15 historically significant individuals born on May 11. May 11 marks the birth date of several influential figures from different fields. Notable individuals born on this day include surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904), Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918), and computer scientist Edsger W. Dijkstra (1930) who shaped art, science, and technology.
Total Born
15
Countries
13
Top Century
20th· 10
Top Field
association football player
3 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
Antony Hewish
1924 – 2021Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1974)
association football player
Giovani dos Santos
1989 – PresentMexican attacking midfielder who played for top European clubs including Barcelona, Tottenham, and Villarreal. He represented Mexico in multiple World Cups and was part of the team that won the 2012 Olympic gold medal.
association football player
Thibaut Courtois
1992 – PresentBelgian goalkeeper who has starred for Real Madrid and Belgium's national team, known for his exceptional shot-stopping and commanding presence.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (10)
10th C.20th C.
20th Century
10Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Antony Hewish
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1974)
Giovani dos Santos
association football player
Mexican attacking midfielder who played for top European clubs including Barcelona, Tottenham, and Villarreal. He represented Mexico in multiple World Cups and was part of the team that won the 2012 Olympic gold medal.
Thibaut Courtois
association football player
Belgian goalkeeper who has starred for Real Madrid and Belgium's national team, known for his exceptional shot-stopping and commanding presence.
Sue Gardner
businesspersonjournalist
Canadian journalist who served as executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation from 2007 to 2014, overseeing Wikipedia's global expansion.
Richard Feynman
percussionistquantum physicist
American theoretical physicist (1918–1988)
Edsger W. Dijkstra
information scientistmathematician
Dutch computer scientist who created fundamental algorithms including Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm and made major contributions to programming language design.
Camilo José Cela
essayistfilm actor
Spanish novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989, best known for his novel "The Family of Pascual Duarte."
Salvador Dalí
designerdraftsperson
Spanish surrealist painter famous for his melting clocks in "The Persistence of Memory" and his flamboyant public persona with his distinctive mustache.
Andrés Iniesta
association football player
Spanish midfielder widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, who won the World Cup (2010) and two European Championships with Spain's national team.
Igor Matovič
politician
Slovak businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister from 2020 to 2021, leading a coalition government during the COVID-19 pandemic. He founded the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities party.
19th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Emanoil Bacaloglu
chemistmathematician
Romanian scientist
Pridi Banomyong
lawyerscreenwriter
Thai prime minister (1900-1983)
18th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Franz von Lauer
civil engineerFortress Builders
Austrian general
15th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
René II of Lorraine
monarch
Duke of Lorraine (1451-1508)
10th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
emperorruler
Holy Roman Emperor from 1014 to 1024
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on May 11?
Salvador Dalí, the Spanish surrealist artist born in 1904, is widely regarded as the most famous person born on May 11. He gained international fame for his distinctive melting clocks paintings and eccentric personality.
What Nobel Prize winners were born on May 11?
Two Nobel Prize winners were born on May 11: Richard Feynman, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics, and Camilo José Cela, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989 for his Spanish novels.
Are there any important scientists born on May 11?
Yes, May 11 is the birthdate of two influential scientists: physicist Richard Feynman, known for his work in quantum mechanics and particle physics, and computer scientist Edsger W. Dijkstra, known for developing foundational algorithms in computer science.