• James Levine – conductor and pianist born in Cincinnati debuted with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at age 10.
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe – author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin – lived in Cincinnati, across the river from Civil War border-state Kentucky, and drew from these experiences for her book.
  • Daniel Carter Beard – Covington, KY resident who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone, which evolved into the Boy Scouts of America.
  • Nelson Glueck – leading biblical archaeologist born in Cincinnati, discovered the site of King Solomon’s copper mines.
  • William McGuffey – professor at Miami University in Oxford, OH who redefined reading textbooks in the late 19th century with his eclectic Readers series.
  • John William Mauchly – Cincinnati born physicist who collaborated with others to build ENIAC, the first large electronic computer.
  • Neil Armstrong – first man on the moon who later served as a professor of engineering at the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1979.
  • George Clooney – actor born in Augusta, KY (right across the river from Cincinnati)
  • Rosemary Clooney – singer, actress and aunt of George Clooney born in Maysville, KY (again just over the river)
  • Doris Day – actress, born Doris von Kappelhoff in Cincinnati in 1924.
  • The Isley Brothers – R & B group from Cincinnati who had a major hit with “Twist & Shout”, later re-recorded by the Beatles.
  • Ruth Lyons – television hostess broadcast her show on WLW-TV from 1947-1967
  • Sarah Jessica Parker – actress who grew up in Cincinnati.
  • Roy Rogers – popular singing cowboy, born Leonard Franklin Slye in Cincinnati in 1911.
  • Steven Spielberg – innovative filmmaker born in Cincinnati.
  • Jerry Springer – talk show host, was once Mayor of Cincinnati and later anchor on WLWT-TV news.
  • Ted Turner – media mogul born in Cincinnati.
  • Andy Williams – singer, attended Western Hills High School in Cincinnati.
  • Ulysses S. Grant – Civil War General and 18th President of the Unites States, born in Point Pleasant, OH in 1822.
  • Benjamin Harrison – 23rd President of the United States, born in North Bend, OH in 1833.
  • William Howard Taft – 27th President of the United States, born in Cincinnati in 1857.
  • Anthony Munoz – Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle who played his entire career as a Cincinnati Bengal.
  • Oscar “Big O” Robertson – three-time basketball All-American at the University of Cincinnati, 1958-1960, and the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1961.
  • Pete Rose – Major League Baseball’s biggest lifetime hitter with 4,256 hits, was born in Cincinnati.
  • Roger Staubach – Dallas Cowboy Hall of Famer played football at Purcell High School in Cincinnati.