FAMOUS POLES THROUGHOUT HISTORY
This list is by no means complete but it provides an insight into how Poles have influenced history both at home and abroad.
Mieszko I (935 - 992) - the first historical ruler of Poland, credited for the Christianization of Poland.
Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikołaj Kopernik) (1473 - 1543) - one of the great polymaths of the Renaissance. He was a mathematician, astronomer, jurist, physician, classical scholar, governor, administrator, diplomat, economist and soldier. As an astronomer he provided the first modern formulation of a heliocentric (sun-centered) theory of the solar system in his epochal book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres).
Jan III Sobieski (1629-1696) one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death. He was also a brilliant military commander, most famous for his victory over the Turks in the 1683 Battle of Vienna. For his victories over the Ottoman Empire, he was dubbed by the Turks the "Lion of Lehistan."
Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746 - 1817) - a Polish national hero, general and a leader of 1794 uprising (which bears his name) against the Russian Empire. He fought in the American Revolutionary War as a colonel in the Continental Army on the side of Washington. In recognition of his dedicated and faithful service he was brevetted by the Continental Congress to the rank of Brigadier General in 1783, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States that same year.
Stanisław II August Poniatowski (1732 - 1798) - the last King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth & co-author of the Constitution of May 3, 1791, generally recognized as Europe's first and the world's second modern codified national constitution.
Adam Mickiewicz (1798 - 1855) - one of the best-known Polish poets and writers, considered the greatest 19th-Century Polish poet. Best known his epic poem Pan Tadeusz considered by many the last great epic poem in European literature.
Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) - Polish pianist and composer, widely regarded as one of the most famous, influential, admired and prolific composers for the piano. Several of Chopin's melodies have become very well known - for instance the Revolutionary Etude (Op. 10, No. 12), the Minute Waltz (Op. 64, No. 1), and the third movement of his Funeral March sonata (Op. 35), which is often used as an iconic representation of grief
Jan Matejko (1838 ? 1893) - was a Polish artist famous for paintings of notable Polish political and military events. These include a Battle of Grunwald, numerous court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings. He is also known for his portrayals of the famous Polish court jester Stańczyk.
Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846 -1916) - a Nobel Prize-winning Polish novelist, best known in Poland for his historical novels (The Trilogy) set during the 17th century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, elsewhere he is known for Quo Vadis.
Marie Curie-Skłodowska (1867 ? 1934) ? Polish physicist and chemist, pioneer in the early field of radioactivity, later becoming the first two-time Nobel laureate and the only person with Nobel Prizes in two different fields of science (physics and chemistry). She also became the first woman appointed to teach at the Sorbonne.
Marian Rejewski (1905 ? 1980), Jerzy Różycki (1909 -1942) Henryk Zygalski (1906 -1978) - Polish mathematicians and cryptologists credited for breaking German Enigma ciphers before and during World War II.
Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004) - poet, prose writer, essayist, translator. Nobel Prize-winner in 1980 and Polish Nike Prize-winner in 1998 for the little wayside dog. Has been awarded many honorary degrees, including from Harvard University and the Jagiellonian University.
Pope John Paul II (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) (Polish: Jan Paweł II, Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born Karol Józef Wojtyła - Poland’s most famous son and the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. Served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer. John Paul II has been widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. It is widely agreed that he was instrumental in ending communism in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. He was one of the most-travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate.
Andrzej Wajda (1926 - ) director, member of the Immortal Circle of the French Academy of Fine Arts. He was honoured with the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1998 for his contributions to cinema. He also won a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2000. He has been awarded the French Legion of Honour and Japanese Order of the Rising Sun. In 1996 he was awarded the Silver Bear award in Berlin. In 2001 the German president awarded him the Great Cross of Merit
Roman Polanski (1933 - ) Academy Award-winning Polish film director and actor. His films include Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974), Frantic (1988), the Academy Award-winning The Pianist (2002), and Oliver Twist (2005).
Krzysztof Kieslowski (1941-1996) - an influential Oscar-nominated Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for his film cycles Three Colors and The Decalogue.
Lech Wałęsa (1943 - ) Polish politician, a former trade union and human rights activist, and also a former electrician. He co-founded Solidarity (Solidarność), the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995.
Robert Korzeniowski (1968 - ) former Polish race walker. He has won four gold medals at the Summer Olympics and has won three world championships. A Council of Europe ambassador for tolerance and fair play.
Adam Malysz (1977 - ) ski jumper - World Cup and World Champion gold medalist and Olympic silver and bronze medalist. He has won 3 World Cups in a row, an unprecedented achievement.