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 Audrey Hepburn. 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 cyclists and the death place of many politicians, and painters.
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it 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. Belgium covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.8 million; its population density of 383/km2 (990/sq mi) ranks 22nd in the world and sixth in Europe. 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 1,421 globally memorable people, including Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Pepin the Short, and Audrey Hepburn. Additionaly, 547 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: 87.50
Rank: 1,250
Pepin the Short
POLITICIAN
715 - 768
HPI: 83.38
Rank: 1,298
Audrey Hepburn
ACTOR
1929 - 1993
HPI: 83.14
Rank: 172
Jan van Eyck
PAINTER
1395 - 1441
HPI: 82.52
Rank: 198
Clovis I
POLITICIAN
466 - 511
HPI: 82.38
Rank: 24
Charles Martel
MILITARY PERSONNEL
688 - 741
HPI: 82.26
Rank: 739
Maurice Maeterlinck
WRITER
1862 - 1949
HPI: 82.17
Rank: 180
Ursula von der Leyen
POLITICIAN
1958 - Present
HPI: 81.50
Rank: 563
Philip I of Castile
POLITICIAN
1478 - 1506
HPI: 81.29
Rank: 144
John of Gaunt
NOBLEMAN
1340 - 1399
HPI: 81.03
Rank: 151
Andreas Vesalius
PHYSICIAN
1514 - 1564
HPI: 80.41
Rank: 1,118
Anthony van Dyck
PAINTER
1599 - 1641
HPI: 80.23
Rank: 996
Newly Added People Born in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsDominique Mathieu
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1963 - Present
HPI: 57.88
Rank: 1,097
Ludo Dierckxsens
CYCLIST
1964 - 2025
HPI: 53.75
Rank: 1,091
Wim Delvoye
SCULPTOR
1965 - Present
HPI: 50.36
Rank: 1,090
Wilfried Peeters
CYCLIST
1964 - Present
HPI: 47.87
Rank: 1,092
Ann Haesebrouck
ATHLETE
1963 - Present
HPI: 47.55
Rank: 1,098
Hein Vanhaezebrouck
COACH
1964 - Present
HPI: 47.37
Rank: 1,093
Marc Van Der Linden
SOCCER PLAYER
1964 - Present
HPI: 47.31
Rank: 1,096
Anne Coesens
ACTOR
1966 - Present
HPI: 47.10
Rank: 1,087
Johan Capiot
CYCLIST
1964 - Present
HPI: 47.09
Rank: 1,094
Marianne Basler
ACTOR
1964 - Present
HPI: 46.38
Rank: 1,095
Red Sebastian
SINGER
1999 - Present
HPI: 46.08
Rank: 1,015
Vincent Rijmen
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1970 - Present
HPI: 45.77
Rank: 1,082
People Deceased in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsPeter Paul Rubens
PAINTER
1577 - 1640
HPI: 88.29
Rank: 508
Giacomo Puccini
COMPOSER
1858 - 1924
HPI: 85.72
Rank: 12
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
PAINTER
1525 - 1569
HPI: 83.58
Rank: 440
Jan van Eyck
PAINTER
1395 - 1441
HPI: 82.52
Rank: 157
Jacques-Louis David
PAINTER
1748 - 1825
HPI: 82.11
Rank: 22
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
POLITICIAN
1050 - 1106
HPI: 80.67
Rank: 519
René Magritte
PAINTER
1898 - 1967
HPI: 80.07
Rank: 111
Leopold II of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1835 - 1909
HPI: 79.93
Rank: 228
Carlota of Mexico
COMPANION
1840 - 1927
HPI: 79.22
Rank: 121
Leopold I of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1790 - 1865
HPI: 78.85
Rank: 229
Mary of Burgundy
POLITICIAN
1457 - 1482
HPI: 78.56
Rank: 262
Rogier van der Weyden
PAINTER
1390 - 1464
HPI: 78.33
Rank: 534
Newly Added People Deceased in Present Day Belgium
Go to all RankingsLudo Dierckxsens
CYCLIST
1964 - 2025
HPI: 53.75
Rank: 258
Menno Oosting
TENNIS PLAYER
1964 - 1999
HPI: 44.31
Rank: 259
Bohdan Shershun
SOCCER PLAYER
1981 - 2024
HPI: 38.37
Rank: 257
Dilano van 't Hoff
RACING DRIVER
2004 - 2023
HPI: 32.39
Rank: 256
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Belgium were soccer players (308), cyclists (182), athletes (163), politicians (155), and painters (109), while most who died were politicians (123), painters (82), soccer players (45), cyclists (35), 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, Kevin De Bruyne, 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, Kevin De Bruyne, 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.






































