Famous People Born In Portland

Only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes, Linus Carl Pauling was an American theoretical physical chemist, who received the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on nature of chemical bond and 1962 Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts to stop nuclear weapon testing. Also a prolific writer and educator, he has published 1,200 books and papers.  

Katee Sackhoff would have pursued a career in professional swimming if not for a knee injury which she suffered early in her life. Apart from leading her to become an actress, the injury also made her practice yoga and transcendental meditation, which she continues to practice. Also known for her humanitarian work, she co-founded a motorcycle-riding charity called Acting Outlaws.

Sally Struthers is an American actress best known for playing Gloria Stivic in the popular sitcom television series All in the Family, for which she received a couple of Emmy Awards. Also a well-known activist, Struthers has been working towards improving the lives of impoverished children as part of her work as a spokesperson for the child development organization, ChildFund.

Margaux Hemingway was an American actress and fashion model. During the mid-1970s, Hemingway became known as a supermodel and graced the covers of popular magazines, such as Time, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle. Margaux Hemingway struggled with drug addiction, alcoholism, and depression, which culminated in her suicide by drug overdose at the age of 42.

American figure skater, Tonya Harding, was the 1991 and 1994 US champion but her 1994 title was taken away after a controversy erupted regarding her ex-husband. He was charged with planning an attack on a rival American skater, Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya Harding was banned for life by the US Figure Skating Association after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton began his international career in 2008, winning his first international medal, a silver, at the 2011 World Championships. In the following year, he won two gold medals, one in Heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships and the other in Decathlon in London Olympic Games, defending his Olympic title four years later in Rio de Janeiro.

Aminé is an American rapper, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for his hit single Caroline, which took the US Billboard Hot 100 by storm by peaking at number 11 on the chart. In 2017, Aminé was nominated at the BET Hip Hop Awards under the Best New Hip Hop Artist category.

Zach King is an American actor, artist, and social media celebrity. He achieved international fame when he started posting videos on platforms like YouTube and Vine. Over the course of his career, Zach King has won several awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and Vidcon Golden Poop Award.

Dick Fosbury is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump. Widely regarded as one of the most influential athletes in track and field history, Fosbury revolutionized the high jump with a new technique which came to be known as the Fosbury Flop. Dick Fosbury also won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.

Tommy Thayer is a songwriter cum musician best known for being the lead guitarist for the hard rock band Kiss. He performs the role of The Spaceman in the band. Born into a musical family, he decided early on to pursue music as a profession. He was part of several other bands before joining Kiss. 

Mathematician George Dantzig, known for his research on linear programming, was the first to develop the simplex method. The National Medal of Science winner was the son of mathematician and linguist Tobias Dantzig. He was associated with RAND Corporation and also taught computer science and operations research at Stanford.

Holiday Reinhorn is the author the bestselling book Big Cats. She has written for various literary magazines such as Zoetrope: All-Story and Gulf Coast. She and her husband, actor Rainn Wilson, both follow the Baháʼí faith. Reinhorn has also co-established a non-profit for Haitian women interested in writing, named Lide.

While he had been a promising soccer player in school, Galen Rupp later discovered track and field and became one of the best long-distance runners of the U.S. He is a three-time Olympian and has two Olympic medals, a silver and a bronze, in his kitty.

Chris Leben is an American retired mixed martial artist, bare-knuckle boxer, and referee. From 2002 to 2013, Leben was a popular MMA competitor, competing in popular promotions like the UFC where he won four Knockout of the Night awards. Renowned for his powerful left hand and toughness, Chris Leben is also a former WEC Middleweight Champion.