Ultimate Guide to Famous Pennsylvanians

As one of the original thirteen colonies, Pennsylvania has a rich and colorful history. Learning more about the famous people of this state is truly a fascinating study.

Get ready to meet some of the most famous people who have been born in or lived in Pennsylvania!

Famous Pennsylvanians: Artists

Benjamin West (1738-1820) – Springfield, Lancaster, Philadelphia

More Pennsylvania Artists:

John James Audubon (1785-1851) – Mill Grove
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) – Allegheny City
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) – Philadelphia
N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) – Chadds Ford
Charles Demuth (1883-1935) – Lancaster
Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) – Chadds Ford
Paul Keene (1920-2009) – Philadelphia

Famous Pennsylvanians: Authors and Journalists

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) – Germantown
Ida Tarbell (1857-1944) – Erie County
Nellie Bly (1864-1922) – Armstrong County
Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) – Doylestown
James A Michener (1907-1997) – Doylestown
John Updike (1932-2009) – Reading

Famous Pennsylvanians: Musicians and Composers

Stephen Foster (1826-1864) – Lawrenceville

More Pennsylvania Musicians and Composers:

Philip Bliss (1838-1876) – Clearfield County
Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) – Edinburg
Harry Burleigh (1866-1949) – Erie
Marian Anderson (1897-1993) – Philadelphia
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) – West Chester

Famous Pennsylvanians: Scientists and Inventors

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) – Philadelphia
Robert Fulton (1765-1815) – Little Britain
Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) – Philadelphia
Matthias Forney (1835-1908) – Hanover
Charles F. Ritchel (1844-1911) – Corry
Charles Demuth (1883-1935) – Lancaster
Herman Fisher (1898-1975) – Unionville
George R. Stibitz (1904-1995) – York
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) – Springdale
John Kanzius (1944-2009) – Erie

Famous Pennsylvanians: Statesmen and Political Leaders

William Penn (1644-1718)

Daniel Roberdeau (1727-1795) – Philadelphia
Chief Cornplanter (c. 1750s-1836) – Cornplanter Tract (later flooded by Kinzua Dam)
James Buchanan (1791-1868) – Cove Gap, Lancaster
Thaddeus Stevens (1792-1868) – Gettysburg
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) – Gettysburg
Mamie Dowd Eisenhower (1896-1979) – Gettysburg
Joe Biden (1942- ) – Scranton

Famous Pennsylvanians: Explorers

Daniel Boone (1734-1820) – Reading area
Samuel Brady (1756-1795) – Shippensburg
Edwin L. Drake (1819-1880) – Titusville
Robert Edwin Peary (1856-1920) – Cresson

Famous Pennsylvanians: Military Leaders

Anthony Wayne (1745-1796) – Easttown Township
George G. Meade (1815-1872) – Philadelphia
Winfield Scott Hancock (1824-1886) – Montgomeryville
George McClellan (1826-1885) – Philadelphia
George C. Marshall (1880-1959) – Uniontown

Famous Pennsylvanians: Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

Asa Packer (1805-1879) – Brooklyn, Mauch Chunk
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) – Pittsburgh
Julius Sturgis (1835-1897) – Lititz
John Wanamaker (1838-1922) – Philadelphia
Henry John Heinz (1844-1919) – Pittsburgh
George Westinghouse (1846-1914) – Pittsburgh
Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) – West Overton
Andrew William Mellon (1855-1937) – Pittsburgh
Milton Hershey (1857-1945) – Derry Church, Hershey
Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939) – Williamsburg
Lee Iacocca (1924- ) – Allentown

Other Famous Pennsylvanians

Lydia Darragh (1729-1789) – Philadelphia
Betsy Ross (1752-1836) – Philadelphia
Mary Ludwig Hays (1754-1832) – Philadelphia, Carlisle
Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) – West Chester
Amanda Smith (1937-1915) – York
William McGuffey (1800-1873) – Claysville
Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) – Philadelphia
Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844) – Philadelphia

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