Sports · born 1963
Gerard Gallantice hockey player and coachPhysical left winger who spent nine of his eleven NHL seasons with the Red Wings, skating on Detroit's top line alongside Steve Yzerman before a long career as an NHL coach.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 22 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
450 people · 7/10 page
Clear filtersSports · born 1963Gerard Gallantice hockey player and coachPhysical left winger who spent nine of his eleven NHL seasons with the Red Wings, skating on Detroit's top line alongside Steve Yzerman before a long career as an NHL coach.
Sports · born 1991
Josh Gattsoccer player, wingerMetro Detroit-born winger known for his speed, who built most of his career in Europe before briefly turning out for his hometown club, Detroit City FC.
Sports · born 1985Mike Greenice hockey defensemanOffensive-minded defenseman, famous for his goal-scoring years in Washington, who spent five seasons as a veteran presence on the Red Wings' blue line.Darnell Hallsprinter and police officerDetroit-born 400-meter sprinter who grew up in public housing, won a state title at Pershing High School, ran in the 1992 Olympics, and later became a Detroit police officer.
Sports · born 1957Glen Hanlonice hockey goaltender, later coachVeteran goaltender who anchored the Red Wings' crease for five seasons, sharing duties with Greg Stefan as Detroit reached back-to-back conference finals in 1987 and 1988.
Sports · born 1956Gerald Hendersonbasketball player, guardVeteran guard who joined the Pistons for their second straight championship season in 1989–90 and delivered a decisive late-game play in the Finals.
Sports · born 1943Paul Hendersonice hockey playerCanada's 1972 Summit Series hero, who broke into the NHL with the Red Wings organization and reached two Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit before a blockbuster trade to Toronto.
Sports · born 1937Bailey Howellbasketball playerHall of Fame forward who spent his first five NBA seasons starting for the Pistons before a trade sent him on to two championships in Boston.
Sports · born 1984
Jiří Hudlerice hockey forwardCzech forward drafted by Detroit who scored the game-winning goal in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final and won the championship with the Red Wings.Charles Jacobsbusinessman, Olympic pole vaulter and yacht racer1908 Olympic bronze medalist in the pole vault who became a Detroit-area auto-parts manufacturer and one of the region's champion yacht racers.Greg Johnsonice hockey centreSkilled centre who spent parts of four seasons with the Red Wings in the 1990s, later returned to Detroit as a free agent, and made the city his home until his death there in 2019.
Sports · 1934–2020Al Kalinebaseball player, right fielder, television announcerSigned by the Tigers straight out of high school, Kaline spent his entire 22-year career in Detroit, won ten Gold Gloves, and later spent decades as the team's beloved broadcaster.
Sports · born 1982
Ian Kinslerbaseball player, second basemanFour-time All-Star second baseman who anchored the Tigers infield for four seasons after arriving in a blockbuster 2013 trade for Prince Fielder.
Sports · 1928–2015Earl Lloydbasketball player, head coach, scoutThe first African American to play in the NBA, Lloyd closed his playing career with the Pistons and in 1971 became the league's first non-playing Black head coach, leading Detroit.
Sports · born 1997Kyle MacksnowboarderRoyal Oak-born snowboarder from West Bloomfield who won Olympic silver in Big Air at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, an unusual winter-sports success story out of flat, suburban Detroit.
Sports · born 1972Kirk Maltbyice hockey forward and scoutGrind Line winger who spent 14 seasons with the Red Wings, won four Stanley Cups, and has lived in the Detroit area ever since as the club's professional scout.
Sports · born 1987Alec Martinezice hockey player, defensemanRochester Hills-born defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup champion who scored two of the biggest overtime goals in Los Angeles Kings history.
Sports · 1938–2020Wilbert McClureboxer and psychologist1960 Olympic boxing gold medalist, teammate of Cassius Clay, who later earned his doctorate in psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Sports · 1959–2011Brad McCrimmonice hockey defenseman and coachVeteran defenseman who played one season for Detroit before returning years later as an assistant coach, and whose life ended in a tragic 2011 plane crash.Steve McCroryboxerKronk Gym-trained flyweight, younger brother of world champion Milton McCrory, who won Olympic gold in 1984 before a career and life cut short.Dick McGuirebasketball player and coachHall of Fame playmaking guard who closed his playing career with the Pistons and then coached the team for four seasons after their move from Fort Wayne to Detroit.
Sports · 1932–2009Arthur Frank McKinlayrowerDetroit-born Olympic silver medalist rower, a 1950 graduate of Cooley High School with his twin brother, who won his medal in the coxless fours at the 1956 Games.
Sports · born 1947Steve Mixbasketball player, broadcaster'The Mayor,' a later NBA All-Star with Philadelphia, began his professional life as a fifth-round Pistons draft pick who spent two-plus seasons in Detroit.Tom Monaghanentrepreneur, founder of Domino's Pizza, former Detroit Tigers ownerAnn Arbor–born founder of Domino's Pizza who owned the Detroit Tigers during their 1984 World Series championship.
Sports · born 1961Larry Murphyice hockey defenceman, broadcasterHall of Fame defenceman whose late-career trade to Detroit added the experience that helped the Red Wings win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998; he later stayed in Detroit as a broadcaster.Eric Namesnikcompetition swimmer, coachTwo-time Olympic silver medalist swimmer who spent nearly two decades in the University of Michigan swimming program, first as an athlete and later as a coach, before his death near Ann Arbor.
Sports · born 1979
Deanna Nolanbasketball guardMichigan-born WNBA star who spent her entire nine-season career with the Detroit Shock, winning two championships and a Finals MVP award.
Sports · born 1960Mike Ramseyice hockey defenseman1980 "Miracle on Ice" Olympic champion who closed out his long NHL career with a few seasons on the Red Wings' blue line.
Sports · 1924–2018Clyde ScottAmerican football player and Olympic hurdlerOlympic hurdling medalist who played three seasons for the Lions, including their 1952 NFL championship season.
Sports · born 1987Justin Uptonbaseball outfielderFour-time All-Star who signed a six-year contract with the Tigers in 2016 and gave the team a season and a half of power hitting before a rebuild-driven trade.
Sports · born 1978Mike Yorkice hockey player, coachWaterford-born forward who rose through Detroit-area youth hockey clubs before a long professional career in the NHL and Germany's top league.Eddie Crook Jr.boxer, army officerDetroit-born army boxer who won Olympic gold in the middleweight division at the 1960 Rome Games, as a teammate of Muhammad Ali.
Sports · born 1971Todd Eldredgefigure skater1996 men's world champion and six-time U.S. champion who trained at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills.
Sports · born 1972Derian Hatcherice hockey defensemanSterling Heights native who captained Dallas to the 1999 Stanley Cup and later came home to play for the Red Wings.
Business & brands · 1929–2017Mike Ilitchentrepreneur, founder of Little Caesars, sports team ownerDetroit-born son of Macedonian immigrants who founded Little Caesars, owned the Red Wings and the Tigers, and restored the Fox Theatre, reshaping downtown Detroit.
Sports · 1872–1940Kid McCoyboxer, actorFlamboyant 1890s boxing champion, often linked to the phrase "the real McCoy", who spent his last years working for Ford and died in Detroit in 1940.
Sports · born 1955Jack Morrisbaseball pitcherAce of the Tigers' 1980s rotation who threw a no-hitter and won two complete games in the 1984 World Series; Hall of Famer whose No. 47 is retired.Connie Paraskevintrack cyclist, speed skaterDetroit-born athlete who competed in both the Winter and Summer Olympics, won four world sprint cycling titles and an Olympic bronze medal in 1988.
Sports · 1930–2015Marcel Pronovostice hockey defenseman, scoutHall of Fame defenseman who won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings in the 1950s and later spent decades as a Detroit scout.
Sports · 1926–2003The Sheikprofessional wrestler, promoterLebanese-American wrestler from Lansing who owned Detroit's Big Time Wrestling and packed Cobo Arena as the wild 'Sheik' in his long feud with Bobo Brazil.
Sports · 1908–1963Horton Smithprofessional golferWinner of the first Masters Tournament in 1934 and again in 1936, who was head professional at the Detroit Golf Club from 1946 until his death.
Sports · born 1967John Smoltzbaseball pitcher, broadcasterWarren-born Hall of Fame pitcher, drafted by his boyhood Tigers, whose 1987 trade for Doyle Alexander is one of the most debated deals in Detroit history.
Sports · born 1964Frank Tateboxer, Olympic champion, IBF middleweight championDetroit-born Kronk boxer who won Olympic gold in 1984 and later held the IBF middleweight title.Kelly Tripuckabasketball forward, broadcasterHigh-scoring Pistons forward of 1981–1986 and two-time All-Star, later the team's TV color commentator.Mark Wellsice hockey forwardSt. Clair Shores native who won Olympic gold with the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team; his hometown rink is named after him.
Sports · born 1948Tim Woodfigure skaterHighland Park native, Detroit Skating Club product and 1968 Olympic silver medalist who won the world championship in 1969 and 1970.
Sports · 1928–2004George Yardleybasketball forwardHall of Fame forward who, in the Pistons' first season in Detroit (1957–1958), became the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season.Jane Bartkowicztennis playerHamtramck-born Polish-American tennis star, a pupil of Jean Hoxie, who won the Wimbledon girls' title in 1964 and was one of the Original 9 who launched women's professional tennis in 1970.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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