A list of famous and influential people from the United States of America.
William Penn (1644 – 1718) In the Pennsylvania Frame of Government (1682), Penn included democratic principles and the principle of religious tolerance. Penn was also an early advocate for uniting the different colonies of America.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Author, politician, diplomat, scientist and statesman. Franklin urged the colonies to join together and one of the strongest supporters for the idea of a United States.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Founding Father and principal author of The Declaration of Independence (1776). Third President of the US, Jefferson helped to expand the territory of the US through the Louisiana Declaration(1803).
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th President of the US from 1861-1865. He led the Union forces during the American civil war. Lincoln led the north to victory preserving the Union and passing a bill to abolish legal slavery.
Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) One of America’s greatest poets, Emily Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion. Her poems were published posthumously and received widespread literary praise for their bold and unconventional style. Her poetic style left a significant legacy on 20th Century poetry.
Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919) Carnegie became very rich, through his control of the US steel industry and other investments. With his wealth, he became a philanthropist. Many public libraries are named after him.
John D. Rockefeller (1839 – 1937) Rockefeller was a successful businessman who controlled much of the US oil and railroad industries. His name became synonymous with wealth and economic power.
Thomas Edison (1847 – 1931) Pioneer of the mass use and distribution of electricity. Edison was one of the most prolific inventors, who developed commercially available electric light bulbs.
Woodrow Wilson (1856 – 1924) US president. Wilson was President during the First World War. His idealistic 14 points formed the basis for the League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations.
Ida B. Wells
Henry Ford
Wright Brothers
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) – US President 1932 – 1945. The longest serving US President, Roosevelt came to power during the crisis of the 1932 recession. He expanded federal government to deal with the crisis and oversaw the US entry into the Second World War.
Babe Ruth (1895 – 1948) Iconic baseball player. Babe Ruth was one of the greatest baseball players whose popularity transcended sport and epitomised the Roaring Twenties.
Amelia Earhart (1897– 1937) – Female aviator. She broke several records and became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. She disappeared whilst attempting to circumnavigate the world.
Ernest Hemingway
Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) – English / American film producer. Hitchcock is considered the master film director, producing some of Hollywood’s greatest films, such as Psycho, Rear Window and Birds
Walt Disney (1901 – 1966) American film producer
and creator of cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney pioneered the successful film portrayal of classic fairy tales, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Katherine Hepburn (1907 – 2003) – American actress. Fiercely independent, Hepburn was a commanding influence in Hollywood for over four decades. She received four Oscars and another eight nominations.
Lyndon Johnson (1908 – 1973) – US President 1963-69. Johnson took over from the assassinated JFK. He expanded America’s role in Vietnam. Domestically he introduced civil rights legislation.
Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004) – US President (1980 – 1988) Reagan sought to roll back the frontiers of the state and pursued an aggressive anti-Communist foreign policy.
Jesse Owens (1913-1980) US athlete. Owens was an iconic figure at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He won gold in the 100 meters.
Billie Holiday (1915 – 1959) Influential and iconic jazz and blues singer. Nicknamed ‘Lady Day’ she developed a unique and haunting voice, influenced by the jazz musicians she played with.
John F. Kennedy (1917 – 1963) US President. Elected in 1960, Kennedy was seen as a young dynamic President who offered a new hope to the US and the world. He played a role in diffusing the Cuban missile crisis and the threat of nuclear war.
Malcolm X (1925 – 1965) American Black nationalist leader. Malcolm X was, for a time, a leader of the Nation of Islam which advocated a radical response to racism and a separate nation for blacks and whites.
Marilyn Monroe
Martin Luther King (1929 – 1968) – American civil rights campaigner. Martin Luther King led the non-violent civil rights movement. His powerful oratory helped to lay the foundations for sweeping change and an end to the segregation in the Deep South.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929 – 1994) – wife of JF. Kennedy. Under her direction, she helped to modernise the White House and was a popular counterpart to JFK’s presidency.
Neil Armstrong (1930 – 2012) US Pilot and astronaut. In 1969, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to successful land and walk on the moon, giving the memorable quote. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. “
Yoko Ono (1933- ) US artist, musician. Married John Lennon, star of the Beatles. Yoko Ono was a musician and fashion icon.
Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) American pop singer. Elvis Presley helped to revolutionise American pop music becoming an idol for millions in the 1950s and 1960s.
Muhammad Ali (1942 – ) American Boxer and civil rights campaigner. Ali became undisputed Heavy Weight Champion of the world. His refusal to fight in Vietnam caused him to be banned from the sport. But, he came back, reclaiming his title.
Billie Jean King
George Bush jnr (1946 – ) US President 2000-2008. President during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he subsequently led a US invasion of Iraq.
Hilary Clinton
Al Gore (1948 – ) – US presidential candidate and environmental campaigner. He narrowly lost the 2000 election to George Bush and afterwards concentrated on environmental issues. Gore produced a film ‘An inconvenient truth’ about global warming.
Paul Krugman
Michael Moore
Bill Gates
Carl Lewis (1961 – ) – US athlete and Olympian. Carl Lewis won nine gold medals in the 100-metres, 100-metre relay and long jump.
Madonna
Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009) American pop singer. Initially starting off with the Jackson Five, Michael pursued his own solo career, becoming one of the best selling artists of all time.
Barack Obama (1961- ) US President 2008-2016. Obama was the first black President and elected on a tide of optimism.
George Clooney (1961 ) American actor, director and political activist. Clooney played the lead role in films such as Batman and Robin (1997) and Ocean’s Eleven. He went on to direct his own films. He also raises money and awareness for various charities.
Jon Stewart (1962 – ) – Comic and tv presenter from New York. Jon Stewart hosts the influential and popular ‘Daily Show.’ His biting satire and criticism of mainstream media has made it a hit on tv ratings.
Michael Jordon (1963 – ) Legendary basketball player. In a career spanning nearly 20 years, he won 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. He is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time and his public profile helped raise the global image of the game.
Brad Pitt (1963 – ) Actor and director. Pitt has been nominated for four Oscars and five Golden Globes. Pitt is one of most famous celebrities and married Angelina Jolie in 2014.
Sarah Palin (1964 – ) Republican party Governor of Alaska. Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008 election. Seen as a prominent figure in the right-wing ‘Tea Party’ movement, within the Republican party.
Jimmy Wales (1966 – ) – Internet entrepreneur. He is the creator of the ‘non-profit’ Wikipedia – the world’s largest online internet encyclopaedia.
Lance Armstrong (1971- ) American cyclist. After surviving cancer, he won the Tour de France 7 times, before being stripped of his titles for doping.
Larry Page (1973- ) Computer scientist. Co-founder of Google. Larry Page invented ‘Page Rank’ an influential tool that helped give Google search a competitive advantage.
Tiger Woods (1975- ) – golfer. Became the world’s number one golfer and dominated the sport through the 2000s. Personal problems caused him to lose his number one position, but since 2011, he has made a strong comeback. He has currently 79 PGA titles.
Angelina Jolie (1975 – ) Starred in the popular Lara Croft film series. As well as acting, Jolie is active in charitable activities.
Beyonce Knowles (1981 – ) American singer, dancer and actress. Rose to fame as lead singer in R&B group ‘Destiny’s Child’ Has since gone on to a successful solo career.
Scarlett Johansson (1984 – ) – American actress, model and singer.
Lady Gaga (1986-) American singer, songwriter, activist, actress, and fashion designer. Known for her flamboyant stage performances.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Famous Americans”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net, 23 January 2014. Last updated 5 March 2020.
The Constitution of the United States of America
The Constitution of the United States of America at Amazon
America – Teacher’s Edition
America – Teacher’s Edition at Amazon
Tales of Famous Americans
Tales of Famous Americans at Amazon
Periods in American history
The Gilded Age (1870 to 1900) A period of rapid expansion in the economy, with growing inequality. Includes the great industrialists, such as J.D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie.
Other famous Americans to be added
- Walt Whitman
- Emily Dickinson
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Henry David Thoreau
- Mark Twain
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- George S. Patton
- Richard M. Nixon
- Nikola Tesla
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Steve Jobs
- Maya Angelou
- Susan B. Anthony
- Rosa Parks
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Bill Clinton
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One Comment
Shirley Chisholm, not Hillary Clinton, was the first woman to run for president seeking the nomination from a national party, the Democrats. Hillary Clinton was the first woman to win the nomination for the Democratic part in the presidential election. She was also the first African American woman to run for president in 1972, as well as become a member of Congress.