100 Notable Alumni of the University of Liege [Sorted List]

Joseph Plateau

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1801-1883 (aged 82)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1829 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
Occupations: university teachermathematicianacademicphysicist
Biography: Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau was a Belgian physicist and mathematician. He was one of the first people to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this, he used counterrotating disks with repeating drawn images in small increments of motion on one and regularly spaced slits in the other. He called this device of 1832 the phenakistiscope.

Theodor Schwann

Born in: Germany
Years: 1810-1882 (aged 72)
Occupations: physiologistphysicianbotanistuniversity teacherbiologist
Biography: Theodor Schwann was a German physician and physiologist. His most significant contribution to biology is considered to be the extension of cell theory to animals. Other contributions include the discovery of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, the discovery and study of pepsin, the discovery of the organic nature of yeast, and the invention of the term "metabolism".

Nafissatou Thiam

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1994-.. (age 31)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied geography
Occupations: athletics competitor
Biography: Nafissatou "Nafi" Thiam is a Belgian athlete specialising in multi-event competition. She is the first athlete with three multi-event gold medals at the Olympic Games, winning the heptathlon at the 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. Her three individual Olympic golds in a row for a woman equals the record of Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland in the hammer and Faith Kipyegon in the 1500 metres Thiam is also the only Belgian athlete to successfully defend an Olympic title.

Giovanni Battista Caproni

Born in: Italy
Years: 1886-1957 (aged 71)
Occupations: aircraft pilotmilitary flight engineerbusinesspersoncivil engineer
Biography: Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni, 1st Count of Taliedo was an Italian aeronautical engineer, civil engineer, electrical engineer, and aircraft designer who founded the Caproni aircraft-manufacturing company.

Haroun Tazieff

Born in: Poland
Years: 1914-1998 (aged 84)
Occupations: volcanologistpoliticianfilm directorgeologistwriter
Biography: Haroun Tazieff was a Franco-Belgian volcanologist and geologist. He was a famous cinematographer of volcanic eruptions and lava flows, and the author of several books on volcanoes. He was also a government adviser and French cabinet minister. He also served in the Belgian resistance during World War II.

Gauthier Destenay

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1979-.. (age 46)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 2003 studied architecture
Occupations: architect
Biography: Gauthier Christian Destenay is a Belgian architect who is the husband of former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel.

Didier Reynders

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: university teacherpoliticianlawyerNoiraud
Biography: Didier Reynders is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR) that served as European Commissioner for Justice until 30 November 2024. He held various positions in public institutions before becoming a member of the House in 1992. Until resigning to become the Belgian European Commissioner Reynders had been a minister continuously from 1999 to 2019.

Hassan Pakravan

Born in: Iran
Years: 1911-1979 (aged 68)
Occupations: politiciandiplomatmilitary personnel
Biography: Hassan Pakravan was a well-known diplomat and minister in the Pahlavi government of Iran. He is not only notable for his political involvement with the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi government and SAVAK, but also his relationship with Ruhollah Khomeini.

Noémie Happart

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1993-.. (age 32)
Occupations: modelbeauty pageant contestant
Biography: Noémie Happart is a Belgian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Belgium 2013. She represented her country at Miss Universe 2013 and Miss World 2013.

Raoul Hedebouw

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Raoul Hedebouw is a Belgian politician who has been serving as the president of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PVDA-PTB) since 2021. He previously served as the national spokesperson of the party until 2021, as well as parliamentary leader in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. He furthermore serves as member of the Liège City Council.

Henryk Arctowski

Born in: Poland
Years: 1871-1958 (aged 87)
Occupations: geographerexplorermeteorologistgeologist
Biography: Henryk Arctowski, born Henryk Artzt, was a Polish scientist and explorer.

Vladimir Volkoff

Born in: France
Years: 1932-2005 (aged 73)
Occupations: playwrightbiographerintelligence officerprose writerwriter
Biography: Vladimir Volkoff was a Russian writer who lived in France and whose books were written in French. He produced both literary works for adults and spy novels for young readers under the pseudonym Lieutenant X. His works are characterised by themes of the Cold War, intelligence and manipulation, but also by metaphysical and spiritual elements.

Laurette Onkelinx

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Laurette A. J. Onkelinx is a Belgian politician from the Francophone Socialist Party. She was the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in the Belgian federal government, i.e., the Di Rupo Government, which took office on 6 December 2011.

Ludivine Dedonder

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Occupations: television presenterpolitician
Biography: Ludivine Dedonder is a Belgian politician of the Socialist Party (PS) who served as Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo from 2020 to 2025.

Albert Claude

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1898-1983 (aged 85)
Occupations: academicphysicianbiologistchemistuniversity teacher
Biography: Albert Claude was a Belgian-American cell biologist and medical doctor who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 with Christian de Duve and George Emil Palade. His elementary education started in a comprehensive primary school at Longlier, his birthplace. He served in the British Intelligence Service during the First World War, and got imprisoned in concentration camps twice. In recognition of his service, he was granted enrolment at the University of Liège in Belgium to study medicine without any formal education required for the course. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1928. Devoted to medical research, he initially joined German institutes in Berlin. In 1929 he found an opportunity to join the Rockefeller Institute in New York. At Rockefeller University he made his most groundbreaking achievements in cell biology. In 1930 he developed the technique of cell fractionation, by which he discovered the agent of the Rous sarcoma, as well as components of cell organelles such as the mitochondrion, chloroplast, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, ribosome, and lysosome. He was the first to employ the electron microscope in the field of biology. In 1945 he published the first detailed structure of cell. His collective works established the complex functional and structural properties of cells.

Vinciane Despret

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: university teacherperforming artistphilosopherdramaturge
Biography: Vinciane Despret is a Belgian philosopher of science. She is an associate professor at the University of Liège and also teaches at the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Stefania Wilczyńska

Born in: Poland
Years: 1886-1942 (aged 56)
Occupations: writerpedagogueteacher
Biography: Stefania "Stefa" Wilczyńska was a Polish educator who was murdered in the Holocaust.

Charles Rogier

Born in: France
Years: 1800-1885 (aged 85)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1826 studied jurisprudence
Occupations: politicianjournalistlawyer
Biography: Charles Latour Rogier was a Belgian liberal statesman and a leader in the Belgian Revolution of 1830. He served as the prime minister of Belgium on two occasions: from 1847 to 1852, and again from 1857 to 1868.

Jan Kowalewski

Born in: Poland
Years: 1892-1965 (aged 73)
Occupations: engineercryptographerdiplomatmilitary officer
Biography: Lt. Col. Jan Kowalewski was a Polish cryptologist, intelligence officer, engineer, journalist, military commander, and creator and first head of the Polish Cipher Bureau. He recruited a large staff of cryptologists who broke Soviet military codes and ciphers during the Polish-Soviet War, enabling Poland to weather the war and achieve victory in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw.

Steven Laureys

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1968-.. (age 57)
Occupations: neurologistphysician writerphysicianauthoruniversity teacher
Biography: Steven Laureys is a Belgian neurologist. He is principally known as a clinician and researcher in the field of neurology of consciousness.

Jean Rey

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1902-1983 (aged 81)
Occupations: politicianjuristlawyer
Biography: Jean Rey was a Belgian Liberal politician who served as the second president of the European Commission from 1967 to 1970. He served as European Commissioner for External Relations from 1958 to 1967. The 1983–1984 academic year at the College of Europe was named in his honour.

Camille Huysmans

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1871-1968 (aged 97)
Occupations: politicianprofessorteacherediting staff
Biography: Jean Joseph Camille Huysmans was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1946 to 1947.

Eugène Charles Catalan

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1814-1894 (aged 80)
Occupations: mathematicianuniversity teacher
Biography: Eugène Charles Catalan was a French and Belgian mathematician who worked on continued fractions, descriptive geometry, number theory and combinatorics. His notable contributions included discovering a periodic minimal surface in the space R 3 {\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{3}}; stating the famous Catalan's conjecture, which was eventually proved in 2002; and introducing the Catalan numbers to solve a combinatorial problem.

Marc Tarabella

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1963-.. (age 62)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1986 studied sociology
Occupations: politiciansociologist
Biography: Marc Tarabella is a Belgian politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the Parti Socialiste, part of the Socialist Group. In February 2023 he was charged with corruption and money laundering in connection with the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament.

Aleksandr Yakovlevich Arosev

Born in: Russia
Years: 1890-1938 (aged 48)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied in 1910-1911
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelrevolutionarywriterdiplomat
Biography: Aleksander Yakovlevich Arosev was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet diplomat and writer.

Auguste Kerckhoffs

Born in: Netherlands
Years: 1835-1903 (aged 68)
Occupations: cryptographerlinguistmathematician
Biography: Auguste Kerckhoffs was a Dutch linguist and cryptographer in the late 19th century.

Maurice Grevisse

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1895-1980 (aged 85)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1925 graduated with doctorate in classical philology
Occupations: writerlinguist
Biography: Maurice Grevisse was a Belgian grammarian.

Anne-Marie Lizin

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1949-2015 (aged 66)
Occupations: politicianprofessor
Biography: Anne-Marie Lizin-Vanderspeeten was a Belgian politician, who served as the President of the Senate of Belgium from 2004 to 2007.

Pierre Harmel

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1911-2009 (aged 98)
Occupations: university teacherpoliticianlawyerdiplomat
Biography: Pierre Charles José Marie, Count Harmel was a Belgian lawyer, Christian Democratic politician and diplomat. Harmel served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1965 to 1966.

Frédérique Ries

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: journalistpolitician
Biography: Frédérique Ries is a Belgian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium with the MR/MCC/PRL, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

George de Bothezat

Born in: Russia
Years: 1882-1940 (aged 58)
Occupations: military flight engineermathematicianengineerinventor
Biography: George de Bothezat was a Romanian-Russian American engineer, businessman, and pioneer of helicopter flight.

Walthère Frère-Orban

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1812-1896 (aged 84)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Hubert Joseph Walthère Frère-Orban was a Belgian liberal statesman.

Jean-Claude Marcourt

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1956-.. (age 69)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Jean-Claude Marcourt is a Belgian politician who has been serving as President of the Parliament of Wallonia since 2019. He was the Vice-Minister-President and Minister of Economy and Foreign Affairs of the Walloon government and Vice-Minister-President and Minister of Higher Education of the Government of the French Community. He is a member of the Belgian Francophone Socialist Party (PS).

Alain Destexhe

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: politicianphysician
Biography: Alain Destexhe is a Belgian politician. He was a senator from 1995 to 2011, and remained a member of the Brussels Regional Parliament until 2019. Destexhe was a member of the liberal Mouvement Réformateur (MR) and represented Belgium in the World Economic Forum. He was awarded the Prize for Liberty by Nova Civitas in 2006. He was Secretary-General of Médecins Sans Frontières from 1991 to 1995, and President of the International Crisis Group from 1997 to October 1999.

Edmond Leburton

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1915-1997 (aged 82)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Edmond Jules Isidore Leburton was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1973 to 1974.

Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski

Born in: Poland
Years: 1872-1954 (aged 82)
Occupations: geophysicistexplorermeteorologistphysicistgeographer
Biography: Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski was a Polish geophysicist, meteorologist and explorer.

Pierre Kroll

Born in: DR Congo
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: cartoonisteditorial cartoonistcaricaturist
Biography: Pierre Kroll is a Belgian cartoonist and caricaturist. He is the nephew of architect Lucien Kroll.

Ahmed Laaouej

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1969-.. (age 56)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Ahmed Laaouej is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives elected through the Parti Socialiste. He is the mayor of the commune of Koekelberg and Head of the PS parliamentary group in the House of Representatives.

Willy Demeyer

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: politicianjuristlawyer
Biography: Willy Demeyer is a Belgian politician. He is the mayor of Liège since 1999 and has served as the Vice-President of the Socialist Party since 6 December 2011. He also served as a deputy in the Chamber of Representatives for the Socialist Party between June 2014 and September 2017.

Joseph Lebeau

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1794-1865 (aged 71)
Occupations: politicianjournalistlawyer
Biography: Jean Louis Joseph Lebeau was a Belgian liberal statesman, the prime minister of Belgium on two occasions.

Paul Furlan

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1962-2023 (aged 61)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with licentiate in science of public administration
Occupations: insurance brokerpolitician
Biography: Paul Furlan was a Belgian Walloon politician who served as Minister of Local Government and City Policy (including Tourism) in the Walloon Government for the Parti Socialiste. Furlan had a degree in public administration obtained at the University of Liège.

Jean-Baptiste Nothomb

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1805-1881 (aged 76)
Occupations: politicianhistorianlawyerdiplomat
Biography: Jean-Baptiste, Baron Nothomb was a Belgian statesman and diplomat, who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1841 to 1845.

Frédéric Daerden

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Frédéric Daerden is a Belgian politician and a member of the French-speaking Socialist Party.

Jacques Balthazart

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1949-.. (age 76)
Occupations: researcherzoologist
Biography: Jacques Balthazart is a Belgian biologist who specializes in behavioral neuroendocrinology, author of multiple publications and working at the University of Liège.

Edouard Van Beneden

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1846-1910 (aged 64)
Occupations: entomologistzoologistbiologistuniversity teacherembryologist
Biography: Édouard Joseph Louis Marie Van Beneden was a Belgian embryologist, cytologist and marine biologist. He was professor of zoology at the University of Liège. He contributed to cytogenetics by his works on the roundworm Ascaris. In this work he discovered how chromosomes organized meiosis (the production of gametes).

Christine Defraigne

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1962-.. (age 63)
Occupations: politicianjuristlawyer
Biography: Christine Defraigne is a Belgian politician and a member of the MR. She was the President of the Belgian Senate, in office 2014 to 2018.

Daniel Bacquelaine

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1952-.. (age 73)
Occupations: politicianphysician
Biography: Daniel Alain Marie Bacquelaine is a Belgian Walloon politician. As a member of the Reformist Movement, he served as the Federal Minister for Pensions in the Michel Government and Wilmès Government and a member of parliament since 1994.

Mieczysław Wolfke

Born in: Poland
Years: 1883-1947 (aged 64)
Occupations: physicistmathematicianholographer
Biography: Mieczysław Wolfke was a Polish physicist, professor at the Warsaw University of Technology, the forerunner of holography and television. He discovered the method of solidification of helium as well as two types of liquid helium. He was a Masonic Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge of Poland from 1931 to 1934. He served as president of the Polish Physical Society between 1930 and 1934.

Ernestas Galvanauskas

Born in: Lithuania
Years: 1882-1967 (aged 85)
Occupations: engineereconomistpoliticiandiplomatjournalist
Biography: Ernestas Galvanauskas was a Lithuanian engineer, politician and one of the founders of the Peasant Union (which later merged with the Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union). He also served twice as Prime Minister of Lithuania.

Edmond de la Fontaine

Born in: Luxembourg
Years: 1823-1891 (aged 68)
Occupations: judgepoliticianauthorpoetlawyer
Biography: Edmond de la Fontaine, better known by his pen name of Dicks, was a Luxembourgish jurist, poet, and lyricist, known for his work in the Luxembourgish language. He is considered the national poet of Luxembourg, and along with Michel Lentz and Michel Rodange, one of the most important figures in the history of Luxembourgish literature. In addition, his Luxemburger Sitten und Bräuche was one of the most influential early ethnographies on the Luxembourgish people.

Raphaël Liégeois

Years: 1988-.. (age 37)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: 2005-2011 graduated with master's degree; 2011-2015 graduated with doctorate
Occupations: astronautbiomedical engineerballoonist
Biography: Raphaël Liégeois is a Belgian-Luxembourgish biomedical engineer and astronaut. Liégeois completed a doctorate at the University of Liège on the functioning of the human brain from 2011 to 2015, and then held post-doctoral appointments at the National University of Singapore and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. He has held a teaching and research position at the University of Geneva and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne since 2021. He was selected as a member of the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group.

Léon Rosenfeld

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1904-1974 (aged 70)
Occupations: physicistuniversity teacher
Biography: Léon Rosenfeld was a Belgian physicist and a communist activist.

Jules Malou

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1810-1886 (aged 76)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Jules Edouard Xavier Malou was a Belgian statesman, a leader of the Catholic Party.

Godefroid Kurth

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1847-1916 (aged 69)
Occupations: philosopherhigh-school teacherhistoriandirector
Biography: Godefroid Kurth was a Belgian historian and pioneering Christian democrat. He is known for his histories of the city of Liège in the Middle Ages and of Belgium, his Catholic account of the formation of modern Europe in Les Origines de la civilisation moderne, and his defence of the medieval guild system.

Yaël Nazé

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1976-.. (age 49)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 2004 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
Occupations: astronomeruniversity teacherastrophysicist
Biography: Yaël Nazé is a Belgian astrophysicist, author and professor at the University of Liège. She specializes in massive stars and their interactions with their surroundings. In her research, she has worked with images and data collected from various space telescopes and has worked on creating new observation satellites.

Yves Winkin

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1953-.. (age 72)
Occupations: university teachersociologist
Biography: Yves Winkin is a Belgian academic who spent much of his career based in France. He is known for work in communication, specifically for developing the anthropology of communication, for introducing the concept of enchantment to the social sciences, for investigating pedestrian behavior, and for his analyses of Erving Goffman's work in relation to his life. At various times, he worked with Pierre Bourdieu in France, as well as Goffman, Dell Hymes, and Ray Birdwhistell in the US, leading to his efforts to share research across international borders. In addition, he has held three kinds of administrative position.

Jean-Marie Klinkenberg

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1944-.. (age 81)
Occupations: university teacherlinguist
Biography: Jean-Marie Klinkenberg is a Belgian linguist and semiotician, professor at the State University of Liège, born in Verviers (Belgium) in 1944. Member of the interdisciplinary Groupe μ. President of the International Association for visual Semiotics.

Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac

Years: 1621-1684 (aged 63)
Occupations: politiciandiplomatstatesperson
Biography: Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac was a nobleman and statesman of Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Chancellor (1658–1684) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Jean-Pierre Delville

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1951-.. (age 74)
Occupations: Catholic bishopuniversity teacherCatholic priesttheologianhistorian
Biography: Jean-Pierre Delville is a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the Bishop of Liège since 2013. His earlier career was devoted to church history and teaching, which he always combined with pastoral activity. He has been associated with the Community of Sant'Egidio since 1978.

Didier Etumba Longomba

Born in: DR Congo
Years: 1955-.. (age 70)
Occupations: military personnelpolitician
Biography: Didier Etumba Longila is a retired Congolese military officer who served as Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2008 until 2018.

Philippe Samyn

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1948-.. (age 77)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with doctorate
Occupations: engineerarchitect
Biography: Sir Philippe Samyn is a Belgian architect, engineer and urbanist. He is the creator of over 686 projects, 250 of which are built. His architecture is characterized by a holistic approach, investigating new ways of construction focused on efficiency between the material, the shape, the function, and the energy needed in the making and functioning of the building.

Wincenty Kowalski

Born in: Poland
Years: 1892-1984 (aged 92)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Wincenty Kowalski was a Polish military commander and a general of the Polish Army. A veteran of both World War I and World War II, he fought in all the inter-war conflicts of Poland. During the Invasion of Poland of 1939 he commanded the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division.

Henri de Brouckère

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1801-1891 (aged 90)
Occupations: politicianjuristlawyerdiplomat
Biography: Jonkheer Henri Ghislain Joseph Marie Hyacinthe de Brouckère was a Belgian nobleman and liberal politician. Born in Bruges, he was a magistrate and a professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. His brother Charles was mayor of Brussels.

David Keilin

Born in: Russia
Years: 1887-1963 (aged 76)
Occupations: entomologistbiochemistbotanistbiologistparasitologist
Biography: David Keilin FRS was a British Jewish scientist focusing mainly on entomology.

Michaël Gillon

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1974-.. (age 51)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied astrophysics
Occupations: astrophysicist
Biography: Michaël Gillon is a Belgian astronomer and astrophysicist. His research focuses on exoplanets and he conducts his research at the University of Liège. He holds a master's degree in biochemistry and astrophysics and also a PhD in astrophysics, and completed his post-doctorate at Geneva Observatory. Co-discoverer of exoplanets such as WASP-18 b and the rings of (10199) Chariclo, he is a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Geophysics of the Department of Astrophysics, Geophysics and Oceanography and co-director of the Astrobiology Research Unit of the University of Liège (Belgium). Michaël Gillon is at the origin of the discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system.

Joseph Tolchanov

Born in: Russia
Years: 1891-1981 (aged 90)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied in 1911-1914
Occupations: actortheatrical director
Biography: Iosif Tolchanov was a Soviet actor. Honored Artist of the USSR (1962).

Egide Walschaerts

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1820-1901 (aged 81)
Occupations: engineer
Biography: Egide Walschaerts was a Belgian mechanical engineer, best known as the inventor of the Walschaerts valve gear used in steam locomotives. He was born in Mechelen, Belgium. In 1838 he was recognised as an excellent modeller, presenting his work at a local exhibition in Mechelen. Minister Rogier, who opened the exhibition, was so impressed that he arranged a place for Walschaerts at Liège University.

Edouard Ducpétiaux

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1804-1868 (aged 64)
Occupations: politicianjournalistopinion journalist
Biography: Antoine Édouard Ducpétiaux was a Belgian journalist and social reformer.

François Laurent

Born in: Luxembourg
Years: 1810-1887 (aged 77)
Occupations: university teacherwriterlawyerhistorianjurist
Biography: François Laurent was a Belgian historian and jurisconsult.

Christophe Collignon

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1969-.. (age 56)
Occupations: politicianjuristlawyer
Biography: Christophe Collignon is a Belgian politician and a member of the PS. He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2007.

Stanisław Olszewski

Born in: Poland
Years: 1852-1898 (aged 46)
Occupations: inventor
Biography: Stanisław Olszewski was a Polish engineer and inventor. He is best known as the co-creator of the technology of arc welding (along with Nikolay Benardos).

Anton Dimitrov

Born in: Greece
Years: 1867-1933 (aged 66)
Occupations: judgepoliticianjurist
Biography: Andon Dimitrov was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary. He was among the founders of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).

Dimitar Rizov

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1862-1918 (aged 56)
Occupations: politicianjournalistdiplomat
Biography: Dimitar Hristov Rizov or Rizoff was a Bulgarian revolutionary, publicist, politician, journalist and diplomat.

Marcel Otte

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1948-.. (age 77)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with doctorate
Occupations: university teacherhistorianprehistorianarchaeologist
Biography: Marcel Otte is a professor of Prehistory at the Université de Liège, Belgium. He is a specialist in Religion, Arts, Sociobiology, and the Upper Palaeolithic times of Europe and Central Asia. In the book Speaking Australopithecus (written together with the philologist Francesco Benozzo) he argues from the archaeological point of view Benozzo's hypothesis that human language appeared with Australopithecus, between 4 and 3 million years ago.

Philippe-Charles Schmerling

Born in: Netherlands
Years: 1791-1836 (aged 45)
Occupations: paleoanthropologisthistorianarchaeologistprehistoriananthropologist
Biography: Philippe-Charles or Philip Carel Schmerling was a Dutch/Belgian prehistorian, pioneer in paleontology, and geologist. He is often considered the founder of paleontology.

Michel Poulain

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1947-.. (age 78)
Occupations: scientist
Biography: Michel Poulain was originally trained in astrophysics at University of Liège (ULiège). He received a PhD in demography at University of Louvain (UCLouvain). As a demographer, he has specialized in international Migration Statistics and Longevity studies. Currently emeritus professor at UCLouvain, he is also senior researcher at the Estonian Institute for Population Studies at Tallinn University (Estonia). He has been President of the Société Belge de Démographie (1984-1990) and later of the Association Internationale des Démographes de Langue Française (AIDELF), (1988-2000).

François Bovesse

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1890-1944 (aged 54)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: François Bovesse was a Belgian politician and writer who served as Minister of Justice and Governor of Namur as a member of the Liberal Party before his assassination at the hands of Belgian Rexists in 1944.

Nikolai Meshcheryakov

Born in: Russia
Years: 1865-1942 (aged 77)
Occupations: publisherwriterliterary historianopinion journalist
Biography: Nikolai Leonidovich Meshcheryakov was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet historian of literature, newspaper editor and head of the Main Administration for Literary and Publishing Affairs (Glavlit) under the People's Commissariat for Education of Russian SFSR in the 1920s.

Robin Vanderbemden

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1994-.. (age 31)
Occupations: athletics competitor
Biography: Robin Vanderbemden is a Belgian sprinter competing primarily in the 200 metres. He also represented his country in the 4 × 400 metres relay winning multiple World and European championship medals with the Belgian men's 4 × 400 metres relay team. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in 200 m.

Charles Vilain XIIII

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1803-1878 (aged 75)
Occupations: diplomatpolitician
Biography: Viscount Charles Ghislain Guillaume Vilain XIIII was a Belgian politician, serving as governor of East Flanders, Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium.

Christophe Lacroix

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1966-.. (age 59)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with licentiate in history
Occupations: politician
Biography: Christophe Lacroix is a Belgian politician of the Socialist Party. He has been a member of the Chamber of Representatives since 2019, having previously served from 2012 to 2014. He was a member of the Senate in 2014, and a minister in the Government of Wallonia from 2014 to 2017.

Lambros Couloubaritsis

Years: 1941-.. (age 84)
Occupations: philosopheruniversity teacherprofessor of philosophy
Biography: Lambros Couloubaritsis is a Greek-born Belgian philosopher.

Frank L. Packard

Born in: Canada
Years: 1877-1942 (aged 65)
Occupations: writercivil engineerrailway engineer
Biography: Frank Lucius Packard was a Canadian novelist.

Fanny Smets

Born in: Germany
Years: 1986-.. (age 39)
Occupations: athletics competitor
Biography: Fanny Smets is a Belgian pole vaulter. She competed in the women's pole vault at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics.

André Dumont

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1809-1857 (aged 48)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with doctorate
Occupations: university teachermineralogistengineergeologist
Biography: André Hubert Dumont was a Belgian geologist.

Charles-Mathias Simons

Born in: Germany
Years: 1802-1874 (aged 72)
Occupations: politiciandiplomatlawyer
Biography: Charles-Mathias Simons was a Luxembourgish politician and jurist. He was the third prime minister of Luxembourg, serving for seven years, from 1853 until 1860.

Pol Swings

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1906-1983 (aged 77)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1927 graduated with doctorate
Occupations: astrophysicistuniversity teacher
Biography: Pol F. Swings was a Belgian astrophysicist who was known for his studies of the composition and structure of stars and comets. He used spectroscopy to identify the elements in astronomical bodies, and, in particular, comets. Swings studied at the University of Liège, where he was professor of spectroscopy and astrophysics from 1932 to 1975. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Chicago in the United States (1939–43, 1946–52).

Charles Magnette

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1863-1937 (aged 74)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied in 1909
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Charles Magnette, was a Belgian lawyer and a liberal politician.

Camille Janssen

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1837-1926 (aged 89)
Occupations: magistrategovernorlawyerdiplomat
Biography: Camille Janssen was a Belgian colonial civil servant and lawyer who held the position of Governor-General of the Congo Free State from 1886 to 1892. After 1893, Joseph Chailley would found the International Colonial Institute, for which Janssen would be the secretary-general. His son, Georges Janssen, would become head of the National Bank of Belgium.

Antoine Meyer

Born in: Luxembourg
Years: 1801-1857 (aged 56)
Occupations: dialect writerphysicistuniversity teachermathematicianwriter
Biography: Antoine Meyer, also known as Antun or Tun Meyer was a Luxembourg-born mathematician and poet who later adopted Belgian nationality. Sometimes referred to as the father of Luxembourgish literature, he is remembered for publishing the very first book in Luxembourgish, a collection of six poems entitled "E' Schrek ob de' lezeburger Parnassus" (A Step up the Luxembourg Parnassus).

Paul Pastur

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1866-1938 (aged 72)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Paul Pastur was a Belgian lawyer and politician from Hainaut. He obtained a law degree of the University of Liège, and started working at the bar of Charleroi in 1893.

Joseph Bidez

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1867-1945 (aged 78)
Occupations: university teacherhistorianclassical philologist
Biography: Joseph Marie Auguste Bidez was a Belgian classical philologist. He was Professor of Classical Philology and the History of Philosophy at the University of Ghent.

Paul Ledoux

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1914-1988 (aged 74)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1946 graduated with doctorate
Occupations: astronomeruniversity teacherastrophysicist
Biography: Paul Ledoux was a Belgian astrophysicist best known for his work on stellar stability and variability. With Theodore Walraven, he co-authored a seminal work on stellar oscillations. In 1964 Ledoux was awarded the Francqui Prize for Exact Sciences, and was awarded the Eddington Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1972 for investigations into problems of stellar stability and variable stars. He was awarded the Janssen Medal of the French Academy of Sciences in 1976.

Fernand Dehousse

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1906-1976 (aged 70)
Occupations: politicianuniversity teacherdiplomat
Biography: Fernand Dehousse OMRI was a Belgian politician.

Édouard Thilges

Born in: Luxembourg
Years: 1817-1904 (aged 87)
Occupations: politiciandiplomatlawyer
Biography: Jules Georges Édouard Thilges was a Luxembourgish politician. He was the seventh prime minister of Luxembourg, serving for over three years, from 20 February 1885 until 22 September 1888.

André Henri Constant van Hasselt

Born in: Netherlands
Years: 1806-1874 (aged 68)
Occupations: writertranslatorhistorianpoet
Biography: André Henri Constant van Hasselt was a Dutch-Belgian writer and poet who wrote mainly in French.

Rita Lejeune

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1906-2009 (aged 103)
Occupations: women's rights activistuniversity teacherphilologistromanistlinguist
Biography: Rita Lejeune was a Belgian philologist who became a leading expert in the study of medieval French literature.

Nicolae Xenopol

Born in: Romania
Years: 1858-1917 (aged 59)
Occupations: politicianeconomistliterary criticdiplomat
Biography: Nicolae Dimitrie Xenopol was a Romanian politician, diplomat, economist and writer, the younger brother of historian Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol and, like him, a member of Junimea society. Initially inspired by Junimea leader Titu Maiorescu, he was later a dissident of Junimism, a Positivist and a supporter of literary realism. Politically, Xenopol also moved away from conservatism and was embraced by the liberal current, serving as editor of two liberal newspapers: Românul and Voința Națională. He had a successful career in electoral politics, which began within the National Liberal Party and later saw him joining the Conservative-Democratic Party. In 1912, he was Minister of Commerce, and helped create an Academy of Economic Studies.

Salem Zenia

Years: 1962-.. (age 63)
Occupations: writerjournalistpoet
Biography: Salem Zenia is a Kabyle writer.

Jan Nyssen

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1957-.. (age 68)
Occupations: geographer
Biography: Jan Nyssen is a Belgian physical geographer, and professor of geography at Ghent University.