
- Robert McCloskey
- Born September 15, 1914. Died June 30, 2003 American author and illustrator of children's books. The Maine coast was the setting for several of his books including Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine. Spent summers on Scott Island in Maine.
- Hanibal Hamlin
- Born Aug. 1809- Paris, Maine. Schoolmaster, woodcutter, managed local newspaper when young. Served in Maine's House of Representatives. Became a Maine State Senator. Was against slavery. Became 26th Governor of Maine for a few weeks- then went back to being a senator. Became Vice President to Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865). Buried in Mount Hope Cemetary in Bangor, Maine.
- Sarah Orne Jewett
- Born 1849 South Berwick Maine. Writer- famous work - Country of the Pointed Firs. Famous quote "God would not have given us the same talent if what was right for men was wrong for women" Concussion prevented her from writing. Died 1909
- Molly Ockett
- Born 1740s in Saco Maine. A good hunter. Became healing lady. Part of Abanaki tribe. Kind, generous and gentle woman. The only doctor for early settlers. Saved Hanibal Hamlin when he was a baby who went on to become Lincoln's VP. Buried in Andover, Maine.
- Andrew Wyeth
- Born 1917. Pennsylvania. Homeschooled. Father wanted him to pursue Art. Visited Cushing Maine in summers. He was inspired in Maine to paint. Most famous painting "Christina's World". Today he splits time between his homes in Pennsylvania and Maine.