Famous People Born In Athens

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 1 
Giannis Antetokounmpo
(Greek-Nigerian Professional Basketball Player Who Plays As a Power Forward)
Giannis Antetokounmpo
102
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 6, 1994
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a professional basketball player and plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. He’s called ‘Greek Freak’ as he hails from Greece and also due to his size, speed and ball-handling skills. He was named NBA’s Most Valuable Player twice and NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. He represents Greece at the international level.

 2 
Tommy Lee
(Founding Member of the Heavy Metal Band 'Mötley Crüe')
Tommy Lee
32
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: October 3, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Best known as the drummer and founding member of the bands Mötley Crüe and Methods of Mayhem, Tommy Lee Bass has been riddled with major controversies and has even spent time in jail for spousal abuse. Brash and bold, he has also been named to VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists list.
 3 
Sophocles
(Ancient Greek Tragedian)
Sophocles
4
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0497 BC
Died: 0406 BC

Sophocles was an ancient Greek writer. He is one among three tragedians from his era whose plays have survived. Sophocles was the most decorated and celebrated playwright for almost five decades, during which he won 24 out of 30 dramatic competitions, which took place in the city-state of Athens during the religious festivals of the Dionysia and the Lenaea.

 4 
Arianna Huffington
(Co-Founder of 'The Huffington Post' and the Founder & CEO of 'Thrive Global')
Arianna Huffington
17
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 15, 1950
Sun Sign: Cancer

Arianna Huffington is a Greek-American author, businesswoman, and syndicated columnist. She is credited with co-founding the popular news aggregator and blog, The Huffington Post. She is also the founder of Thrive Global, for which she also serves as the CEO. She has been featured on lists, such as Time magazine's 100 most influential people and Forbes magazine's Most Powerful Women.

 5 
Stefanos Tsitsipas
(Greek Professional Tennis Player )
Stefanos Tsitsipas
38
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 12, 1998
Sun Sign: Leo
Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek to win any ATP World Tour title, with his 2018 Stockholm Open win. He is the youngest player to be featured on ATP’s top 10 list and has recorded a career-high global ranking of No. 5, thus becoming the highest-ranked Greek tennis player ever.
 6 
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
(Greek Professional Basketball Player Who Plays the Small Forward)
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
13
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 18, 1992
Sun Sign: Cancer
Greek basketball player Thanasis Antetokounmpo, older brother of NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo, plays for the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks. Known as “The Greek Streak” and “The Elevator,” he was chosen to play for the Nigerian team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he chose to play for Greece instead.
 7 
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
(Former Prince of Greece and Denmark)
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
20
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 2, 1882
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: December 3, 1944

Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, the son of King George I of Greece, served as a major general in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. The Turkish forces recaptured Smyrna and Andrew was blamed for the loss of Greek territory. As a result, he was exiled from Greece and he lived in France where he died.

 8 
Xenophon
(Greek Historian and Philosopher)
Xenophon
4
Birthdate: 0430 BC
Died: 0354 BC

Remembered as both an Athenian military leader and an author, Xenophon, a friend of Socrates, remains a major link between historians and the Greek philosopher, with his works such as Symposium and Memorabilia. He also led the Ten Thousand, in a Persian expedition under Cyrus the Younger.

 9 
Alex Antetokounmpo
(Basketball player)
Alex Antetokounmpo
19
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 26, 2001
Sun Sign: Virgo
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
 10 
Pericles
(First Citizen of Democratic Athens)
Pericles
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0494 BC
Died: 0429 BC

Pericles was an influential and prominent Greek statesman and orator. He also served as the general of Athens during fifth-century Athens, which came to be known as the Golden Age of Athens. Thanks to his efforts, Athens became known as the cultural and educational center of the ancient Greek world. Pericles is also credited with beautifying and protecting the city.

 11 
Kostas Antetokounmpo
(Basketball player)
Kostas Antetokounmpo
15
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 20, 1997
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Kostas Antetokounmpo is a Greek basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for teams like Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. Apart from the NBA, Antetokounmpo has also particiapted in major European club competitions like Euroleague. Kostas Antetokounmpo was a star during his senior year in high school, leading his team to a state championship.
 12 
Aristophanes
( Comic Playwright of Ancient Athens and a Poet of Old Attic Comedy.)
Aristophanes
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0446 AD
Died: 0386 AD
Known widely as the Father of Comedy, Greek playwright Aristophanes had contributed to the Old Comedy genre. His works, peppered with satire, mirror the ancient Athenian life. He won the City Dionysia drama contest with his play The Babylonians. He was also in trouble for caricaturing Cleon in his plays.
 13 
Yorgos Lanthimos
(Greek Filmmaker and Screenwriter)
Yorgos Lanthimos
2
Birthdate: September 23, 1973
Sun Sign: Libra

Greek filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter Yorgos Lanthimos initially studied business and was also part of the Greek national basketball team before stepping into films. A prominent figure of the Greek Weird Wave movement, he is known for his Academy Award-nominated screenwriting in The Lobster and direction in The Favourite.

 14 
Constantine I
(Former King of Greece (1913 - 1917))
Constantine I
5
Birthdate: August 2, 1868
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: January 11, 1923
Constantine I reigned as the king of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and again from 1920 to 1922. He led the Greek army during the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913. The National Schism was a result of his disagreement with Eleftherios Venizelos on whether Greece should join World War I.
 15 
Maria Sakkari
(Tennis player)
Maria Sakkari
7
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 25, 1995
Sun Sign: Leo

The daughter of former WTA player Angelikí Kanellopoúlou, Sakkari was introduced to tennis at age six. Greek tennis sensation Maria Sakkari has had a career-high ranking of number 6 in singles. Known for her aggressive style, Sakkari was born and raised in Athens but moved to Barcelona at 18 to train.

 16 
Solon
(Greek Statesman and Poet Who is Credited With Having Laid the Foundations for Athenian Democracy)
Solon
32
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0630 AD
Died: 0560 AD

Solon was an Athenian lawmaker, statesman, and poet. He is best remembered for his efforts to legislate against the moral, economic, and political decline in archaic Athens. Although his efforts did not prove to be fruitful during his lifetime, Solon is often credited with laying the foundation for Athenian democracy. 

 17 
Demosthenes
(Statesman & Orator)
Demosthenes
7
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0384 BC
Died: 0322 BC
One of the greatest and powerful orators, Demosthenes' works provide significant information on the economic, social and political life of the 4th century Athens. Throughout his life, he idealized his city and worked towards restoring Athens superamacy. 
 18 
Phidias
(Sculptor)
Phidias
0
Birthdate: 0480 BC
Died: 0430 BC

Phidias was a Greek painter, sculptor, and architect. He is credited with sculpting the famous Statue of Zeus at Olympia, which was an important part of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias is widely regarded as one of the greatest ancient Greek sculptors and is seen as the pioneer of the Classical Greek sculptural design.

 19 
Clement of Alexandria
(Theologian)
Clement of Alexandria
1
Birthdate: 0150 AD
Died: 0215 AD
 20 
Draco
(Greek Legislator)
Draco
0
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: 0650 AD
Died: 0600 AD

One often hears of "draconian" laws in the context of archaic, harsh, and severe laws in the modern times, and the adjective was derived from Draco, a 7th-century Athenian legislator and the first on record. He replaced the oral law with a written code, which punished almost all crimes with death.

 21 
Konstantinos Mavropanos
(Greek Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Centre-Back)
Konstantinos Mavropanos
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 11, 1997
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Konstantinos Mavropanos is a Greek football player who currently plays for the popular Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart. He is also an important member of the Greece national football team. Before playing for VfB Stuttgart, Mavropanos has also played for Arsenal and FC Nürnberg

 22 
Melina Mercouri
(Greek Actress and Former Minister for Culture)
Melina Mercouri
3
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: October 18, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: March 6, 1994

Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer, politician, activist, and socialist. Mercouri had a profound acting career and is remembered for her portrayal of Ilya in the film Never on Sunday, which earned her a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award. As a politician, Mercouri served as the Minister of Culture and Sports, the first female to do so.

 23 
Ariane Labed
(Greek-Born French Actor and Director)
Ariane Labed
0
Birthdate: May 8, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus

Greek-born French actor and director Ariane Labed is best known for her Volpi Cup-winning debut role in Attenberg. She initially co-created the Vasistas theater troupe and was associated with the National Theater of Greece. She later won the Locarno, César, and Lumières awards for her performance in Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey.

 24 
Stavros Niarchos
(Greek Billionaire Shipping Tycoon Known For Constructing the World’s Largest Oil Supertanker)
Stavros Niarchos
2
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 3, 1909
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: April 15, 1996

Stavros Niarchos was a Greek shipping tycoon who was credited for building the world's biggest supertankers. He is also credited with founding an international shipping company named Niarchos Ltd. Niarchos is also remembered for his love for horses. A renowned thoroughbred horse breeder and racer, Stavros Niarchos was often ranked number one on the breed list in France.

 25 
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
(Prince)
Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark
3
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 22, 1872
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: February 8, 1938

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark was the son of Queen Olga and George I of Greece. A talented painter, Nicholas was nicknamed Greek Nicky within the royal family to tell him apart from his cousin Nicholas II. In 1896, Prince Nicholas helped organize the Summer Olympics. He was godfather to George Simitis' son and future Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

 26 
Praxiteles
(Sculptor)
Praxiteles
0
Birthdate: 0395 BC
Died: 0330 BC

Praxiteles was a Greek sculptor and son of famous scupltor Cephisodotus the Elder. The first scupltor to create a life-size statue of the nude female form, Praxiteles was the most celebrated among all the Attica sculptors of the fourth century BC. Praxiteles' supposed relationship with his beautiful model Phryne has inspired interpretation in works of art, such as comic opera.

 27 
Helen of Greece and Denmark
(Queen Mother of Romania During the Reign of Her Son King Michael I (1940–1947).)
Helen of Greece and Denmark
3
Birthdate: May 2, 1896
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: November 28, 1982

Considered a Romanian hero, Helen of Greece and Denmark is remembered for her selfless act of saving Romanian Jews during World War II. The daughter of Greek king Constantine I, Helen served as the queen mother of Romania during the rule of her son, King Michael I.

 28 
Lindsay Armaou
(Irish Actress and Singer)
Lindsay Armaou
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 18, 1978
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Lindsay Armaou is a Greek-born Irish singer and actress best known for her association with the popular girl group B*Witched. Over the years, Armaou has helped increase the popularity of B*Witched, thanks to her fame as an actress outside the music industry.

 29 
Agrippina the Elder
(Noblewomen)
Agrippina the Elder
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0014 AD
Died: October 18, 0033
 30 
Cleisthenes
(Greek Politician Who was the Founder of Athenian Democracy)
Cleisthenes
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0570 AD
Died: 0508 AD

An ancient Athenian legislator, Cleisthenes is often referred to as the father of Athenian democracy. He not only served as the chief archon, or the top-most magistrate, of Athens, but also transformed the Athenian constitution and made it more democratic. He is believed to have introduced ostracism as a punishment.

 31 
Miltiades
(A Greek Athenian Military Leader Who Played a Major Role in the 'Battle of Marathon' Against Persia)
Miltiades
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0550 BC
Died: 0489 BC

Miltiades the Younger was a Greek Athenian military leader who served as an eponymous archon of Athens from 524 to 523 BC. He is best remembered for playing a major role in the Battle of Marathon against the invading Persian force. The battle resulted in the crushing defeat of the Persians and gave rise to the famous Greco-Persian Wars.

 32 
Michael Dertouzos
(Professor)
Michael Dertouzos
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 5, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: August 27, 2001
 33 
Romain Gavras
(French Filmmaker Who Has Directed Many Iconic Music Videos)
Romain Gavras
0
Birthdate: July 4, 1981
Sun Sign: Cancer

Born to French producer Michèle Ray-Gavras and Greek-French director Costa-Gavras, French filmmaker Romain Gavras was no stranger to films as a child. Apart from making films such as The World Is Yours and countless ads, he has also directed iconic music videos such as Jamie xx’s Gosh and M.I.A.’s Bad Girls.

 34 
Pope Anacletus
(Bishop of Rome)
Pope Anacletus
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: 0025 AD
Died: April 26, 0092

Pope Anacletus, or Cletus, was once the bishop of Rome and later set up 25 Roman parishes as the pope. He was said to have been martyred during Domitian’s rule. He finds mention in Dante’s Divine Comedy and has been named to the Roman Canon of the Mass.

 35 
Vicky Pryce
(Economist)
Vicky Pryce
0
Birthdate: 1952
Sun Sign: Cancer
 36 
Alexandra of Yugoslavia
(Queen)
Alexandra of Yugoslavia
1
Birthdate: March 25, 1921
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: January 30, 1993
 37 
Nikolaos Michaloliakos
(politician, writer)
Nikolaos Michaloliakos
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 11, 1957
Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nikolaos Michaloliakos is a Greek politician best known for founding and leading the far-right political party Golden Dawn. A convicted criminal, Michaloliakos and 67 other political leaders from his party, were found guilty by the Athens Appeals Court of leading a criminal organization.

 38 
Antisthenes
(Philosopher)
Antisthenes
0
Birthdate: 0445 AD
Died: 0365 AD
 39 
Petros Tsitsipas
(Tennis player)
Petros Tsitsipas
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 27, 2000
Sun Sign: Leo
Greek tennis player Petros Tsitsipas is the younger brother of Stefanos Tsitsipas, once world number 3 and the highest-ranked player from his country ever. Petros's wildcard entry at the 2021 Open 13 ATP tournament created a controversy regarding the misuse of contacts, as he was defeated in just 45 minutes.
 40 
Cleon
(Athenian General Who Served in the Famous 'Peloponnesian War')
Cleon
0
Listed In: Leaders
Died: 0422 BC

Cleon was an Athenian general who played an important role during the Peloponnesian War. Although he is often portrayed in a negative way, Cleon is best remembered for his compassion towards the poorer citizens which helped increase his popularity; he increased the pay for jury work, providing a livelihood for many poor Athenians.

 41 
Dionysius the Areopagite
(Greek Theologian)
Dionysius the Areopagite
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
 42 
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark
(Princess)
Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark
2
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 18, 1905
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: April 24, 1981
 43 
Menander
(Greek Dramatist)
Menander
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: 0342 AD
Died: 0290 AD
 44 
Alcibiades
(Athenian Statesman)
Alcibiades
2
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: 0450 BC
Died: 0404 BC

After losing his father as a child, Alcibiades came under the tutelage of Socrates. He was known for his shifting allegiance, siding with Athens first, and then Sparta, during the Peloponnesian War. He was known to win wars more with his deceptive means than his military tactics.

 45 
Anastasia Tsilimpiou
(Greek-Romanian Model and Actor)
Anastasia Tsilimpiou
3
Birthdate: November 12, 1997
Sun Sign: Scorpio

Greek-Romanian model and actor Anastasia Tsilimpiou started her career as a child actor. She soared to fame with her roles in the Greek series Gia tin kardia enos Angelou and To Nisi and the Turkish series Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem. She also delivered an award-winning performance as Helen Keller in To thafma tis Anne Sullivan.

 46 
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
(Princess)
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
6
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 13, 1906
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: August 27, 1968
 47 
Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta
(Princess)
Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 13, 1904
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: April 15, 1974
 48 
Mary Tsoni
(Actress)
Mary Tsoni
0
Birthdate: June 25, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: May 8, 2017

Mary Tsoni was a Greek singer and actress best remembered for playing important roles in films like Evil, Evil: In the Time of Heroes, and Dogtooth. She was honored at the Sarajevo Film Festival with the Best Actress award for her performance in Dogtooth. A month before her 30th birthday, Mary Tsoni was found dead due to pulmonary edema.

 49 
Theo Angelopoulos
(Greek Filmmaker, Producer, and Screenwriter)
Theo Angelopoulos
2
Birthdate: April 27, 1935
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: January 24, 2012

Greek filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter Theo Angelopoulos is remembered for his Palme d'Or-winning film Eternity and a Day. He dropped out of law school to study film and later became known for his signature slow narratives and long takes. He died after being hit by a motorcycle while shooting the film The Other Sea.

 50 
Agnodice
(Greek Physician)
Agnodice
0
Listed In: Physicians

Often regarded as ancient Greece’s first female physician, Agnodice is believed to have disguised herself as a man to study midwifery. Some sources, however, claim she was a mythical figure. Dragged to court by her jealous male counterparts, she later revealed her gender. She paved the way for future female doctors.