Imperial College London Notable Alumni

Discover the notable alumni of Imperial College London. The list includes people like Rajiv Gandhi, H. G. Wells, Alexander Fleming, Roger Bannister & Thomas Henry Huxley. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as scientists, engineers, inventors & discoverers, intellectuals & academics and writers etc.
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 1 
Brian May
(Lead Guitarist of the Rock Band 'Queen')
Brian May
43
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: July 19, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hampton, London, England

Queen guitarist and singer-songwriter Brian May is also a PhD in astrophysics. One of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and Guitar World’s second-greatest guitarist, he received a CBE. He was a Chancellor of Liverpool at John Moores University, has worked with NASA, and fights for animal rights.

 2 
Alexander Fleming
(Physician and Microbiologist Who Discovered ‘Penicillin’ World’s First Broadly Effective Antibiotic Substance)
Alexander Fleming
21
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 6, 1881
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Darvel, East Ayrshire, Scotland
Died: March 11, 1955

Alexander Fleming was a Scottish microbiologist and physician. He is credited with discovering penicillin, the world's first effective antibiotic substance; a discovery that changed the course of history. He also discovered lysozyme, an antimicrobial enzyme which forms part of the innate immune system. In 1999, Fleming was named in Time magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th century list.

 3 
Roger Bannister
(The First Athlete to Run a Mile in Less Than Four Minutes)
Roger Bannister
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 23, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Harrow, England
Died: March 3, 2018

British middle-distance athlete and neurologist Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister was the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes. Before achieving such feat, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres during the 1952 Summer Olympics. In the medical field, Bannister became a neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford.

 4 
William Henry Perkin
(British Chemist Known for His Serendipitous Discovery of First Commercial Synthetic Organic Dye, 'Mauveine')
William Henry Perkin
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 12, 1838
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: July 14, 1907

William Henry Perkin is best remembered for his chance discovery of the dye mauveine, made of aniline purple. He had apparently discovered the dye while attempting to synthesize quinine. The Royal Medal-winning British chemist also studied salicyl alcohol and flavoring agents and synthesized the first artificial perfume.

 5 
Paul Young
(Singer-songwriter, Singer)
Paul Young
9
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: January 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Luton
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 6 
David Irving
(English Author and Holocaust Denier Known for His Works: ‘The Destruction of Dresden’ and ‘Hitler’s War’)
David Irving
8
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: March 24, 1938
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hutton, Brentwood, United Kingdom

David Irving is an English Holocaust denier and author whose works pertaining to the political and military history of World War II have depicted Adolf Hitler in a favorable light. Due to his stance on Hitler, Irving's reputation as a historian has been discredited. He has also been accused of deliberately manipulating historical evidence.

 7 
William Crookes
(British Chemist and Physicist Known for His Discovery of the Element 'Thallium' and Invention of 'Crookes Tubes')
William Crookes
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 17, 1832
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
Died: April 4, 1919

William Crookes was a British chemist and physicist remembered as a pioneer of vacuum tubes. He was the inventor of what became known as the Crookes tube. He is also credited with the discovery of the element thallium. He was the first person to describe the spectrum of terrestrial helium. He was interested in spiritualism and occultism as well. 

 8 
Aarif Rahman
(Actor, Singer)
Aarif Rahman
1
Birthdate: February 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Hong Kong
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 9 
Layla Moran
(Politician.)
Layla Moran
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: September 12, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England, UK
 10 
Marc Garneau
(Astronaut, Engineer, Politician)
Marc Garneau
4
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: February 23, 1949
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Quebec City

Distinguished Canadian politician, Marc Garneau, began his career as a naval officer and while in service became the first Canadian to travel to the outer space, eventually becoming the President of Canadian Space Agency. Elected to the Parliament as a member of the Liberal Party, he was named Minister of Transport in 2015 and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2021.

 11 
Kevin Warwick
(Engineer, Writer, University teacher, Computer scientist)
Kevin Warwick
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: February 9, 1954
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Coventry

A professor at the Coventry and Reading universities, engineer Kevin Warwicke specializes in artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedical engineering. One of his most interesting research interests is the possibility of creating cyborgs, which has earned him the nickname Captain Cyborg. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities.

 12 
Andrew Wakefield
(British Former Physician and Anti-Vaccination Activist)
Andrew Wakefield
2
Listed In: Physicians
Birthdate: August 3, 1956
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Eton, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom

Former physician Andrew Wakefield had his name removed from the medical register due to his association with a fraudulent 1998 study that claimed there was a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. An anti-vaccination activist, he also taught at the Royal Free and University College.

 13 
Rajiv Gandhi
(Former Prime Minister of India)
Rajiv Gandhi
52
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: August 20, 1944
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Died: May 21, 1991

Rajiv Gandhi was the sixth and the youngest Prime Minister of India. He played a major role in suhering the computer era in India. During the initial phase of his term, he was very popular but later on his regime was marred by corruption scandals and he lost the next election. He was assassinated by Tamil militants, while he was the leader of the opposition. 

 14 
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry
(Former Chairman of the Tata Group (2012 - 2016))
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 4, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Indian-born businessman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, son of billionaire Pallonji Mistry of the Shapoorji Pallonji group and an influential member of Mumbai’s Parsi community, chaired the Tata Group briefly. He was, however, voted out of his chairmanship over disagreements with the Tata family. Mistry is an Irish citizen through his Irish-born mother.

 15 
Babou Ceesay
(Actor)
Babou Ceesay
0
Birthdate: November 14, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
 16 
Alan Blumlein
(English Electronics Engineer)
Alan Blumlein
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: June 29, 1903
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England
Died: June 7, 1942

Best known as the inventor of stereo sound, electronic engineer Alan Blumlein had 128 patents in his kitty. He died at age 38, when the Halifax bomber carrying him and his colleagues crashed during World War II. He was apparently part of a secret radar experiment back then.

 17 
Martin Fleischmann
(Chemist)
Martin Fleischmann
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 29, 1927
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Karlovy Vary
Died: August 3, 2012
 18 
Patrick Geddes
(Scottish Biologist, Sociologist and Pioneering Town Planner Who Coined the Term 'Conurbation')
Patrick Geddes
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 2, 1854
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ballater, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died: April 17, 1932

Apart from being a sociologist and biologist, Patrick Geddes was known for his impeccable sense of town planning. While he initially taught botany in Dundee, he later turned to sociology and conducted studies in India, Mexico, and other countries. He was eventually knighted for his achievements.

 19 
John Ambrose Fleming
(British Electrical Engineer and Physicist Who Invented the First 'Thermionic Valve' or 'Vacuum Tube')
John Ambrose Fleming
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: November 29, 1849
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Died: April 18, 1945

John Ambrose Fleming was an English electrical engineer and physicist. He is known for inventing the first thermionic valve or vacuum tube and designing the radio transmitter with which the first transatlantic radio transmission was made. Along with  Douglas Dewar and Bernard Acworth, he helped establish the Evolution Protest Movement. Fleming was also a noted photographer and artist. 

 

 20 
Aung San Oo
(Aung San Suu Kyi's brother and Engineer)
Aung San Oo
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: June 13, 1943
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Yangon, Burma
 21 
Walter Kwok
(Founder of Sun Hung Kai Properties)
Walter Kwok
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 1950 AD
Birthplace: Hong Kong
Died: October 20, 2018
 22 
Simon Donaldson
(Mathematician)
Simon Donaldson
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 20, 1957
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cambridge, England
 23 
Narinder Singh Kapany
(Indian-American Physicist Best Known for His Work on Fiber Optics)
Narinder Singh Kapany
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 31, 1926
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moga, Punjab, India
Died: December 4, 2020

The pioneer of fiber optics, Indian-American physicist Narinder Singh Kapany had over 100 patents in his name. He was the first to send images through fiber optics and also worked on areas such as laser technology and solar energy. He and his wife also established the California-based Sikh Foundation.

 24 
John Wilkinson
(Pioneer in cast iron manufacturing)
John Wilkinson
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: 1728 AD
Birthplace: Bridgefoot
Died: July 14, 1808
 25 
Teo Chee Hean
(Former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (2009 - 2019))
Teo Chee Hean
4
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 27, 1954
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Singapore

Teo Chee Hean is a Singaporean politician and the current Senior Minister of Singapore. He is also the current Coordinating Minister for National Security. An influrntial politician, Teo also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1 April 2009 to 30 April 2019. Teo Chee Hean has also held other ministerial positions including the minister for Home Affairs.

 26 
Neil Turok
(South African Physicist Known for Introducing the 'Ekpyrotic Universe Theory')
Neil Turok
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: November 16, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Johannesburg

South African physicist Neil Turok is associated with the faculty of the University of Edinburgh and is known for his study on the Ekpyrotic universe and cosmology. He has been the director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada and is the founder of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

 27 
Arthur Holmes
(English Geologist Who Pioneered the Usage of Radiometric Dating of Minerals)
Arthur Holmes
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: January 14, 1890
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gateshead
Died: September 20, 1965

Arthur Holmes was an English geologist who pioneered the usage of radiometric dating of minerals. He was the first earth scientist to fully understand the thermal and mechanical implications of mantle convection. Arthur Holmes is also remembered for his advocacy of the theory of continental drift. Holmes was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Penrose Medal.

 28 
Donald Davies
(Computer Scientist)
Donald Davies
3
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 7, 1924
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Treorchy, Wales
Died: May 28, 2000
 29 
David Warren
(Scientist)
David Warren
1
Birthdate: March 20, 1925
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Groote Eylandt, Anindilyakwa, Australia
Died: July 18, 2010
 30 
William Penney, Baron Penney
(British Mathematician and Nuclear Physicist Who Led Britain’s Development of the Atomic Bomb)
William Penney, Baron Penney
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 24, 1909
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gibraltar
Died: March 3, 1991

Nuclear physicist William Penney, Baron Penney is remembered as the man behind Britain’s research on the atomic bomb. While leading the Manhattan Project, he devised ways to quantify the damage that atom bombs can cause. He was knighted for his achievements, and became a life peer, too.

 31 
Lewis Wolpert
(South African-Born British Developmental Biologist Known for His 'French Flag Model')
Lewis Wolpert
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: October 19, 1929
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa
Died: January 28, 2021

Pioneering South African-born British developmental biologist Lewis Wolpert is known for introducing the French flag model of embryonic development. He was associated with King’s College London and University College London. A victim of depression and suicidal thoughts in his later years, he wrote about his condition in the book Malignant Sadness.

 32 
Julius Vogel
(Prime minister of New Zealand)
Julius Vogel
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: February 24, 1835
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England
Died: March 12, 1899
 33 
Geoffrey Wilkinson
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: July 14, 1921
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Todmorden, England
Died: September 26, 1996
 34 
Frederick W. Lanchester
(Engineer)
Frederick W. Lanchester
0
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: October 23, 1868
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
Died: March 8, 1946
 35 
Derek Barton
(British Organic Chemist and One of the Recipients of 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Derek Barton
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: September 8, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gravesend, United Kingdom
Died: March 16, 1998

Derek Barton was a British organic chemist best remembered for winning the 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He won the prize alongside Odd Hassel for their contributions to the development of a concept called conformation and its applications in chemistry. Derek Barton also won several other prestigious awards, including the Corday-Morgan Prize, Davy Medal, Ernest Guenther Award, and Copley Medal. 

 36 
C. D. Darlington
(British Biologist and Geneticist Who Discovered the Mechanics of Chromosomal Crossover)
C. D. Darlington
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 19, 1903
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chorley, England
Died: March 26, 1981

Biologist C. D. Darlington is remembered for his pathbreaking research on chromosomes, which later contributed to further research on evolution. He had a poverty-stricken childhood but later became an Oxford professor of botany. He penned books such as The Evolution of Man and Society, which claimed intelligence was hereditary.

 37 
Francesca Bria
(Information technologist)
Francesca Bria
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: November 11, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 38 
George Reginald Starr
(British 'Special Operations Executive' Agent in World War II)
George Reginald Starr
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: April 6, 1904
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London
Died: September 2, 1980

George Reginald Starr was a British Special Operations Executive agent and mining engineer. He is credited with carrying out many sabotage operations in the days leading up to the famous Normandy invasion in June 1944. George Reginald Starr rescued nearly 50 prominent resistance leaders and played an important role in the emancipation of southwestern France from German occupation.

 39 
Lancelot Ware
(British Barrister and Biochemist Who Co-Founded ‘Mensa’, World’s Largest and Oldest High IQ Society)
Lancelot Ware
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 5, 1915
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: England
Died: August 15, 2000

English barrister and biochemist Lancelot Ware OBE conducted medical research at the NIMR; and served at St Thomas' Hospital, at Porton Down during Second World War; and at Boots Company. He also practiced law and was elected an Alderman of London County Council. He co-founded Mensa, which with-time emerged as the world’s largest and oldest society for intellectually gifted people.  

 40 
Julian Peto
(Statistician)
Julian Peto
0
Listed In: Physicians
Birthplace: England
 41 
Edith Nawakwi
(The First Woman to Serve as the Minister of Finance in Zambia)
Edith Nawakwi
0
Birthdate: 1959 AD
Birthplace: Mwenzo, Northern Province, Zambia

Edith Nawakwi is a Zambian politician and economist. In 1998, she became the first woman to serve as the Minister of Finance in Zambia. In 2005, Edith Nawakwi also became the first Zambian woman to serve as party president when she was elected as the president of the Forum for Democracy and Development.              

 42 
Natalie Payida Jabangwe
(Engineer)
Natalie Payida Jabangwe
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: June 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: England
 43 
Wala'a Essam al-Boushi
(Sudanese Activist and Politician)
Wala'a Essam al-Boushi
0
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: 1986 AD
Birthplace: Wad Madani, Sudan
Wala'a Essam al-Boushi is a Sudanese activist and politician. She is currently serving as the Minister of Youth and Sports and is credited with re-introducing women's football in Sudan. Under Wala'a Essam al-Boushi's ministership, a 21-team women's football league was instigated in Sudan on 30 September 2019.
 44 
Marlen Angelidou
(Singer)
Marlen Angelidou
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 6, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Athens, Greece

Greek-Cypriot singer/actor Marlen Angelidou is known for being part of Hi-5, Greece’s first all-female pop band formed through a contest. Though she initially studied management and biochemistry, she later graduated in musical theater. Known for hits such as Xero Ti Zitao, she has also lent her voice to animated characters.

 45 
Viktor Jensen
(Icelandic Racing Driver Who Competes in the 'British Formula Three Championship')
Viktor Jensen
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 30, 1987
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England

Viktor Jensen is an Icelandic racing driver best known for competing in the British Formula Three Championship and Formula Palmer Audi Championship. In 2007, he was seen racing with the Alan Docking Racing team in the British Formula Three Championship. The next year, Viktor Jensen raced for the Nexa team in the same series.

 46 
William Eccles
(British Physicist and a Pioneer in the Development of Radio Communication)
William Eccles
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 23, 1875
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Barrow-in-Furness, England
Died: April 29, 1966

Known for his pioneering contribution to radio technology, British physicist William Eccles had begun his career as an assistant to renowned scientist Guglielmo Marconi. He supported Oliver Heaviside's theory of there being an upper layer of the atmosphere that reflects radio waves. His works include Handbook of Wireless Telegraphy.

 47 
Dayendranath Burrenchobay
(Politician)
Dayendranath Burrenchobay
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 24, 1919
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Plaine Magnien, Mauritius
Died: March 29, 1999
 48 
Kenneth V. Thimann
(American Plant Physiologist and Microbiologist Known for His Studies of Plant Hormones)
Kenneth V. Thimann
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 5, 1904
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ashford, Kent, England
Died: January 15, 1997

British-American plant physiologist Kenneth V. Thimann is best remembered for isolating and identifying the plant hormone auxin. Associated with Harvard University for most of his initial career, he later joined the University of California. His best-known works include Phytohormones on plant hormones and The Life of Bacteria on microbiology.

 49 
Mostafa Kamal Tolba
(Scientist)
Mostafa Kamal Tolba
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 8, 1922
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Egypt
Died: March 28, 2016
 50 
Kenza Tazi
(American Alpine Ski Racer)
Kenza Tazi
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 6, 1996
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)