Famous People Born In Leiden

Rembrandt was a Dutch printmaker, painter, and draughtsman. A master in three major art media, Rembrandt is widely considered the most important visual artist in Dutch art history and one of the greatest of all time. He is also considered the greatest etcher in the history of printmaking. His life and work inspired several films, including the 1936 movie Rembrandt.

Armin van Buuren is a Dutch record producer and DJ. He is best known for hosting a weekly radio show called A State of Trance (ASOT), which is broadcast in 84 countries to nearly 40 million listeners on over 100 FM radio stations. Armin has been named by DJ Mag as the number one DJ on a record five occasions.

Jan Steen was a Dutch Golden Age painter, counted among the leading genre painters of the 17th century. Born into a wealthy family, he received training under prominent painter Nicolaes Knupfer. For several years, he worked with renowned landscape painter Jan van Goyen, whose daughter he later married. He painted portraits, still life, and historical, mythological, and religious scenes.

Willebrord Snell was a Dutch mathematician and astronomer. He is credited with rediscovering the law of refraction, which is named Snell's law in his honor. A much-revered mathematician in the Netherlands, Willebrord Snell was honored by the Royal Netherlands Navy by naming three of its survey ships after him. Snellius, a lunar crater, is also named in his honor.

Dutch physicist and mathematician Pieter van Musschenbroek is remembered for introducing the principle of the Leyden jar. He also taught at several universities. Born to an instrument maker, he initially studied medicine but later also focused on philosophy. He made pioneering contributions to tribology.

Cornelis Tiele was a Dutch scholar of religions and theologian. He is credited with co-founding the Leiden School of modern theology along with J. H. Scholten and Abraham Kuenen amongst others. An early supporter of the Dutch school of science of religion, Cornelis Tiele is also remembered as the originator of the Dutch school of the relative studies of religions.