Cultural Production in
Present Day
France
France
France ranks #4 by number of biographies on Pantheon, behind United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. The most famous people from France are Napoleon, Louis XIV of France, and René Descartes. The most famous people who died in France are Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Vincent van Gogh. France has been the birthplace of many soccer players, and politicians and the death place of many politicians, and writers. The top cities in France by number of people born are Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, and Nice.
People
Between 380 BC and 2009, present-day France was the birthplace of 7,698 globally memorable people, including Napoleon, Louis XIV of France, and René Descartes. Additionally, 5,234 globally memorable people died in present-day France, including Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, and Vincent van Gogh.
People Born in Present-Day France
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Napoleon
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
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Regina of Autun
Religious Figure
237 - 253
HPI: 65.61
Rank: 1,648
Marie-Rose Tessier
Celebrity
1910 - 2026
HPI: 63.87
Rank: 2,095
Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery
Military Personnel
1530 - 1574
HPI: 63.61
Rank: 2,164
Bernard Tissier de Mallerais
Religious Figure
1945 - 2024
HPI: 63.19
Rank: 2,283
Coccinelle
Actor
1931 - 2006
HPI: 63.08
Rank: 2,316
Jean-Pierre Faye
Philosopher
1925 - 2026
HPI: 62.59
Rank: 2,486
Gérard Barray
Actor
1931 - 2024
HPI: 62.27
Rank: 2,592
Jeanne de Clisson
Pirate
1300 - 1359
HPI: 61.16
Rank: 2,927
Éliane Radigue
Composer
1932 - 2026
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 2,947
Jacqueline Sassard
Actor
1940 - 2021
HPI: 60.90
Rank: 3,008
Michèle Girardon
Actor
1938 - 1975
HPI: 60.57
Rank: 3,112
Marthe Robin
Religious Figure
1902 - 1981
HPI: 59.42
Rank: 3,492
People Deceased in Present-Day France
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Leonardo 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
Voltaire
Writer
1694 - 1778
HPI: 89.44
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Present-Day France
Go to all RankingsRegina of Autun
Religious Figure
237 - 253
HPI: 65.61
Rank: 1,775
Marie-Rose Tessier
Celebrity
1910 - 2026
HPI: 63.87
Rank: 2,259
Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery
Military Personnel
1530 - 1574
HPI: 63.61
Rank: 2,336
Coccinelle
Actor
1931 - 2006
HPI: 63.08
Rank: 2,494
Misia Sert
Celebrity
1872 - 1950
HPI: 62.87
Rank: 2,556
Jean-Pierre Faye
Philosopher
1925 - 2026
HPI: 62.59
Rank: 2,664
Leila Shahid
Diplomat
1949 - 2026
HPI: 62.35
Rank: 2,743
Jeanne de Clisson
Pirate
1300 - 1359
HPI: 61.16
Rank: 3,128
Éliane Radigue
Composer
1932 - 2026
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 3,151
Michèle Girardon
Actor
1938 - 1975
HPI: 60.57
Rank: 3,332
Bronisław Piłsudski
Social Activist
1866 - 1918
HPI: 60.40
Rank: 3,394
Gholam Reza Pahlavi
Nobleman
1923 - 2017
HPI: 60.17
Rank: 3,469
Occupations
Most people born in present-day France were soccer players (1136), politicians (990), writers (699), actors (561), and athletes (523), while most who died were politicians (1021), writers (741), painters (346), actors (287), and religious figures (205).
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visualization of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in present-day France since 1700.
