We are having a great time celebrating Louisiana's birthday this year. I decided the Bicentennial is a great time to recognize some of the incredible talents, personalities, successes and even some blunders that have come from or through our state.

I developed a list of the 200 most notable people in Louisiana history. It is not necessarily a list of our greatest, most popular or, even, most significant people. It is a compilation of individuals whose influence was felt in Louisiana, but also spread beyond our borders.

Many of the folks on my list would have easily been placed on any Louisianian’s list—Huey P. Long, Pete Maravich and Tim McGraw. Others may surprise you, such as actress Reese Witherspoon, who was born in New Orleans, and actor Brad Pitt, whose Make it Right Foundation is still helping post-Katrina New Orleans.

The field of music, food, entertainment, politics and sports are heavily weighted on the list, particularly sports, which shows the inherent partiality of the one-man selection committee. This list shows the colorful personalities of Louisiana’s past and many that still inhabit our great state today.

To see the complete list, visit http://www.LouisianaBicentennial2012.com and click 200 People.