Leading Figures in History

Discover the people who shaped our world — from rulers and scientists to artists and activists.

62247 persons found

Jan de Bont

b. 1943

Dutch film director

Jan de Hartog

b. 1914

Dutch playwright and novelist (1914–2002)

Jan DeGaetani

American opera singer

Jan Dismas Zelenka

b. 1679

Czech composer (1679–1745)

Jan Duursema

b. 1954

Artist

Jan Dymitr Solikowski

Polish archbishop

Jan Egeland

b. 1957

Norwegian diplomat and politician (born 1957)

Jan Eliasson

b. 1940

Swedish diplomat (born 1940)

Jan Erik Vold

b. 1939

Norwegian writer, jazz vocal reciter, and translator (born 1939)

Jan Ernst Matzeliger

b. 1852

Dutch inventor

Jan Evangelista Purkyně

Czech biologist and physiologist (1787–1869)

Jan Francisci

b. 1691

Slovak organist and composer

Jan Frans De Boever

Belgian Symbolist painter

Jan Fyt

b. 1609

Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and etcher (1609–1661)

Jan Gies

b. 1905

Dutch Resistance member who helped hide Anne Frank

Jan Gossaert

Flemish painter (1478–1532)

Jan Gotlib Bloch

b. 1826

Polish banker (1836–1902)

Jan Gruter

Flemish-born philologist, scholar, and librarian (1560-1627)

Jan Hammer

b. 1948

Czech-American musician (born 1948)

Jan Heemskerk

b. 1818

Dutch politician

Jan Hein Donner

b. 1927

Dutch chess grandmaster (1927–1988)

Jan Hendrik van den Berg

b. 1914

Dutch psychiatrist

Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen

b. 1735

Dutch naval officer (1735–1819)

Jan Hettema

South African cyclist (1933–2016)