Famous People from Netherlands

96 notable historical figures from Netherlands, including leaders, artists, scientists, and other influential people.

Vincent van Gogh

1853 – 1890

Dutch painter (1853–1890)

Born March 30

Johan Cruyff

1947 – 2016

Dutch footballer and manager (1947–2016)

Born April 25

Hendrik Lorentz

1853 – 1928

Dutch physicist (1853–1928)

Born July 18

Mark Rutte

1967 – Present

Secretary General of NATO since 2024 and former Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2010–2024)

Born February 14

William Alexander of the Netherlands

1967 – Present

King of the Netherlands (born 1967)

Born April 27

Pieter Zeeman

1865 – 1943

Dutch physicist (1865–1943)

Born May 25

Beatrix of the Netherlands

1938 – Present

Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013 (born 1938)

Born January 31

Johannes Diderik van der Waals

1837 – 1923

Dutch physicist (1837–1923)

Born November 23

Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff

1852 – 1911

Dutch physical and organic chemist (1852-1911)

Born August 30

Robin van Persie

1983 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1983)

Born August 6

Arjen Robben

1984 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1984)

Born January 23

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes

1853 – 1926

Dutch physicist, Nobel prize winner (1853-1926)

Born September 21

Mata Hari

1876 – 1917

Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan and spy (1876-1917)

Born August 7

M. C. Escher

1898 – 1972

Dutch graphic artist (1898–1972)

Born June 17

Piet Mondrian

1872 – 1944

Dutch painter (1872–1944)

Born March 7

Edsger W. Dijkstra

1930 – 2002

Dutch computer scientist (1930–2002)

Born May 11

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

1880 – 1962

Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948 (1880–1962)

Born August 31

Peter Debye

1884 – 1966

Dutch-American physicist and physical chemist (1884–1966)

Born March 24

Wesley Sneijder

1984 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1984)

Born June 9

Nicolaas Bloembergen

1920 – 2017

Dutch-born American physicist

Born March 11

Edwin van der Sar

1970 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1970)

Born October 29

Max Euwe

1901 – 1981

Dutch chess player and mathematician

Born May 20

Gerard 't Hooft

1946 – Present

Dutch theoretical physicist

Born July 5

Willem Einthoven

1860 – 1927

Dutch physiologist

Born May 21

Harry Mulisch

1927 – 2010

Dutch writer (1927–2010)

Born July 29

Dennis Bergkamp

1969 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1969)

Born May 10

Frits Zernike

1888 – 1966

Dutch physicist (1888–1966)

Born July 16

Ruud van Nistelrooy

1976 – Present

Dutch association football player and coach (born 1976)

Born July 1

Ruud Gullit

1962 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager

Born September 1

Louis van Gaal

1951 – Present

Dutch association football manager (born 1951)

Born August 8

Virgil van Dijk

1991 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1991)

Born July 8

Jan Peter Balkenende

1956 – Present

Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2002 to 2010

Born May 7

Andre Geim

1958 – Present

Russian-born Dutch-British physicist

Born October 21

Lars Onsager

1903 – 1976

American physical chemist and theoretical physicist (1903-1976)

Born November 27

Frank Rijkaard

1962 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1962)

Born September 30

Jan Tinbergen

1903 – 1994

Dutch economist (1903–1994)

Born April 12

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

1983 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1983)

Born August 12

Memphis Depay

1994 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1994)

Born February 13

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

1969 – Present

Dutch-American political activist and author

Born November 13

Christiaan Eijkman

1858 – 1930

Dutch physician (1858–1930)

Born August 11

Martinus J. G. Veltman

1931 – 2021

Dutch theoretical physicist (1931–2021)

Born June 27

Dirk Kuyt

1980 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1980)

Born July 22

Rafael van der Vaart

1983 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1983)

Born February 11

Ronald Koeman

1963 – Present

Dutch association football manager and player

Born March 21

Paul Josef Crutzen

1933 – 2021

Dutch climatologist (1933–2021)

Born December 3

Juliana of the Netherlands

1909 – 2004

Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980 (1909-2004)

Born April 30

Guus Hiddink

1946 – Present

Dutch football player and manager

Born November 8

Clarence Seedorf

1976 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1976)

Born April 1

Multatuli

1820 – 1887

Dutch author (1820–1887)

Born March 2

Gerard Kuiper

1905 – 1973

Netherlands-born American astronomer

Born December 7

Martin Garrix

1996 – Present

Dutch DJ and record producer

Born May 14

Desi Bouterse

1945 – 2024

leader of Suriname (1980–1987, 2010–2020)

Born October 13

Eddie Van Halen

1955 – 2020

Dutch-American rock guitarist (1955–2020)

Born January 26

Dick Schoof

1957 – Present

Civil servant and former Prime Minister of the Netherlands 2024 to 2026

Born March 8

Niko Tinbergen

1907 – 1988

Dutch Zoologist, ethologist (1907-1988)

Born April 15

Mark van Bommel

1977 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1977)

Born April 22

Theo van Doesburg

1883 – 1931

Dutch architect, painter, draughtsman and writer (1883–1931)

Born August 30

Jan Hendrik Oort

1900 – 1992

Dutch astronomer (1900–1992)

Born April 28

Paul Verhoeven

1938 – Present

Dutch film director (born 1938)

Born July 18

Ibrahim Afellay

1986 – Present

Dutch footballer (born 1991

Born April 2

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

1975 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1975)

Born February 5

Patrick Kluivert

1976 – Present

Dutch football manager (born 1976)

Born July 1

Cody Gakpo

1999 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1999)

Born May 7

Gus Van Sant

1952 – Present

American film director, producer, photographer and musician (born 1952)

Born July 24

Daley Blind

1990 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1990)

Born March 9

Hakim Ziyech

1993 – Present

Moroccan-Dutch association football player

Born March 19

William I of the Netherlands

1772 – 1843

King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1815–1840 (1772-1843)

Born August 24

Frenkie de Jong

1997 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1997)

Born May 12

William II of the Netherlands

1792 – 1849

King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1840 to 1849 (1792–1849)

Born December 6

Ryan Babel

1986 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1986)

Born December 19

Edgar Davids

1973 – Present

Dutch association football manager (born 1973)

Born March 13

Sylvia Kristel

1952 – 2012

Dutch actress, model, recording artist (1952-2012)

Born September 28

Tobias Asser

1838 – 1913

Dutch lawyer and legal scholar (1838-1913)

Born April 28

Georginio Wijnaldum

1990 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1990)

Born November 11

Ben Feringa

1951 – Present

Dutch Nobel laureate in chemistry

Born May 18

Rob Jetten

1987 – Present

prime minister of the Netherlands

Born March 25

Willem Drees

1886 – 1988

Dutch politician (1886–1988)

Born July 5

Frank de Boer

1970 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager (born 1970)

Born May 15

William III of the Netherlands

1817 – 1890

King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1817–1890)

Born February 19

Jasper Cillessen

1989 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1989)

Born April 22

Gerald Vanenburg

1964 – Present

Dutch association football player

Born March 5

Stefan de Vrij

1992 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1992)

Born February 5

Johan Huizinga

1872 – 1945

Dutch cultural historian (1872–1945)

Born December 7

Peter Bosz

1963 – Present

Dutch association football player and manager

Born November 21

John Heitinga

1983 – Present

Dutch association football player (born 1983)

Born November 15