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

Joseph Plateau

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1801-1883 (aged 82)
Occupations: physicistacademicmathematicianuniversity teacher
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: Chile
Years: 1810-1882 (aged 72)
Occupations: biologistuniversity teacherbotanistphysicianphysiologist
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 30)
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 a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the heptathlon event at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Thiam is the only Belgian athlete, male or female, to successfully defend an Olympic title and only the second woman after Jackie Joyner-Kersee to win back-to-back Olympic titles in the event.

Giovanni Battista Caproni

Born in: Italy
Years: 1886-1957 (aged 71)
Occupations: aerospace engineeraircraft pilotcivil engineerbusinessperson
Biography: Giovanni Battista Caproni, 1st Count of Taliedo, known as "Gianni" Caproni, 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: writergeologistfilm directorpoliticianvolcanologist
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 45)
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 66)
Occupations: lawyerpoliticianuniversity teachernoiraud
Biography: Didier Reynders is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR) serving as European Commissioner for Justice since 2019. He held various positions in public institutions before becoming a member of the House in 1992. He was a minister without interruption from 1999 to 2019, until resigning to become Belgian European Commissioner.

Hassan Pakravan

Born in: Iran
Years: 1911-1979 (aged 68)
Occupations: military personneldiplomatpolitician
Biography: Hassan Pakravan was a well-known diplomat and minister in the Pahlavi pre-revolutionary 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 31)
Occupations: beauty pageant contestantmodel
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.

Henryk Arctowski

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

Raoul Hedebouw

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1977-.. (age 47)
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.

Vladimir Volkoff

Born in: France
Years: 1932-2005 (aged 73)
Occupations: science fiction writertranslatorwriterprose writerintelligence officer
Biography: Vladimir Volkoff was a French writer. 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 66)
Occupations: politicianlawyer
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.

Albert Claude

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1898-1983 (aged 85)
Occupations: university teacherchemistbiologistphysicianacademic
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, components of cell organelles such as 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.

Ludivine Dedonder

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1977-.. (age 47)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Ludivine Dedonder is a Belgian politician of the Socialist Party (PS) who has been serving as Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo since 2020.

Stefania Wilczyńska

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

Vinciane Despret

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 65)
Occupations: performing artistuniversity teacherdramaturgephilosopher
Biography: Vinciane Despret is a Belgian philosopher of science. She is an associate professor at the University of Liège and the Université libre de Bruxelles ('Free University of Brussels'), both in Belgium.

Charles Rogier

Born in: France
Years: 1800-1885 (aged 85)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Studied in 1826
Occupations: journalistpoliticianlawyer
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: cryptographerengineermilitary officerdiplomat
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.

Jean Rey

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1902-1983 (aged 81)
Occupations: politicianlawyerjurist
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.

Steven Laureys

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1968-.. (age 56)
Occupations: physician writeruniversity teacherneuroscientistphysicianneurologist
Biography: Steven Laureys is a Belgian neurologist. He is principally known as a clinician and researcher in the field of neurology of consciousness.

Camille Huysmans

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1871-1968 (aged 97)
Occupations: professorpoliticianediting staffteacher
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: university teachermathematician
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 61)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 1986 studied sociology
Occupations: sociologistpolitician
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: diplomatwriterrevolutionarymilitary personnelpolitician
Biography: Aleksander Yakovlevich Arosev was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet diplomat and writer.

Auguste Kerckhoffs

Born in: Netherlands
Years: 1835-1903 (aged 68)
Occupations: linguistcryptographermathematician
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: linguistwriter
Biography: Maurice Grevisse was a Belgian grammarian.

Anne-Marie Lizin

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1949-2015 (aged 66)
Occupations: professorpolitician
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: lawyerpoliticianuniversity teacherdiplomat
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.

George de Bothezat

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

Frédérique Ries

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 65)
Occupations: politicianjournalist
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.

Jean-Claude Marcourt

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1956-.. (age 68)
Occupations: politicianlawyer
Biography: Jean-Claude Marcourt has been, since 2019, the President of the Parliament of Wallonia. 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).

Walthère Frère-Orban

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

Edmond Leburton

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

Alain Destexhe

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1958-.. (age 66)
Occupations: physicianpolitician
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.

Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski

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

Pierre Kroll

Born in: DR Congo
Years: 1958-.. (age 66)
Occupations: editorial cartoonistcartoonistcaricaturist
Biography: Pierre Kroll is a Belgian cartoonist and caricaturist. He is the nephew of architect Lucien Kroll.

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: politicianinsurance broker
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.

Joseph Lebeau

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

Jacques Balthazart

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1949-.. (age 75)
Occupations: zoologistresearcher
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: anatomistembryologistuniversity teacherbiologistzoologist
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).

Willy Demeyer

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1959-.. (age 65)
Occupations: politicianlawyerjurist
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.

Christine Defraigne

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1962-.. (age 62)
Occupations: politicianlawyerjurist
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.

Jean-Baptiste Nothomb

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

Ahmed Laaouej

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1969-.. (age 55)
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.

Daniel Bacquelaine

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1952-.. (age 72)
Occupations: physicianpolitician
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: physicistholographermathematician
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.

Frédéric Daerden

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1970-.. (age 54)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Frédéric Daerden is a Belgian politician and a member of the French-speaking Socialist Party.

Ernestas Galvanauskas

Born in: Lithuania
Years: 1882-1967 (aged 85)
Occupations: diplomatpoliticianeconomistengineerjournalist
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: writerlawyerpoetauthorpolitician
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 Luxembourgian literature. In addition, his Luxemburger Sitten und Bräuche was one of the most influential early ethnographies on the Luxembourgian people.

Jules Malou

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

Yaël Nazé

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1976-.. (age 48)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: In 2004 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
Occupations: astrophysicistuniversity teacherastronomer
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.

Léon Rosenfeld

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1904-1974 (aged 70)
Occupations: university teacherphysicist
Biography: Léon Rosenfeld was a Belgian physicist and Marxist.

Godefroid Kurth

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1847-1916 (aged 69)
Occupations: historianhigh school teacheruniversity teacherphilosopher
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.

Yves Winkin

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1953-.. (age 71)
Occupations: sociologistuniversity teacher
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 80)
Occupations: linguistuniversity teacher
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: statespersondiplomatpolitician
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.

Philippe Samyn

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1948-.. (age 76)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with doctorate
Occupations: architectengineer
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.

Didier Etumba Longomba

Born in: DR Congo
Years: 1955-.. (age 69)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnel
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.

Jean-Pierre Delville

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1951-.. (age 73)
Occupations: historiantheologianCatholic priestuniversity teacherCatholic bishop
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 Saint Egidio Community since 1978.

Henri de Brouckère

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1801-1891 (aged 90)
Occupations: lawyerjuristpoliticiandiplomat
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: biologistparasitologistbotanistentomologist
Biography: David Keilin FRS was a Jewish scientist focusing mainly on entomology.

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.

Michaël Gillon

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1974-.. (age 50)
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: theatrical directoractor
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.

François Laurent

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

Edouard Ducpétiaux

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

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).

Philippe-Charles Schmerling

Born in: Netherlands
Years: 1791-1836 (aged 45)
Occupations: anthropologistprehistorianarchaeologisthistorianpaleoanthropologist
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.

Marcel Otte

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1948-.. (age 76)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: Graduated with doctorate
Occupations: prehistorianhistorianuniversity teacherarchaeologist
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.

Dimitar Rizov

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

Christophe Collignon

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1969-.. (age 55)
Occupations: politicianlawyerjurist
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.

Raphaël Liégeois

Years: 1988-.. (age 36)
Enrolled in the University of Liege: 2005-2011 graduated with master's degree; 2011-2015 graduated with doctorate
Occupations: astronautballoonistbiomedical engineer
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.

Anton Dimitrov

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

François Bovesse

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1890-1944 (aged 54)
Occupations: politicianlawyer
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.

Michel Poulain

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1947-.. (age 77)
Occupations: scientist
Biography: Michel Poulain was originally skilled 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).

Nikolai Meshcheryakov

Born in: Russia
Years: 1865-1942 (aged 77)
Occupations: literary historianwriterpublisheropinion 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.

Charles Vilain XIIII

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1803-1878 (aged 75)
Occupations: politiciandiplomat
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.

Robin Vanderbemden

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1994-.. (age 30)
Occupations: athletics competitor
Biography: Robin Vanderbemden is a Belgian sprinter competing primarily in the 200 metres. He represented his country in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 World Indoor Championships. He also competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in 200 m.

Lambros Couloubaritsis

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1941-.. (age 83)
Occupations: professor of philosophyuniversity teacherphilosopher
Biography: Lambros Couloubaritsis is a Greek-born Belgian philosopher.

Fanny Smets

Born in: Germany
Years: 1986-.. (age 38)
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.

Frank L. Packard

Years: 1877-1942 (aged 65)
Occupations: writerrailway engineercivil engineer
Biography: Frank Lucius Packard was a Canadian novelist.

André Dumont

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

Pol Swings

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1906-1983 (aged 77)
Occupations: university teacherastrophysicist
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-Mathias Simons

Born in: Germany
Years: 1802-1874 (aged 72)
Occupations: diplomatpoliticianlawyer
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.

Charles Magnette

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

Paul Pastur

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1866-1938 (aged 72)
Occupations: politicianlawyer
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.

Paul Ledoux

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1914-1988 (aged 74)
Occupations: astrophysicistuniversity teacherastronomer
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.

Joseph Bidez

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1867-1945 (aged 78)
Occupations: classical philologisthistorianuniversity teacher
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.

Camille Janssen

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1837-1926 (aged 89)
Occupations: lawyergovernormagistratediplomat
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.

André Henri Constant van Hasselt

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

Fernand Dehousse

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

Édouard Thilges

Born in: Luxembourg
Years: 1817-1904 (aged 87)
Occupations: diplomatpoliticianlawyer
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.

Rita Lejeune

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1906-2009 (aged 103)
Occupations: philologistuniversity teacherwomen's rights activistlinguistromanist
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: literary criticeconomistpoliticiandiplomat
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 62)
Occupations: journalistwriterpoet
Biography: Salem Zenia is a Kabyle writer.

Jan Nyssen

Born in: Belgium
Years: 1957-.. (age 67)
Occupations: geographer
Biography: Jan Nyssen is a Belgian physical geographer, and professor of geography at Ghent University.

Jafar Zafarani

Born in: Iran
Years: 1947-.. (age 77)
Occupations: mathematicianacademic
Biography: Jafar Zafarani is an Iranian mathematician. A professor at the University of Isfahan and chancellor at Sheikhbahaee University, Zafarani's research interests include functional analysis and nonlinear functional analysis. Zafarani obtained his BSc in Mathematics at the University of Tehran in 1969 and completed his D.Sc. at the University of Liège, Belgium in 1974. He served as president of the Iranian Mathematical Society from 1989 to 1991.

Dan M. Frangopol

Born in: Romania
Occupations: civil engineer
Biography: Dan Mircea Frangopol is an American civil engineer and the inaugural holder of the Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.