Wanderlust World Wanderlust World West Virginia has produced remarkable individuals across aviation, literature, sports, music, and entertainment. Chuck Yeager, from Myra, broke the sound barrier in 1947 as a U.S. Air Force test pilot. Pearl S. Buck, born in Hillsboro, won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature for The Good Earth. Jerry West, from Chelyan, became an NBA legend and logo silhouette. Jesse Hughes, of Beckley, fronts the rock band Eagles of Death Metal. Don Knotts, born in Morgantown, earned fame as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and Mr. Furley on Three's Company. Their diverse achievements highlight the state's outsized cultural contributions.