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Woody Guthrie (1912)close

Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma. He was a prolific American folk music composer and performer who wrote more than 1,000 songs. His legacy of music, ballads, prose, and poetry reflects the most significant events of the 20th century including the Great Depression, the Great Dust Storm, World War II, and the Cold War.

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This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.

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