Lansing Michigan might not be as popular as large, bustling cities like Los Angeles, New York City, or Dallas. However, despite its small size, Lansing has a history of notable and famous people that once resided in Lansing or called Lansing home.
Here is a list of some of the most famous people and their association with Lansing.
Magic Johnson
No better way to start off the list than with Magic Johnson. He is arguably the most famous person from Lansing. Earvin Magic Johnson is regarded as the greatest point guard of all time and spent his career playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA.
Johnson went to high school at Everett in Lansing. He attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, where he played college basketball. Magic Johnson has a lot of love for his hometown, where his parents still reside.
Many people may be familiar with Magic Johnson during the 90’s when he announced he had tested positive for HIV. Since retiring from basketball, Johnson has gone on to have a large amount of success in the business world. Some accomplishments include ownership of professional sports teams, 125 Starbucks units in urban areas that he later sold back to Starbucks, media companies, and more.
Larry Page
Larry Page, originally born in Lansing, is most known for his contributions as a co-founder of Google. Even though Page resides in California, Lansing is still his hometown.
Page attended and graduated from East Lansing High School in 1991 and later went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Michigan, even though his dad was a professor in computer science at Michigan State University.
After graduating college, Page went on to earn his master’s and PhD from Stanford University, where he pretty much settled and founded Google.
Steve Huffman
Steve Huffman, the co-founder of the internet forum, Reddit, was born in Lansing Michigan. However, Steve Huffman did not spend much time in Lansing.
For the most part, Steve grew up in Virginia and attended the University of Virginia where he studied computer science.
Even though he did not grow up in Lansing, we still love to recognize the fact that he was born in Lansing. Currently, Huffman calls California his home.
Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds, a famous American Actor, was born in Lansing in 1936. Reynolds was considered an icon for American pop culture. Some of his most notable work includes Smokey and the Bandit, White Lightning and The Longest Yard.
Younger generations are unlikely to be as familiar with Burt Reynolds as older generations. For years, Reynolds claimed he had been born in Waycross, Georgia. In 2015, three years before his death, he stated he was actually born in Lansing. He called Lansing home until his father was drafted into the United State Army.
After his father left the Army, they settled in Florida where he eventually attended college.
It’s rather unclear why Burt Reynolds later claimed to be born in Lansing and why for so many years he claimed he was born in Georgia.
Conclusion
Lansing Michigan is where most celebrities come from, but there are still a few famous people that were born in Lansing. Famous celebrities like Magic Johnson, Larry Page, Steve Huffman, and Burt Reynolds once called Lansing home, or at least, their birth place.
