Cultural Production in
Present Day
France
France
France ranks 4th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. Memorable people born in present day France include Napoleon, Louis XIV of France, and René Descartes. Memorable people who died in France include Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Vincent van Gogh. France has been the birth place of many soccer players, and politicians and the death place of many politicians, and writers. The top cities in France by number of biographies are Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg.
People
Between 380 BC and 2009, present day France was the birth place of 7,593 globally memorable people, including Napoleon, Louis XIV of France, and René Descartes. Additionaly, 5,167 globally memorable people have passed away in present day France including Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Vincent van Gogh.
People Born in Present Day France
Go to all RankingsNapoleon
POLITICIAN
1769 - 1821
HPI: 95.29
Rank: 1
Louis XIV of France
POLITICIAN
1638 - 1715
HPI: 93.01
Rank: 2
René Descartes
PHILOSOPHER
1596 - 1650
HPI: 92.12
Rank: 3
Blaise Pascal
MATHEMATICIAN
1623 - 1662
HPI: 91.04
Rank: 4
Joan of Arc
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1412 - 1431
HPI: 91.02
Rank: 5
Louis XVI of France
POLITICIAN
1754 - 1793
HPI: 90.50
Rank: 6
Victor Hugo
WRITER
1802 - 1885
HPI: 89.52
Rank: 7
Voltaire
WRITER
1694 - 1778
HPI: 89.44
Rank: 8
Louis Pasteur
CHEMIST
1822 - 1895
HPI: 89.24
Rank: 9
Claude Monet
PAINTER
1840 - 1926
HPI: 88.69
Rank: 10
Jules Verne
WRITER
1828 - 1905
HPI: 88.32
Rank: 11
Molière
WRITER
1622 - 1673
HPI: 87.83
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Present Day France
Go to all RankingsMarie-Rose Tessier
CELEBRITY
1910 - 2026
HPI: 63.87
Rank: 2,094
Éliane Radigue
COMPOSER
1932 - 2026
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 2,940
Jacqueline Sassard
ACTOR
1940 - 2021
HPI: 60.90
Rank: 3,001
Rolland Courbis
SOCCER PLAYER
1953 - 2026
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 3,698
Didier Eribon
PHILOSOPHER
1953 - Present
HPI: 58.29
Rank: 3,829
Antoine Joseph Santerre
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1752 - 1809
HPI: 57.69
Rank: 4,010
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
ACTOR
1949 - 2010
HPI: 57.57
Rank: 4,045
Michel Portal
COMPOSER
1935 - 2026
HPI: 57.50
Rank: 4,063
Bruno Retailleau
POLITICIAN
1960 - Present
HPI: 57.03
Rank: 4,196
Jean-Paul Vesco
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1962 - Present
HPI: 56.70
Rank: 4,284
Michel Fugain
SINGER
1942 - Present
HPI: 56.63
Rank: 4,304
Coralie Fargeat
FILM DIRECTOR
1976 - Present
HPI: 56.33
Rank: 4,381
People Deceased in Present Day France
Go to all RankingsLeonardo da Vinci
INVENTOR
1452 - 1519
HPI: 96.80
Rank: 1
Marie Curie
PHYSICIST
1867 - 1934
HPI: 94.30
Rank: 2
Vincent van Gogh
PAINTER
1853 - 1890
HPI: 93.26
Rank: 3
Louis XIV of France
POLITICIAN
1638 - 1715
HPI: 93.01
Rank: 4
Frédéric Chopin
COMPOSER
1810 - 1849
HPI: 92.48
Rank: 5
Pablo Picasso
PAINTER
1881 - 1973
HPI: 91.68
Rank: 6
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
PHILOSOPHER
1712 - 1778
HPI: 91.27
Rank: 7
Blaise Pascal
MATHEMATICIAN
1623 - 1662
HPI: 91.04
Rank: 8
Joan of Arc
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1412 - 1431
HPI: 91.02
Rank: 9
Louis XVI of France
POLITICIAN
1754 - 1793
HPI: 90.50
Rank: 10
Victor Hugo
WRITER
1802 - 1885
HPI: 89.52
Rank: 11
Louis Pasteur
CHEMIST
1822 - 1895
HPI: 89.24
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Present Day France
Go to all RankingsMarie-Rose Tessier
CELEBRITY
1910 - 2026
HPI: 63.87
Rank: 1,531
Leila Shahid
DIPLOMAT
1949 - 2026
HPI: 62.35
Rank: 1,756
Éliane Radigue
COMPOSER
1932 - 2026
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 1,913
Mario Adorf
ACTOR
1930 - 2026
HPI: NaN
Rank: 2,131
Mike Brant
SINGER
1947 - 1975
HPI: 59.12
Rank: 3,795
Zeid bin Hussein
NOBLEMAN
1898 - 1970
HPI: 59.07
Rank: 3,817
Rolland Courbis
SOCCER PLAYER
1953 - 2026
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 3,932
Antoine Joseph Santerre
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1752 - 1809
HPI: 57.69
Rank: 4,217
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
ACTOR
1949 - 2010
HPI: 57.57
Rank: 4,253
Michel Portal
COMPOSER
1935 - 2026
HPI: 57.50
Rank: 4,273
Dominique Zardi
ACTOR
1930 - 2009
HPI: 56.31
Rank: 4,551
Charles Denner
ACTOR
1926 - 1995
HPI: 56.02
Rank: 4,611
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day France were soccer players (1114), politicians (987), writers (691), actors (534), and athletes (523), while most who died were politicians (1020), writers (733), painters (345), actors (261), and religious figures (203).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, soccer players have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in present day France, including Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, and Raymond Kopa. Whereas, throughout history, soccer players have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day France, including Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, and Raymond Kopa.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in present day France since 1700.




































