Several notable historical figures have lived in or have strong ties to Dalhousie:
* **Lord Dalhousie:** The British Governor-General of India (1848–1856) who founded the town in 1854 as a summer retreat and after whom it is named. * **Subhash Chandra Bose:** The prominent Indian nationalist leader stayed in Dalhousie for several months in 1937 to recover from tuberculosis; *Subhash Baoli* and *Subhash Chowk* are named in his honor. * **Rabindranath Tagore:** The Nobel laureate spent parts of his childhood here in 1873, an experience that heavily influenced his early connection to nature. * **Sardar Ajit Singh:** An Indian revolutionary and uncle to Bhagat Singh, he spent his final days in Dalhousie and was cremated at Panchpula.
