Posted in North Dakota Fun Facts September 01, 2021 by

You May Be Surprised To Learn That These 9 Famous People Are From North Dakota

You may already be familiar with quite a few famous people, but some of you may not realize that many of them were born right here in North Dakota. Many actors, actresses, professional athletes, musicians, etc. refer to North Dakota as their home state. Listed below are nine famous people from North Dakota:

1. Leslie Bibb - Actress
Desiree Navarro / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Leslie Bibb is an American actress who was born in Bismarck, North Dakota and is well known for her role as Carley Bobby in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Here she is at Build Studio in New York City, 2018.
2. Greg Raymer - Professional Poker Player
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Greg Raymer is a professional poker player who was born in Minot, North Dakota. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event, depicted here at Binion's Horseshoe Club and Casino in Las Vegas.
3. Chris Coste - MLB Catcher
Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Chris Coste was born in Fargo, North Dakota and is a former Major League Baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. Check him out in action above, during the game against the Atlanta Braves on May 14, 2008 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
4. Josh Duhamel - Actor
Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Josh Duhamel is an American actor who was born in Minot, North Dakota. Josh's acting debut was on ABC's All My Children, playing the role of Leo du Pres. Here he is at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.
5. Peggy Lee - Singer
Catherine McGann / Archive Photos / Getty Images
Peggy Lee, born in Jamestown, North Dakota, was an American jazz singer, songwriter, composer and actress. Her career spanned six decades. Her portrait above was captured at the Ritz Carlton hotel in January 1988 in New York City.
6. Kellan Lutz - Actor
Roy Rochlin / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Kellan Lutz was born in Dickinson, North Dakota and is best known for playing the role of Emmett Cullen in The Twilight Saga film series. Here he is answering questions at the Twilight 10th Anniversary panel during 2018 New York Comic Con.
7. Angie Dickinson - Actress
Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Angie Dickinson is an American actress who was born in Kulm, North Dakota and has appeared in more than 50 films. Here she is speaking at the "Tribute to Johnny Grant" at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, 2008.
8. James Buchli - Astronaut
Space Frontiers / Archive Photos / Getty Images
James Buchli (back right) was born in New Rockford, North Dakota and is a former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions. This official portrait was photographed at Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas in 1986.
9. Jonny Lang - Musician
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Jonny Lang was born in Fargo, North Dakota and is a Grammy award-winning musician. His guitar solos are AMAZING! Here he performs onstage during the Experience Hendrix concert at City National Grove of Anaheim.

Do you know of any other famous people from North Dakota? Let us know in the comments below!

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famous people from North Dakota

September 06, 2021
Sarah

What are some fun facts about North Dakota?

If learning about the above famous people from North Dakota made you curious about the state, we have a plethora of fun facts you'll want to know! Here we go: North Dakota is known as the Peace Garden State, the Flickertail State, and the Roughrider State. Second: the Wild Prairie Rose is the official state flower of North Dakota. Another fun trivia tidbit: the town of Rugby is the geographical center of North America. That's pretty cool, right? Last: North Dakota is the least-visited state in the U.S. Why? This is truly baffling, as our state really is one of the most beautiful in the country! (In fact, North Dakota has more wildlife refuges than any other state!)

Does North Dakota have any world records?

North Dakota is a place with numerous world records! For starters, did you know that the world's largest hamburger was eaten in Rutland, North Dakota? It weighed 3,591 pounds and more than 8,000 people were invited to the meal. (Now that's a true whopper!) The World's Largest Buffalo monument stands tall on the hill in Jamestown. This 26-foot-tall, 60-ton concrete giant has been standing watch over Jamestown since 1959. What can we say, we like our world records here in North Dakota!

What's some trivia about North Dakota?

Well, other than our impressive crop production providing food and resources for millions (no big deal...), North Dakota has brought the world a few other things that reach lives far beyond the state borders. Yes: North Dakota is responsible for many an American invention! Did you have Cream of Wheat for breakfast this morning? If so, you have North Dakota to thank! This ubiquitous breakfast cereal was first made by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota back in 1893. And if you drove you car today, the little sticker on your license plate was first introduced in North Dakota after a single DMV worker named Lenard Milo came up with the idea. Today it is a national requirement on every car on the road!