Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
1941
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2007)
1927
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2002)
1968
Canadian author and activist who wrote "The Trouble with Islam Today" and advocates for progressive reform within Islam, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ and women's rights.
1957 – 2014
Northern Alliance military leader who served as Afghanistan's Vice President from 2009 until his death in 2014.
1993
Ethiopian-born Dutch runner who won Olympic gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first athlete to win both events at the same Olympics since 1972.
1968 – 2016
Taliban leader who served as the second Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from 2015 until his death in a U.S. drone strike in 2016.
1941 – 1989
Palestinian Islamic scholar and mujahideen leader who mentored Osama bin Laden and was assassinated in Pakistan in 1989.
1982
Argentine tennis player who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 3 and was runner-up at Wimbledon 2002. He won 11 ATP singles titles and was known for his aggressive baseline style and success on clay courts.
1960 – 2013
Afghan Islamic cleric who founded and led the Taliban movement from 1994 until his death in 2013, ruling Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
1968
Croatian striker who won the Golden Boot at the 1998 World Cup where Croatia finished third, later serving as president of the Croatian Football Federation.
1924 – 1974
Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat considered one of Mexico's most important female literary voices of the 20th century. Her works explored themes of feminism, indigenous rights, and Mexican identity, including the novel 'Balún Canán.'
1970
Cambodian anti-trafficking activist who founded the Somaly Mam Foundation to combat sex slavery and advocate for survivors of human trafficking.
1939 – 2018
Afghan mujahideen commander who founded the powerful Haqqani network, which became a key Taliban-allied militant group.
1944 – 2011
Former Interior Minister under Gaddafi who defected to lead rebel forces during the 2011 revolution before being assassinated.
1960 – 2016
Journalist and political activist who was assassinated in 2016 outside an Amman courthouse after posting a satirical cartoon about ISIS.
2000
Jordanian biologist, and academic
1938
Kurdish intellectual and politician who served as the 7th President of Iraq from 2014 to 2018. He was a founding member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and spent years in exile before returning after 2003.
1934 – 2018
Military general who led the transitional government of Sudan from 1985 to 1986 after overthrowing Gaafar Nimeiry and organized democratic elections.
1910 – 1965
Nigerian politician
1950 – 2024
Cameroonian politician
1920 – 1984
10th Etsu Nupe former Federal minister
1920 – 2007
Kenyan politician and journalist
1920 – 2005
King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005
1932 – 2016
Islamic scholar and political leader who was a key architect of Sudan's Islamist movement and served as the ideological force behind Omar al-Bashir's regime.
1940
Libyan economist and diplomat who served as President of the General National Congress from 2012 to 2013, playing a key role in Libya's transitional government after the fall of Gaddafi.
1972
Journalist and former parliamentarian who served in Afghanistan's National Assembly and survived multiple assassination attempts for her advocacy work.
1977
Former Bayern Munich midfielder who won multiple Champions League titles as a player and later served as the club's sporting director from 2017 to 2023.
1960 – 2019
Ethiopian public health researcher and women's rights activist who founded KMG Ethiopia to combat harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation.
1946
Former mujahideen commander who served as governor of Herat province and later as Minister of Energy and Water.
1930 – 2018
Inventor of rice variety HMT
1920 – 1990
Wladyslaw Glinski (1920 - February 1990) was a Polish game designer and businessman from London who invented Hexagonal Chess in 1936.
1930 – 2011
Israeli nuclear physicist (1930–2011)
1930 – 1950
Australian herpetologist
1910 – 1964
Polish architect (1913–1964)
1911 – 2002
Turkish statesperson (1911–2002)
1910 – 2003
First Turkish female civil engineer and volleyball player
1911 – 1969
Iraqi physicist/meteorologist
1920 – 2014
Austrian computer pioneer (1920–2014)
1911 – 1961
Turkish statesperson (1911–1961)
1950 – 2024
Ghanaian chemical engineer
1950 – 2006
Inventor, born 1950
1931 – 1996
Canadian doctor
1954
Japanese scientist born in Indonesia who has made contributions to chemical engineering research while working in Japan.
1952
Former Justice Minister under Gaddafi who became chairman of the National Transitional Council during the 2011 revolution.
1934 – 2012
Saudi Interior Minister for 37 years who briefly served as Crown Prince from 2011 until his death in 2012.
1923 – 2007
Pioneering filmmaker known as the "father of African cinema" who directed acclaimed films like "Black Girl" and "Xala" depicting post-colonial African life.
1956
Economist who served as Prime Minister of Sudan from 2019 to 2022 during the country's transition to civilian rule following Omar al-Bashir's overthrow.
1944
Bangladeshi politician who served as the 20th President of Bangladesh from 2013 to 2023, previously holding the position of Speaker of Parliament.
1908 – 1980
Palestinian diplomat and politician who founded and led the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1964 to 1967.

Idi Aminmilitary officermilitary personnel
1925 – 2003
Military officer who ruled Uganda as dictator from 1971 to 1979, responsible for the deaths of an estimated 100,000 to 500,000 people during his brutal regime.
1925 – 2006
Brutal Khmer Rouge military commander known as 'The Butcher' who controlled southwestern Cambodia and was one of Pol Pot's most feared lieutenants.
1987
Minister of Climate Change and Environment who led the UAE's Hope Mars mission as Deputy Project Manager, making the UAE the fifth nation to reach Mars.
1988
Central defender who captained the Costa Rica national team and played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. He has played for clubs in MLS and Liga MX.
1932 – 2015
Renowned archaeologist and keeper of Palmyra's ancient ruins who was executed by ISIS in 2015 for refusing to reveal hidden artifacts.

Adunisjournalistliterary critic
1930
Syrian poet, writer and translator (born 1930)
1964
Novelist and short story writer whose works explore themes of Islamic faith, identity, and the immigrant experience, including the novel 'Minaret.'
1942
Economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Iraq from 2018 to 2020 before resigning amid widespread anti-government protests. He previously held various ministerial positions including Oil Minister.
1952
Hungarian-born nurse who became Muammar Gaddafi's second wife and mother to seven of his children.
1994
Women's rights activist who became one of Afghanistan's first female mayors when appointed to lead Maidan Shar in 2019 at age 24.
1925 – 1975
Bangladeshi independence leader who served as the first Acting President of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War. He was assassinated along with other founding leaders in 1975.
1963
Vietnamese-American astronomer who co-discovered the first Kuiper Belt object beyond Pluto and Neptune in 1992, fundamentally changing our understanding of the solar system. Her discovery of 15760 Albion opened up the field of trans-Neptunian object research.
1918 – 1996
Bangladeshi politician who briefly served as President for three months in 1975 after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was later overthrown in another military coup and spent years in prison.
1975
Afghan politician and women's rights advocate who served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament and was one of the few female candidates in the 2019 presidential election.
1975
Won the 2022 Booker Prize for his novel "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," making him the second Sri Lankan author to receive this prestigious literary award.
1983
Syrian engineer who served as interim Prime Minister during the 2024 transition following Assad's fall from power.
1926 – 1993
Syrian military officer and politician who served in various government positions during the Ba'ath Party era.
1937 – 2025
Veteran politician who served in various government positions during and after the Gaddafi era.
1956
Current Prime Minister of Kuwait, appointed to the position in 2022 by Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He previously served in various governmental roles and is tasked with leading economic and administrative reforms.
1953 – 2018
Leader of the opposition RENAMO party from 1984 until his death in 2018, who commanded rebel forces during Mozambique's civil war and later became a key political figure.
1931 – 2009
Military officer who ruled Sudan as president from 1969 to 1985 after seizing power in a coup, known for implementing Islamic law and socialist policies.
1929 – 1992
Ba'ath Party leader who served as President of Syria from 1966-1970 until being overthrown in Hafez al-Assad's military coup.
1958
Economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Haiti from 2009 to 2011, including during the devastating 2010 earthquake. He coordinated much of the international relief and reconstruction efforts.
1977
British-Zimbabwean actress who has appeared in films including Sunshine and Doctor Who, and on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
1976
Chairman of Manchester City Football Club and CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds.
1929 – 1990
Ugandan military officer who served as head of state from July 1985 to January 1986 as chairman of the Military Council. He came to power after overthrowing Milton Obote but was himself overthrown by Yoweri Museveni's forces.
1961
Fugitive warlord who leads the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group responsible for widespread atrocities across northern Uganda and neighboring countries since the 1980s.
1957
Sudanese human rights lawyer and politician who won the 2007 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament. He has represented victims of the Darfur conflict and other human rights cases while facing persecution for his legal advocacy work.
1953
Syrian engineer and civil servant who became Prime Minister in 2020, overseeing government operations during the ongoing civil conflict.
1990
Egypt association football player
1984
Peru's captain and all-time leading goalscorer with over 39 international goals who has played for clubs including Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV, and Internacional.
1919 – 2012
Communist-era politician who served as acting head of state of Afghanistan from May 1986 to September 1987.
1992
Afghanistan's first female fixed-wing Air Force pilot who completed flight training in 2013 and later sought asylum in the United States.
1944
Sudanese military officer who ruled Sudan as president from 1989 to 2019 before being overthrown and later indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
1914 – 1996
Military officer who briefly served as President of Uganda for six months (1985-1986) after overthrowing Milton Obote before being ousted by Yoweri Museveni.
1961
North Korean politician who currently serves as Premier of North Korea, appointed in 2019. He previously held various positions in the Workers' Party of Korea economic departments.
1956
Defense minister under Omar al-Bashir who briefly served as head of Sudan's military council for one day in April 2019 before stepping down.
1962
Norma Cruz is a prominent Guatemalan human rights activist who founded the Survivors Foundation to support victims of violence and femicide.

Hemedtimilitary personnelwar criminal
1975
Paramilitary leader who commands the Rapid Support Forces and has been accused of war crimes during conflicts in Darfur and the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
1955
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East since 2012, leading one of the oldest Christian patriarchates.
1983
CEO of TikTok since 2021, leading the popular social media platform used by over one billion people worldwide. He previously held senior positions at Xiaomi and worked as an investment banker.