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

Are you interested in learning more about Pennsylvania’s famous people and places? Please take a minute to subscribe for FREE updates so you don’t miss the upcoming series of posts about famous Pennsylvanians!