Throughout its history, Utah has had many, many residents who have risen to national prominence in a variety of fields. Here's a sampling:

• Maude Adams (1872-1953): Adams was a popular stage actress in the early 20th century. She first appeared on stage at age 9. Her most famous role was "Peter Pan," which, some said, J.M. Barrie created with her in mind.

• John Moses Browning (1855-1926): Called the "greatest firearms inventor the world has ever known," he is credited with 128 different patents, including the .45-caliber pistol, 1895 Colt Peacemaker and the Browning automatic rifle. More than 50 million sport and military guns were manufactured from his patents during his lifetime.

• Martha Hughes Cannon (1857-1932): A doctor, she served as the resident physician at Deseret Hospital. But she was also active in politics, particular women's suffrage. In 1896, she became the first woman in the country to be elected a state senator — and she beat out her husband, Angus, for the job.

• Willam F. Christensen (1902-2001): A dancer and choreographer, he co-founded first the San Francisco Ballet Company, and then the Utah Civic Ballet, which later became Ballet West. In all, he choreographed more than 50 ballets, including the first "Nutcracker."

• Marriner S. Eccles (1890-1977): A banker and financier, he helped create the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as well as structure the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve Building in Washington, D.C., is named for him.

• Philo T. Farnsworth (1906-1971): Considered the "father of electronic television," he believed that he could transform electrons into pictures — an idea that evolved into the television tube. His experiments also contributed to the development of radar, electron microscopes, newborn incubators and aircraft guidance systems.

• Ab Jenkins (1883-1956): A race-car designer and driver, he had numerous land speed records between 1932-56. His fastest speed, in his Mormon Meteor III, was 199.19 mph. He also served as mayor of Salt Lake City from 1940-43.

• Robert LeRoy Parker (aka Butch Cassidy) (1866-?): An outlaw, considered by many "the Robin Hood of the West," he robbed trains and banks with his partner, the Sundance Kid, and others. Some reports claimed that he died in Bolivia in 1908, but many people, including his sister Lula, have disputed that, saying he lived in the Northwest under an assumed name for several decades after that date.

• Esther Peterson (1906-1997): She served as a consumer adviser for three presidents, Kennedy, Johnson and Carter, and was also active in international consumer rights campaigns.

• Mahonri Young (1877-1957): A grandson of Brigham Young, Mahonri studied art in Utah, New York and Paris. He won national recognition for his sculptures of laborers and prizefighters, and he also created the This Is the Place Monument and the Seagull Monument on Temple Square.