Maria Skłodowska-Curie (1867-1934)

She was a renowned physicist-chemist recognized for her research on radioactivity. She was the first woman recipient of a Doctor of Science who later received two Nobel Prizes in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911). She bears the distinction of being the sole female professor at the Sorbonne.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)

He was a Renaissance Astronomer and became famous for being the first European to form the theory that the Sun is the Solar System's center and not the Earth.

Henryk Arctowski (1871-1958)

A reputed oceanographer, scientist, who also explored Antarctica and has the distinction of several geographical features in Antarctica and Spitsbergen named after him

Karol Olszewski (1846-1915) and Zygmunt Wróblewski (1845-1888)

They gained recognition as the first scientists who successfully liquified oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in a stable state from the atmosphere in 1883. Olszewski was also reputed as the first scientist who liquefied hydrogen at a record low temperature of -225°C in 1884.

Stefan Banach (1892-1945)

He was a genius in mathematics who discovered the significant mathematical fields - functional analysis. He was the founder of the Lwow School of Mathematics, which researched this field of mathematics.

Kazimierz Michalowski (1901-1981)

He became famous as an archaeologist and Egyptologist with many discoveries in Egypt, Crimea, and Sudan. He also was the founder of Nubiology, an archaeological science dedicated to the scientific research of Ancient Nubia and its antiquities. Many Polish scientists pursued his work and excavated beautiful objects related to ancient architecture, art, and ceramics that revealed astonishing facts about that period.  

Jan Czochralski (1885-1953)

He was a chemist who discovered the foundation for modern-day electronics by finding a method to grow single crystals. He is responsible for the electronic devices we use today, like computers, telephones, or television sets.

Zbigniew Religa (1938-2009)

He was a reputed cardiac surgeon who was one of the first human transplantation specialists in Poland. He also officiated as the Minister of Health from 2005 to 2007. His team received the coveted "Brussels Eureka" award at the World Exhibition of Innovation, Research, and Technology to develop an implantable pump used for a pneumatic heart assistance system. 

Aleksander Wolszczan (born in 1946)

He, along with Dale Frail, discovered the first signs of an extrasolar planetary system and pulsar planets in 1992

Sylwester Porowski (born in 1938)

A reputed physicist who built a blue semiconductor laser (2001) and his team, using a pathbreaking technique that allows the use of the laser in medical diagnostic tests and environmental monitoring. It is also used to manufacture modern television sets, several types of storage media, and video projectors. 

Agnieszka Zalewska (born in 1948)

She taught at the H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow. She is known for her contribution to Particle Physics and her relation with CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). She started serving as the President of the CERN Council on 1st January 2013. 

Andrzej Udalski (born in 1957)

He is a renowned astronomer who leads the project called Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. Since 1992, this project has resulted in significant discoveries, including finding new planets outside our solar system. The European Research Council awarded the coveted Advanced Investigators Grant of 2.5 million Euro to continue the project.

Krzysztof Kieślowski (1941-1996)

He was a reputed film director and screenwriter, whose film cycles "The Decalogue" (1988) and "Three Colours" (3 films - 1993-94) received global recognition and also got three Oscar nominations. 

Agnieszka Holland (born in 1948)

She is a film and theatre director and screenwriter, famous for making films like 'Europe Europe' (1990). 'Washington Square' (1997), 'The Secret Garden' (1993). And her latest 'In Darkness' (2011). She is famous because of her political contributions to Polish New Wave Cinema.

Andrzej Wajda 1926-2016)

He was a great film director, one of the leading representatives of the Central European Cinema post World War II and won the Lifetime Achievement, Oscar. He made several famous films, including 'Ashes and Diamonds' (1958), 'Kanal' (1956), 'Pan Tadeusz' (1998), 'Katyn' (2007), and 'Man of Iron' (1981).

Krystyna Janda (born in 1952)

She is a famous actress known for her roles in Andrzej Wajda's films like 'Man of Iron' (1981), and 'Man of Marble' (1976). She presently manages her theatre in Warsaw.

Zbigniew Rybczyński (born in 1949)

He is a reputed director, multimedia artist, and cinematographer recognized as one of the first contributors to HDTV technology. He was the winner of the Oscar for the Best animated short film for 'Tango'. He has made several music videos for eminent artists like Simple Minds, Mick Jagger, and John Lennon's 'Imagine.'  

Janusz Kaminski (born in 1959)

She is an eminent cinematographer who has done the photography for every Steven Spielberg movie since 'Schindler's List' (1993). He presented the Academy Award twice for Best Cinematography for 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Schindler's List. 

Roman Polanski (born in 1953)

He is a well-known actor, film director, producer, and writer reputed for films like 'Chinatown' (1974), 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968), 'Tess' (1979), and 'The Pianist' (2002) for which he received an Oscar. 

Pawel Pawlikowski (born in 1957)

He is a reputed filmmaker known for his movie 'Last Resort,' written and directed by him in 2000, and received the BAFTA Award. He also made 'My Summer of Love' a loose adaptation of Helen Cross's novel, which was awarded a BAFTA and other awards at international festivals. He also won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film for his latest movie 'Ida'. 

Polish Oscars (Academy Awards) Winners: 

• Leopold Stoklowski (1942) for Music, Best Original Score for 'Fantasie'

• Bronislaw Kaper (1954) - Best Musical for 'Lili'

• Zbigniew Rybczyński (1983) - Best Animated Short Film for ‘Tango’

• Allan Starski & Ewa Braun (1993) - Best Art Direction/Set Decoration for 'Schindler's List'

• Janusz Kaminski (1993) - Best Picture for 'Schindler's List'

• Janusz Kaminski (1998) - Best Picture for 'Saving Private Ryan'

• Andrzej Wajda (1999) - Honorary Oscar for his various cinema contributions

• Roman Polanski (2002) - Best Director for the 'The Pianist'

• Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (2005) - for music, Best Original Score for 'Finding Neverland.'

• Pawel Pawlikowski (2014) - Best foreign language film for 'Ida.'

Stanislaw Lem (1921-2006)

He is a renowned science-fiction writer, satirist, philosopher, and futurologist. How works, translated into 41 languages, have sold more than 27 million copies. His contribution to science fiction literature matches that of H.G. Wells' works. 

Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969)

He is an eminent novelist, essayist, and playwright, whose works have been recognized worldwide for their psychological insight and philosophical meaning, which are related by using paradox and absurd.

Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004)

He was a famous poet, translator, and prose writer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980. He served as the Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures for over 30 years at the University of California in Berkeley.

Ryszard Kapuscinski (1932-2007)

He was an excellent writer and reporter who traveled to every part of the globe searching for exotic worlds. His book 'The Emperor,' which is his best reportage, contains descriptions of his experiences. He is the most frequently translated Polish writer after S. Lem.

Andrzej Sapkowski (born in 1948)

He is one of Poland's most famous fantasy writers known for his best-selling book series 'The Witcher (Wiedzmin) and other works. His novel Blood of Elves was translated into English, and it went on to win the David Gemmell Legend Award in 2009. A Polish Game publisher CD Projekt was inspired by the 'The Witcher' cycle and made an action-based role-playing game with the same title.

Olga Tokarczuk (born in 1962)

She is a famous Polish writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2018 for her creative work about crossing boundaries as a form of life.

Wislawa Szymborska (1923-2012)

She was a well-known Polish poet, translator, and essayist who received the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature for her poems. She was in the American Academy of Fine Arts and Literature as an honorary member, and this is a very significant American distinction given to acclaimed artists.

Wanda Rutkiewicz (1943-1992)

She was a famous Alpine and Himalayan mountain climber who became the third woman and the first European woman to reach the Mount Everest peak.

Marek Kaminski (born in 1964)

He was a well-known Polar explorer who became the first person to reach both poles. He bears the distinction of being the sole traveler to accomplish this in a single year (1995) without external aid.

Krzysztof Baranowski (born in 1938)

He is a journalist, sailor, and teacher who is recognized as the first Pole to sailing the globe single-handedly in 1972-1973 and 1999-2000.

Irene Szewinska (born in 1946)

She was a very talented athlete who participated in 5 Olympic Game editions and won 7 medals (3 gold), She was able to break the world record ten times and gained fame as the first woman to finish the 400 m race in less than 50 seconds.

Adam Malysz (born in 1977)

He is the best ski jumper, having won more titles in World Championships than other ski jumpers worldwide. He is one of the only two men to have won the overall world cup four times and has won 38 World cup competitions.

Robert Korzeniowski (born in 1968)

He is a famous race walker who has won the World 50 km Walking Champion title twice and has also won four Olympic gold medals (for 20 km and 50 km).

Justyna Kowalczyk (born in 1983)

She is one of the best cross country skiers, a double Olympic and a double World Champion. She has won the FIS Cross-Country World Cup thrice and has the distinction of being the only skier to win the Tour de Ski four times successively. She bears the record for the maximum wins in Tour de Ski having won 14 competitions and 29 podiums. She is amongst the only two female skiers to win the World Cup thrice in a row. 

Kamil Stoch (born in 1987)

He is a very talented ski jumper who became the 2014 double Olympic champion in the normal hill and large hill. He was also the large hill world champion in 2013 and 2014. He tried to break the mark held by Piotr Zyla on 26th January 2013 and, with a jump of 232.5, became the joint Polish ski flying record holder.

Agnieszka Radwańska (born in 1989)

She is an exceptional tennis player who was ranked No.4 on 27th May 2013. She became the first Pole in the Open Era to reach the singles final of a Grand Slam when she played the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. She also was the first Polish player to win a WTA singles title (the 2007 Nordea Nordic Light Open). Her other accomplishments include being the most popular player for two successive years (2011-2012) in a poll conducted by WTATennis.com and winning the WTA Award for Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006.  

Maja Włoszczowska (born in 1983)

She is a tremendous Polish mountain biker who became the world champion in 2010 by winning the Elite cross-country biking. In 2011, Maja could not retain the title due to a flat tire during the world championships and came second place by losing over a minute to Catharine Pendrel.

Robert Lewandowski (born in 1988)

He is a Polish footballer who plays in the Poland national football team as a striker and plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich (before Borussia Dortmund). He joined Dortmund in 2010 and had earlier played for Legia Warsaw, Delta Warsaw, and Lech Poznan. People remember him for his brilliance in the Champions League 2013.

Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969)

He is a fantastic pianist and jazz music composer who is regarded as the forerunner of European Jazz owing to his famous 1966 album' Astigmatic. He has written music scores for 65 films, including Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby'.

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)

He is an acclaimed virtuoso pianist and Polish composer called 'the poet of the piano and considered one of the great romantic music masters. The famous International Chopin Piano Competition is organized every five years in Poland, the artist's birthplace. Several virtuoso pianists have been awarded since 1927 for their superb performances of Chopin's compositions.

Czesław Niemen (1939-2004)

He is one of the pioneers of Polish rock music and is a renowned singer and composer. In 'Enigmatic,' his popular 1969 album. He beautifully blended the avant-garde with popular music and ushered the start of a new Polish rock era.

Krzysztof Penderecki (born in 1933)

He is a famous composer and conductor of classical music. Several of his compositions have been adapted to make movie soundtracks, such as in films like 'The Exorcist' made by William Friedkin, The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, Andrzej Wajda's 'Katyn,' and 'Wild at Heart' made by David Lynch.

Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013)

He is a classical and film music composer famous for writing music scores for more than 100 films, such as 'Dracula' (Francis E. Coppola, 'The Pianist' (Roman Polanski).

Basia Trzetrzelewska (born in 1954)

She was a great songwriter and pop-jazz singer who had an excellent recording career during the late 1980s and 1990s. She had several hit songs like 'Half a Minute" (1995), 'Cruising for Bruising' (1988), and 'Drunk on Love' (1994). 

Urszula Dudziak (born in 1943)

She was a jazz vocalist who worked with some of the best modern musicians like Bobby McFerrin, Gil Evans, Michal Urbaniak (her ex-husband), Sting, and Krzysztof Komeda.

Małgorzata Walewska (born in 1965)

She was a renowned opera singer, a mezzo-soprano who gave excellent performances like the Vienna State Opera with Luciano Pavarotti. She was featured as one of the top ten famous Poles by Time Magazine.

Magdalena Abakanowicz (born in 1930)

She is a well-known scholar and professor at the College of Fine Arts in Poznan while also lecturing at California University. She has received several awards and Honoris Causa doctorates from art schools in the US and Europe. She has to her credit more than 100 solo exhibitions worldwide. Like the 'Dragon's space' in Seoul at the Olympic Park, her sculptures are specially designed for public spaces.

Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990)

He was a renowned painter, set designer, assemblage artist, and theatre director. He was among the top reputed persons in Polish theatre.

Krzysztof Skórczewski (born in 1947)

He is a graphic artist who has been specializing in copper plating for the past 30 years. He has won various awards and has had more than fifty individual and two hundred group exhibitions worldwide

Igor Mitoraj (born in 1944)

He is a renowned painter and sculptor who has held 120 exhibitions since 1927. Many of his monumental sculptures of classical inspiration have been installed in places represented like Rome, Paris, Rome, London, Milan, and even cities in the USA and Japan. 

Włodek Pawlik (born in 1958)

He is a reputed Grammy award-winning composer and pianist. He is the winner of several music competitions, such as getting the top place in the instrumental category at the International Jazz Competition in Dunkirk, France (1984). Second at the International Composer's Competition in Monaco (1988). He graduated from the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg (Germany) and Frederic Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw.    

Wilhelm Sasnal (born in 1972)

He is an acclaimed modern painter who has his works on display at the world's best museums of contemporary art like the Tate Modern in London. In 2006, he won the van Gogh Biennial Award for Contemporary Art in Europe.

Leszek Możdżer (born in 1971)

He is a renowned Polish jazz pianist, a music producer, and also a film music composer. 

Rafał Blechacz (born in 1985)

He is a Polish classical pianist who got the distinction of being the only person to receive all five first prizes at the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw on 21st October 2005. He won the first prize and the polonaise, mazurka, sonata, and concerto prizes. He was also named the 2014 Gilmore Artist in 2014, being the seventh person to get this award and the second Polish pianist. He presently studies at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

Lech Wałęsa (born in 1943)

He is a Polish statesman, dissident who was the first democratically elected President of Poland (1990-1995). He also received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was a shipyard electrician and went on to become the leader of Solidarity. He ended the communist regime in Poland in 1989 by leading a pro-democratic effort, thus bringing an end to the Cold War.

Józef Rotblat (1908-2005)

He was a Polish physician who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995. He also was one of the founders of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs association, which stood for the fight against the usage and research on nuclear weapons.

Saint John Paul II (1920-2005)

He carries the unique distinction of being the first non-Italian Pope after 455 years, also the first of Slavic origin. His work was different from other Popes, and he moved worldwide, making an effort to encourage talks between nations and religions. He is recognized for his effort to put an end to Poland's communist rule. He also was instrumental in promoting the acceptance of human rights all over the world.