Recife
Recife ranks 479th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind Amiens, Kutaisi, and Odense. Memorable people born in Recife include Vavá, Paulo Freire, and Rivaldo. Memorable people who died in Recife include Hélder Câmara, Naná Vasconcelos, and Gilberto Freyre. Recife has been the birth place of many soccer players, and politicians and the death place of many singers, and religious figures. Recife is located in Brazil.
Recife is the state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North and the Northeast Region of Brazil. It is the largest city in Pernambuco state, and the fourth-largest urban area in all of Brazil; the metro population of the city of Recife was 3,726,974 in 2022. Recife was founded in 1537, serving as the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco—known for its large-scale production of sugar cane. At one point, it was known as Mauritsstad, when it served as the capital city of the 17th century colony of New Holland of Dutch Brazil. Situated at the confluence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers, before they drain into the South Atlantic Ocean, Recife is a major seaport along the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present offshore. Together with the urban presence of the Beberibe and Capibaribe rivers and their tributaries, the many additional unique, small islands—and more than 50 bridges linking them throughout the city—create a distinct maritime or "riviera" atmosphere, leading to Recife being known as the "Venice of Brazil". Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 1849 and 1997, Recife was the birth place of 30 globally memorable people, including Vavá, Paulo Freire, and Rivaldo. Additionaly, 6 globally memorable people have passed away in Recife including Hélder Câmara, Naná Vasconcelos, and Gilberto Freyre.
People Born in Recife
Go to all RankingsVavá
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2002
HPI: 69.00
Rank: 1
Paulo Freire
PHILOSOPHER
1921 - 1997
HPI: 68.12
Rank: 2
Rivaldo
SOCCER PLAYER
1972 - Present
HPI: 66.03
Rank: 3
Ademir de Menezes
SOCCER PLAYER
1922 - 1996
HPI: 63.13
Rank: 4
Juninho Pernambucano
SOCCER PLAYER
1975 - Present
HPI: 58.89
Rank: 5
Naná Vasconcelos
SINGER
1944 - 2016
HPI: 51.83
Rank: 6
Gilberto Freyre
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1900 - 1987
HPI: 51.48
Rank: 7
Zequinha
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2009
HPI: 51.37
Rank: 8
Ricardo Rocha
SOCCER PLAYER
1962 - Present
HPI: 49.48
Rank: 9
Rildo da Costa Menezes
SOCCER PLAYER
1942 - 2021
HPI: 48.87
Rank: 10
Manuel Bandeira
WRITER
1886 - 1968
HPI: 48.36
Rank: 11
Josué de Castro
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1908 - 1973
HPI: 47.74
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Recife
Go to all RankingsJoaquim Nabuco
POLITICIAN
1849 - 1910
HPI: 47.21
Rank: 14
Herbert MacKay-Fraser
RACING DRIVER
1922 - 1957
HPI: 45.70
Rank: 16
Catanha
SOCCER PLAYER
1972 - Present
HPI: 39.17
Rank: 19
Nino
SOCCER PLAYER
1997 - Present
HPI: 33.87
Rank: 22
Etiene Medeiros
SWIMMER
1991 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Rank: 30
People Deceased in Recife
Go to all RankingsHélder Câmara
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1909 - 1999
HPI: 61.06
Rank: 1
Naná Vasconcelos
SINGER
1944 - 2016
HPI: 51.83
Rank: 2
Gilberto Freyre
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1900 - 1987
HPI: 51.48
Rank: 3
Zequinha
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2009
HPI: 51.37
Rank: 4
Luiz Gonzaga
SINGER
1912 - 1989
HPI: 51.08
Rank: 5
Gregório de Matos
WRITER
1636 - 1696
HPI: 49.03
Rank: 6
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Recife were soccer players (16), politicians (3), writers (2), volleyball players (2), and philosophers (1), while most who died were singers (2), religious figures (1), anthropologists (1), soccer players (1), and writers (1).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, soccer players have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Recife, including Vavá, Rivaldo, and Juninho Pernambucano. Whereas, throughout history, soccer players have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Recife, including Vavá, Rivaldo, and Ademir de Menezes.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 14 globally memorable people born in Recife since 1700.