53 historically significant individuals born on February 1. February 1 is the birth date of several historical figures, including political leaders and monarchs. Notable individuals born on this date include Christian I of Denmark in 1426, the founder of the Oldenburg dynasty, and Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza García in 1896. It is also the birth date of Bangladeshi political leaders Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Shahabuddin Ahmed, and Iajuddin Ahmed, who were all born within five years of each other in the 1930s.
Total Born
53
Countries
36
Top Century
19th· 22
Top Field
poet
6 individuals
Headline Figures
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (21)
19th (22)
15th C.20th C.
20th Century
21Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Emilio Segrè
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1959)
Leymah Gbowee
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Peace (2011)
Roger Y. Tsien
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2008)
Hussain Muhammad Ershad
military officerpolitician
President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990 Former (6th) Army chief of Bangladesh
Gabriel Batistuta
association football playerjournalist
Argentine striker known as 'Batigol' who scored 56 goals in 78 international appearances and was the top scorer at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He played for clubs including Fiorentina, where he became a legend, and later AS Roma.
Alfreð Finnbogason
association football player
Icelandic striker who has played for clubs across Europe including FC Augsburg and Real Sociedad. He was Iceland's leading scorer during their qualification for the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.
Jackie Shroff
actorfilm actor
Indian film actor who became a prominent Bollywood star in the 1980s and 1990s, known for his roles in films like Hero and Ram Lakhan.
Iajuddin Ahmed
diplomatpolitician
Former president of Bangladesh (1931-2012)
Boris Yeltsin
civil engineermaster builder
Soviet and Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (1931–2007)
Katrín Jakobsdóttir
environmentalistpolitician
Icelandic politician and environmentalist who served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2024, becoming the youngest person to hold the office. She led a coalition government focused on climate action and social equality.
María Elena Walsh
children's writercomposer
Argentine author and composer
Petru Giovacchini
activistpoet
Corsican Italian political activist (1910–1955)
Shahabuddin Ahmed
judgelawyer
President of Bangladesh (1930–2022)
Eda Ahi
civil servantpoet
Estonian poet (born 1990)
Tsui Hark
actorfilm actor
Hong Kong film director and producer who revolutionized action cinema with groundbreaking wire work and special effects in films like 'A Better Tomorrow' and 'Once Upon a Time in China.' He is credited with launching the careers of John Woo and other major Hong Kong filmmakers.
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Ramil'
rappersinger-songwriter
Russian singer-songwriter
OO
Oswald Oberhuber
graphic designerinstallation artist
Austrian painter (1931-2020)
VM
Volodymyr Mykyta
paintervisual artist
Ukrainian painter (1931–2025)
Ahmad Abughaush
taekwondo athlete
Taekwondo athlete who won Jordan's first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the men's 68kg division.
Paulo da Silva
association football player
Paraguayan defender who played for clubs including Toulouse and Sunderland, earning over 100 caps for his national team across three World Cups.
ZZ
Zlatko Zahovič
association football player
Former Slovenian midfielder who captained the national team and played for clubs including Benfica and Valencia during his career.
19th Century
22Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Eduard Strasburger
botanistplant cell biologist
Polish-German botanist (1844–1912)
Odone Belluzzi
civil engineerengineer
Italian engineering professor (1892–1956)
Corradino D'Ascanio
designerinventor
Italian engineer (1891–1981)
Shūsei Tokuda
novelistwriter
Japanese writer (1872–1943)
Braamcamp Freire
archaeologisthistorian
Portuguese historian and politician (1849-1921)
Alfredo Chavero
anthropologistarchaeologist
Mexican politician, archaeologist and playwright (1841–1906)
Carlos Walker Martínez
lawyerpoet
Chilean politician (1842-1905)
James Innes
journalistnewspaper editor
Canadian politician (1833–1903)
Nicolae Gane
judgepoet
Moldavian-born Romanian prose writer, poet and politician (1838-1916)
Joseph Cullen
Christian ministerjournalist
Australian journalist and politician
Thorvald Boye
juristwriter
Norwegian judge
Kazimierz Nitsch
dialectologistuniversity teacher
Polish linguist (1874–1958)
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
composeressayist
Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist (1874–1929)
Sava Henția
illustratormuralist
Romanian painter (1848-1904)
Pencho Georgiev
graphic artistillustrator
Bulgarian painter and illustrator (1900-1940)
Edward Barrow Forrest
businesspersonconsul general
Australian businessman and politician
Theodolinda Hahnsson
writer
Finnish writer and translator (1838-1919)
Cecilio Putong
journalist
Filipino writer
Lithuanian poet (1870-1927)
EW
Erik Adolf von Willebrand
biologistinternist
Finnish doctor (1870-1949)
Alfredo Foglino
association football coachassociation football player
Uruguayan footballer (1892-1968)
Anastasio Somoza García
politician
Nicaraguan military leader and dictator who founded the Somoza family dynasty, ruling as President from 1937-1947 and 1950-1956. He was assassinated in 1956.
18th Century
5Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
David Porter
dancerdiplomat
Officer in the United States Navy (1780–1843)
Abraham Emanuel Fröhlich
authorparson
Swiss poet (1796-1865)
Pehr Hörberg
autobiographerpainter
Swedish artist (1746–1816)
Johan Agrell
composerconductor
German/Swedish baroque composer
József Alvinczi
military officer
Soldier in the Habsburg Army and Field Marshal of the Austrian Empire
17th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Simon Vollant
architectmilitary engineer
French architect (1622-1696)
Felix Meyer
copper engraverpainter
Painter from Switzerland (1653-1713)
16th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Benjamin Bramer
architectinstrument maker
German architect and mathematician
Abderrahman El Mejdoub
mysticpoet
Moroccan poet, Sufi and mystic (1506–1568)
15th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Christian I of Denmark
monarch
Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union (1426-1481)
Explore More for February 1
Discover historical events and other data for this day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on February 1?
Christian I of Denmark, born in 1426, was a king who ruled Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the 15th century. Among more recent figures, political leaders like Anastasio Somoza García and Hussain Muhammad Ershad were known for their roles in Nicaragua and Bangladesh, respectively.
How many famous people were born on February 1?
There are 14 notable people recorded as being born on February 1 throughout history. This includes royalty, political leaders, and other prominent historical figures.
Are there any presidents or political leaders born on February 1?
Yes, several political leaders were born on February 1, including Anastasio Somoza García (1896), President of Nicaragua, and Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1930), President of Bangladesh. Shahabuddin Ahmed and Iajuddin Ahmed, both born in the 1930s, also held significant political positions in Bangladesh.