If you’re talking about global fame, for New York it’s probably Franklin Roosevelt, followed by cousin Teddy. Beyond that there’s dozens of others.
This thread’s been pretty enlightening – and it’s prompted me to discover that John Kerry was born in Colorado. It makes me wonder how many political types, like Kerry, were born in military hospitals and therefore didn’t stay very long in the state of their birth.
Jack Dempsey was born in Manassa, CO. Off the top of my head, he is the most famous Coloradoan. Glenn Miller and The Unsinkable Molly Brown were pretty famous.
For Jersey, it’d probably be Sinatra.
In addition to these 2 and Prince, depending on the group:
Sinclair Lewis or John Madden
Famous People – 50states has some fun lists.
Missouri - Harry Truman, Walt Disney or Mark Twain.
Georgia: MLK. Or Jimmy Carter.
Billy Bob Thornton, Glen Campbell, Frank Bonner (from WKRP in Cincinnati)
All from Arkansas
In my original home, uh commonwealth, I might mention Stan Musial and Bill Cosby. The only president, James Buchanan, was a disaster, but I guess that’s a kind of fame. Oh yeah, Jim Thorpe.
Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States and the only one from New Hampshire.
We’re really very sorry about him. Personally, I try to convince people he was from Maine.
California…I would say Tom Hanks rivals Marilyn Monroe for most famous actor. My first thought was John Steinbeck. Lots of famous people come from CA.
All right, I’ve gone through the list of who we have so far. I am trying to pick one person for each state. My criteria: the person who would be recognized by the most people (worldwide) if you said their name or showed a photo.
I am willing to give extra consideration for someone who became famous while living in their home state. e.g. Marilyn Monroe comes to the top of famous Californians because she was born and lived her whole life in California. In addition to being very very famous.
I’ve weeded down what people have come up with so far, to one (or at most two) names per state. If I list two names, the one I have first is my preferred choice.
State / Most famous person born in that state
Alabama / Helen Keller
California / Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe
Colorado / Alton Glenn Miller aka Glenn Miller
Florida / Thomas Earl Petty aka Tom Petty
Illinois / Ronald Wilson Reagan
Indiana / John Mellencamp
Indiana / Michael Joseph Jackson (trumps Mellencamp because of MJ’s extreme worldwide fame)
Iowa / Marion Mitchell Morrison aka John Wayne
Kansas / Amelia Earhart
Kentucky / Abraham Lincoln
Maine / Stephen Edwin King
Massachussetts / John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Minnesota / Robert Allen Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan
Missouri / Samuel Langhorne Clemens aka Mark Twain (Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois!)
Montana / Frank James “Gary” Cooper
Nebraska / Marlon Brando
New Jersey / Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra
New York / Franklin Delano Roosevelt aka FDR
North Carolina / Andy Samuel Griffith or William Franklin “Billy” Graham
Ohio / Thomas Alva Edison
Tennessee / David Crockett
Texas / Lyndon Baines Johnson aka LBJ
Vermont / Joseph Smith
Virginia/ George Washington (I’ll accept him even though the state didn’t exist yet)
Washington, DC / Albert Arnold “Al” Gore (being a political figure, he deserves to be the most famous native)
Washington / William Henry “Bill” Gates III (beats Jimi Hendrix)
Wisconsin / Frank Lloyd Wright
eta I stopped at post 46, so I’ll need to add to my list.
Also, Marilyn Monroe has got to be more recognizable than Tom Hanks. Think of the artists she has inspired, like Andy Warhol.
I changed my mind about my post. I’m also from California, and I see someone from that state has already posted. I will only say that dozens and dozens of famous people were born in California, so it’s a difficult choice.
I’d concur with Franklin Roosevelt for New York.
Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas I think he grew up in Mississippi or Tenn?
Glen Campbell was born and raised in Arkansas
How about Elvis Presley for Mississippi?
(I’m offering this even though I’m not from Mississippi.)
Texas is probably a tossup between LBJ and Dwight Eisenhower.
For Connecticut, I’d have to say George W. Bush.
For Arkansas, I can’t believe no one said Bill Clinton! I chose him over Johnny Cash because Bill Clinton is more closely associated with the state, for an almost equal amount of fame.
State / Most famous person born in that state
Alabama / Helen Keller
Arkansas / William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton or John R. “Johnny” Cash
California / Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe
Colorado / Alton Glenn Miller aka Glenn Miller
Florida / Thomas Earl Petty aka Tom Petty
Georgia / Martin Luther King or James Earl “Jimmy” Carter
Illinois / Ronald Wilson Reagan
Indiana / John Mellencamp
Indiana / Michael Joseph Jackson (trumps Mellencamp because of MJ’s extreme worldwide fame)
Iowa / Marion Mitchell Morrison aka John Wayne
Kansas / Amelia Earhart
Kentucky / Abraham Lincoln
Maine / Stephen Edwin King
Massachussetts / John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Minnesota / Robert Allen Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan
Mississippi / Elvis Aaron Presley
Missouri / Samuel Langhorne Clemens aka Mark Twain (Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois!)
Montana / Frank James “Gary” Cooper
Nebraska / Marlon Brando
New Hampshire / Franklin Pierce
New Jersey / Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra
New York / Franklin Delano Roosevelt aka FDR
North Carolina / Andy Samuel Griffith or William Franklin “Billy” Graham
Ohio / Thomas Alva Edison
Pennsylvania / William Henry “Bill” Cosby
Tennessee / David Crockett
Texas / Lyndon Baines Johnson aka LBJ
Vermont / Joseph Smith
Virginia/ George Washington (I’ll accept him even though the state didn’t exist yet)
Washington / William Henry “Bill” Gates III (beats Jimi Hendrix)
Washington, DC / Albert Arnold “Al” Gore (being a political figure, he deserves to be the most famous native)
Wisconsin / Frank Lloyd Wright
eta - this list looked at posts up to and including post 56
turns out Johnny Cash grew up in Dyess, Arkaansas. Born in Kingsland Ark.
by far he’s the biggest star from my state. whoops, I see above that I forgot about Clinton. 
I wasn’t thinking about politicians.