Arts & Entertainment:
* Richard Pryor: Legendary comedian and actor.
* Dan Aykroyd: Actor, comedian, and writer known for "Saturday Night Live" and "Ghostbusters."
* Bob Newhart: Stand-up comedian and actor known for his deadpan humor.
* Jim Belushi: Actor and comedian known for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Blues Brothers."
* David Spade: Comedian and actor known for "Saturday Night Live" and "Just Shoot Me!"
* Steve Zahn: Actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Daddy Day Camp."
* Tom Kenny: Voice actor known for the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants.
* Dee Snider: Heavy metal vocalist known for Twisted Sister.
Sports:
* Dave DeBusschere: Basketball player and coach, member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
* Dick Butkus: Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
* Lou Holtz: Former football coach, known for his time at Notre Dame.
* Bob Feller: Hall of Fame pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.
* John Elway: Quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Super Bowl champion.
* Gary Payton: Hall of Fame point guard for the Seattle SuperSonics.
Politics & Business:
* Adlai Stevenson: Governor of Illinois and two-time Democratic Presidential candidate.
* David H. Petraeus: Former U.S. Army General, Director of the CIA.
* Jim Edgar: Former Governor of Illinois.
* Ray LaHood: Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
* David Rubenstein: Co-founder of The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm.
Others:
* Ronald Reagan: Though not born in Peoria, he spent much of his youth in the area.
* Walt Disney: Though not born in Peoria, he spent a significant amount of his youth there, and his early career was influenced by his time in the area.
This is just a partial list, as Peoria has a rich history and has produced many other notable figures.