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Visual Effects Artist Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him As: Visual effects supervisor of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Did you know?: Both Jim Rygiel and his wife, Theresa Ellis Rygiel, have earned Clio awards for excellence in advertising and design. On December 31, 1969, Jim Rygiel was born in Kenosha to parents Betty and Ed. Ed Rygiel worked at American Motors in Kenosha for 30 years “and got out of there just before they shut it down,” said Rygiel to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he probably was going to work there too until, “I walked into the place, took the tour and walked out with a headache. I never went back.” While still young, Rygiel realized that he would need to take chances if he wished to do something other than farming or factory work, so, he followed his imagination. As a child, Rygiel “watched TV until my... More

Comedy Writer/Producer/Actor Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him For: Writer for The Larry Sanders Show & The Marriage Ref Jeff Cesario was born into an Italian family in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Growing up, the youngest of three sons, Cesario was a very talented drummer. After graduating from Mary D. Bradford High School class of ’07, Cesario denied a musical scholarship to Northwestern University and   decided to attend University of Wisconsin- Madison. At Madison, Jeff composed for Jazz bands and marching bands. After getting a degree in communications, Cesario tried the competitive career of feature sports writing. Eventually, comedy caught Jeff’s attention and seemed to be the perfect mix of skills he enjoyed! To prep for his possible comedic career, Cesario kept a folder of jokes quoted from other comedians that he would later spice up and personalize in his own way. In 1977 while on vacation in Hollywood, Cesario made... More

Beauty Pageant titleholder Born In:Kenosha, WI You Know Her As:Miss America 2012 Did You Know?Laura Marie Kaeppeler (born March 2, 1988) is an American beauty pageant titleholder crowned Miss America 2012 on January 14, 2012, representing the state of Wisconsin. Kaeppeler was the first woman representing Wisconsin to win Miss America since Terry Anne Meeuwsen won in 1973. Kaeppeler, was born to Jeff and Sue Kaeppeler in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She attended St. Joseph High School and Carthage College, where she graduated in 2010 with a degree in music. Kaeppeler received a $2000 scholarship for winning a Preliminary Talent award with her rendition of the Luigi Arditi waltz “Il Bacio”. In the swimsuit competition, she wore a white bikini. When asked if beauty queens should declare their political viewpoint, she answered, “Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they represent everyone as well. And... More

Radio Personality Birthplace: Milwaukee, WI You Know Him As: Host of Public Radio’s “Whad’ya know?” program. Did you know?: Michael Feldman taught briefly at both Tremper High School and Reuther High School in Kenosha. Michael Feldman was born in 1950 in Milwaukee to David and Geraldine Feldman, the youngest of four sons. He made his radio debut in 1965 when his winning essay earned him an appearance on a radio program in Milwaukee. Feldman was the only child in his family not to have achieved a degree in medicine or law to fall back on. Instead, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970 with a degree in English. After graduation, he had no idea what to do with his degree, so he decided to try education and accordingly pursued a teaching degree. By 1971 he had a position at Tremper High School in Kenosha as an English teacher.... More

Author Birthplace: Chicago, Il You Know Him As: Author of best-selling books “The Chapman Report” (1960), “The Prize” (1963) and “The Fan Club” (1974). Did you know?:His daughter, Amy Wallace, was the longtime lover of Carlos Castaneda, who was famous for writing several books detailing personal accounts of training in Native American shamanism with Don Juan Matus. She would eventually write a book about her 27 years with Castenada, released after his death, entitled “Sorcerer’s Apprentice: My Life With Carlos Castaneda” (2003). On March 19, 1916, Irving Wallace was born to Bessie Liss and Alexander Wallace, a clerk in a general store in Chicago, Ill. Both of his parents were born in Russia and emigrated to the United States in their teens. Instead of in his birth city, however, Wallace grew up 65 miles to the north in Kenosha. Wallace might have developed his passion for writing and reading from... More

Sci-Fi Author Birthplace:Racine, WI You Know Him From: Writer of many Star Wars and Dune spin-off novels. Did You Know?:Kevin J. Anderson was born March 27, 1962 in Racine, Wisconsin. He is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, &!@*#an A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. He has also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator &!@*#les (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files &!@*#les for Topps. Some of Anderson’s superhero novels include Enemies & Allies, about the first meeting of Batman and Superman, and The Last Days of Krypton, telling the story of how Krypton came to be... More

Hometown: Kenosha, WI You Know Her From: Children’s books such as The Shrinking of Treehorn, Some Things Are Scary, That’s What Friends Are For Florence Parry Heide was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 27, 1919. Her father was David W. Parry, a banker, and her mother was Florence Fisher, a columnist and actress. During her childhood years, Florence was educated at the Ellis School in Pittsburgh. She then studied at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and after two years she transferred to University of California at Los Angeles, where she eventually graduated in 1939. At the UCLA, she earned her B.A. in English. Florence worked in advertising and public relations in New York City before she returned to her hometown during World War II. She met Captain Donald C. Heide in October, 1943. He would later become her husband when they were married six weeks later, on November 27,... More

Birthplace: Waukegan, Il You Know Him As: An American novelist who wrote such books as “Fahrenheit 451” and “The Martian Chronicles” Did you know?: Ray Bradbury has never driven a car before. He told Playboy in an interview, “When I was 16, I saw six people die horribly in an accident. I walked home holding on to walls and trees. It took me months to begin to function again. So I don’t drive.” Bradbury also distrusts airplanes, the internet, computers and ATM machines. On Aug. 22, 1920, Ray Douglas Bradbury was the third son born to Leonard Spaulding Bradbury (a power/telephone lineman) and Esther Marie Moberg Bradbury (a Swedish immigrant) in Waukegan, Ill. From the time he was six until he was 12, Ray Bradbury and his family moved back and forth between Waukegan and Tucson, Ariz. because it was hard for his father to find work during the Depression. They... More

Screenwriter, novelist Grew Up In: Racine, WI You Know Him As: The Shakespeare of Hollywood Did you know?: Ben Hecht won an Academy Award for best original story (“Underworld”) at the very first Oscar ceremony in 1929. Ben Hecht (1894–1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. Called “the Shakespeare of Hollywood”, he received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some seventy films and as a prolific storyteller, authored thirty-five books and created some of the most entertaining screenplays and plays in America. Film historian Richard Corliss called him “the” Hollywood screenwriter, someone who “personified Hollywood itself.” The Dictionary of Literary Biography – American Screenwriters calls him “one of the most successful screenwriters in the history of motion pictures.” The family moved to Racine, Wisconsin, when Hecht was young, where he attended local schools. In his career, he is known to have... More

Children’s Book Author Birthplace:Racine, WI You Know Him From:You might have read “Kitten’s First Full Moon” to your children. Did You Know?:Kevin Henkes (pronounced HANK-us) was born on November 27, 1960 in Racine and is an American writer and illustrator of children’s books. He won the Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing his first published work, “Kitten’s First Full Moon” (2004). As a writer he has been a runner-up for the companion Newbery Medal. Kevin Henkes thought he would be an artist until his junior year of high school, when one of his teachers encouraged him in his writing efforts. He discovered that children’s books combined both his literary and artistic interests. Henkes is author and illustrator of children’s picturebooks, many of which feature mice as their main characters. He also writes young-adult fiction. Henkes wrote his first book during his freshman year in college. The book’s theme... More