List of Spaniards

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This is a list of Spaniards that are famous or notable. In alphabetical order within categories.

Reino de España (Spanish)

(In Detail) Coat of Arms

Contents 1 Actors 2 Architects 3 Explorers 4 Film directors 5 Leaders and politicians 5.1 Ancient 5.2 Medieval 5.3 Modern 5.4 Contemporary 6 Literature 6.1 A–D 6.2 E–H 6.3 I–L 6.4 M–P 6.5 Q–T 6.6 U–Z 7 Military 8 Musicians 8.1 Classical 8.2 Singers 9 Painters 10 Philosophers and humanists 11 Scientists 12 Social scientists 13 Sports 14 Others 15 See also

Actors

• Victoria Abril (b. 1959)
• Elena Anaya (b. 1975)
• Antonio Banderas (b. 1960)
• Javier Bardem (b. 1969)
• Juan Diego Botto (b. 1975)
• Celso Bugallo (b. 1947)
• Mark Consuelos (b. 1970)
• Penélope Cruz (b. 1974)
• Gabino Diego (b. 1966)
• Angelines Fernández (1922–1994)
• Fernando Fernán Gómez (b. 1921)
• Sancho Gracia (b. 1936)
• Alfredo Landa (b. 1933)
• Sergi López (b. 1965)
• Jordi Mollá (b. 1968)
• Sara Montiel (b. 1928)
• Paul Naschy (b. 1934)
• Marisa Paredes (b. 1946)
• Francisco Rabal (1926–2001)
• Fernando Rey (1917–1994)
• Fernando Sancho (1916–1990)
• Paz Vega (b. 1976)

Architects

• Ricardo Bofill (born 1939)
• Santiago Calatrava (born 1951), 2005 AIA Gold Medal.
• Ildefons Cerdà (1815–1876)
• Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), known for his unfinished masterwork La Sagrada Familia.
• Enric Miralles (1955–2000), built the Scottish Parliament (finished in 2004, after his death).
• Rafael Moneo (born 1937), 1996 Pritzker Prize Laureate.
• Eduardo Torroja (1899–1961)

Explorers

• Lope de Aguirre (1511–1561), soldier, adventurer, killer and traitor, explored the Amazon River looking for El Dorado.
• Diego de Almagro (1475–1538), explorer and conquistador, first European in Chile.
• Juan Bautista de Anza (1736–1788), soldier and explorer, founded San Francisco, California.
• Fray Tomás de Berlanga (1487–1551), bishop of Panama, discovered the Galápagos Islands.
• Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, first European to explore the southwestern United States (1527–1536), also explored South America (1540–1542).
• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (1499–1543), explorer, founded the city of San Diego, California.
• Cosme Damián Churruca (1761–1805), explorer, astronomer and naval officer, mapped the Strait of Magellan (1788–1789).
• Hernán Cortés (1485–1547), conquistador of old Mexico, explorer of Baja California Peninsula.
• Juan Sebastián Elcano (1476–1526), explorer and sailor, first man to circumnavigate the world.
• Gaspar de Espinosa (1467/77?–1537), soldier and explorer, first European to reach the coast of Nicaragua, co-founder of Panama City.
• Miguel López de Legazpi (1502–1572), explored and conquered the Philippine Islands in 1565.
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519), first European to sight the Pacific Ocean, founder of Darién.
• Francisco de Orellana, first European to explore the Amazon River.
• Pedrarias Dávila (Pedro Arias de Ávila, 1440–1531), conquistador, founder of Panama and governor of Nicaragua.
• Francisco Pizarro (1471–1541), conqueror of the Inca Empire in Peru.
• Juan Ponce de León (1460–1521), first European to explore Florida (1513); he founded the first settlement in Puerto Rico (1508).
• Gaspar de Portolà (~1717–aft. 1784), explorer, founder of Monterey (California).
• Hernando de Soto (1500–1542), explorer and conquistador, first European to explore the plains of eastern North America; discovered the Mississippi river and the Ohio river.
• Gabriel de Castilla (1577–1620), sailor; in 1603 he became probably the first man ever to sight Antarctica.
• Salvador Fidalgo naval officer and cartographer, explored Alaska in 1790, he named Cordova, Port Gravina, and Valdez.

Film directors

• Pedro Almodóvar (born 1949)
• Alejandro Amenábar (born 1972)
• Montxo Armendáriz
• Juanma Bajo Ulloa
• Iciar Bollaín
• José Luis Borau
• Luis Buñuel (1900–1983)
• Mario Camus
• Isabel Coixet
• Fernando León de Aranoa (born 1968)
• Alex de la Iglesia
• Agustín Díaz Yanes
• Víctor Erice
• Fernando Fernán Gómez
• Marco Ferreri
• Jesus Franco
• José Luis Garci (born 1944)
• Luis García Berlanga
• Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón
• Bigas Luna (born 1946)
• Julio Medem (born 1958)
• Fernando Méndez Leite
• Pilar Miró
• José Luis Sáenz de Heredia
• Carlos Saura (born 1932)
• Santiago Segura
• David Trueba
• Fernando Trueba
• Benito Zambrano
• Iván Zulueta (born 1943)

Leaders and politicians

Ancient

• Hadrian (A.D. 117–138), Roman Emperor, under his orders Hadrian's Wall was built in Britannia.
• Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–80), Roman Emperor.
• Trajan (53–117), Roman Emperor (98–117).
• Pontius Pilate (26—36?) Roman prefect of Judaea. Born in province of Tarraco (Tarragona)

Medieval

• Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284)
• James I of Aragon (1208–1276)

Modern

• Isabella of Castile (1451–1504), Queen of Spain.
• Philip II (1526–1598), King of Spain (1556–1598).

Contemporary

• Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1828–1897), Prime Minister and historian.
• Leopoldo O'Donnell Joris (1809–1861), General and Prime Minister.
• 20th century
  • José María Aznar (born 1953) ex Prime Minister.
  • Josep Borrell (born 1947), President of the European Parliament.
  • Buenaventura Durruti (1896–1936), anarchist leader.
  • Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Army general and political leader. Ruled Spain for 41 years as "Caudillo".
  • Felipe González (born 1942), ex Prime Minister.
  • Juan Carlos de Borbón (born 1938), King of Spain since 1975.
  • Rodrigo Rato (born 1949) Director of the IMF.
  • José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 1960), Prime Minister since 2004.
  • Javier Solana (born 1942), ex Secrtetary General of NATO, EU foreign policy chief.

See also: List of Spanish monarchs and List of Spanish Prime Ministers.

Literature

A–D

• Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (1833–1891), novelist.
• Rafael Alberti (1902–1999), poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1983).
• Mateo Alemán (1547–c. 1609)
• Vicente Aleixandre (1888–1984), poet, Nobel Prize Laureate (1977).
• Dámaso Alonso, poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1978).
• Francisco Ayala (b. 1906), novelist, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1991).
• Pío Baroja (1872–1956), novelist.
• Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870), romantic poet and tale writer.
• Jacinto Benavente (1866–1954), dramatist, Nobel Prize Laureate (1922).
• Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867–1928), novelist, wrote The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1916).
• Antonio Buero Vallejo (1916–2000), playwright.
• Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681), playwright and poet.
• Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), poet.
• Camilo José Cela (1916–2002), novelist, Nobel Prize Laureate (1989).
• Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), author and soldier, writer of Don Quixote.
• Miguel Delibes (b. 1920), novelist, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1993).
• Agustín Díaz Pacheco (b. 1953), journalist and novelist.
• Gerardo Diego (1896–1987), poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1979).

E–H

• José Echegaray (1832–1916), dramatist, Nobel Prize Laureate (1904).
• Vicente Espinel (1550–1624).
• Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760–1828), dramatist and neoclassical poet.
• José María Gabriel y Galán (1870–1905), poet.
• Antonio Gala (b. 1936), poet, dramatist and novelist.
• Benito Pérez Galdós (1843–1920), novelist.
• Federico García Lorca (1898–1936), poet and playwright
• Luis de Góngora (1561–1627), lyric poet.
• Jorge Guillén (1893–1984), poet, Cervantes Prize Laureate (1976).

I–L

• Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958), poet, Nobel Prize Laureate (1956).
• John of the Cross (1542–1591), mystic poet.
• Jon Juaristi (b. 1951), poet and essayist.
• Mariano José de Larra (1809–1837), literary journalist.
• Fray Luis de León (1527–1591), poet of the Spanish Golden Age.

M–P

• Antonio Machado (1875–1939), poet
• Salvador de Madariaga
• Javier Marías (born 1951), novelist and translator
• Juan Marsé (born 1933), novelist
• Joanot Martorell
• Tirso de Molina (1571–1648), playwright
• Agustín Moreto y Cavana, playwright
• Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744–1811), statesman and author
• José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955), author
• Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), author
• Arturo Pérez-Reverte (born 1951), novelist and war reporter

Q–T

• Francisco de Quevedo (1580–1645)
• Fernando de Rojas
• Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla, playwright
• José Martínez Ruiz (1863–1967), journalis, poet, political radical, writer
• Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, playwright
• Pedro Salinas, (1891–1951), poet
• Ramón J. Sender (1901–1982), novelist, journalist and anarchist
• Torcuato Luca de Tena (1923–1999), novelist, journalist and lawyer

U–Z

• Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1931), existentialist author
• Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866–1936), author
• Marisa Vallejo, author of Asarim (c)
• Garcilaso de la Vega (1501–1586), poet
• Félix Lope de Vega (1562–1635), poet and playwright
• Cristóbal Zaragoza (1923–1999), novelist and philosopher
• María de Zayas y Sotomayor
• José Zorrilla y Moral, poet and playwright

Military

• Duke of Alba (Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 1507–1582).
• El Cid (Rodrigo 'Ruy' Díaz de Vivar, c. 1045–1099), knight and hero.
• Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, "El Gran Capitán" (1453–1515), strategist of Early modern warfare.
• Bernardo de Gálvez (1746-1786), Governor of Louisiana, Spanish hero of the American Revolution.
• Don John of Austria (1547–1578)
• Juan Martín Díez, "El Empecinado" (1775–1825), head of guerrilla bands promoted to Brigadier-General of cavalry during the Peninsular War.
• Casto Méndez Núñez (1830–1880), naval officer.

Musicians

See also: Category:Spanish musicians.

• Xavier Cugat (1900–1990), bandleader.
• Paco de Lucía (b. 1947), guitarist.
• Carlos Núñez (b. 1971), bagpipes and Galician (Celtic) music performer.
• Jordi Savall (b. 1941), film music composer.

Classical

• Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), composer.
• Pau Casals (1876–1973), cello player and conductor.
• Manuel de Falla (1876–1946), composer.
• Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (b. 1933), conductor.
• Enrique Granados (1867–1916), composer.
• Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999), composer and pianist, known for his Concierto de Aranjuez.
• Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710), composer, dominate figure of Spanish baroque music.
• Jordi Savall (b. 1941), early and baroque music conductor and viol player.
• Andrés Segovia (1893–1987), guitarist.
• Antonio Soler (1729-1783), composer, known for his harpsichord sonatas.
• Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909), composer and guitarist.
• Joaquín Turina (1882–1949), composer.
• Opera singers
  • Victoria de los Ángeles (born 1923), soprano.
  • Teresa Berganza (born 1935), mezzo-soprano.
  • Montserrat Caballé (born 1933), soprano.
  • Emma Calvé (1858-1942), soprano.
  • José Carreras (born 1946), one of The Three Tenors.
  • Plácido Domingo (born 1941), one of The Three Tenors.
  • Manuel del Popolo García (1775-1832), tenor.
  • María Gay (1879-1943), mezzo-soprano.
  • Alfredo Kraus (1927–1999), tenor.
  • Adelina Patti (1843-1919), coloratura soprano.

Singers

• Edward Aguilera (born 1976), first European member of Menudo.
• Miguel Bosé (born 1956), pop singer.
• Luz Casal (b. 1958), pop singer.
• Charo (born 1941)
• Manolo García (b. 1955), singer-songwriter.
• Enrique Iglesias (born 1975), pop singer.
• Julio Iglesias (born 1943), pop singer.
• Julio José Iglesias (born 1973), pop singer.
• La Pandilla teen group, all members are from Spain.
• Los del Río
• Nino Bravo (1944–1973)
• Raphael (born 1943), pop singer.
• Enrique Urquijo (1960–1999), New Wave music singer.
• Joaquín Sabina (b. 1949), singer-songwriter.
• Alejandro Sanz (b. 1968), pop/ballad singer.
• Joan Manuel Serrat (born 1943), Catalan singer-songwriter.
• Alessandra Rubi Streignard Villarreal (born 1982)

Painters

• Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), visionary artist
• Francisco Goya (1746–1828), painter
• El Greco
• Juan Gris (1887–1927), cubist painter from Madrid
• Jesús Mari Lazkano
• Joan Miró
• Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618–1682), painter
• Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), painter
• Antoni Tàpies
• Darío Urzay
• Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), painter
• Ignacio Zuloaga (1870–1945), painter
• Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1644), painter

Philosophers and humanists

• Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia (1240–probably 1292), philosopher, early kabbalist.
• Averroes (Ibn Rushd) (1126–1198), philosopher, tried to reconcile Aristotle's system of thought with Islam (see Averroism).
• Baltasar Gracián (1601-1658), author of El Criticón, influenced European philosophers like Schopenhauer.
• Maimónides (1135-1204), the most influential figure in medieval Jewish philosophy.
• José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955), philosopher, social and political theorist, author of The Revolt of the Masses (1930).
• George Santayana (1863–1952), philosopher, taught at Harvard, author of The Sense of Beauty (1896) and The Life of Reason (1905-6).
• Fernando Savater (born 1947), philosopher and essayist, known for his writings on ethics.
• Lucius Annaeus Seneca (ca. 4 BC–AD 65), one of the main stoic philosophers.
• Francisco Suárez (1548–1617), one of the most influencial scholastics after Thomas Aquinas.
• Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936), existentialist writer and literary theoretician.
• Juan Luis Vives (1492-1540), important figure of Renaissance humanism, taught at Leuven and Oxford (while tutor to Mary Tudor).

Scientists

• José de Acosta (1540–1600), pioneer of the geophysical sciences.
• Algafequi, glasses inventor (in Córdoba).
• José María Algué (1856–1930), meteorologist, inventor of the barocyclometer, the nephoscope, and the microseismograph.
• Arzachel (1028–1087), mathematician and the foremost astronomer of his time; contributed to the famous Tables of Toledo.
• Ángel Cabrera (1879–1960), naturalist, investigated the South-American fauna.
• Nicolás Cabrera (1913–1989), physicist, did important work on the theories of crystal growth and the oxidisation of metals.
• Juan de la Cierva (1895–1936), aeronautical engineer, pioneer of rotary flight, inventor of the autogyro.
• Josep Comas i Solá (1868–1937), astronomer, discovered the periodic comet 32P/Comas Solá and 11 asteroids, and in 1907 observed limb darkening of Saturn's moon Titan (the first evidence that the body had an atmosphere).
• Fausto de Elhúyar (1755–1833), chemist, joint discoverer of tungsten with his brother Juan José de Elhúyar in 1783.
• Jaime Ferrán (1852–1929), doctor and researcher, discovered several vaccines.
• Francisco Hernández (1517–1587), botanicist, carried out important research about the Mexican flora
• Manuel Jalón Corominas (b. 1925), aeronautical engineer, inventor, and officer of the Spanish Air Force
• Carlos Jiménez Díaz (1898–1967), doctor and researcher, leading figure in pathology
• Gregorio Marañón (1887–1960), doctor and researcher, leading figure in endocrinology
• Narcís Monturiol (1818–1885), physicist and inventor, pioneer of underwater navigation.
• José Celestino Bruno Mutis (1732–1808), botanicist, doctor, philosopher and mathematician, carried out relevant research about the American flora, founded one of the first astronomic observatories in America (1762).
• Severo Ochoa (1905–1993), doctor and biochemist, achieved the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA), Nobel prize Laureate (1959).
• Mateo José Buenaventura Orfila (1787–1853), doctor and chemist, father of modern toxicology, leading figure in forensic toxicology.
• Joan Oró (1923–2004), biochemist, carried out important research about the origin of life, he worked with NASA on the Viking missions.
• Julio Palacios Martínez (1891–1970), physicist and mathematician
• Isaac Peral (1851–1895), engineer and sailor, designer of the first operative submarine
• Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934), father of Neuroscience, Nobel prize Laureate (1906).
• Julio Rey Pastor (1888–1962), mathematician, leading figure in geometry
• Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente (1928–1980), naturalist, leading figure in ornithology, ethology, ecology and science divulgation
• Margarita Salas (born 1938), biochemist, molecular genetist and researcher.
• Miguel Servet (1511–1553), scientist, surgeon, geographer, linguist, helenist, humanist, and philosopher.
• Esteban Terradas i Illa (1883–1950), mathematician, physicist and engineer.
• Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936), engineer and mathematician, pioneer of automatic calculation machines, inventor of the automatic chess, pioneer of remote control, designer of the funicular over the Niagara Falls.
• Josep Trueta (1897–1977), doctor, his new method for treatment of open wounds and fractures helped save a great number of lives during WW2.
• Antonio de Ulloa (1716–1795), scientist, soldier and author
• Arnold of Villanova (1235?–1311), alchemist and physician, he discovered carbon monoxide and pure alcohol.

Social scientists

• Manuel Castells (b. 1942), sociologist, author of the well-known trilogy The Information Age.
• Salvador Giner (b. 1934), sociologist, he had researched on social theory, sociology of culture and modern industrial society.
• Jesús Huerta de Soto (b. 1956), major Austrian School economist.
• Juan José Linz (b. 1926), Sterling Professor of Political and Social Science at Yale; Prince of Asturias Award (1987) and Johan Skytte Prize (1996) Laureate.
• Xavier Sala-i-Martín (b. 1963), economist, professor at Yale, Harvard, and Columbia.
• Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz (1893–1984), historian, prominent specialist in medieval Spanish history.
• Joseph de la Vega (1650–1692), businessman, wrote Confusion of Confusions (1688), first book on stock markets.

Sports

• Athletics
  • Fermín Cacho Ruiz, 1,500m Gold (1992 Olympics) and Silver (1996 Olympics) medalist.

• Basketball
  • Pau Gasol, 2001-02 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner.
  • Raúl López, basketball player
  • Sergio Rodríguez, basketball player
  • Fran Vázquez, basketball player

• Boxing
  • Pedro Carrasco (1943–2001), 1967 European Lightweight Champion; 1971 WBC's World Lightweight Champion.
  • Javier Castillejo, world champion boxer

• Cycling
  • Federico Bahamontes, 1959 Tour de France winner.
  • Pedro Delgado, 1988 Tour de France winner.
  • Óscar Freire, 3 times World Cycling Champion (1999, 2001, 2004).
  • Roberto Heras, 4 times Vuelta a España winner (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005).
  • Miguel Induráin, 5 consecutive times Tour de France winner (1991-1995).
  • Luis Ocaña, 1973 Tour de France winner.
  • Joane Somarriba, 3 times Grande Boucle winner (2000, 2001, 2003).

• Football (Soccer)
  • Raúl González, all-time leading goal scorer in UEFA Champions League.

• Golf
  • Severiano Ballesteros, 5 Major Championships winner.
  • Sergio García
  • Miguel Ángel Jiménez
  • José María Olazábal, 2 Major Championships winner.

• Motor sports
  • Fernando Alonso, 2005 Formula One World Champion.
  • Carlos Checa, GP motorcycle racing pilot.
  • Álex Crivillé, 1999 GP motorcycle racing World Champion.
  • Sete Gibernau, GP motorcycle racing pilot.
  • Ángel Nieto, GP motorcycle racing pilot, 12+1 times World Champion.
  • Daniel Pedrosa, youngest GP motorcycle racing World Champion of 125cc and 250cc.
  • Carlos Sainz, 1990 and 1992 World Rally Champion.
  • Pedro de la Rosa, Formula One pilot.

• Tennis
  • Sergi Bruguera, 1993 and 1994 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Álex Corretja, 1998 Tennis Masters Cup Champion.
  • Álbert Costa, 2002 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Juan Carlos Ferrero, 2003 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Andrés Gimeno, 1972 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Feliciano López, tennis player
  • Conchita Martínez, 1994 Wimbledon Women's Singles Champion.
  • Carlos Moyà, 1998 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Rafael Nadal, 2005 French Open Men's Singles Champion.
  • Manuel Orantes, 1975 U.S. Open Champion.
  • Virginia Ruano, tennis player
  • Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, 4 Grand Slam titles winner.
  • Javier Sánchez Vicario, tennis player
  • Manuel Santana, 5 Grand Slam titles winner.

Others

• Ferrán Adriá, cook
• Karlos Arguiñano, cook and entertainer
• Carlos D. Cidon, chef
• Joaquín Cortés, dancer
• Luis Miguel González Lucas, better known as Luis Miguel Dominguín, bullfighter, father of Miguel Bosé
• Federica Montseny, anarchist, politician, writer.
• Saints
  • Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
• Diego Salcedo, priest, first Spaniard killed by Puerto Rican Taínos
• Juan Sánchez Vidal, renowned collector
• Pedro Subijana, cook
• Cristina Sánchez, bullfighter
• Aguas Santas Ocaña Navarro, first lady of Honduras
• Torquemada, inquisitor
• Joan March Ordinas, political and businessmen.

See also

• List of people by nationality
• List of Catalans