Famous Birthdays on December 15

Modernist architect who designed Brasília, Brazil's capital city, and numerous iconic buildings worldwide. He was a pioneer of modernist architecture and received the Pritzker Prize in 1988.

New Zealand-born physicist who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his X-ray crystallography work that helped determine the double helix structure of DNA.

Bolivian military officer who served as President of Bolivia from 1943 until his assassination by an angry mob in 1946.

Russian striker who played for Spartak Moscow and Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 21 goals for the national team. He was the top scorer at Euro 2008 with five goals.

Slovak center-back who played over 100 matches for the national team and spent eight seasons with Liverpool in the Premier League. He was known for his aerial ability and defensive prowess.

Costa Rican goalkeeper who won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2016-2018) and served as the national team captain.

Tunisian-French writer and essayist best known for his works "The Colonizer and the Colonized" (1957) and "Portrait of a Jew" (1962), which examined themes of colonialism and Jewish identity in North Africa.

Nuclear physicist who became Belarus's first head of state after independence, serving as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 1991 to 1994.

Former striker who scored the winning goal for FC Porto in the 1987 European Cup final and later managed the Algeria national team.

Danish forward who won the 1977 Ballon d'Or and scored 208 goals in 396 career matches. He played for clubs including Borussia Mönchengladbach and Barcelona, and represented Denmark in 55 international matches.

Former Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch who led one of the largest Eastern Catholic churches from 2000 to 2017.

Civil engineer and businessman who served as Paraguay's first civilian president after the end of military rule, holding office from 1993 to 1998.

Former diplomat who served as Prime Minister from 2012 to 2014 before being forced to flee the country amid political turmoil.

Slovenian forward who earned 80 caps for his national team and played for clubs across Europe including Gent, Maribor, and several Austrian teams. He later transitioned into coaching and football management.

Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Kampala from 1990 to 2006 and was elevated to Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

Academic and first wife of King Hussein of Jordan, serving as Queen from 1955-1957 before their divorce.

French physicist who discovered radioactivity in 1896 and shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with Pierre and Marie Curie for this groundbreaking discovery.

Faroese-born physician who won the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in phototherapy, particularly treating lupus vulgaris with concentrated light radiation. His research established the medical use of ultraviolet light in treating skin diseases.