Even a quick overview of the famous sons and daughters of Tennessee could take a while to compile if you wanted to be truly thorough, including authors, sports figures, artists and more. Men and women have been doing great things and becoming well known for them since the very beginning of the statehood and even before that if you want to include Sequoya, the inventor of the written Cherokee language.
Arguably the most famous Tennessee celebrity wasn't even originally from Tennessee at all. Elvis Presley was born in Mississippi but became such a famous Tennessee resident thanks to his mansion in Memphis that most people forget that little fact. (The same could probably be said of Johnny and June Carter Cash, as well, born in Arkansas and Virginia respectively.)
The state of Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State due to the large numbers of volunteers the state has produced during various wars. Probably the most famous military man to ever come from Tennessee would have to be Alvin C. York aka Sergeant York. York fought in World War I and earned a Medal of Honor before going on to found the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute and start up a Bible school. A movie was made of his life and he is still a prominent figure in history.
Albert Gore Jr and Andrew Johnson were made famous as Vice Presidents of the United States. After Lincoln's early death, Johnson would go on to become President, though not very successfully. Two other US Presidents were also from Tennessee: Andrew Jackson, the man behind the removal of the Cherokee and the 'Trail of Tears', and James K. Polk, the man who acquired California and New Mexico for the US as well as a great amount of other territory during his single term.
Arguably the most famous Tennessee celebrity wasn't even originally from Tennessee at all. Elvis Presley was born in Mississippi but became such a famous Tennessee resident thanks to his mansion in Memphis that most people forget that little fact. (The same could probably be said of Johnny and June Carter Cash, as well, born in Arkansas and Virginia respectively.)
The state of Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State due to the large numbers of volunteers the state has produced during various wars. Probably the most famous military man to ever come from Tennessee would have to be Alvin C. York aka Sergeant York. York fought in World War I and earned a Medal of Honor before going on to found the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute and start up a Bible school. A movie was made of his life and he is still a prominent figure in history.
Albert Gore Jr and Andrew Johnson were made famous as Vice Presidents of the United States. After Lincoln's early death, Johnson would go on to become President, though not very successfully. Two other US Presidents were also from Tennessee: Andrew Jackson, the man behind the removal of the Cherokee and the 'Trail of Tears', and James K. Polk, the man who acquired California and New Mexico for the US as well as a great amount of other territory during his single term.
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