Every state has been called home by various personalities and Indiana is not an exception. There are notable individuals that came from the state and they were able to influence various industries that have entertained us and changed history. Some of them are still active in their industry:
- Larry Bird – as the home of various sports organizations, it’s no wonder that one of basketball’s greatest athletes came from Indiana. Larry Bird is from West Baden Springs which is a very small town located in the state’s southern region. An inductee of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was instrumental to Boston Celtic’s three NBA Championships. His final stint in basketball was working as a coach for the Indianapolis Pacers.
- Wilbur Wright – the older brother of Orville Wright was born in Millville, Indiana. Together, the Wright Brothers would develop a fully functional aircraft. The town is located in the western region of the state. Today, a small museum can be found in Millville commemorating the birthplace of the great inventor.
- Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 – Gary, Indiana will never be the same again because of the Jackson 5 and the music industry was forever changed because of its youngest member, Michael Jackson. Their home where the brothers grew up is now considered a shrine after the Michael Jackson passed away in 2009. It’s still a two-room property and flowers are laid there by fans coming from various countries.
- Colonel Harland Sanders – the founder of KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken has called Indiana home all his life. He was born in Henryville and his small restaurant operations started in Corbin when he was 40. His first restaurant is actually a service station.
Indiana has been called home by popular personalities in sports, music, food and other industries. Many museums of these popular personalities were created and most of them are found in cities where they grew up.
