Delaware Famous People

Famous Americans: History and Biographies

Delaware Famous People: Greeting from Delaware

Links to histories and biographies of the famous people of Delaware. Many famous people of Delaware have made significant contributions to the history of our nation and the state of Delaware. These famous Americans, famous entertainers, famous players, famous scientist, famous singers, famous statesmen, famous women, heroes, great explorers, and others Delaware famous Americans have all made Delaware their home. This list includes Delaware historical figures, celebrities and those individuals of Delaware who have influenced the lives of others.

Famous People from Delaware

  • Richard Allen (1760 - 1831) Founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (1960 - ) Actress married to heavy metal guitarist Eddie Van Halen, born in Wilmington.
  • Robert Montgomery Bird (1805 - 1854) Playwright, author, born in New Castle.
  • Annie Jump CannonAnnie Jump Cannon (December 11, 1863 - April 13, 1941) was an American astronomer whose cataloging work was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification. With Edward C. Pickering, she is credited with the creation of the Harvard Classification Scheme, which was the first serious attempt to organize and classify stars based on their temperatures. The daughter of shipbuilder and state senator Wilson Lee Cannon and his second wife, Mary Elizabeth Jump, Cannon grew up in Dover, Delaware. Cannon's mother had a childhood interest in star-gazing, and she passed that interest along to her daughter. Cannon had four older step-siblings from her father's first marriage, as well as two brothers, Robert and Wilson. Cannon never married but was happy to be an aunt to her brother's children.
  • Eleuthère Irenee du Pont (1771 - 1834) The founder of one of the world's largest chemical companies, Eleuthère Irenee du Pont (1771-1834), was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Du Pont recognized the need to improve the quality of gunpowder available in the United States. He started a gunpowder works along the Brandywine River. By the year of his death, it had become a major American business, producing over 1 million pounds of gunpowder per year. Since du Pont's death, his company has grown from an explosives manufacturer to a major company producing science-based solutions to food, health care, electronics, apparel, and transportation.
  • Henry Heimlich (1920 - ) Born in 1920 in Wilmington, Delaware, Dr. Henry Heimlich, surgeon and inventor, has become a household name! In 1974, Dr. Heimlich published findings describing a technique that can save a person from choking on an object caught in the throat. Just one week after the findings were published, the first choking victim was saved by this procedure. It became known as the Heimlich Maneuver.
  • Teri Polo (1969 - ) Actress, famous for roles in movies such as Aspen Extreme and Meet the Parents; born in Dover.
  • Howard Pyle (1853 - 1911) One of America's best-loved illustrators was Howard Pyle (1853-1911), a native of Wilmington, Delaware. Pyle founded the Brandywine School of Painting whose students included N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish. Pyle was also a writer who authored as well as illustrated many books including The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, Men of Iron, and The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.
  • George Read (1734 - 1798) Jurist, signer of Declaration of Independence; lived in the county of Newcastle.
  • Caesar Rodney (1730 - 1783) Patriot, signer of Declaration of Independence; lived in Kent county.
  • Elisabeth Shue (1963 - ) Actress, famous for roles in movies like The Karate Kid and Leaving Las Vegas; born in Wilmington.

More Famous People from Delaware:

Find more more Delaware famous people below. You may not even realize many of these famous people were born in Delaware or notable associated with Delaware including actors, actresses, explorers, historical figures, inventors, musicians, novelists, professional athletes, important politicians, singers, sport stars and more.

  • Henry S. Canby editor, author, Seidel
  • Felix Darley artist, Claymont
  • Wilham Julius Johnson basketball player, Wilmington
  • John Phillips author, Wilmington
US Famous People
US Famous People
Learn history through the biographies of the famous people from your state.