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Famous Birthdays on March 12

March 11March 13

18 historically significant individuals born on March 12. March 12 is the birth date of several notable individuals, including influential political leaders and cultural figures. Prominent people born on this day include Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (1889), who had a major impact on modern dance, and Idris I of Libya (1890), the first king of Libya. Others born on this date are Singapore's first Chief Minister David Marshall (1908), Mexican President Gustavo Díaz-Ordaz (1911), and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leo Esaki (1925).

Total Born
18
Countries
15
Top Century
20th· 11
Top Field
politician
4 individuals

Headline Figures

military personnel
Ratko Mladić

Ratko Mladić

1943 – Present

Former Chief of Staff of the Bosnian Serb Army during the 1992-1996 Bosnian War, convicted of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo.

economist
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson

Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson

1975 – Present

Icelandic economist and politician who served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2016 until resigning following revelations in the Panama Papers. He previously worked as a journalist and was the youngest person to hold the office at age 38.

politician
Milorad Dodik

Milorad Dodik

1959 – Present

Current Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency and long-serving President of Republika Srpska, known for advocating Bosnian Serb autonomy and opposing centralization.

Birth Distribution by Century

20th (11)
19th (4)
16th C.20th C.

20th Century

11
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić
military personnelsoldier
Former Chief of Staff of the Bosnian Serb Army during the 1992-1996 Bosnian War, convicted of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo.
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
economistjournalist
Icelandic economist and politician who served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2016 until resigning following revelations in the Panama Papers. He previously worked as a journalist and was the youngest person to hold the office at age 38.
Milorad Dodik
Milorad Dodik
politician
Current Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency and long-serving President of Republika Srpska, known for advocating Bosnian Serb autonomy and opposing centralization.
Gustavo Díaz-Ordaz
Gustavo Díaz-Ordaz
diplomatlawyer
56th President of Mexico
Teimour Radjabov
Teimour Radjabov
chess player
Chess grandmaster and former world championship candidate who won the FIDE World Cup in 2019 and has been among the world's top 10 players.
Joseph Ngute
Joseph Ngute
ministerpolitician
Current Prime Minister of Cameroon who has served in the role since January 2019 under President Paul Biya.
Leo Esaki
Leo Esaki
physicist
Physicist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering electron tunneling in semiconductors, leading to advances in electronics.
David Marshall
David Marshall
diplomatlawyer
Singapore's first Chief Minister from 1955 to 1956 and a prominent criminal defense lawyer. He was known for his passionate oratory and his role in Singapore's early self-government negotiations.
Julio Dely Valdés
Julio Dely Valdés
association football coachassociation football player
Former Panamanian striker who became the country's all-time leading goalscorer and later managed the national team, including during their historic 2018 World Cup qualification.
JV
Jorge Dely Valdés
association football coachassociation football player
Panamanian footballer who scored 43 goals in 69 international appearances and later became a football coach.
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal
politician
Senior communist politician who served as Prime Minister from 2009 to 2011 during Nepal's post-monarchy transition period. He is a founding member of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).

19th Century

4
Idris I of Libya
Idris I of Libya
politician
King of Libya from 1951 to 1969
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb
astronomereconomist
American astronomer (1835–1909)
David Laird
David Laird
editorjournalist
Canadian politician (1833–1914)
Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Nijinsky
ballet dancerballet master
Polish-Russian ballet dancer and choreographer

18th Century

1
Anne-Louis Tousard
Anne-Louis Tousard
diplomatengineer
Diplomat (1749-1817)

17th Century

1
John Theophilus Desaguliers
John Theophilus Desaguliers
engineerphilosopher
French-born British natural philosopher and clergyman

16th Century

1
Thomas Bodley
Thomas Bodley
autobiographerdiplomat
English diplomat and scholar (1545-1613)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the most famous person born on March 12?
Vaslav Nijinsky, born on March 12, 1889, is considered the most famous person born on this date. He was a legendary Russian ballet dancer and choreographer who transformed modern dance in the early 20th century.
Which Nobel Prize winner was born on March 12?
Leo Esaki, born on March 12, 1925, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973. He was recognized for his discoveries regarding tunneling phenomena in semiconductors and superconductors.
Are there any world leaders born on March 12?
Yes, Idris I of Libya was born on March 12, 1890, and was King of Libya from 1951 to 1969. Gustavo Díaz-Ordaz, born on the same date in 1911, was President of Mexico from 1964 to 1970.