Peter J. McArdle was born in
Belpre, Ohio on July 17, 1874. He grew up in
Muncie, Indiana and then moved to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1905 when he was elected as president of the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. McArdle's home in later life was on Bigham Street in the
Mount Washington neighborhood of
Pittsburgh. He died there on January 1, 1940, and was buried at
Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh. His son,
Joseph A. McArdle, became a Pittsburgh city councilmember and United States Congressman. His great-grandson is actor
Zachary Quinto; their family story was featured on the 2022
series finale of
Who Do You Think You Are?, an
NBC television series that explores the family histories of celebrities. ==Union activities and political career==