Notable Alumni of Utrecht University [Sorted List]

1. Schelto Patijn

1936-2007 (aged 71)

university teacher jurist politician

Schelto Patijn [ˈsxɛɫtoː pɑˈtɛin] was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist. After serving as an elected member of the Dutch and subsequently European Parliament, he served as Queen's Commissioner in the Province of South Holland from 16 June 1984 until 1 June 1994 when he stepped down to become Mayor of Amsterdam, he served from 1...

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2. Esther de Lange

1975-. (aged 51)

politician

Esther M. R. de Lange is a Dutch politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) between 2007 and 2024. A member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), part of the European People's Party (EPP), she was elected as delegation leader in the European Parliament at a party conference on 2 November 2013 in Leeuwarden, a position...

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3. Johann Jakob Scheuchzer

1672-1733 (aged 61)

cartographer physicist botanist university teacher theologian

Johann Jakob Scheuchzer was a Swiss physician and natural scientist born in Zürich. His most famous work was the Physica sacra in four volumes, which was a commentary on the Bible and included his view of the world, demonstrating a convergence of science and religion. It was richly illustrated with copperplate etchings and came to be called the Kupfer-Bibel or...

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4. Karel Frederik Wenckebach

1864-1940 (aged 76)

university teacher internist cardiologist anatomist physician

Karel Frederik Wenckebach was a Dutch anatomist who was a native of the Hague.

5. Sjoerd Sjoerdsma

1981-. (aged 45)

diplomat politician

Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma is a Dutch politician of the D66 party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives between 20 September 2012 and 5 December 2023. He was first elected in the 2012 Dutch general election.

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6. Hugh Williamson

1735-1819 (aged 84)

politician

Hugh Williamson was an American Founding Father, medical doctor, and politician. He is best known as a signatory to the U.S. Constitution and for representing North Carolina at the Constitutional Convention.

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7. Intan Aletrino

1993-. (aged 33)

model presenter

Intan Aletrino is an Indonesian actress, TV host, supermodel and beauty pageant titleholder who is National Narcotics Board of the Republic of Indonesia Ambassador. She won the title of Puteri Indonesia Pariwisata 2016. She represented Indonesia at the Miss Supranational 2016 pageant in Krynica-Zdrój, Poland, where she placed in the top 10, also won Miss Elegance and Miss Multimedia Awards.

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8. Hans Hillen

1947-. (aged 79)

television presenter columnist politician writer journalist

Johannes Stefanus Joseph "Hans" Hillen is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and journalist.

9. Jos Wienen

1960-. (aged 66)

politician

Jos Wienen is a Dutch politician. He is mayor of the city of Haarlem.

10. Godert van der Capellen

1778-1848 (aged 70)

politician

Godert Alexander Gerard Philip, Baron van der Capellen was a Dutch statesman. He held several important posts under the Kingdom of Holland and the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands, before he was appointed as one of the Commissioners-General of the Dutch East Indies. Later he was appointed Governor-General of that colony.

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11. Franciscus Donders

1818-1889 (aged 71)

physician physiologist ophthalmologist university teacher

Franciscus Cornelius Donders FRS FRSE (27 May 1818 – 24 March 1889) was a Dutch ophthalmologist. During his career, he was a professor of physiology in Utrecht, and was internationally regarded as an authority on eye diseases, directing the Netherlands Hospital for Eye Patients. Along with Graefe and Helmholtz, he was one of the primary founders of scientific ophthalmology.

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12. Sybilla Dekker

1942-. (aged 84)

politician

Sybilla Maria Dekker is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businesswoman. She was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 22 June 2018.

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13. Polly Higgins

1968-2019 (aged 51)

barrister writer environmentalist

Pauline Hélène "Polly" Higgins FRSGS was a Scottish barrister, author, and environmental lobbyist, described by Jonathan Watts in her obituary in The Guardian as, "one of the most inspiring figures in the green movement". She left her career as a lawyer to focus on environmental advocacy, and unsuccessfully lobbied the United Nations Law Commission to recognise ecocide as an international...

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14. Hermann Snellen

1834-1908 (aged 74)

university teacher ophthalmologist physician

Herman Snellen was a Dutch ophthalmologist who in 1862 introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity. He took over directorship of the Netherlands Hospital for Eye Patients (Nederlandsch Gasthuis voor Ooglijders), after Franciscus Donders. He was elected an International Member of the American Philosophical Society in 1894.

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15. Mirjam Sterk

1973-. (aged 53)

teacher politician

Willemina Roziena Catharina "Mirjam" Sterk is a Dutch former politician, civil servant, NH editor, and educator. As a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal she was a member of the House of Representatives from 23 May 2002 (on maternity leave from 8 April to 29 July 2008, replaced by Sabine Uitslag) until 19 September 2012. She focused on matters of...

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16. Joke Smit

1933-1981 (aged 48)

women's rights activist writer politician

Johanna Elisabeth "Joke" Smit was a well-known Dutch feminist and politician in the 1970s.

17. Willem Aantjes

1923-2015 (aged 92)

jurist politician trade unionist

Willem "Wim" Aantjes was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

18. Tessa de Loo

1946-. (aged 80)

writer screenwriter

Tessa de Loo is the pen name of the Dutch novelist and short story writer Johanna Martina (Tineke) Duyvené de Wit.

19. Hans Clevers

1957-. (aged 69)

physician geneticist molecular biologist university teacher

Johannes Carolus Clevers (born 27 March 1957) is a Dutch molecular geneticist, cell biologist and stem cell researcher. He became the Head of Pharma, Research and Early Development, and a member of the Corporate Executive Committee, of the Swiss healthcare company Roche in 2022. Previously, he headed a research group at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell...

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20. Jacobus Kapteyn

1851-1922 (aged 71)

university teacher astronomer physicist

Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn was a Dutch astronomer. He carried out extensive studies of the Milky Way. He found that the apparent movement of stars was not randomly distributed but had two preferential directions: the two star streams. This discovery was later reinterpreted as evidence for galactic rotation. Kapteyn also suggested that these stellar velocities could be used to find the...

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21. Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck

1873-1936 (aged 63)

lawyer politician

Charles Joseph Marie Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP). He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 9 September 1918 until 4 August 1925 and from 10 August 1929 until 26 May 1933.

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22. Liesbeth Zegveld

1970-. (aged 56)

lawyer university teacher

Liesbeth Zegveld is a Dutch lawyer, legal expert and professor.

23. Touraj Atabaki

1950-. (aged 76)

historian writer university teacher

Touraj Atabaki is Emeritus Professor by special appointment of Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia at Leiden University. He was the Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. He also held the chair of the Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia at the School of Middle East Studies of...

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24. Jan de Quay

1901-1985 (aged 84)

writer psychologist university teacher politician

Jan Eduard de Quay was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and psychologist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 19 May 1959 until 24 July 1963.

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25. Mieke Bal

1946-. (aged 80)

university teacher art historian artist literary theorist theorist

Maria Gertrudis "Mieke" Bal is a Dutch cultural theorist, video artist, and Professor Emerita in Literary Theory at the University of Amsterdam. Previously, she was also Academy Professor of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and co-founder of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam.

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26. G.B.J. Hiltermann

1914-2000 (aged 86)

historian journalist radio personality writer

Gustavo Bernardo José Hiltermann was a Dutch journalist, jurist, political commentator, publisher and, since receiving his Ph.D. in 1972 with a dissertation on 'Eastern Europe and the German partition', also a historian.

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27. Jan van Hooff

1936-. (aged 90)

university teacher primatologist physiologist

Johan Antoon Reinier Alex Maria "Jan" van Hooff is a Dutch biologist best known for his research involving primates. He was professor of comparative physiology at Utrecht University from 1980 to 2001.

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28. Eppo Bruins

1969-. (aged 57)

physicist politician

Eppo Egbert Willem Bruins is a Dutch politician and physicist. He served as Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Schoof cabinet between July 2024 and August 2025 on behalf of New Social Contract (NSC). He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Christian Union (CU) from 2015 to 2021.

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29. Marion Bloem

1952-. (aged 74)

film director graphic artist actor screenwriter draftsperson

Marion Bloem is a Dutch writer and film maker of Indo (mixed Dutch and Indonesian) descent, best known as author of the literary acclaimed book Geen gewoon Indisch meisje (No Ordinary Indo Girl) and director of the 2008 feature film Ver van familie (Far from Family).

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30. Elisabeth Bik

1966-. (aged 60)

blogger scientific integrity consultant microbiologist molecular biologist

Elisabeth Margaretha Harbers-Bik is a Dutch microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant. Bik is known for her work detecting photo manipulation in scientific publications, and identifying over 4,000 potential cases of improper research conduct. Bik is the founder of Microbiome Digest, a blog with daily updates on microbiome research, and the Science Integrity Digest blog.

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31. Benjamin Moser

1976-. (aged 50)

linguist biographer writer translator editor

Benjamin Moser is an American writer and translator. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for his biography of Susan Sontag, titled Sontag: Her Life and Work.

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32. Marga Klompé

1912-1986 (aged 74)

politician resistance fighter

Margaretha Albertina Maria "Marga" Klompé was a Dutch politician of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and chemist. She was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 17 July 1971.

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33. C. H. D. Buys Ballot

1817-1890 (aged 73)

chemist cartographer physicist university teacher meteorologist

Christophorus Henricus Diedericus Buys Ballot was a Dutch chemist and meteorologist who is the namesake of Buys Ballot's law. He was the first president of the International Meteorological Organization, the organization that would become the World Meteorological Organization.

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34. János Apáczai Csere

1625-1659 (aged 34)

theologian pedagogue philosopher

János Apáczai Csere was a Hungarian polyglot, pedagogist, philosopher and theologian, famous for his work The Hungarian Encyclopedia, the first textbook to be written in Hungarian. The Encyclopædia Britannica calls him "the leading Protestant scholar and writer" of 17th-century Hungary.

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35. Martinus Nijhoff

1894-1953 (aged 59)

literary critic writer resistance fighter translator poet

Martinus Nijhoff was a Dutch poet and essayist. He studied literature in Amsterdam and law in Utrecht. His debut was in 1916 with his volume De wandelaar ('The Wanderer'). He then gradually expanded his reputation by his unique style of poetry: not experimental, like Paul van Ostaijen, yet distinguished by the clarity of his language combined with mystical content. He...

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36. Florence Eshalomi

1980-. (aged 46)

politician council member

Florence Dauta Eshalomi is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, formerly Vauxhall, since 2019. A Member of Labour Co-op, she was Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021.

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37. Linda Wagenmakers

1975-. (aged 51)

singer actor stage actor

Linda Wagenmakers is a Dutch singer. She started her career at 21 playing Kim in the Dutch version of the musical Miss Saigon. She played in the RTL 4 drama series Westenwind, for which she also recorded the song "Laat me vrij om te gaan". Wagenmakers voiced the Dutch version of Mulan in the Disney animation movie. And was part...

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38. Regnier de Graaf

1641-1673 (aged 32)

gynecologist anatomist physiologist physician naturalist

Regnier de Graaf, original Dutch spelling Reinier de Graaf, or Latinized Reijnerus de Graeff (30 July 1641 – 17 August 1673), was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. He specialized in iatrochemistry and iatrogenesis, and was the first to develop a syringe to inject dye into human reproductive organs so that he could...

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39. Abraham Pais

1918-2000 (aged 82)

physicist historian of science university teacher nuclear physicist

Abraham Pais was a Dutch-American physicist and science historian. Pais earned his Ph.D. from University of Utrecht just prior to a Nazi ban on Jewish participation in Dutch universities during World War II. When the Nazis began the forced relocation of Dutch Jews, he went into hiding, but was later arrested and saved only by the end of the war....

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40. Karl III Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach

1679-1738 (aged 59)

margrave

Charles III William was Margrave of Baden-Durlach between 1709 and 1738. He was the son of Margrave Frederick Magnus of Baden-Durlach and Augusta Maria of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. In 1715, he established Karlsruhe (Charles' repose), where he built his residence. Karlsruhe has since grown to a large city. With the consolidation of public finances and the creation of a reliable administration, he...

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41. Jan Śniadecki

1756-1830 (aged 74)

geographer astronomer university teacher mathematician philosopher

Jan Śniadecki was a Polish mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

42. Tjalling Koopmans

1910-1985 (aged 75)

economist mathematician physicist

Tjalling Charles Koopmans was a Dutch-American mathematician and economist. He was the joint winner with Leonid Kantorovich of the 1975 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on the theory of the optimum allocation of resources. Koopmans showed that on the basis of certain efficiency criteria, it is possible to make important deductions concerning optimum price systems.

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43. Martinus J. G. Veltman

1931-2021 (aged 90)

university teacher theoretical physicist physicist

Martinus Justinus Godefriedus "Tini" Veltman was a Dutch theoretical physicist. He shared the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics with his former PhD student Gerardus 't Hooft for their work on particle theory.

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44. Dirk Jan de Geer

1870-1960 (aged 90)

writer lawyer journalist politician

Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer was a Dutch politician of the Christian Historical Union. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 8 March 1926 until 10 August 1929, and from 10 August 1939 until 3 September 1940.

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45. Marcel van Dam

1938-. (aged 88)

television presenter columnist sociologist presenter television producer

Marcel Parcival Arthur van Dam is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and journalist.

46. Sabina Frederic

1965-. (aged 61)

teacher anthropologist politician

Sabina Andrea Frederic is an Argentine social anthropologist, university professor and politician. A specialist on military and security personnel, she was Argentina's Minister of Security from 2019 to 2021, in the cabinet of President Alberto Fernández.

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47. Erik Verlinde

1962-. (aged 64)

university teacher theoretical physicist physicist

Erik Peter Verlinde is a Dutch theoretical physicist and string theorist. He is the identical twin brother of physicist Herman Verlinde. The Verlinde formula, which is important in conformal field theory and topological field theory, is named after him. His research deals with string theory, gravity, black holes and cosmology. Currently, he works at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at...

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48. Christiaan Eijkman

1858-1930 (aged 72)

physician physiologist biochemist university teacher

Christiaan Eijkman was a Dutch physician and professor of physiology whose demonstration that beriberi is caused by poor diet led to the discovery of antineuritic vitamins (thiamine). Together with Sir Frederick Hopkins, he received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins.

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49. Ab Osterhaus

1948-. (aged 78)

physician virologist veterinarian university teacher

Albertus Dominicus Marcellinus Erasmus "Ab" Osterhaus is a leading Dutch virologist and influenza expert. An Emeritus Professor of Virology at Erasmus University Rotterdam since 1993, Osterhaus is known throughout the world for his work on SARS and H5N1, the pathogen that causes avian influenza.

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50. Marion Koopmans

1956-. (aged 70)

university teacher virologist

Maria Petronella Gerarda Koopmans is a Dutch virologist who is Head of the Erasmus MC Department of Viroscience. Her research considers emerging infectious diseases, noroviruses and veterinary medicine. In 2018 she was awarded the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) Stevin Prize. She serves on the scientific advisory group of the World Health Organization.

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51. Ed Nijpels

1950-. (aged 76)

politician climate activist

Eduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and nonprofit director.

52. Hanke Bruins Slot

1977-. (aged 49)

military officer politician field hockey player

Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot is a Dutch politician and military veteran who served as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 2022 to 2023 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2023 until 2024. She is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

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53. Mirjam Bikker

1982-. (aged 44)

politician

Mirjam Hannah Bikker is a Dutch politician who has served as the leader of the Christian Union since January 2023. She is also a member of the House of Representatives since 2021. She was previously elected to the municipal council of Utrecht in 2006 and Senate in 2015.

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54. Aarnoud van Heemstra

1871-1957 (aged 86)

jurist aristocrat politician

Aarnoud Jan Anne Aleid, Baron van Heemstra was a Dutch nobleman, jurist and politician. He served as mayor of Arnhem between 1910 and 1920, and Governor-General of Suriname from 1921 until 1928. Van Heemstra was the grandfather of Audrey Hepburn.

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55. Pim van Lommel

1943-. (aged 83)

physician cardiologist writer

Pim van Lommel is a Dutch cardiologist, author, and researcher associated with studies of near-death experiences.

56. Femke Merel van Kooten-Arissen

1983-. (aged 43)

politician

Femke Merel van Kooten-Arissen is a Dutch politician and former member of the House of Representatives.

57. Anna Maria van Schurman

1607-1678 (aged 71)

poet writer philosopher printmaker calligrapher

Anna Maria van Schurman was a Dutch painter, engraver, poet, classical scholar, philosopher, and feminist writer who is best known for her exceptional learning and her defence of female education. She was a highly educated woman, who excelled in art, music, and literature, and became a polyglot proficient in fourteen languages, including Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic,...

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58. Chriet Titulaer

1943-2017 (aged 74)

television presenter writer astronomer

Chriet Titulaer was a Dutch astronomer, television presenter and popular science and technology writer.

59. Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau-Vollenhoven

1972-. (aged 54)

marketer watercolorist racing automobile driver

Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, is the third son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven.

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60. Wouter Koolmees

1977-. (aged 49)

politician economist

Wouter Koolmees is a Dutch economist and politician and of the Democrats 66 (D66) party who served as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2022. He also served as second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2019 to 2020 during Kajsa Ollongren's medical leave of absence. He is also the CEO...

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61. Nicholas Barbon

1640-1698 (aged 58)

master builder politician architectural theoretician economist physician

Nicholas Barbon was an English economist, physician, and financial speculator. Historians of mercantilism consider him to be one of the first proponents of the free market.

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62. Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland

1675-1722 (aged 47)

diplomat politician

Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, KG, PC, styled as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was a British politician from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1714–1717), Lord Privy Seal (1715–1716), Lord President of the Council (1718–1719) and First Lord of the Treasury (1718–1721). He is an ancestor of both Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess...

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63. Bogusław Radziwiłł

1620-1669 (aged 49)

civil servant aristocrat military officer art collector

Bogusław Radziwiłł was a Polish princely magnate and a member of the Polish-Lithuanian szlachta, or nobility. He was of the Radziwiłł magnate family. By birth he was an Imperial Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. He was a descendant of the famous knight, Zawisza the Black. Following the death of Janusz Radziwiłł, he briefly served as Grand Hetman of Swedish...

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64. Andrew Murray

1981-. (aged 45)

ice hockey player

Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church".

65. Douglas Rushkoff

1961-. (aged 65)

journalist writer

Douglas Mark Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, professor, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, documentarian and podcaster. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture, his advocacy of open source solutions to social problems, his critique of technocapitalism, and his call to retrieve our humanity in a digital age.

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66. Lulzim Basha

1974-. (aged 52)

diplomat politician

Lulzim Basha is an Albanian politician and lawyer who served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania and as the Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2022. He is the founder and leader of the political party Euroatlantic Democrats.

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67. Bakermat

1991-. (aged 35)

record producer disc jockey composer

Lodewijk Fluttert, best known by his stage name Bakermat, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. His music is characterised by a mix of dance, soul, jazz, funk, gospel, and pop.

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68. Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff

1852-1911 (aged 59)

geologist stereochemist university teacher engineer physicist

Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff Jr. was a Dutch physical chemist. A highly influential theoretical chemist, in 1901 Van 't Hoff won the first the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "[for his] discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions". His pioneering work helped found the modern theory of chemical affinity, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, and chemical...

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69. James Boswell

1740-1795 (aged 55)

writer lawyer biographer diarist

James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck, was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language. A great mass of Boswell's diaries, letters, and private papers were recovered from...

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70. Gerard 't Hooft

1946-. (aged 80)

university teacher physicist theoretical physicist non-fiction writer pedagogue

Gerardus "Gerard" 't Hooft is a Dutch theoretical physicist and professor emeritus at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He shared the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics with his thesis advisor Martinus J. G. Veltman "for elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions."

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71. Herman van der Zandt

1974-. (aged 52)

journalist television presenter

Herman van der Zandt is a Dutch journalist, newsreader, and television presenter.

72. Hans Hermann von Katte

1704-1730 (aged 26)

military personnel soldier

Hans Hermann von Katte was a Lieutenant of the Prussian Army, and a friend, tutor and possible lover of the future King Frederick II of Prussia, who was at the time the Crown Prince. Katte was executed by Frederick's father, the Prussian King Frederick William I, when Frederick plotted to escape from Prussia to Britain. It was possible that Frederick...

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73. Jan Pol

1942-. (aged 84)

veterinarian

Jan-Harm Pol is a Dutch-American veterinarian who starred on the reality television show The Incredible Dr. Pol on Nat Geo Wild.

74. Princess Irene of the Netherlands

1939-. (aged 87)

interpreter aristocrat

Princess Irene of the Netherlands is the second child of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard.

75. Bernardo Arévalo de León

1958-. (aged 68)

writer diplomat sociologist politician

César Bernardo Arévalo de León is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of the Semilla party, he previously served as a deputy in the Congress of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024, as ambassador to Spain from 1995 to 1996 and as deputy minister of...

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76. Maarten van Rossem

1943-. (aged 83)

historian television presenter university teacher writer

Maarten van Rossem is a Dutch historian, presenter, and social commentator. He is a professor emeritus of modern history at Utrecht University. Van Rossem specializes in the history and politics of the United States. As an expert on America, he is a frequent guest on television talk shows. His public career began when he was invited to comment on the...

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77. Jan Terlouw

1931-2025 (aged 94)

screenwriter politician astrophysicist nuclear physicist children's writer

Jan Cornelis Terlouw was a Dutch politician, physicist and author. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, he served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1981 to 1982 under Prime Minister Dries van Agt.

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78. William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

1708-1778 (aged 70)

politician

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger, who also served as prime minister. Pitt was also known as "the Great Commoner" because of his long-standing refusal...

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79. Femke Halsema

1966-. (aged 60)

criminologist columnist mayor writer sociologist

Femke Halsema is a Dutch politician and filmmaker serving as Mayor of Amsterdam since 2018. She is the first woman to hold the position on a non-interim basis. She previously was a member of the House of Representatives for the leftist green party, GroenLinks from 1998 to 2011, and served as the party's parliamentary leader from 2002 to 2010.

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80. Tommy Wieringa

1967-. (aged 59)

journalist writer

Tommy Wieringa is a Dutch writer. He received the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prize in 2006 for his novel Joe Speedboot (2005), and the Libris Prize in 2013 for the novel Dit zijn de namen (2012). In 2018 he won the Bookspot Literatuurprijs for his novel De heilige Rita (The Blessed Rita). His novel The Death of Murat Idrissi, translated by Sam...

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81. Bernard Victor Aloysius Röling

1906-1985 (aged 79)

jurist lawyer judge university teacher

Bernard Victor Aloysius "Bert" Röling was a Dutch jurist and founding father of polemology in the Netherlands. Between 1946 and 1948 he acted as the Dutch representative for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

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82. Erik Meijer

1963-. (aged 63)

computer scientist

Erik Meijer is a Dutch computer scientist and entrepreneur. From 2000 to early 2013, he was a software architect for Microsoft where he headed the Cloud Programmability Team. He then founded Applied Duality Inc. in 2013. Before that, he was an associate professor at Utrecht University. From 2015 to 2024, he was a Senior Director of Engineering at Facebook (now...

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83. Frans de Waal

1948-2024 (aged 76)

photographer researcher university teacher primatologist author

Franciscus Bernardus Maria de Waal was a Dutch-American primatologist and ethologist. He was the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, director of the Living Links Center at the Emory National Primate Research Center, and author of numerous books including Chimpanzee Politics (1982) and Our Inner Ape (2005). His...

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84. Nicolaas Bloembergen

1920-2017 (aged 97)

university teacher theoretical physicist physicist

Nicolaas Bloembergen was a Dutch-American physicist and Nobel laureate, recognized for his work in developing driving principles behind nonlinear optics for laser spectroscopy. During his career, he was a professor at Harvard University and later at the University of Arizona and at Leiden University in 1973 (as Lorentz Professor).

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85. Robert van Gulik

1910-1967 (aged 57)

illustrator diplomat writer prose writer linguist

Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist, diplomat, musician (of the guqin), and writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th-century Chinese detective novel Dee Goong An.

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86. Willem Einthoven

1860-1927 (aged 67)

physician inventor physiologist university teacher

Willem Einthoven was a Dutch medical doctor and physiologist. He invented the first practical electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) in 1895 and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1924 for it ("for the discovery of the mechanism of the electrocardiogram").

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87. Rutger Bregman

1988-. (aged 38)

historian journalist thinker writer

Rutger Christiaan Bregman is a Dutch historian and author.

88. René Descartes

1596-1650 (aged 54)

philosopher music theorist astronomer physicist mechanical automaton engineer

René Descartes was a French philosopher, scientist, logician, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science during Renaissance era. Mathematics was paramount to his method of inquiry, and he connected the previously separate fields of geometry and algebra into analytic geometry.

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89. Aart Jan de Geus

1955-. (aged 71)

jurist lawyer politician trade unionist

Aart Jan de Geus is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and businessman. He served as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs from 2002 to 2007. Then he worked as Deputy Secretary-General for the OECD. From 2012 to 2019, De Geus was Chairman and CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. From January 2020 to 2023, he...

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90. Feike Sijbesma

1959-. (aged 67)

business executive

Feike Sijbesma is a Dutch business executive who was CEO and chairman of the managing board of DSM from 2007 until 2020. And in 2022, he was nominated as honorary chairman. He helped the Dutch government from March to September 2020 as special voluntary corona envoy, especially focused on testing policy and availability. From mid 2020, Sijbesma focuses on several...

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91. Angela de Jong

1976-. (aged 50)

journalist columnist

Angela de Jong is a Dutch journalist, television critic and columnist. She is known for her columns for the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

92. Max Drenth

1963-. (aged 63)

columnist philosopher writer

Maxim Februari, pseudonym of Maximiliaan Drenth (born 23 February 1963), is a Dutch writer, philosopher and columnist.

93. Chimène van Oosterhout

1964-. (aged 62)

television presenter actor announcer

Chimène van Oosterhout is a Dutch TV personality, actress and singer. Since 1996, she has been presenting programs on Dutch television (TROS, Veronica TV, SBS6, Net5 and RTL 4). She was the winner of several Dutch celebrity TV competitions (including Peking Express VIPS in 2006 and Top Chef in 2009). Van Oosterhout is also an actress. She appeared in the...

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94. Cora van Nieuwenhuizen

1963-. (aged 63)

geographer politician

Cornelia "Cora" van Nieuwenhuizen-Wijbenga is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). She served as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2021, and briefly as Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (ad interim) in 2021.

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95. Louis Bontes

1956-. (aged 70)

politician

Louis Bontes is a Dutch politician and former police officer. He was a member of the European Parliament (2009–2010) and a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (2010–2017) for the Party for Freedom (PVV) until 2013 and as an independent since. He was the cofounder and chairman of the political party For the Netherlands (VNL) from 2014...

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96. Lidewij de Vos

1997-. (aged 29)

writer biochemist violinist politician

Lidewij Guinevère de Vos is a Dutch politician of the far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD).

97. Robbert Dijkgraaf

1960-. (aged 66)

columnist theoretical physicist writer university teacher mathematician

Robertus Henricus "Robbert" Dijkgraaf, ForMemRS HonFRSE is a Dutch theoretical physicist, mathematician and string theorist and former politician. He served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Netherlands from 2022 until 2024. From July 2012 until his inauguration as a minister, he had been the director and Leon Levy professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in...

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98. Wilhelm Röntgen

1845-1923 (aged 78)

researcher engineer physicist professor

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German experimental physicist who produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays (known as Röntgen rays in many languages). In 1901, Röntgen became the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after...

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99. Olivier Maingain

1958-. (aged 68)

lawyer politician

Olivier D. A. Gh. Maingain is a Belgian francophone politician and former president of DéFI.

100. Daniel François Malan

1874-1959 (aged 85)

politician Christian minister

Daniël François Malan PC was a South African politician who served as the fourth prime minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. The National Party implemented the system of apartheid, which enforced racial segregation laws, during his tenure as prime minister.

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