22 historically significant individuals born on January 13. January 13 marks the birth of several notable individuals. Physicist Wilhelm Wien, born in 1864, won the Nobel Prize for his work on heat radiation. Sydney Brenner, born in 1927, was a molecular biologist and Nobel laureate known for his contributions to genetics. The date also marks the birth of Ethiopian Prince Taye Atske Selassie in 1956, Ugandan politician and activist Winnie Byanyima in 1959, and Olympic gymnast Vitaly Scherbo in 1972, who won six gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Total Born
22
Countries
19
Top Century
20th· 11
Top Field
politician
4 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Eric Betzig
1960 – PresentNobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014)
association football player
Luis Díaz
1997 – PresentWinger who plays for Liverpool FC and Colombia's national team, known for his pace and dribbling ability on the left flank.
actor
Liam Hemsworth
1990 – PresentAustralian actor (born 1990)
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (11)
19th (8)
13th C.20th C.
20th Century
11Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Eric Betzig
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014)
Luis Díaz
association football player
Winger who plays for Liverpool FC and Colombia's national team, known for his pace and dribbling ability on the left flank.
Liam Hemsworth
actorfilm actor
Australian actor (born 1990)
Sydney Brenner
biologistbiotechnologist
Molecular biologist who won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how genes control organ development and programmed cell death. His research using nematode worms revolutionized understanding of genetic development.
Şarık Tara
businesspersoncivil engineer
Turkish businessperson (1930–2018)
Artjoms Rudņevs
association football player
Latvian striker who has played for clubs across Europe and scored over 100 career goals in professional football.
VS
Vitaly Scherbo
artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnast who won six gold medals at the 1992 Olympics, the most by any athlete at a single Summer Games.
Winnie Byanyima
aircraft pilotdiplomat
Aeronautical engineer and politician who currently serves as Executive Director of UNAIDS and previously held senior positions in the Ugandan government and African Union.
Raif Badawi
bloggerhuman rights defender
Blogger and human rights activist sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for creating the Free Saudi Liberals website.
Taye Atske Selassie
diplomatpolitician
Ethiopian diplomat and politician who has served in various government positions including roles in international relations and foreign affairs.
Tomás Rincón
association football player
Tomás Rincón is a defensive midfielder who has captained Venezuela's national football team and played for major European clubs including Juventus and Torino.
19th Century
8Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Wilhelm Wien
physicisttheoretical physicist
German physicist who discovered Wien's displacement law and won the 1911 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on heat radiation. He made fundamental contributions to understanding blackbody radiation and the quantum theory of light.
André Rebouças
engineerpolitician
Brazilian civil engineer and activist (1838-1898)
Joshua Benoliel
photographerphotojournalist
Portuguese photographer and photojournalist (1873-1932)
Mihal Grameno
journalistpolitician
Albanian politician and journalist (1871–1931)
José Gabriel García
journalistpolitician
Dominican military, historian, politician, journalist and publicist
Franklin Távora
journalistlawyer
Brazilian writer and politician (1842-1888)
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Alfred Hennequin
librettistplaywright
Belgian dramatist (1842–1887)
José Luis Blasio
secretarywriter
Maximilian I of Mexico's Personal Secretary
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Pierre-Dominique Bazaine
civil engineerengineer
Russian mathematician
Luca Sorgo
composerdiplomat
Croatian composer
13th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Gertrude the Great
mysticnun
Roman Catholic Saint
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on January 13?
Wilhelm Wien, the German physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1911 for his work on heat radiation laws, is among the most notable figures born on January 13, 1864. Other prominent individuals include Nobel Prize winner Sydney Brenner and Olympic gymnast Vitaly Scherbo.
Are there any Nobel Prize winners born on January 13?
Yes, two Nobel Prize winners were born on January 13: Wilhelm Wien (Physics, 1911) born in 1864, and Sydney Brenner (Physiology or Medicine, 2002) born in 1927. Both made groundbreaking contributions to their respective fields of science.
What famous athletes were born on January 13?
Vitaly Scherbo, the Belarusian gymnast who won six Olympic gold medals and is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, was born on January 13, 1972. He dominated men's gymnastics in the early 1990s with his exceptional performances.