1977 – 2017
Iranian-born mathematician who became the first woman to win the Fields Medal in 2014 for her groundbreaking work in geometry and dynamical systems.
1939 – 2026
Iranian Shia cleric who served as the second Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 until his death in 2026, wielding ultimate political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic.
1940 – 2016
Iranian filmmaker who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival twice and became internationally acclaimed for his poetic, minimalist cinema exploring Iranian rural life.
1934 – 2017
Iranian cleric and pragmatist politician who served as the fourth President of Iran from 1989 to 1997, promoting economic liberalization and moderate foreign policies.
1900 – 1989
Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989
1956 – Present
Iranian engineer and politician who served as the sixth President of Iran from 2005 to 2013, known for his populist rhetoric and controversial nuclear policies.
1938 – Present
Iranian-born architect who served as the last Empress of Iran from 1959 to 1979 as wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
1947 – Present
Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who became the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her work defending women's and children's rights.
1943 – Present
Iranian cleric and reformist politician who served as President from 1997 to 2005, promoting civil liberties and improved relations with the West.
1948 – Present
Iranian cleric and moderate politician who served as President from 2013 to 2021, negotiating the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) with world powers in 2015.
1972 – Present
Iranian filmmaker who won Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film for "A Separation" (2011) and "The Salesman" (2016), exploring complex moral dilemmas in contemporary Iranian society.
1972 – Present
Iranian human rights activist and journalist who won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned for her campaigns against mandatory hijab laws and the death penalty.
1954 – Present
Iranian cardiac surgeon and reformist politician who became the ninth President of Iran in 2024 following Ebrahim Raisi's death.
1878 – 1944
Iranian military officer who seized power in a 1921 coup and ruled as Shah from 1925 to 1941, modernizing Iran through extensive social and economic reforms.
1960 – 2024
Iranian hardline cleric and judge who served as President from 2021 until his death in a helicopter crash in 2024.
1933 – 2021
Iranian economist and politician who served as the first President of the Islamic Republic from 1980 to 1981 before being impeached and fleeing into exile.
1966 – Present
Iranian-American engineer and entrepreneur who became the first female private space explorer and first Iranian in space aboard a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station in 2006.
1969 – Present
Iranian cleric and son of Ali Khamenei who became the third Supreme Leader of Iran in 2026 following his father's death.
1960 – Present
Iranian filmmaker who won the Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival and has continued making films despite government bans and imprisonment for his social criticism.
850 – 931
Islamic legal scholar
936 – 983
Buyid dynasty emir (936-983)
940 – 998
Persian mathematician and astronomer (940–998)
951 – 1020
Persian astronomer and mathematician (c.945-c.1020)
721 – 815
8th-century Islamic alchemist and author
940 – 1000
10th century Persian mathematician, physicist and astronomer
