Matanzas, Cuba
1. Pedro Knight (1921)
Cuban Musician
Husband of singer Celia Cruz who worked behind the scenes in the music industry.
2. Amalia Aguilar (1924)
Movie Actress
Cuban and Mexican film actress and dancer who became an icon of the Rumberas film movement.
3. Sugar Ramos (1941)
Mexican Boxer
Featherweight Champion known for his fight with Davey Moore, which resulted in Moore dying from injuries to the brain.
4. José Cardenal (1943)
Cuban Baseball Player
Journeyman MLB outfielder who played for such teams as the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies, among others.
5. Pedro Juan Gutiérrez (1950)
Novelist
A Cuban author known for his visceral, realistic style, he is most famous for Trilogia sucia de La Habana (The Dirty Havana Trilogy), Dog Meat, and The Snake's Nest.
6. Hector Lombard (1978)
Actor
Cuban-Australian mixed martial artist who fought in promotions like Bellator MMA before debuting in UFC in 2012. He was previously a dominant judoka who won multiple International Judo Federation titles...
7. Andrés Aldama (1956)
Boxer
Nicknamed the "Cuban Assassin," he was a southpaw KO artist with a hammer of a left cross who won silver in the 1976 Olympics in the light welterweight competition and...
8. Jorge Barani (1992)
Dancer
Professional dancer who rose to fame after competing on the twelfth season of America's Got Talent. He is also recognized for having performed as a principle dancer for the Kentucky...
9. Frank Chamizo (1992)
Father Pavel Chamizo And Mother
Cuban but Italian-nationalized freestyle wrestler who is best recognized for having won multiple World Freestyle Wrestling Championships. He is best recognized for having won the Gold Medals at the 2017...
10. Adiarys Almeida (1983)
Dancer
Ballet dancer who has performed as a soloist as a member of groups like the Boston Ballet and the Cincinnati Ballet. She is the founder of the dancewear line ADIdancewear.
11. Ivo Díaz (1972)
Hungarian Handball Player
Ivo Luis Aldazabal Diaz is a Cuban-Hungarian handball player who plays for Tatabanya-Carbonex KC. Previously he played for Hungarian record champions KC Veszprém and Spanish clubs CB Ademar León and...
12. Ledis Balceiro (1975)
Canoe Racer
Ledis Frank Balceiro Pajon is a Cuban sprint canoer who competed from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. In 1995 Balceiro became the first-ever Cuban canoer to win a major international...
13. Lisandra Guerra (1987)
Cuban Racing Cyclist
Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez is a Cuban racing cyclist.
14. Yendry Diaz (1987)
Cuban Footballer
Yendry Díaz Pérez is a Cuban footballer.
15. Darisleydis Amador (1988)
Olympic Canoeist
Darisleydis Amador Rodríguez is a Cuban sprint canoeist. She won a silver medal in the women's K-1 200 metres at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara Mexico by thirty-seven...
16. Robin Prendes (1988)
Rower
Robin Prendes is an American rower. He competed in the Men's lightweight coxless four event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
17. Felipe de Jesús Estévez (1946)
Catholic Bishop
Jesús Estévez is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida beginning Tuesday June 1 2011. He was formerly the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic...
18. Alexi Torres (1976)
Cuban Artist
Alexi Torres is an artist from Cuba. He is known for his oil paintings that are painted to appear as if knitted and woven. His artistic inspiration is derived from...
19. Claudio Nasco (1976)
Cuban Journalist And Newscaster
Claudio Nasco was a Cuban journalist and newscaster. Born in Matanzas Nasco began his career in the early 2000s when he became a newscaster for Cadena de Noticias Dominican Republic....
20. Gustavo Barreiro (1959)
American Politician
Gustavo Gus Barreiro is a Republican Florida representative for District 107.
21. Gilberto Carrillo (1951)
Boxer
Gilberto Carillo was a male amateur boxer from Cuba. He competed for his native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich Germany in the light-heavyweight event where he...
22. Francisco Ferreras (1962)
Cuban Freediver
sco Rodriguez better known as Francisco 'Pipin' Ferreras is a Cuban free-diver renowned for his achievements in deep freediving.
23. Joseph Miró (1946)
American Politician
Joseph E. Miró is a Republican member of the Delaware House of Representatives representing the 22nd District since 1998. He served on the New Castle County Council from 1992-1998. Miró...
24. Frank Moreno (1965)
Cuban Judoka
Esteban Moreno García is a retired Cuban judoka who represented his native country twice at the Summer Olympics. He won several medals during his career at the Pan American Games...
25. Raúl Diago (1967)
Cuban Volleyball Player
Raúl Diago Izquierdo is a retired volleyball player from Cuba. A three-time Olympian he was honoured Best Setter at the 1998 FIVB Men's World Championship in Japan where Cuba finished...
26. Regla Hernández (1968)
Olympic Basketball Player
Regla Hernández is a Cuban former basketball player who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
27. Luis Alberto Pérez-Rionda (1969)
Athletics (sport) Competitor
Luis Alberto Pérez-Rionda is a former sprinter from Cuba who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Sydney 2000. His personal best of 10. 18...
28. Severiano de Heredia (1836)
French Politician
Severiano de Heredia was a Cuban-born French politician who served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1881–1889 and was minister of public works in the cabinet of Maurice Rouvier in...
29. Manuel Piñeiro Losada (Unknow)
unknow
30. Eddie Oropesa (1971)
Cuban Baseball Player
Edilberto Oropesa is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for four seasons. He pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2001 the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2002 to 2003 and...
31. Sergio Álvarez Boulet (1979)
Cuban Weightlifter
Sergio Álvarez Boulet is a Cuban weightlifter. He represented Cuba at the 2000 Summer Olympics ranking 5th. He participated in the men's -56 kg class at the 2006 World Weightlifting...
32. José Jacinto Milanés (1814)
Cuban Writer
José Jacinto Milanés y Fuentes a self-educated and from humble origins was a renowned poet linguist and writer who has been acclaimed as one of the best exponents of Cuban...
33. Andy Ramos (1991)
Cuban Footballer
Andy Ramos Gómez is a Cuban footballer.
34. José Zacarías Tallet (1893)
Cuban Writer
José Zacarías Tallet was a Cuban writer. He was born in Matanzas and died in Havana. He won the National Literary Prize in 1984.
35. Carilda Oliver Labra (1922)
Poet
Carilda Oliver Labra is a Cuban poet who was born in Matanzas in 1924. Labra studied law at the University of Havana. She is also known to excel at drawing...
36. Dora Alonso (1910)
Journalist And Writer
Dora Alonso is a Cuban journalist and writer who has worked in both print and radio. She has written novels short stories poetry theater and children's literature. She was also...
37. Nestor Pérez (1976)
Cuban Baseball Player
Nestor Alonso Perez is a Cuban professional baseball shortstop who is currently with the Spain national baseball team. Perez began his career in the Serie Nacional de Béisbol before defecting...
38. José Valdivielso (1934)
Baseball Player
José Martinez de Valdivielso is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball between 1955 and 1961 for the Washington Senators...
39. Amaury Cazana (1976)
Cuban Baseball Player
Amaury Antonio Cazana Marti is a Cuban professional baseball player who is a free agent.
40. José Estrada González (1967)
Baseball Player
José Antonio Estrada González is a Cuban baseball player and Olympic gold medalist. González is a two time Gold medalist for baseball winning at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the...
41. Yunesky Sánchez (1984)
Cuban Baseball Player
Yunesky Sánchez is a Cuban professional baseball shortstop who is currently with the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. Sanchez played in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system from 2007-2010...
42. Ossie Álvarez (1933)
Baseball Player
Oswaldo Álvarez González was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played two seasons in Major League Baseball 1958 and 1959 for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers. Alvarez played in...
43. Martín Dihigo (1906)
Cuban Baseball Player
Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos was a Cuban player in baseball's Negro leagues and Latin American leagues who excelled at several positions primarily as a pitcher and second baseman. He was...
44. Michel Abreu (1975)
Cuban Professional Baseball Play
Michel Abreu Martinez is a Cuban professional baseball player. A first baseman he is currently a member of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. Abreu began his professional...
45. Leo Cárdenas (1938)
Baseball Player
Leonardo Lazaro Cárdenas Alfonso was a right-handed batting Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed Mr. Automatic and Chico he was a five-time all-star and one of the best fielding shortstops of...
46. Saidel Brito Lorenzo (1973)
Cuban Artist
Saidel Brito is a prominent Cuban artist specializing in drawing sculpture installation and photography. Brito studied in 1992 at the Escuela Nacional de Arte and continued at Instituto Superior de...
47. Jorge Betancourt (1982)
Cuban Diver
Jorge Betancourt García is a male diver from Cuba. He represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics starting in 2004. Betancourt twice won a silver medal at the...
48. Berta Soler (1963)
Cuban Dissident
Berta Soler Fernandez is a Cuban dissident. She is the current leader of Ladies in White a group of wives of political prisoners who protest on their behalf. She assumed...
49. Joel Isasi (1967)
Athletics (sport) Competitor
Joel Isasi González is a former sprinter from Cuba.
