Cultural Production in
Present Day
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium ranks 20th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind Ukraine, Türkiye, and Czechia. Memorable people born in present day Belgium include Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Pepin the Short, and Clovis I. Memorable people who died in Belgium include Peter Paul Rubens, Giacomo Puccini, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Belgium has been the birth place of many soccer players, and politicians and the death place of many politicians, and painters.
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. It covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.7 million. With 383/km2 (990/sq mi), Belgium's population density ranks 22nd in the world and 6th in Europe. Belgium is part of an area known as the Low Countries, historically a somewhat larger region than the Benelux group of states, as it also included parts of northern France. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 100 BC and 2008, present day Belgium was the birth place of 1,324 globally memorable people, including Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Pepin the Short, and Clovis I. Additionaly, 543 globally memorable people have passed away in present day Belgium including Peter Paul Rubens, Giacomo Puccini, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
People Born in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
POLITICIAN
1500 - 1558
HPI: 83.97
Rank: 1
Pepin the Short
POLITICIAN
715 - 768
HPI: 80.45
Rank: 2
Clovis I
POLITICIAN
466 - 511
HPI: 79.88
Rank: 3
Charles Martel
MILITARY PERSONNEL
688 - 741
HPI: 79.49
Rank: 4
Audrey Hepburn
ACTOR
1929 - 1993
HPI: 79.45
Rank: 5
Jan van Eyck
PAINTER
1395 - 1441
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 6
René Magritte
PAINTER
1898 - 1967
HPI: 77.51
Rank: 7
Leopold II of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1835 - 1909
HPI: 77.41
Rank: 8
Gerardus Mercator
GEOGRAPHER
1512 - 1594
HPI: 77.17
Rank: 9
Maurice Maeterlinck
WRITER
1862 - 1949
HPI: 76.70
Rank: 10
Andreas Vesalius
PHYSICIAN
1514 - 1564
HPI: 76.48
Rank: 11
Anthony van Dyck
PAINTER
1599 - 1641
HPI: 76.47
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsJuliana of Liège
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1193 - 1258
HPI: 56.93
Rank: 237
John III, Duke of Brabant
POLITICIAN
1300 - 1355
HPI: 55.79
Rank: 293
Frans Janssens
SOCCER PLAYER
1945 - 2024
HPI: 55.55
Rank: 304
Odilon Polleunis
SOCCER PLAYER
1943 - 2023
HPI: 55.46
Rank: 307
Frans Francken the Younger
PAINTER
1581 - 1642
HPI: 55.30
Rank: 313
John I, Count of Hainaut
NOBLEMAN
1218 - 1257
HPI: 54.83
Rank: 334
Gaspar de Crayer
PAINTER
1584 - 1669
HPI: 54.20
Rank: 359
Lucas van Valckenborch
PAINTER
1535 - 1597
HPI: 53.95
Rank: 371
Aelbrecht Bouts
PAINTER
1450 - 1549
HPI: 53.90
Rank: 376
Erasmus Quellinus the Younger
PAINTER
1607 - 1678
HPI: 53.84
Rank: 381
Joris Hoefnagel
PAINTER
1542 - 1600
HPI: 53.81
Rank: 384
Hans Bol
PAINTER
1534 - 1593
HPI: 53.30
Rank: 403
People Deceased in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsPeter Paul Rubens
PAINTER
1577 - 1640
HPI: 84.52
Rank: 1
Giacomo Puccini
COMPOSER
1858 - 1924
HPI: 81.39
Rank: 2
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
PAINTER
1525 - 1569
HPI: 79.94
Rank: 3
Jan van Eyck
PAINTER
1395 - 1441
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 4
Jacques-Louis David
PAINTER
1748 - 1825
HPI: 78.10
Rank: 5
René Magritte
PAINTER
1898 - 1967
HPI: 77.51
Rank: 6
Leopold II of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1835 - 1909
HPI: 77.41
Rank: 7
Leopold III of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1901 - 1983
HPI: 76.38
Rank: 8
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
POLITICIAN
1050 - 1106
HPI: 75.47
Rank: 9
Leopold I of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1790 - 1865
HPI: 73.97
Rank: 10
Mary of Burgundy
POLITICIAN
1457 - 1482
HPI: 73.75
Rank: 11
Rogier van der Weyden
PAINTER
1390 - 1464
HPI: 72.06
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsArchduke Carl Ludwig of Austria
NOBLEMAN
1918 - 2007
HPI: 58.21
Rank: 143
Juliana of Liège
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1193 - 1258
HPI: 56.93
Rank: 174
Nicholas of Verdun
ARTIST
1130 - 1205
HPI: 56.81
Rank: 178
Édouard Herzen
CHEMIST
1877 - 1936
HPI: 56.16
Rank: 201
John III, Duke of Brabant
POLITICIAN
1300 - 1355
HPI: 55.79
Rank: 215
Frans Janssens
SOCCER PLAYER
1945 - 2024
HPI: 55.55
Rank: 227
Odilon Polleunis
SOCCER PLAYER
1943 - 2023
HPI: 55.46
Rank: 229
Frans Francken the Younger
PAINTER
1581 - 1642
HPI: 55.30
Rank: 232
Gaspar de Crayer
PAINTER
1584 - 1669
HPI: 54.20
Rank: 270
Aelbrecht Bouts
PAINTER
1450 - 1549
HPI: 53.90
Rank: 283
Erasmus Quellinus the Younger
PAINTER
1607 - 1678
HPI: 53.84
Rank: 284
Henry III, Count of Louvain
NOBLEMAN
1060 - 1095
HPI: 53.74
Rank: 291
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Belgium were soccer players (276), politicians (154), athletes (154), cyclists (146), and painters (109), while most who died were politicians (123), painters (82), soccer players (44), cyclists (34), and writers (31).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, soccer players have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in present day Belgium, including Jean-Marie Pfaff, Paul Van Himst, and Michel Preud'homme. Whereas, throughout history, soccer players have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Belgium, including Jean-Marie Pfaff, Paul Van Himst, and Michel Preud'homme.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in present day Belgium since 1700.