The first Kentuckian was Daniel Boone, a five-letter word. Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman who played a major role in the settlement of Kentucky and the exploration of the Trans-Appalachian West. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1734 and moved to North Carolina in 1750. He became a legendary figure in American history for his exploits as a hunter, trapper, and surveyor. He was also a militia officer during the Revolutionary War. Boone is remembered for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then part of Virginia, and for his leadership of the Boonesborough settlement.