Science & invention · born 1936
Samuel C. C. Tingparticle physicistNobel Prize–winning physicist and co-discoverer of the J/ψ particle, born in Ann Arbor, who returned to the University of Michigan for all his degrees.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 22 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
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67 people · 1/2 page
Clear filtersScience & invention · born 1936Samuel C. C. Tingparticle physicistNobel Prize–winning physicist and co-discoverer of the J/ψ particle, born in Ann Arbor, who returned to the University of Michigan for all his degrees.
Comedy · born 1939Lily Tomlincomedian, actress, writerComedy legend raised in Detroit's Virginia Park area; Cass Tech and Wayne State alumna whose characters grew out of the neighbors on her childhood block.
Theatre & dance · born 1972Dita Von Teeseburlesque dancer, model, businesswomanThe performer credited with bringing burlesque back to the mainstream was born Heather Sweet in Rochester, Michigan, in Oakland County.
City history · 1768–1813TecumsehShawnee chief and war leaderShawnee leader whose warriors, allied with Isaac Brock, forced the American surrender of Fort Detroit in August 1812.
Sports · born 1961Isiah Thomasbasketball player, point guard, coachHall of Fame point guard who played his entire 13-season career for the Detroit Pistons, leading the brash 'Bad Boys' to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.
Politics · born 1976Rashida Tlaibpolitician, lawyerSouthwest Detroit native who became the first Muslim woman in the Michigan Legislature and, from 2019, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.
Press & broadcasting · 1920–2013Helen Thomasjournalist, White House correspondent, columnistThe pioneering White House reporter who covered ten presidents grew up in a Lebanese immigrant family in Detroit, studied at Wayne University and is buried in the city.
Film & TV · born 1944Jeffrey TamboractorArrested Development and Larry Sanders Show actor who earned his master's degree in theater at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Science & invention · 1920–2006Marie Tharpgeologist, oceanographic cartographerYpsilanti-born geologist whose maps of the ocean floor revealed the Mid-Atlantic Ridge's rift valley and helped prove plate tectonics.
Music · born 1977Obie TricerapperWest-side Detroit rapper who came up through the Hip Hop Shop battles and released two top-ten albums on Eminem's Shady Records.
Music · 1945–1970Tammi TerrellsingerPhiladelphia-born Motown singer, discovered by Berry Gordy at Detroit's 20 Grand, whose duets with Marvin Gaye include "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
Film & TV · born 1937Marlo Thomasactress, producer, author, activistThat Girl star and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital champion, born in Detroit while her father Danny Thomas was a struggling local radio and club entertainer.Eddie Tolansprinter, track and field athleteCass Tech-raised sprinter nicknamed the 'Midnight Express' who won double gold in the 100 and 200 meters at the 1932 Olympics, becoming the first Black man to be named the world's fastest human.Jeralean TalleysupercentenarianGeorgia-born Inkster resident who at 116 was the world's oldest verified living person in 2015, after 80 years in the Detroit suburb.
Sports · born 1948Rudy Tomjanovichbasketball player and coachHamtramck-born rebounding star at the University of Michigan who went on to win NBA championships as a Houston Rockets player and head coach.
Religion · born 1952Joseph W. TobinCatholic cardinal, Archbishop of NewarkDetroit-born Redemptorist priest who served Southwest Detroit's Holy Redeemer parish for eleven years before becoming a cardinal and Archbishop of Newark.
Comedy · 1912–1991Danny Thomascomedian, actor, TV producerLebanese-American entertainer from Michigan who started his show-business career on Detroit radio in the 1930s before becoming a TV star and founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Music · born 1974Mark Tremontiguitarist, singer, songwriterDetroit-born guitarist of Creed and Alter Bridge who spent most of his childhood in suburban Grosse Pointe.
Music · born 1973Trick-Trickrapper, record producerDetroit rapper and producer of the Goon Sqwad, best known for the civic-pride anthem “Welcome 2 Detroit” with Eminem.
Sports · born 1994Jacob Troubaice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played youth hockey for the Detroit-area Compuware club and one standout season at the University of Michigan.
Auto industry · 1903–1956Preston Tuckerautomobile entrepreneur and designerLincoln Park–raised car dreamer behind the futuristic Tucker 48, whose story became the 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream.
Music · born 1949Garry Tallentbassist, record producerFounding bassist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, born in Detroit before his family moved to the Jersey Shore.
Film & TV · born 1955Rob Tapertfilm and television producer, writer, directorRoyal Oak-born producer who co-founded Renaissance Pictures with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, produced The Evil Dead and co-created Xena: Warrior Princess.
Music · 1924–2005Lucky Thompsonjazz tenor and soprano saxophonistDetroit-raised tenor and soprano saxophonist, a Cass Tech graduate who played with Basie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis and was an early modern master of the soprano sax.
Sports · born 2003Ausar Thompsonbasketball player, guard/forwardAthletic young guard-forward selected fifth overall by the Pistons in 2023, one pick behind his twin brother Amen, who has grown into one of the league's top perimeter defenders.
Film & TV · 1903–1954Tom Tylerfilm actor, weightlifterHamtramck-raised B-Western star and screen Captain Marvel, who came home to Hamtramck to die and is buried in Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery.Sheila Taorminaswimmer, triathlete, modern pentathleteLivonia-born athlete who is the only woman ever to qualify for the Olympics in three different sports, beginning with an Olympic swimming gold medal in 1996.
Sports · born 1962Otis Thorpebasketball playerNBA champion power forward who spent two seasons anchoring the Pistons' front court after coming to Detroit in a trade from Portland.
Sports · born 1985Anthony Tolliverbasketball forwardWell-traveled 13-season NBA forward who played two separate stints with the Pistons as a reliable stretch-four off the bench.
Science & invention · born 1945Deborah Tannenlinguist, authorGeorgetown linguist and author of the long-running best-seller You Just Don't Understand, who earned a master's degree in English literature at Wayne State University.
Film & TV · 1915–1968William TalmanactorPerry Mason's perpetually defeated district attorney Hamilton Burger, born in Detroit, who founded the drama club at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills.
Sports · born 1964Frank Tateboxer, Olympic champion, IBF middleweight championDetroit-born Kronk boxer who won Olympic gold in 1984 and later held the IBF middleweight title.Kelly Tripuckabasketball forward, broadcasterHigh-scoring Pistons forward of 1981–1986 and two-time All-Star, later the team's TV color commentator.
Sports · born 1958Pinklon Thomasboxer, WBC heavyweight championPontiac-born heavyweight who held the WBC world title from 1984 to 1986, known for his pink trunks and a punishing left jab.
Music · 1944–1991Rob TynersingerDetroit-born lead singer of the MC5, whose incendiary live album Kick Out the Jams was recorded at the Grande Ballroom in October 1968.
Sports · 1860–1922Sam Thompsonbaseball player, right fielderHall of Fame slugger of the 1887 champion Detroit Wolverines who later settled in Detroit, played briefly for the Tigers at 46 and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery.
Music · 1872–1946Harry Von Tilzersongwriter, composer, music publisher, vaudeville performerDetroit-born son of Polish Jewish immigrants who became one of Tin Pan Alley's biggest hitmakers, with A Bird in a Gilded Cage and Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie.
Sports · born 1958Alan Trammellbaseball shortstop, managerHall of Fame shortstop who spent all 20 seasons of his career with the Tigers, MVP of the 1984 World Series and later the club's manager.Jean TerrellsingerSinger chosen by Berry Gordy to replace Diana Ross as lead of the Supremes in 1970, fronting "Stoned Love", "Up the Ladder to the Roof" and "Floy Joy".
Politics · born 1955
Shri Thanedarchemist, entrepreneur, politicianIndian-born chemist and entrepreneur who moved to Michigan in 2010, won the city of Detroit in the 2018 governor's primary and represented Detroit in Congress from 2023.Teri Thorntonjazz singer, pianist, composerDetroit-born jazz singer and pianist, praised by Ella Fitzgerald and Cannonball Adderley, who sang the Naked City theme and made a celebrated comeback in the late 1990s.
Music · 1941–2011Marv Tarplinguitarist, songwriterThe Miracles' guitarist, who co-wrote "The Tracks of My Tears", "Ain't That Peculiar" and "Cruisin'" with Smokey Robinson.
Law · 1932–2017Anna Diggs Taylorfederal judge, civil rights lawyerYale-trained lawyer who built her career in Detroit and in 1979 became Michigan's first Black woman federal judge; in 2006 she struck down the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program.
MusicRosie Thomassinger-songwriter, comedianDetroit-raised indie folk singer-songwriter known for gentle Sub Pop albums and for her comic stage character Sheila Saputo.
Music · 1944–1980Georgeanna TillmansingerInkster-born original member of the Marvelettes, heard on "Please Mr. Postman", who left the group because of illness and died at 35.Toshiko Takaezuceramic artist, painter, weaverHawaiian-born ceramic artist who studied and taught at Cranbrook in the 1950s under Maija Grotell and became a leader of abstract American ceramics.
Music · 1890–1961Florence Cole Talbertoperatic soprano, music educatorDetroit-born soprano who in 1927 became the first African American woman to sing Verdi's Aida in a European opera house, and one of the first Black classical singers on record.
Business & brands · 1924–2015A. Alfred Taubmanshopping-mall developer, owner of Sotheby's, philanthropistPontiac-born developer who helped define the American indoor shopping mall, owned Sotheby's and gave large sums to Detroit-area art and education.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗