Utah Famous People

Famous Americans: History and Biographies

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

Famous People from Utah

Maurice Abravanel (1903 - 1993) Music Director of the Utah Symphony.
Danny Ainge (1959 - ) BYU Basketball star. Former NBA player/coach.
Roseanne Barr (1952 - ) Comedian and actress of television's Roseanne; born in Salt Lake City.
Reva Beck Bosone (1895 - 1983) Utah's first woman member of Congress, rights activist.
John Moses Browning (1855 - 1926) Born in Ogden, Utah, Browning is known as one of the most famous inventors of firearms in history. He made his first gun, the single shot rifle, when he was only 14 years old, and spent the next 47 years inventing and making guns. He held over 100 patents for his work, and is known for his work on the .45 caliber pistol, the Colt Peacemaker machine gun, and the Browning automatic rifle. His Browning automatic shotgun was first made in 1902 and is still made today.
Nolan Kay Bushnell (1915 - ) Computer programmer who invented the first coin-operated video game; born in Ogden.
Marriner Eccles (1890 - 1977) Built First Security Corp., helped end Great Depression.
Philo Farnsworth (1906 - 1971) Born in Indian Creek, Utah, Philo was fascinated with the study of electricity. Although he attended a small school, he worked closely with his chemistry teacher, and by the time he was 15 years old, he had developed a theory of electronic transmission of pictures. Six years later, he patented and produced the first working, all-electronic television system. His later work contributed to the development of the radar, electron microscopes, incubators for newborns, and guidance systems for aircraft. However, Farnsworth's son once reported that his father said this about television: "There's nothing on it worthwhile, and we're not going to watch it in this household, and I don't want it in your intellectual diet!"
Edwin Jacob (Jake) Garn (1932 - ) Senator, Astronaut.
Orrin Hatch ( 1934 - ) US Senator.
Jon Huntsman Sr. (1937 - ) Philanthropist and state's most successful entrepreneur.
David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins (1883 - 1956) Driving his "Mormon Meteor", Jenkins set numerous world automobile speed records on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats between 1932 and 1956.
Karl Malone (1963 - ) Utah Jazz Basketball Star.
J. Willard Marriott (1900 - 1985) Founder of the Marriott restaurant and hotel chain. Also founded the A&W restaurant chain.
Dale Murphy (1956 - ) Baseball player who played for the Atlanta Braves.
Donny Osmond (1957 - ) and Marie Osmond (1959 - ) Singers and dancers that starred in the Donny and Marie Show, brother and sister; both born in Ogden.
Robert LeRoy Parker "Butch Cassidy" (1887-1915?) Born Robert LeRoy Parker in Beaver, Utah, Cassidy was known as the "Robin Hood of the West." In 1896, he and a group of other outlaws, including "the Sundance Kid" formed a gang they called the "Hole in the Wall Gang." This group had the longest sequence of successful bank robberies in the history of the American West. Eventually driven out of the US by federal authorities, Cassidy and the Sundance Kid moved to South America and continued to rob banks there. Most believe he was killed in a shoot-out in Bolivia, but rumors persisted that he escaped, returned to the United States and lived under an assumed name.
Robert Redford (1937 - ) Actor and founder of the Sundance Institute.
Wallace Stegner (1909 - 1993) Author.
Reed Smoot (1862 - 1941) First Mormon elected to US Senate.
Brigham Young (1801 - 1877) President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) that brought the first white settlers to Utah and founded Salt Lake City; born in Whittingham, born in Vermont.
Steve Young (1961 - ) Football quarterback who helped the San Francisco 49ers win three Super Bowl championships; born in Salt Lake City.

More Famous People of Utah

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

Maude Adams actress, Salt Lake City
Frank Borzage film director, producer, Salt Lake City
Barney Clark heart patient, Provo
Laraine Day (October 13, 1920 - November 10, 2007) was an American actress and a former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star. Not to be confused with Lorraine Day.
Bernard De Voto writer, Ogden
Avard Fairbanks sculptor, Provo
Anthony Geary actor, Coalville
John Gilbert actor, Logan
Howard A. Jarvis social reformer, Magna
David M. Kennedy government official, Randolph
David McKay religious leader, Huntsville
Peter Skene Ogden fur trader, trapper
Merlin Olsen football player, Logan
Ivy Baker Priest US treasurer, Kimberley
Lee Greene Richards painter, Salt Lake City
Richard Richards GOP chairman, Ogden
Roseanne Barr actress, Salt Lake City
Virginia Sorensen author, Provo
Mack Swain actor, Salt Lake City
Everett Thorpe painter
Robert Walker actor, Salt Lake City
Marie Windsor actress, Marysville
James Woods actor, Vernal
Loretta Young actress, Salt Lake City

US Famous People

Learn history through the biographies of the famous people from your state.