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Famous people of the USA

The United States of America is one of the largest countries in the world. It is also
one of the most important English-speaking countries. With the population over
300 million people, the country has a great number of famous and outstanding
people. The first people to be mentioned are, of course, numerous presidents of
the USA. People have always admired two of them in a special way. It was the
first president of the country - George Washington and the sixteenth president -
Abraham Lincoln. Except the celebrities in politics the USA had many other
people to admire. Among them, the most beautiful woman in the world - Marilyn
Monroe, the king of rock-n-roll - Elvis Presley, one of the best known human
rights activist - Martin Luther King, the father of Disney cartoons - Walt Disney,
the creator of electric lamps - Thomas Edison, a well-known writer of short
stories – O. Henry and many others. Almost all American celebrities have
something important in common. They all believed in what they were doing and
knew that only hard work can bring success. It would be wrong to say that the
USA is proud only by its former famous people, as it still has lots of world-known
and respected celebrities. For example, the country has some outstanding
sportsmen, among them Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jesse
Owens and many others. As for the musicians, the USA can be proud by such
voices as Tina Turner, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and others.

George Washington

1732 Born in Wakefield, Westmoreland County, Virginia, on 22 February, the son

of a tobacco farmer and the grandson of an immigrant from Northamptonshire. He

was an American general and statesman, militant and active factor in gaining

independence from the United Kingdom from the colonies in North America, the

first president of the United States.

1755-1759 Command the Virginia Regiment.

1759 He retired from military service and married a wealthy widow, Martha Custis

(1731-1802). 1775-1783 Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. As a

general, Washington proved more adept at surviving defeats than a supporter of

victories. He was not a military genius, but rather an excellent administrator who

managed to maintain the unity of an army of different factions of patriots, despite a

chronic lack of weapons and supplies and the fact that aid sent by the continental

congress was scarce and they came very rarely.

1781 Washington leaves New York headquarters and personally takes command of

Franco-American forces, forcing the capitulation of the besieged British army in

Yorktown, ending the war. 1789-1797 Elected first president of the United States.
1794 Re-elected for a second term as president, Washington personally ordered the

suppression of the "Whiskey Rebellion" that broke out against the state's tax

authorities.

1799 On December 14, George Washington died at Mount Vernon, where he was

buried. When the news of his death reached England, his former enemies honored

his memory with twenty cannon salvos fired at the English Channel fleet.

Abraham Lincoln
1809 On February 12, near Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA, the 16th
President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was born and kept
the Union during the American Civil War.

Significant events in the life of Abraham Lincoln:

Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Proclamation of emancipation
the American Civil War
The election of 1860
The election of 1864
The confederation surrendered in 1965
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln
1865 On April 15, five days after the end of the war, President Abraham
Lincoln, while at a theater, was assassinated by J. W. Booth, a Southern
fanatic. Among American heroes, Lincoln continues to have a unique
appeal to his countrymen and also to people from other lands. This charm
derives from his remarkable life story, growing from humble origins,
dramatic death and his distinctly human personality. as well as his historical
role as savior of the Union and slave of slaves.

Marilyn Monroe

1926 On June 1, in Los Angeles, California, USA, Norma Jean

Mortensen was born (her grandmother Della Monroe Grainger baptized
her in Baptist style as Norma Jeane Baker). Known as Marilyn Monroe,
she became a leading American actress, model and singer, starring in a
number of successful films in the 1950s and early 1960s. 1942 At the
age of sixteen, Monroe married James Dougherty.
1946 Although she spent much of her childhood in adoptive families and
foster care, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film
contract with Twentieth Century-Fox, but her early appearances were
minor.
Marilyn divorced her husband, Dougherty, on September 13th.
1959 She received a Golden Globe for her performance in "Some Like It
Hot."
1961 Monroe's last complete film was "The Misfits," starring Clark
Gable, with a screenplay written by her then-husband, Arthur Miller. On
January 24, Marilyn divorced Arthur Miller.
1962 On August 5, at 4:25 a.m., LAPD Sergeant Jack Clemmons
received a phone call from Dr. Ralph Greenson, Monroe's psychiatrist,
saying that Monroe was found dead in her home in Los Angeles,
California. She was only 36 years old. At a subsequent autopsy, 8 mg of
hydrochloride and 4.5 mg of Nembutal (an anesthetic used in lethal US
injections) were found in his body. The actress' death remained a
mystery even today, with various hypotheses, including suicide.

Elvis Presley

1935 Elvis Aron Presley is born on January 8 in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA.

He was an American singer and actor, often known as the "King of Rock
and Roll". Elvis' beginnings were very modest, but after he grew up, he
became one of the biggest names in music.
1945 Presley receives as a gift his first guitar with which he felt the taste of
his first musical success, winning a talent show at the Humes High School
in Memphis. 1953 After graduating from high school, he had several jobs,
which never made him think of his dream of singing .

1954 On July 19, he releases his first single, "That's All Right," a
song composed by Arthur Crudup. 1955 Presley began to draw
fans' attention to his unusual, somewhat provocative, but
interesting style. 1956 Signs a film contract with Paramount Pictures.
1970-1977 During this time, Elvis held a series of shows, tours,
television appearances and album recordings. 1986 He was one of the
first singers to enter the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame.
1998 He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Even after his death, Elvis remained a symbol of music. Over the years,
the artist's life has been the subject of several documentaries and films.
His home in Memphis, Graceland can be visited by fans around the
world, especially around his birthday and death.

Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 - December 15, 1966)

was an American director, producer, animator, screenwriter and
entrepreneur, a 22-time Oscar winner. Its name is common in any
American home and is known even among children. Walt Disney is
best known as a film producer, as well as an innovator of animation and
theme parks. He was nominated for 61 Oscars and seven Emmys,
holding the record for most Oscar nominations.
Disney and his team have created some of the most famous movies in
the world and some of the most famous characters, including the one
that most consider his alter-ego, Mickey Mouse.
Walt Disney died of lung cancer on December 15, 1966, five years
before the opening of Disneyland's megaproject, Walt Disney World in
Florida. He was a "heavy smoker", one of the so-called "chain smokers",
from where he also generated his relentless illness.

  Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Famous for being the founder of the Ford Motor Company – whilst he did not
invent the first automobile, he did manufacture the first affordable automobile. He
became one of the richest and well known people of the world. He ultimately
revolutionised transportation and American industry.

Neil Armstrong (1930 -2012)

A famous American astronaut, Armstrong was the first person to walk on the
moon. Armstrong was a very humble person and was referred to as a reluctant
American Hero. Before becoming an astronaut Armstrong was an officer in the
U.S Navy and served in the Korean War.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

The well known singer-songwriter, dancer and business man, Michael Jackson is
referred to as ‘The King of Pop.’  The Guinness book of world records recognised
him as the most successful entertainer of all time; he was a global figure in popular
culture for over 4 decades. MJ started off his career in the Jackson 5 and later
became a solo act. His album Thiller is the best selling album of all time.
Today, the United States of America has many famous names
that make a big mark on the country's history. We could list
dozens of historians, inventors, actors, singers, scientists,
athletes, politicians, ministers, businessmen, astronauts,
filmmakers and first ladies.