Famous People Born In Thessaloniki

Better known as Gus G, Greek heavy metal guitarist Kostas Karamitroudis soared to fame as part of legendary English singer Ozzy Osbourne’s band. He was 9 when he decided to learn the guitar and joined Berklee at 17, though he dropped out soon after to explore the metal scene on his own.

Turkish poet and author Nâzım Hikmet was chiefly known as a Romantic Communist. After being jailed in Turkey for his political activities, he spent the rest of his life in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. He redefined Turkish literature with his free verse and poems such as Şeyh Bedreddin destanı.

Apostolos Vellios is a Greek football player who has represented popular clubs like Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Ascoli. Standing at 6 ft 3 in, Vellios is an effective striker and is known for his aggressive style of play. He currently plays for Lamia Football Club which competes in Super League.

Greek judge Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who specializes in environmental and constitutional law, became the first female president of Greece back in 2020. Previously, she has also been the first female president of the Council of State, the highest administrative court in her country. She also regularly contributes to various academic journals.

Albert Bourla is a Greek-American veterinarian known for his association with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation, Pfizer Inc., where he is currently serving as the chairman and chief executive officer. Bourla, who has held many executive roles across Pfizer's divisions, is credited with making Pfizer a company focused on research and development. In 2022, he was awarded the Genesis Prize.

Giorgos Katidis is a Greek footballer who currently plays for the Super League 2 club Irodotos. A controversial player, Katidis celebrated his winning goal against Veria Football Club by giving a Nazi salute on 16 March 2013 while playing for AEK Athens. His gesture caused uproar in the media and Giorgos Katidis was banned from representing all Greek national teams.

Dimitrios Konstantopoulos is a Greek former football player and goalkeeper. He is best known for his association with Hartlepool United Football Club for which he made 117 league appearances. After retiring as a player, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos started his career as a goalkeeper coach for Hartlepool United in August 2021.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos is a Greek football player who emerged as the top scorer during the 2017–18 Greek Cup season for AEK Athens. During the same season, he was also adjudged Super League Greece Greek Footballer of the Year. Over the years, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos has won three Super League Greece titles and two Greek Cups with different teams.

Eva Kaili is a Greek politician and former television news presenter. Since 2014, Kaili has been serving as an important Member of the European Parliament. She is also the current Vice-President of the European Parliament, after having assumed office on 18 January 2022.

Kostas Stafylidis is a Greek football player who represents the national team. Over the years, Stafylidis has also been successful at the club level, having played for popular teams like PAOK, Bayer Leverkusen, and 1899 Hoffenheim. Kostas Stafylidis was also an important player for the Greek U19 team which finished second at the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

Traianos Dellas is a Greek football manager who had success with AEK Athens between 2013 and 2021. A former player, Dellas helped Greece win the Euro 2004, during which he scored a silver goal, becoming the only player to do so in an international match. He also had success with AEK Athens as a player, winning the Greek Cup twice.

Kostas Sloukas is a Greek basketball player who has participated in six EuroLeague Finals out of which he has won three titles. He is also a two-time Greek League Champion and two-time Greek Cup Winner with the popular Greek club Olympiacos. Sloukas has also played for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe for which he has won three Turkish Super League titles.

Salamo Arouch was a Jewish Greek boxer remembered for winning the Greek Middleweight Boxing Championship and the All-Balkans Middleweight Championship in 1938 and 1939 respectively. He is best remembered for surviving the Holocaust by performing as an entertainment boxer for Nazi officers. His life inspired the 1989 drama film Triumph of the Spirit where he was played by Willem Dafoe.

Marinella is a Greek singer best known for her longevity and versatility. Marinella, whose singing career has spanned over 65 years, is one of the most popular and respected singers in Greece. Apart from releasing several solo albums, she has also collaborated with other prominent musicians over the course of her illustrious career.

Ioannis Sfairopoulos was 12 when he began his youth basketball career with Apollon Kalamarias. However, he retired at 21, starting his coaching career soon after. Throughout his illustrious career, he has trained Greek clubs such as Olympiacos and has led the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv to 3 Israeli League titles.

Natassa Theodoridou is a Greek singer who holds the distinction of being the only female Greek artist whose first three albums achieved platinum status. In her career so far, she has a total of ten platinum and three gold albums to her name. She has collaborated with numerous popular composers and songwriters, including Mihalis Hatzigiannis and Eleanna Vrachali.  

Nikos Zisis is a Greek former basketball player who played at both the shooting guard and point guard positions, thanks to his height of 1.97 m. A four-time Italian League champion, Nikos Zisis was also an important player for his national team, winning gold, silver, and bronze at the 2005 EuroBasket, 2006 FIBA World Championship, and 2009 EuroBasket, respectively.

Dinos Mitoglou is a Greek basketball player who plays in popular leagues like EuroLeague and the Italian LBA. A four-time Greek League champion, Mitoglou was named a Greek League All-Star as well as a Greek League All-Star Game MVP in 2020. Dinos Mitoglou is also a two-time Greek Cup winner.

Greek-born composer Maurice Abravanel was forced to study medicine initially but later dropped out to focus on music. He became the youngest conductor of New York’s Metropolitan Opera and also served as the director of the Utah Symphony Orchestra for over 3 decades. He received countless honors, including the National Medal of Arts

Demetrios Kydones was a Byzantine Greek translator, theologian, statesman, and author. An influential personality, Kydones served three consecutive terms as Mesazon (Chancellor or Imperial Prime Minister) of the Byzantine Empire. He held the position under three emperors: John VI Kantakouzenos, Manuel II Palaiologos, and John V Palaiologos.

Yiannis Boutaris is a Greek politician and businessman who served as the mayor of Thessaloniki from 2011 to 2019. Apart from an improvement in the infrastructure of the city, Boutaris' term as mayor also witnessed the establishment of ecological organizations like Arcturos. Yiannis Boutaris is also credited with creating the Kir-Yianni wine company.

While he initially studied law, Dionysis Savvopoulos soon dropped out to focus on music. The Thessaloniki-born singer hitchhiked to Athens and took up odd jobs, such as that of a nude model, to survive. Apart from his hit Greek folk/rock and rebetika tracks, he is also known for his political activism.

Philotheus I of Constantinople served as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1353 and 1376. He had two terms as the Ecumenical Patriarch; from 1353 to 1354 and again from 1364 to 1376. Philotheus I of Constantinople was also a prolific writer. As a hymn writer, he is remembered for composing services in commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas.