» RELATED: 10 actors you should know who were born in Dayton
» RELATED: Musicians from Dayton and Ohio who made it big
Erma Bombeck
Columnist, Writer, Journalist
Bombeck was born on Feb. 21, 1927, in Dayton. She attended Patterson Vocational School, and when she was 15, she asked the managing editor of the Dayton Herald for a job.
After graduating from the University of Dayton in 1949, Bombeck continued to work for the paper and had her own column. The column was headlined “Operation Dirtrag” and offered readers household tips and reviewed new household products.
Bombeck died in 1996 at the age of 69 due to complications during a kidney transplant.
» MORE INFO: Erma Bombeck: 5 things to know about the beloved humorist
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Phil Donahue
Talk Show Host, News Anchor
Donahue was born in Cleveland in 1935 and began a career in broadcasting after graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1957. Donahue was a newscaster for WHIO-TV before he left in 1967 to begin The Phil Donahue Show. The show established a new mold for daytime talk programs, according to Biography.com.
The show ran for 29 years and won 19 Emmy awards and is credited as being one of the longest-running syndicated talk shows in American history.
» RELATED: Donahue to speak at Bombeck workshop (2014)
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Annie Oakley
Sharpshooter
Oakley, known as “Little Miss Sure Shot”, was born in 1860 just north of Greenville in Darke County. Tragedy struck the family in 1865 when Oakley’s father became trapped in a blizzard on the way home from retrieving supplies. Her father was able to make it home but later died.
Oakley was the fifth of seven children, and at age 8 she picked up her father’s old muzzle loader out of necessity to provide for her family. At about age 10 she was sent to live at the county home; nevertheless, she continued to hone her sharpshooting skills.
Oakley married fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler, and their skills brought them to the attention of Buffalo Bill Cody, who recruited the couple to join his Wild West Show. The show, which featured sharpshooters, Pony Express reenactments and staged Indian attacks, performed across the country and traveled twice to Europe.
Oakley died of pernicious anemia at age 66 in Greenville on Nov. 2, 1926. Her husband died just 18 days later.
» MORE INFO: Annie Oakley: From Darke County farm to worldwide fame
Credit: Garst Museum
Credit: Garst Museum
Sidney Souers
Director of Central Intelligence
Sidney Souers was born on March 30, 1892, in Dayton. He attended Purdue University and graduated from Miami University in 1914. Souers had a long history in the U.S. Navy, first as a commissioned Lieutenant Commander in the US Naval Reserve, and then in voluntary active duty in 1940. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to Rear Admiral and named Deputy Chief of Naval Intelligence in 1945, according to the Central Intelligence Agency.
Later in his career, Souers was the executive secretary of the National Security Council and later became the Director of Central Intelligence in 1946. In 1950, Souers retired to manage his extensive business interests. He died at age 80 in 1973 in St. Louis.
Katt Williams
Comedian, Actor, Rapper
Katt Williams was born as Micah Sierra Williams in Cincinnati on September 2, 1973. Williams grew up in Dayton before emancipating himself from his parents at age 13 and moving to Florida.
He performed his first stand-up while in his teens and, encouraged by the crowd’s response, Williams took his show on the road. By 1999, Williams had performed nationwide and was known as an established comic, according to Biorgraphy.com.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
» EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: Download our apps for real-time alerts on the news you care about
» NEWS IN YOUR INBOX: Sign up for our email newsletters on the topics you love
About the Author