Houston, TX is home to famous people from various fields and professions. These include notable scientists, physicists, celebrities, singers and those who had contributed a great deed of courage. Here are some of them:
Paul Neal “Red” Adair
Popularly known as Red Adair, Paul Neal Adair was an American oil firefighter born on June 18, 1915, in Houston, Texas. He was known as a conqueror of ravenous fires in oil and gas wells on land and sea around the world.
His lack of formal education did not stop him from becoming a great firefighter and sacrificing his own life to preserve the environment. One of his notable achievements was his heroic act of taming the Kuwaiti oil fires set by Iraq’s retreating army at the end of the Persian Gulf War of 1991.
Robert Woodrow Wilson
Robert Woodrow Wilson was born on January 10, 1936, in Houston, Texas. He was a radio astronomer and physicist who was one of the recipients of the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation.
In 1979, he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences and also joined the International Astronomical Union and American Physical Society. In 1994, he decided to take up the appointment of Senior Scientist at Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Shannon Walker
She was born on June 4, 1965, in Houston, Texas. Walker was selected by NASA in 2004 as part of the 19th class of astronauts. Dr. Walker holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics, a Master of Science, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Space Physics from Rice University.
Dr. Walker began her professional career with the Rockwell Space Operations Company in 1987 as a Robotics Flight Controller for the Space Shuttle Program. Her first space mission was Expedition 24 on the International Space Station which took off on June 15, 2010, through November 25, 2010.
Kenny Rogers
Singer and songwriter Kenneth Donald “Kenny” Rogers was born on August 21, 1938, in Houston, Texas. Fuelled by his desire to pursue a music career, young Rogers bought himself a guitar and started a group called the Scholars. His first single, “That Crazy Feeling” was recorded in 1958.
After joining other several group singers, Rogers went solo in 1974 and decided to focus on country music. Two years later, he reached the top of the country charts with the ballad song “Lucille”. The song did well even on pop charts, making it his ticket to his first Grammy award.
Kenny Rogers is a Country Music Hall of Fame member and a music icon that has charmed music lovers around the world with his heartfelt performances. Few of his chart-topping songs include “The Gambler”, “Lady”, “Through the Years”, “You Decorated My Life”, “Coward of the Country”, and “She Believes in Me”.’
Beyoncé Knowles
Born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles started singing at an early age, competing in local talent shows and winning many of these shows with her singing and dancing abilities.
Beyoncé Knowles gained popularity as the lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She broke out on her own with her debut Dangerously in Love. The single, “Crazy in Love,” featuring her then boyfriend and rapper Jay-Z, was one of the biggest hits in 2003. The song propelled earning Knowles a number of awards, including a Grammy Award and an MTV Video Music Award.
Currently pregnant with twins, Beyoncé is still one of the artists who dominate the music industry and still managed to take home two awards for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Music Award.
These famous people have contributed a great deal of their knowledge, talent, and skills for Houston. They absolutely made Houstonians proud.
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