Portugal Famous Natives

A - B

• Nadir Afonso, abstract artist, famous for his involvement in kinetic art
• Zeca Afonso, musician famous for folk songs that spoke out against the Salazar regime
• Joaquim Agostinho, cyclist who was the Portuguese champion six times in a row
• Afonso de Albuquerque, famous for expanding the Portuguese spice trade
• Alvaro Vaz de Almada, knight and nobleman
• Joaquim de Almeida, actor famous for films such as the Soldier and Desperado
• Diogo de Freitas do Amaral, former interim prime minister, 1980s
• Antonio Lobo Antunes, physician and author
• Jose Azevedo, road racing cyclist
• Joao de Barros, historian who wrote Decades of Asia
• Ruy Belo, existentialist poet and essayist
• Jose Manuel Barroso, former prime minister, 2000s
• Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, poet in neo-classic movement
• Joao Domingos Bomtempo, classical pianist and composer
• Fiama Hasse Pais Brandao, poet, dramatist, translator, essayist
• Raul Germano Brandão, author and journalist known for lyrical style

C

• Pedro Alvares Cabral, navigator and explorer who discovered Brazil
• Marcelo Caetano former prime minister, 1960s-1970s
• Jose Antonio Camões, poet and historian in the late 1700s and early 1800s
• Luis Vaz de Camões, considered to be the greatest Portuguese poet of all time
• Bento de Jesus Caraca mathematician, economist
• Amadeo de Souza-Cardosa, artist known for his vivid modern style
• Carlos do Carm, fado singer best known for the Lisbon Song
• Diogo Cão, explorer active in the Age of Discovery
• Natália Correira, social activist known for her defense of human and women’s rights
• Afonso Costa, politician who was head of the Portuguese Republic Party
• Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho aviation pioneer, first to cross South Atlantic Ocean by air
• Alvaro Cunhal, politician famous for opposing the Estado Novo government

D - E

• Antonio Damasio, researcher, author, neuroscientist
• Joao de Deus, poet active in the 1800s
• Denis of Portugal (Farmer King), former king
• Bartolomeu Dias, famous for being the first European to sail around the tip of Africa
• Pedro de Escobar, Renaissance composer
• Florbela Espanca, feminist poet active in the early 1900s

F - H

• Antonio Ferreira, classical poet
• Jose Gomes Ferreira, poet and author famous for speaking out against the Salazar regime
• Ana Free, singer, songwriter who gained fame on YouTube
• Eduardo Gageiro, photojournalist considered to be the best from Portugal
• Vasco da Gama, explorer, governor of Portuguese India
• Pedro Correia Garcao, lyric poet
• Almeida Garrett, poet, playwright and politician
• Sérgio Godinho, composer, singer who has influence on popular music
• Bento de Gois, explorer, first European to travel overland from India to China
• Damiao de Gois, humanist philosopher from the 1500s
• Soeiro Pereira Gomes, author, leader neo-realist movement
• Vasco Goncalves, former prime minister, 1970s
• António Guterres, former prime minister, 1990s-2000s
• Herberto Helder, poet
• Alexandre Herculano, author and historian
• Alberto Joao Jardim president regional government of Madeira
• Maria Joao, jazz singer
• Alfredo Keil, composer who wrote Portuguese national anthem
• Mario Laginha, pianist and composer
• Duarte Lobo, composer from the Renaissance and early Baroque period
• Carlos Lopes, long-distance athlete, Olympic medalist
• Fernão Lopes, chronicler
• Nuno Lopes, actor and winner of Golden Globe awards
• Pedro Santana Lopes, former prime minister, 2000s
• Fernando Lopes-Graca, composer, conductor
• Ferdinand Magellan, led first circumnavigation of earth
• José Malhoa, artist famous for naturalist style
• Marco Martins, film director best known for the film Alice
• Maria de Medeiros, actress best known for role in Pulp Fiction
• Carmen Miranda, Portuguese-born singer and actress known for famous “fruit hat”
• Antonio Egas Moniz neurologist, developer of cerebral angiography, Nobel laureate
• Tiago Monteiro automobile racer
• Rosa Mota marathon runner, Olympic medalist
• Jose Vianna da Motta pianist, composer
• Ana Moura singer
• Eduardo Souto de Moura architect
• David Mourao-Ferreira poet
• Jose de Almada Negreiros artist
• Joao da Nova explorer, discovered Ascension and Saint Helena Islands
• Pedro Nunes mathematician, cosmographer
• Vasco Nunes cinematographer, producer, film director
• Adriano Correia de Oliveira singer
• Manoel de Oliveira film director
• Alexandre O'Neill poet
• Garcia de Orta tropical medicine pioneer, naturalist
• Luiz Pacheco author, publisher, literary critic
• Jorge Palma singer, songwriter
• Carlos Paredes guitar player
• Duarte Pacheco Pereira sea captain, explorer, cartographer
• Bartolomeu Perestrello explorer, navigator
• Fernando Pessa journalist, reporter
• Camilo Pessanha symbolist poet
• Fernando Pessoa poet, author, translator
• Rui de Pina chronicler
• Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro artist
• Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro artist, caricaturist
• Manuel Pinho politician, economist
• Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto former prime minister
• Fernao Mendes Pinto explorer, author
• Jose Cardosa Pires author, satirist
• Maria Joao Pires pianist
• Dulce Pontes singer, songwriter

Q - S

• Eca de Queiroz, author known for his realist style
• Antero de Quental poet, philosopher
• Antonio Soares dos Reis sculptor
• Antonio Lopes Ribeiro film director
• Aquilino Gomes Ribeiro author, diplomat
• Fernanda Ribeiro long-distance runner, Olympic medalist
• Orlando Ribeiro geographer, historian
• Amalia Rodrigues, singer known for populating fado singing, actress
• Francisco de Sá Carneiro, former prime minister, 1980s
• Mario de Sa-Carneiro, poet
• Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, former prime minister, 1930s-1960s
• Jorge Sampaio, former president, 1990s-2000s
• Ary dos Santos, 20th century poet
• Jose Hermano Saraiva historian, jurist
• Jose Saramago, poet, playwright, author, Nobel laureate
• Carlos Seixas, composer
• Antonio Sergio, philosopher, journalist, sociologist
• Agostinho da Silva, philosopher, essayist, author
• Antonio da Silva, actor
• Manuel Pereira da Silva, sculptor
• Anibal Cavaco Silva, president, 2000s-2010s
• Mario Soares, former prime minister, former president, 1970s, 1980s
• Jose Socrates, former prime minister, 2000s-2010s
• Jeronimo de Sousa, politician
• Isabel Soveral, composer
• Guilhermina Suggia, cellist

T - Z

• Sara Tavares, singer, composer, musician
• Tomas Taveira, architect
• Pedro Teixeira, explorer, first European to travel length of Amazon River
• Luisa Todi, mezzo-soprano opera singer
• Miguel Torga, 20th century poet
• Antonio Variacoes, singer, songwriter
• Mario Cesariny de Vasconcelos, surrealist poet
• Cesario Verde, poet widely taught in Portuguese schools
• Gil Vicente, playwright, poet
• Alvaro Siza Vieira, architect
• Joao Goncalves Zarco, explorer, first captain of Funchal
• Gomes Eanes de Zurara, chronicler