20 historically significant individuals born on May 22. May 22 is the birth date of several notable individuals in history. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was born on this day in 1859. French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour was born in 1924. The date also marks the birth of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Shuji Nakamura in 1954, known for his work in LED technology.
Total Born
20
Countries
13
Top Century
20th· 12
Top Field
scientist
4 individuals
Headline Figures
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (12)
19th (4)
0th C.20th C.
20th Century
12Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Betty Williams
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Peace (1976)
Philip Dybvig
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2022)
George A. Olah
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1994)
Herbert C. Brown
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1979)
Charles Aznavour
actorchansonnier
French-Armenian singer-songwriter and actor known as one of France's greatest chanson performers, selling over 180 million records worldwide. He also served as Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland and UNESCO.
Arturo Vidal
association football player
Dynamic midfielder who won over 140 caps for Chile and helped the national team win the Copa América in 2015 and 2016. He played for top European clubs including Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Shuji Nakamura
engineerinventor
Engineer who invented the blue LED, enabling white LED lighting and earning the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for this breakthrough technology.
Bassel Khartabil
bloggercomputer scientist
Open-source software developer and democracy activist who was secretly executed in Syrian government custody in 2015 after years of detention.
Annabel Chong
actorfilm actor
Former adult film actress who gained international notoriety in the 1990s and later became a software engineer. She was the subject of the documentary film 'Sex: The Annabel Chong Story'.
Aleksandr Dokturishvili
amateur wrestlerathlete
Greco-Roman wrestler who won Olympic bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games in the 84kg weight class.
Hong Yong-jo
association football player
Forward who represented North Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and played professionally in Russia and other international leagues.
Novak Djokovic
tennis player
Serbian tennis player who has won 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles, the most in tennis history. He held the world No. 1 ranking for a record total of 403 weeks.
19th Century
4Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Thekla Resvoll
biologistbotanist
Norwegian botanist (1871-1948)
.jpg&w=96&q=75){kind=small}
Rita Cetina Gutiérrez
activistpoet
Mexican teacher, poet and feminist (1846-1908)
Arthur Conan Doyle
crime fiction writeressayist
British physician and author who created the detective Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous fictional characters in literature. He wrote 56 short stories and four novels featuring Holmes and also advocated for justice in several real criminal cases.
Voldemārs Zāmuēls
journalistjudge
Latvian politician (1872-1948)
18th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Alexander Aubert
astronomerbusinessperson
British astronomer (1730-1805)
Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis
engineermathematician
French mathematician, mechanical engineer, and scientist (1792–1843)
17th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Yves Marie André
mathematicianphilosopher
French Jesuit mathematician, philosopher, and essayist, best known for his Essai sur le Beau, a 1741 philosophical work on aesthetics
0th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Germanicus
military personnelpoet
Nephew and adopted son of emperor Tiberius, heir apparent of the Roman Empire, and father of emperor Caligula
Explore More for May 22
Discover historical events and other data for this day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on May 22?
Arthur Conan Doyle, born on May 22, 1859, is known for creating Sherlock Holmes. His detective stories have influenced literature and popular culture globally.
What celebrities were born on May 22?
Celebrities born on May 22 include French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour (1924) and Japanese physicist Shuji Nakamura (1954), known for his work on LED technology. Adult film actress Annabel Chong (1972) and Georgian footballer Aleksandr Dokturishvili (1980) also share this birth date.
Are there any Nobel Prize winners born on May 22?
Shuji Nakamura, born on May 22, 1954, is a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. He received the award in 2014 for inventing efficient blue light-emitting diodes, enabling bright and energy-saving white light sources.