Learn About The 50 States
Buster Keaton (1895)close
Born Joseph Francis Keaton in Piqua, Kansas, he is considered by many to be one of the greatest comic actors in film history. He began as a child actor in vaudeville, and then starred in many silent comedies as a deadpan hero who survives despite incredible odds. One of the few who made the successful transition from silent movies to the "talkies" he had a second career as a supporting actor in Sunset Boulevard and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Click on any of the names below to find out more...
Looking for a famous American?
This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.
Just click a theme at the top of the page to view a selection list for that theme.
African Americans:
Artists:
Business Leaders:
National "Characters":
| Phineas Taylor "P.T." Barnum | Clyde Barrow | John Wilkes Booth |
| Butch Cassidy | William "Buffalo Bill" Cody | Davy Crockett |
| Jesse James | Evel Knievel | Harland David "Colonel" Sanders |
| Jefferson R. "Soapy" Smith |
Cultural Figures:
Inventors:
Pioneers and "Firsts":
Politicians & Activists:
Scientists:
Sports Figures:
Accomplished Women:
Writers & Poets: