Jensen Huang
1963American entrepreneur and businessman; founder and CEO of Nvidia
Famous Birthdays on February 17
11 notable people were born on February 17.
February 17 is the birth date of eleven notable individuals throughout history, encompassing literature, science, politics, and cinema. Among those born on this day are Spanish Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836), Nobel Prize-winning physicist Otto Stern (1888), North Korean defector and political figure Hwang Jang-yop (1923), Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky (1929), and Chinese Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan (1955). Each has contributed to poetry, experimental physics, international politics, avant-garde cinema, and contemporary literature.
20th Century9 people
Alejandro Jodorowsky
1929Avant-garde filmmaker and comics artist known for surreal cult films like 'El Topo' and 'The Holy Mountain.' He also created the acclaimed science fiction comic series 'The Incal' with Moebius.
Mo Yan
1955Chinese novelist who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature for his surrealistic novels that blend folk tales, history and contemporary life. His works include Red Sorghum and Big Breasts and Wide Hips, often depicting rural Chinese life with magical realism.
Cara Black
1979Professional tennis player who won four Grand Slam doubles titles and one mixed doubles title, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 31 in singles.
tennis playerZimbabwe
Hwang Jang-yop
1923 – 2010Former North Korean politician who served as Workers' Party secretary for ideology before defecting to South Korea in 1997. He was the highest-ranking North Korean official ever to defect.
politicianNorth Korea
Timothée Atouba
1982Cameroonian left-back who played for Hamburg and Tottenham, earning over 70 caps for the national team across three World Cups.
association football playerCameroon
Dominic Purcell
1970British-born Australian actor best known for his role as Lincoln Burrows in the television series Prison Break.
Carlos Gamarra
1971Paraguayan defender who captained his national team to three World Cups and earned 110 caps, playing for clubs including Independiente and Corinthians.
association football playerParaguay
Chimediin Saikhanbileg
1969Mongolian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2014 to 2016 and was a member of the Mongolian People's Party.
politicianMongolia
19th Century2 people
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
1836 – 1870Spanish Romantic poet best known for his collection "Rimas" and prose work "Legends," which influenced Spanish literature for generations. He died young of tuberculosis but left a lasting impact on Spanish poetry.
Otto Stern
1888 – 1969German-American physicist who won the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing the molecular beam method. His experiments provided crucial evidence for quantum mechanics and space quantization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on February 17?
Mo Yan, the Chinese novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012, is likely the most internationally recognized person born on February 17. Other notable figures include the Spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and the physicist Otto Stern.
Are there any Nobel Prize winners born on February 17?
Yes, two Nobel Prize winners were born on February 17: Otto Stern, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1943 for his molecular beam experiments, and Mo Yan, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012 for his novels.
What famous writers were born on February 17?
Notable writers born on February 17 include Mo Yan, the Nobel Prize-winning Chinese novelist known for works like 'Red Sorghum,' and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, a Spanish Romantic poet from the 19th century. Chilean-French filmmaker and writer Alejandro Jodorowsky was also born on this date.