By Tim Lambert
Magdalena Abakanowicz 1930-2017 Sculptor
Jankel Adler 1895-1949 Artist
Linda Boguslaw 1952- Actor
Frederick Chopin 1810-1849 Composer
Joseph Conrad 1857-1924 Writer
Nicolaus Copernicus 1473-1543 Astronomer
Marie Curie 1867-1934 Physicist
Casimir Funk 1884-1967 Chemist
Leo Gerstenzang 1892-1973 invented cotton swabs (cotton buds)
Miroslaw Hermaszewski 1941- The first Pole in space
Antoni Hoffman 1950-1992 Biologist
Agnieszka Holland 1948- Film director
Pawel Huelle 1957- Writer
Krystyna Janda 1952- Actor
Feliks Pawel Jarocki 1790-1865 Zoologist
Otylia Jedrzejczak 1982- Swimmer
Zbigniew Kabata 1924-2014 Parasitologist
Ryszard Kapuscinski 1921-2006 Writer
Jan Kiepura 1902-1966 Singer/actor
Robert Korzeniowski 1968- Athlete
General Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817) General
Stanislaw Lem 1921-2006 Writer
Tamara de Lempicka 1898-1980 Artist
Ignacy Lukasiewicz 1822-1882
Witold Lutoslawski 1913-1994 Composer
Adam Malysz 1977- Skier
Benoit Mandelbrot 1924-2010 Mathematician
Piotr Michalowski 1800-1855 Artist
Adam Mickiewicz 1798-1855 Poet
Pola Negri 1897-1987 Actor
Cyprian Norwid 1821-883 Artist
Daniel Olbrychski 1945- Actor
Ignacy Paderewski 1860-1941 Composer
Tadeusz Pankiewicz 1908-1993 Helped Jews to escape the Holocaust
Andrew Paulukiewichz 1958- Microbiologist
Jozef Pilsudski 1867-1935 Statesman
Zbigniew Preisner 1955- Composer
Mikolaj Rej 1505-1569 Writer
Krzysztof Radziewicz 1950- Artist
Artur Rubinstein 1982- Pianist
Wanda Rutkiewicz 1943-1992 She was the first woman to climb K2, second highest mountain in the world.
Tadeusz Sendzimir 1894-1989 Engineer
Henryk Sienkiewicz 1846-1916 Writer
Tomasz Stanko 1942-2018 Jazz trumpeter
Helena Syrkus 1900-1982 Architect
Waclaw Szamotulski c. 1524-1560 Composer
Wislawa Szymborska 1913-1994 Composer
Beata Tyszkiewicz 1938- Actor
Andrzej Wajda 1926-2016 Film Director
Stanislawa Walasiewicz 1911-1980 Athlete
Lech Walesa 1943- President
Rudolf Weigl 1883-1957 Biologist
Karol Wojtyla 1920-2005 Pope
Herbert Zbigniew 1924-1998 Writer
Stefan Zeronski 1864-1925 Writer