22 historically significant individuals born on September 3. September 3 is the birth date of several notable individuals. Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Frank Macfarlane Burnet was born in 1899, and Finnish President Urho Kekkonen in 1900. South African jazz singer Dorothy Masuka was born on this date in 1935, followed by former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 1936 and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Ryōji Noyori in 1938.
Total Born
22
Countries
19
Top Century
20th· 13
Top Field
scientist
4 individuals
Headline Figures
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (13)
16th (4)
14th C.20th C.
20th Century
13Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Carl D. Anderson
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1936)
Daron Acemoglu
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2024)
Guido W. Imbens
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2021)
Mario Draghi
bankereconomist
Italian economist who served as President of the European Central Bank from 2011 to 2019 and later as Prime Minister of Italy from 2021 to 2022.
Negasso Gidada
historianminister
Ethiopian historian and politician who served as President of Ethiopia from 1995 to 2001. He was also a prominent academic and Lutheran minister.
Samuel Kuffour
association football player
Ghanaian defender who spent most of his career at Bayern Munich, winning multiple Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2001.
Ryōji Noyori
chemistprofessor
Japanese chemist who won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on chirally catalyzed hydrogenation reactions. His research advanced asymmetric synthesis in organic chemistry.
Kiran Desai
novelistwriter
Indian-American novelist who won the 2006 Man Booker Prize for her novel 'The Inheritance of Loss'. She is the daughter of acclaimed author Anita Desai.
Eduardo Galeano
essayistjournalist
Uruguayan writer best known for 'The Open Veins of Latin America' and 'Memory of Fire' trilogy, influential voices in Latin American literature and anti-imperialist thought.
Dorothy Masuka
jazz musiciansinger
Dorothy Masuka was a renowned jazz singer and songwriter who became known as the 'Queen of African Jazz,' performing across southern Africa and composing songs that addressed social and political issues.
Gregorio Rosa Chávez
Catholic bishopCatholic priest
Catholic cardinal appointed by Pope Francis in 2017, serving as auxiliary bishop of San Salvador since 1982.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
diplomatpolitician
Tunisian president from 1987 to 2011 who was ousted during the Arab Spring revolution. He ruled as an authoritarian leader for over two decades before fleeing to Saudi Arabia.
Maithripala Sirisena
politician
Former Health Minister who defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015 to become Sri Lanka's President, serving until 2019 in a coalition government.
19th Century
3Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Fritz Pregl
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1923)
Frank Macfarlane Burnet
chemistimmunologist
Nobel Prize-winning immunologist who developed the theory of clonal selection and made fundamental contributions to understanding acquired immunity.
Urho Kekkonen
athletics competitorjournalist
Eighth President of Finland (1900–1986)
18th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Francisco Acuña de Figueroa
composerpoet
Uruguayan writer (1791–1864)
16th Century
4Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Henry IV, Burgrave of Plauen
chancellorcourt counsel
Army leader, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Bohemia and Burgrave of Meissen (1510-1554)
Federico Bonaventura
mathematiciannaturalist
Italian translator and humanist (1555–1602)
Bartholomaeus Pitiscus
astronomermathematician
German astronomer and mathematician
Dirk Graswinckel
juristlawyer
Dutch lawyer, writer, poet and translator (1600-1666)
14th Century
1Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Konrad Kyeser
engineermilitary engineer
German military engineer
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on September 3?
Frank Macfarlane Burnet, born in 1899, is likely the most famous person born on September 3, as he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1960 for his work on immunological tolerance. Urho Kekkonen, the long-serving President of Finland from 1956 to 1982, is also highly notable among September 3 births.
Are there any Nobel Prize winners born on September 3?
Yes, two Nobel Prize winners were born on September 3: Frank Macfarlane Burnet won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1960, and Ryōji Noyori won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001. Both made groundbreaking contributions to their respective scientific fields.
Which politicians were born on September 3?
Two prominent political leaders were born on September 3: Urho Kekkonen, who served as President of Finland for 26 years, and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. Kekkonen was known for his neutrality policy during the Cold War, while Ben Ali's presidency ended during the Arab Spring.