Many mega-famous individuals are associated with life in Alabama.
In all spheres of endeavor, including athletics, education, film, and music, the magnificent state has created talents.
But could you correctly identify which of the most well-known Americans were born in Alabama if you were playing a game of chance?
We can assert that many well-known activists, musicians, athletes, and actors are residents of the Yellowhammer State.
This list of the Most Influential People in Alabama will help you learn more about these individuals.
Some of these might surprise you, check them out!
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List of the Top 20 Most Influential People in Alabama
The most influential people in Alabama are listed below:
- Octavia Spencer: Actor, Montgomery
- Hank Aaron: Athlete, Mobile
- Laverne Cox: Actor, Mobile
- Helen Keller: Author, Humanitarian, Tuscumbia
- George Wallace: Governor, Cleo
- Tim Cook: Apple CEO, Mobile
- Mae Carol Jemison: Astronaut, Decatur
- Carl Lewis: Athlete, Birmingham
- Lionel Richie: Singer, Tuskegee
- Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Activist, Tuskegee
- Nat King Cole: Singer, Montgomery
- Ray Anderson: Athlete, Anniston
- Jesse Owens: Athlete, Oakville
- David Donald Albritton: Athlete, Danville
- Coretta Scott King: Civil Rights Leader, Marion
- Mia Hamm: Athlete, Selma
- Bo Jackson: Athlete, Bessemer
- Tommie Lee Agee: Athlete, Magnolia
- Osborne Earl Smith: Athlete, Mobile
- Channing Tatum: Actor, Cullman
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1. Octavia Spencer: Actor, Montgomery
Octavia Spencer is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
She has received many honors, including an Academy Award for The Help.
She had received multiple nominations, including one for the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures and she is also the creator of the well-known “Ninja Detective” children’s book series.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @octaviaspencer
Twitter – @octaviaspencer
2. Hank Aaron: Athlete, Mobile
Hank Aaron, sometimes known by the nicknames “Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank,” is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Brewers and the Braves. For 33 years, he broke Babe Ruth’s record for career home runs.
Among many other honors, he won the Golden Glove for three consecutive seasons and was named MVP when the Braves won the World Series. Up to his death in January 2021, he was the Atlanta Braves’ senior vice president.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @HenryLoiusAaron
Instagram – @henrylouisaaron
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3. Laverne Cox: Actor, Mobile
Laverne Cox, a well-known champion for the LGBTQ+ community, portrayed Sophia Burset in the successful Netflix television series Orange Is The New Black.
She is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
She received the Daytime Emmy Award for the first time as a transgender person.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @Lavernecox
Instagram – @larvenecox
Helen Keller is another influential person in Alabama.
At 18 months, Helen lost both her hearing and her sight. With the aid of her instructor, Anne Sullivan, Helen overcomes her condition.
Besides authoring 14 books, Helen Keller was a well-known campaigner and political activist.
She dedicated her entire life to promoting the rights of the disabled population, international harmony, women’s equality, and labor rights.
She even helped form the ACLU. For her life’s effort, Helen was honored in 1971 by being inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.
Social Media Handles:
Facebook – Helen Keller
Instagram – @therealhelenkeller
Twitter – @Helen_Keller
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5. George Wallace: Governor, Cleo
George Wallace is one of the most influential people in Alabama. He is most known for his four tenures as Alabama’s 45th governor. In terms of tenure, he ranks as the fourth-longest serving governor in US history.
Wallace opposed the 1960s civil rights movement and campaigned for president four times on that platform. His segregationist beliefs are most known to them.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @MrGeorgeWallace
Instagram – @mrgeorgewallace
Facebook – George Wallace
6. Tim Cook: Apple CEO, Mobile
Apple’s CEO at the moment is Tim Cook. He has doubled the company’s earnings and revenue during his time there. He is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @tim_cook
Instagram – @tim.cook
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7. Mae Carol Jemison: Astronaut, Decatur
Mae Carol Jemison is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
She is a former NASA astronaut who became the first black woman to travel to space in the capacity of a mission specialist in 1992 on the space shuttle Endeavor.
She now owns and operates a technology business.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @therealmaejemison
Twitter – @maejemison
Facebook – Dr. Mae Jemison
8. Carl Lewis: Athlete, Birmingham
A very accomplished former track and field athlete, Carl Lewis. He won 10 medals at the World Championships, 8 of which were gold, and 10 medals at the Olympics, 9 of which were gold, demonstrating his brilliance.
Social Media Handles:
Facebook – Carl Lewis
Instagram – @carl_lewis_official
Twitter – @Carl_Lewis
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9. Lionel Richie: Singer, Tuskegee
Over the course of his lengthy career, Lionel Richie—a well-known celebrity in the 1980s and 1990s—has sold over 90 million records. He is one of the most influential people in Alabama. His solo career, which included hits like “Hello” and “All Night Long,” was even more successful than his time with the funk and soul group the Commodores.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @LionelRichie
Instagram – @lionelrichie
Facebook – Lionel Richie
10. Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Activist, Tuskegee
Rosa Parks, known as the “mother of the freedom movement,” and one of the most influential people in Alabama played a crucial role in the struggle against racial inequality in the US.
In contrast to what they expected of black people at that time, she refused to give up her seat to a white man.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @official.rosa.parks
Facebook – Rosa Parks
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11. Nat King Cole: Singer, Montgomery
Nat King Cole is one of the most influential people in Alabama. He was a jazz pianist and renowned singer who was born Nathaniel Adams Coles.
He performed in roles for both movies and television and he is renowned for his lovely jazz standards and soft voice. The Christmas Song, “Unforgettable,” and “Mona Lisa” are some of his best-known songs.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @natkingcole
Instagram – @natkingcolemusic
12. Ray Anderson: Athlete, Anniston
Anderson was one of the very few amateur boxers who defeated Muhammad Ali.
However, he is best recognized for being the first challenger to defeat Bob Foster, the greatest light heavyweight champion, over the course of 15 rounds.
He is another influential person in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @rayandersonmusic
Twitter – @RayCAnderson
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13. Jesse Owens: Athlete, Oakville
Jesse Owens, a well-known track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the Olympics in 1936, broke three world records in 1935. He is one of the most influential people in Alabama. He was the athlete with the greatest ranking in his sport during the 20th century, according to ESPN.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @JesseFowens
Instagram – @jesseowins
14. David Donald Albritton: Athlete, Danville
Over the course of his three-decade career, famed track and field athlete David Donald Albritton won many titles and honors. They elected him to the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame and served in the Ohio House of Representatives.
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15. Coretta Scott King: Civil Rights Leader, Marion
Coretta Scott King was a well-known leader of the women’s movement and the civil rights movement. She was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. and a well-known civil rights activist in her own right. She is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @corettascottki2
Instagram – @corettascottking
16. Mia Hamm: Athlete, Selma
Hamm was a member of the US women’s national soccer team and a legend on the women’s soccer field. They chose her twice as the FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and earned two gold medals at the Olympics. She is among the most influential people in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @miahamm
Twitter – @MiaHamm
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17. Bo Jackson: Athlete, Bessemer
Jackson, a former professional basketball and football player, holds the distinction of being the only person in history to have been named an All-Star in both sports.
Many praise him as one of the world’s best athletes.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @BoJackson
Instagram – @bojackson
18. Tommie Lee Agee: Athlete, Magnolia
Tommie Lee Agee played baseball in Major League Baseball and won the Gold Glove Award twice. He is one of the most influential people in Alabama. After he passed away, they also honored him with a spot in the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
Social Media Handles:
Twitter – @TommieAgee1
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19. Osborne Earl Smith: Athlete, Mobile
Osborne “Ozzie” Smith, a baseball player in Major League Baseball who earned the nickname “The Wizard” for his superb defense, played the game. Within his first year of eligibility, they elected him to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is one of the most influential people in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram – @ozziestlwizard
Facebook – Ozzie Smith
20. Channing Tatum: Actor, Cullman
Channing Tatum is an actor with a distinguished resume who has been in 43 films and has been nominated for many accolades, many of which he has also won. He is among the most influential people in Alabama.
Social Media Handles:
Facebook – Channing Tatum
Instagram – @channingtatum
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Conclusion
You could be familiar with several well-known and renowned figures from a range of professions.
You might not be aware of it, but a lot of well-known people from Alabama have had a significant impact on culture!
It’s challenging to keep track of all the renowned Alabamans who have come from the state… performers, authors, seasoned athletes, famous people from history, and politicians.
The Heart of Dixie is home to many famous people from Alabama. That is why we have provided this list of the most influential people in Alabama.
FAQs
Things Alabama is famous for:
Workers in Alabama constructed the first rocket that sent people to the moon. In Montgomery, Alabama, they introduced the first electric trolley system.
The Confederate States of America’s birthplace and capital is Montgomery.
Laverne Cox Laverne Cox is an actor who has been nominated for three Emmys, a documentary film producer who has won an Emmy, and a well-known champion for equal rights.
She has achieved many “firsts” throughout her already successful career.
Famous people from Alabama are
Hank Willams from Butler County
Joe Louis from Butler County
Helen Keller from Colbert County
Warren Henry from Conecuh County
Channing Tatum from Cullman County
Mia Hamm from Dallas County
Evander Holyfield from Escambia County
Courtney Cox from Jefferson County
The University of Alabama’s most notable alumni are:
Harper Lee (Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’)
Benjamin C
Winton Blount (Postmaster General)
Hannah Brown (Miss Alabama USA)
Rece Davis (Host of ESPN’s College GameDay)
Winston Groom (Author of Forrest Gump)
Kaitlan Collins (White House Correspondent)
At its very best, southern hospitality! Alabama is a great place to live if you like the natural beauty that surrounds you.
Alabama’s breathtaking waterfalls, mountains, rivers, and lakes will spoil you for life, which is a good reason not to.
Living in Alabama allows you to experience a wide variety of cuisines.
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References
- Al.com – Famous people born in Alabama
- Whnt.com – Famous people from Alabama
- 50states.com – Famous Alabama people
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