1. Charles V (1500)

King

Holy Roman emperor and King of Spain from 1516 to 1556 whose reign was mostly devoted to the Italian Wars against France. He is also known for his ardent opposition...

2. Henri Colson (1819)

Engineer Industrialist Politicia

Engineer and industrialist who rose to prominence while working as a professor at the University of Ghent.

3. Albert Mechelynck (1854)

Belgian Politician

Liberal politician from Belgium, who worked as a lawyer for the Provincial Court in the late 19th and 20th century.

4. Victor Horta (1861)

Architect Designer

Prominent architect in the Art Nouveau style. He was responsible in 1892 for the construction of the Hôtel Tassel in Brussels. He was honored with the title of Baron in...

5. Maurice Maeterlinck (1862)

Belgian Writer

Versatile writer who was also known for his poetry and essays. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911.

6. Leo Baekeland (1863)

American Chemist

Chemist who invented the first synthetic plastic, which he called Bakelite.

7. Bradley Wiggins (1980)

Professional Cyclist

Professional cyclist, known for becoming the first British winner of the Tour De France in 2012. 

8. Pierre Louÿs (1870)

French Writer

Influential French poet associated with the symbolism movement and known for erotic literary works featuring lesbian themes. His works include La Femme et le pantin (The Woman and the Puppet)...

9. George Sarton (1884)

American Historian Of Science

He pioneered the study and research of the history of science. The George Sarton Medal has bee awarded every year by the History of Science Society since 1955.

10. Corneille Heymans (1892)

Belgian Physiologist

Physiologist who received 1938's Nobel Prize for Physiology for his discoveries related to blood pressure and blood's oxygen content.

11. Edgard Colle (1897)

Chess Master

A champion who introduced the revolutionary chess opening, the Colle System. He unfortunately struggled with major health issues that hindered his career.

12. Suzanne Lilar (1901)

Flemish Belgian Francophone Writ

An award-winning novelist, essayist, and playwright, she is best known for Le Burlador, her own take on the story of Don Juan. A member of the Royal Academy of French...

13. Théo Lefèvre (1914)

Belgian Politician

Lawyer and politician who served as thirty-ninth Prime Minister of Belgium from 1961 to 1965.

14. Iljo Keisse (1982)

Cyclist

Specialist in Six-day races, he won the Six Days of Ghent multiple times, and raced for UCI ProTour team Quick Step.

15. Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (1989)

Belgian Footballer

Footballer known for his abilities as a midfielder and for joining Club Brugge in 2009.

16. Helmut Lotti (1969)

Belgian Singer-songwriter

Flemish Belgian tenor who gained international acclaim for his multilingual performances, selling over thirteen million albums.

17. Eline Berings (1986)

Belgian Hurdler

Hurdler who competed in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2012 Olympics and won gold at the 2009 European Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles.

18. Jacques Rogge (1942)

International Olympic Committee

Athlete and former Olympian who became the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee.

19. Vincent Bal (1971)

Director

Belgian artist and filmmaker who is widely known for his unique shadow-inspired doodles. He has gained popularity for creating artwork based around shadows cast by everyday objects.

20. René Jacobs (1946)

Musician

Countertenor and conductor who became known for specializing in Baroque and early classical opera and who was called a singer's conductor.

21. Trixie Whitley (1987)

Belgian Musician

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for being a member of the collaborative group Black Dub. She's the daughter of musician Chris Whitley, with whom she's also performed.

22. Mandy Praet (1997)

DJ

Belgian DJ and musician who has gained fame throughout Europe for producing and performing hard-style music. She performs at shows and large music festivals like Tomorrowland, Reverze. 

23. Philippe Herreweghe (1947)

Conductor

Conductor who became known for his mastery of Johann Sebastian Bach's oeuvre.

24. Matthias Storme (1959)

Lawyer

Academic and philosopher who co-founded the European Law Institute in 2011. He also became known for the Doel Case in 1999.

25. Nic Balthazar (1964)

Broadcast Personality Film Direc

Cinematic artist, presenter, reporter, and producer whose first movie, 2007's "Ben X," earned him immediate respect from filmmakers and audiences alike.

26. Julie Van den Steen (1992)

TV Show Host

Radio presenter turned television host who gained fame hosting the One talk show Bart en Siska. She then began co-hosting Typisch mensen in 2017. 

27. Charlotte de Witte (1992)

DJ

DJ who opened Tomorrowland's main stage in 2011 for the first time. She has also played at Pukkelpop and Laundry Day. She has more than 2 million followers on her charlottedewittemusic Instagram account. 

28. Frances Lefebure (1988)

TV Actress

Television actress and personality who rose to fame for her portrayal of Kat on the children's series GoGoGo. In 2017, she began hosting the reality program Hotel Römantiek.

29. Daniël Termont (1953)

Belgian Politician

Flemish politician and member of the Socialist Party who served as the mayor of Ghent. He was also the Vice President of the private gas company Fluxys.

30. Filip Meirhaeghe (1971)

Cyclist

Racing cyclist who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and admitted to using EPO to increase his chances at winning a gold.

31. Matthew Gilmore (1972)

Track Cyclist

Track cyclist whose career was largely spent competing in his home country; he won the silver medal in the men's madison event at the 2000 Olympics.

32. Gaelle Mys (1991)

Artistic Gymnast

Gaelle Mys is a Belgian artistic gymnast. The 2007 and 2008 senior all-around Belgian National Champion and the 2006 junior European bronze medalist on the floor exercise Mys qualified as...

33. Gijs Van Hoecke (1988)

Belgian Racing Cyclist

Gijs van Hoecke is a Belgian cyclist riding for the Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise team. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the Men's team pursuit for the national team. He...

34. Florent van Aubel (1991)

Belgian Field Hockey Player

van Aubel is a Belgian international field hockey player. He plays for KHC Dragons in Brasschaat as attacker. In 2010 he won the Golden Stick from the Belgian Hockey Association...

35. Killian Overmeire (1985)

Footballer

Killian Overmeire is a Belgian football player who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for SC Lokeren in Belgium.

36. Thomas Matton (1985)

Footballer

Thomas Matton is a Belgian footballer. He currently plays for Kortrijk in Belgium.

37. Evi Van Acker (1985)

Female Belgian Olympic Sailor

Evi Van Acker is a Belgian professional sailor. She has a Bachelor in Chemistry and is currently studying for a Master in bio-engineering. Van Acker started sailing at age 7...

38. Barbara Nelen (1991)

Belgian Field Hockey Player

Barbara Nelen is a Belgian field hockey player. At the 2012 Summer Olympics she competed with the Belgium women's national field hockey team in the women's tournament.

39. Lukas Dhont (1991)

unknow

40. Frederik De Winne (1985)

Footballer

s a Belgian footballer who plays as a right back for KVC Jong Lede. His prior clubs included Belgian Pro League team Lokeren and Belgian Second Division team OH Leuven.

41. Tom De Sutter (1985)

Belgian Footballer

Tom De Sutter is a Belgian footballer who plays as a striker for Club Brugge.

42. Dieter Van Tornhout (1985)

Belgian Footballer

Dieter Van Tornhout is a Belgian footballer who plays as a forward for K. S. V. Roeselare on loan from Antwerp having previously played for Club Brugge Sparta Rotterdam Roda...

43. Tom Goegebuer (1975)

Weightlifter

Tom Goegebuer is a Belgian weightlifter competing in the 62 kg and 56 kg category. He is 164 cm tall He competed in Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics in...

44. Freya Van den Bossche (1975)

Belgian Politician

Van den Bossche is a Belgian Flemish politician and daughter of prominent former Belgian politician Luc Van den Bossche. She is member of the SP. a political party and she...

45. Kristoff Deprez (1981)

Footballer

Kristoff Deprez is a Belgian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper last appearing with Dutch third division club HSV Hoek

46. Mathias De Clercq (1981)

unknow

47. Hugo Debaere (1958)

unknow

Hugo Debaere was a Belgian contemporary artist His practice spanned a broad range of media including painting sculpture photography neon video drawing printmaking installation art mixed media and performance.

48. Fientje Moerman (1958)

Belgian Politician

Joséphine Rebecca Marie Julienne Bertha Fientje Moerman is a Belgian liberal politician.

49. Jean-Pierre Leleux (1947)

French Politician

Jean-Pierre Leleux is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Alpes-Maritimes department and is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement...

50. Steve De Ridder (1987)

Footballer

Steve Danny Marc De Ridder is a Belgian footballer who plays as a winger for Dutch side FC Utrecht. He has played in England for Southampton and Bolton Wanderers. He...