24 historically significant individuals born on August 30. August 30 is the birth date of several notable individuals in literature, science, and the arts. Among those born on this day are Mary Shelley (1797), the author of "Frankenstein," Nobel Prize-winning chemist Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (1852), and physicist Ernest Rutherford (1871), the father of nuclear physics. The date also includes Filipino revolutionary writer Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850) and Dutch abstract artist Theo van Doesburg (1883).
Total Born
24
Countries
20
Top Century
20th· 13
Top Field
politician
4 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
E. M. Purcell
1912 – 1997Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1952)
scientist
RS
Richard Stone
1913 – 1991Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1984)
association football player
Pavel Nedvěd
1972 – PresentCzech midfielder who won the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and played for top clubs including Juventus and Lazio, considered one of the greatest Czech footballers of all time.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (13)
19th (8)
10th C.20th C.
20th Century
13Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
E. M. Purcell
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1952)
RS
Richard Stone
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1984)
Pavel Nedvěd
association football playerathlete
Czech midfielder who won the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and played for top clubs including Juventus and Lazio, considered one of the greatest Czech footballers of all time.
Alexander Lukashenko
directoreconomist
Belarusian politician who has served as President of Belarus since 1994, making him Europe's longest-serving head of state.
Ernests Gulbis
tennis player
Latvian professional tennis player who reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 10 in 2014 and has won six ATP Tour singles titles.
Anna Politkovskaya
activisthuman rights defender
Russian investigative journalist and human rights activist who reported extensively on the Second Chechen War and was assassinated in Moscow in 2006.
Muhammad bin Nayef
ministerpolitician
Former Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 2015-2017 who previously led the country's counterterrorism efforts as Interior Minister.
Farid Mammadov
composersinger
Singer-songwriter who represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2023 with "Tell Me More" and is known for his contemporary pop compositions.
Gediminas Kirkilas
politicianrestorer
Prime Minister of Lithuania from 2006 to 2008 who led a Social Democratic government and previously worked as an art restorer.
Félix Sánchez
athletics competitorhurdler
Olympic champion hurdler who won gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics.
Bako Sahakyan
military personnelpolitician
Third President of the Republic of Artsakh (2007-2020) who led the disputed territory during periods of military conflict with Azerbaijan.
Maksim Shatskikh
association football coachassociation football player
Prolific striker who became Uzbekistan's all-time leading goalscorer with over 34 international goals during his career. He played for several European clubs and later became a football coach.
Radhi Jaïdi
association football coachassociation football player
Former professional footballer who played as a centre-back and later became a football coach. He had a successful playing career in England and represented Tunisia internationally.
19th Century
8Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Stefan Hanka-Kulesza
engineermilitary officer
Polish officer (1892-1964)
Theodor Svedberg
artistchemist
Swedish chemist who won the 1926 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on disperse systems, particularly his invention of the ultracentrifuge.
Ernest Rutherford
chemistnuclear physicist
New Zealand physicist (1871–1937)
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff
chemistgeologist
Dutch physical chemist who founded stereochemistry and won the first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901 for his work on chemical kinetics.
Marcelo H. del Pilar
journalistpolitician
Filipino revolutionary propagandist who founded the anti-colonial newspaper La Solidaridad in Barcelona in 1889. He was a key figure in the Propaganda Movement that advocated for Philippine reforms under Spanish rule.
Bautista Saavedra
diplomatjournalist
President of Bolivia (1870-1939)
Juraj Biankini
Catholic priestjournalist
Croatian politician (1847-1928)
Theo van Doesburg
art theoristcollagist
Dutch artist and architect who co-founded the De Stijl movement and developed theories of abstract art emphasizing geometric forms and primary colors.
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Johannes Browallius
biologistbotanist
Swedish theologian and scientist (1707-1755)
Mary Shelley
biographeressayist
English writer (1797–1851)
10th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Minamoto no Yorimitsu
military commandermilitary leader
Regent of the Fujiwara clan
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on August 30?
Mary Shelley, born on August 30, 1797, is likely the most famous person born on this date, known worldwide as the author of Frankenstein. Ernest Rutherford, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who discovered the atomic nucleus, is also notable for being born on August 30.
What scientists were born on August 30?
Two major scientists were born on August 30: Ernest Rutherford (1871), who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on radioactivity and atomic structure, and Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (1852), the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Both contributed significantly to chemistry and physics.
Are there any famous writers born on August 30?
Yes, Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797. She became a well-known writer in literary history. Shelley wrote Frankenstein at age 18, creating one of the first science fiction novels and a story that remains popular today.