Famous people from Netherlands
Here is a list of famous people from Netherlands. Curious if anybody from Netherlands made it our most famous people in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
Vincent van Gogh
Painting Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a post-Impressionist painter of Dutch origin whose work, notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty and bold color, had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. After years of painful anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness, he died aged 37 from a gunshot wound, generally accepted to be self-inflicted. His work was then known to only a handful of people and appreciated by fewer still. Van Gogh began to draw as a child, and he continued to draw throughout the years that led up to his decision to become an artist. He did not begin painting until his late twenties, completing many of his best-known works during the last two years of his life. In just over a decade, he produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings, sketches and prints. His work included self portraits, landscapes, still lifes, portraits and paintings of cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers. Van Gogh spent his early adulthood working for a firm of art dealers, traveling between The Hague, London and Paris, after which he taught for a time in England. One of his early aspirations was to become a pastor and from 1879 he worked as a missionary in a mining region in Belgium where he began to sketch people from the local community. In 1885, he painted his first major work The Potato Eaters. His palette at the time consisted mainly of somber earth tones and showed no sign of the vivid coloration that distinguished his later work. In March 1886, he moved to Paris and discovered the French Impressionists. Later, he moved to the south of France and was influenced by the strong sunlight he found there. His work grew brighter in color, and he developed the unique and highly recognizable style that became fully realized during his stay in Arles in 1888.
Tiësto
Progressive electronic Artist
Tijs Michiel Verwest, known as Tiësto, is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto. On his latest productions, however, he has dropped the "DJ" label and is now known simply as "Tiësto", an artist name which is a twist of his childhood nickname. In 1997, he founded the label Black Hole Recordings with Arny Bink, where he released the Magik and In Search of Sunrise CD series. Tiësto met producer Dennis Waakop Reijers in 1998, and the two have worked together extensively since then. Reijers is credited as producer, writer, composer, or arranger on many of Tiësto's releases. In 1999 and 2000 Tiësto collaborated with Ferry Corsten to create Gouryella. His 2000 remix of Delerium's "Silence" featuring Sarah McLachlan exposed him to more mainstream audiences. In 2001, he released his first solo album In My Memory which gave him several major hits that launched his career. He ranked in the #1 poll position 3 consecutive times in the DJ Magazine Top 100 Popularity Poll from 2002 to 2004. Just after releasing his second studio album Just Be in 2004 at the Summer Olympics, he performed live at the opening ceremony in Athens, Greece, becoming the first DJ to play live on stage at an Olympics. Tracks he made especially for the Olympics were mixed together and released as the mix compilation Parade of the Athletes later that year. In April 2007 Tiësto launched both his radio show Tiësto's Club Life on Radio 538 in the Netherlands and released his third studio album Elements of Life. The album reached number one on the Dutch album chart as well on "Billboard Top Electronic Albums" in the U.S. and received a nomination for a Grammy Award in 2008. Tiësto released his fourth studio album Kaleidoscope in October 2009.
Armin van Buuren
Trance Artist
Armin van Buuren is a Dutch trance music producer and DJ. He is known for mostly playing progressive trance and uplifting trance. He has won a number of accolades, including the #1 spot on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs fan poll a record of 5 times, including an unprecedented four consecutive years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and again in 2012. He is currently the #2 DJ on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs poll for 2013. Since 2001, Van Buuren has hosted a weekly radio show called A State of Trance, which has 20 million weekly listeners in 26 countries. This radio show propelled him to superstardom and garnered an intense following of trance fans around the world. His 2008 studio album, Imagine, entered the Dutch album chart at No. 1, a first for a dance music artist in Dutch music history.
Rembrandt
Painting Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art and the most important in Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative. Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high, and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters. Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in his portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. His self-portraits form a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity. In his paintings and prints he exhibited knowledge of classical iconography, which he molded to fit the requirements of his own experience; thus, the depiction of a biblical scene was informed by Rembrandt's knowledge of the specific text, his assimilation of classical composition, and his observations of Amsterdam's Jewish population. Because of his empathy for the human condition, he has been called "one of the great prophets of civilization."
Robin van Persie
Soccer
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011, one year before he joined rivals Manchester United. His playing style and ability have drawn comparison to Dutch legend Marco van Basten. On 7 June 2013, Van Persie was appointed captain of the Dutch national team The son of two artists, Van Persie was encouraged to follow in his parents' footsteps, but he instead preferred football and joined SBV Excelsior's youth squad. He made his breakthrough at another hometown club Feyenoord, where he spent three seasons and won the 2002 UEFA Cup. He was named the Dutch Football Talent of the Year for the 2001–02 season. Disagreements with manager Bert van Marwijk culminated in a change of club and Van Persie moved to Premier League side Arsenal for £2.75 million in 2004 as a long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp. He won the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup in his first season with the London club but did not win another major trophy for the rest of his eight-year spell at Arsenal. Van Persie has been named Premier League Player of the Month three times. In 2012, Van Persie was ranked 7th in The Guardian's list of 100 Best Footballers in the world.
Arjen Robben
Soccer
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills, speed, crossing ability and his accurate left foot long-range shot from the right wing. He is also a part of the Netherlands national team and has appeared at Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. Robben first came to prominence with Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000–01 Eredivisie season. Two years later he signed for PSV, where he became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie title. The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading English clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations he joined Chelsea in the 2004 close season. Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but upon returning to fitness he helped Chelsea bring home two consecutive Premier League titles, and was the FA Premier League Player of the Month in November 2005. After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben moved to Spanish club Real Madrid for €35 million. In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million, scoring two goals on his debut. In his first season in Munich, Bayern won the league title, Robben's fifth league title in eight years, and got to the Champions League final. After his first season with the Bavarian club, the player was also named Footballer of the Year in Germany.
Baruch Spinoza
Philosopher
Baruch Spinoza — later Benedict de Spinoza — was a Dutch philosopher. The breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death. By laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism, including modern conceptions of the self and, arguably, the universe, he came to be considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy. His magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, in which he opposed Descartes's mind–body dualism, has earned him recognition as one of Western philosophy's most important thinkers. In the Ethics, "Spinoza wrote the last indisputable Latin masterpiece, and one in which the refined conceptions of medieval philosophy are finally turned against themselves and destroyed entirely." Philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said of all contemporary philosophers, "You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all." Spinoza's given name in different languages is Hebrew: ברוך שפינוזה Baruch Spinoza, Portuguese: Benedito or Bento de Espinosa and Latin: Benedictus de Spinoza; in all these languages, the given name means "the Blessed". Spinoza was raised in the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam. He developed highly controversial ideas regarding the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible and the nature of the Divine. The Jewish religious authorities issued a cherem against him, effectively excluding him from Jewish society at age 23. His books were also later put on the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books.
Desiderius Erasmus
Philosopher
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style. He was a proponent of religious toleration, and enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists"; he has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists". Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote On Free Will, The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works. Erasmus lived against the backdrop of the growing European religious Reformation; but while he was critical of the abuses within the Church and called for reform, he kept his distance from Luther and Melanchthon and continued to recognise the authority of the pope. Erasmus emphasized a middle way, with a deep respect for traditional faith, piety and grace, and rejected Luther's emphasis on faith alone. Erasmus therefore remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life. In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within. He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Reformers rejected in favour of the doctrine of predestination. His middle road approach disappointed and even angered scholars in both camps.
Wesley Sneijder
Soccer
Wesley Benjamin Sneijder is a Dutch footballer who plays for Turkish club Galatasaray and the Netherlands national team. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season and one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA. A product of the AFC Ajax Academy, he previously played for Ajax, with whom he won seven trophies and was awarded the Johan Cruijff Award in 2004. He was sold to Real Madrid for €27 million in 2007, winning La Liga in his first season with the club and later being sold to Internazionale for €15 million. At Inter, he won Serie A, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and two Coppa Italia. After being sold to Galatasaray for €7.5 million in 2013, he helped the club win the Süper Lig in his first season, following with the capture of the Turkish Super Cup, after a 1-0 win against rivals Fenerbahçe. Sneijder previously represented various youth squads for the Netherlands. He is now a regular player for the Dutch national team, having made his debut in April 2003 at the age of 18, and having represented his country at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010 as well as UEFA Euro 2004 and 2008. Individually, he was awarded the 2010 Bronze Boot, the 2010 Silver Ball, and included in the team of the tournament for UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as named man of the match for six out of eleven games played by the Oranje at these two tournaments.
Johan Cruijff
Soccer
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON, born 25 April 1947 in Amsterdam, known as Johan Cruyff, is a former Dutch footballer and was until recently the manager of the Catalonia football team. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which was a record jointly held with Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi until Messi won his 4th award in 2012. Cruyff was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history. After his retirement from playing in 1984, Cruyff became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later FC Barcelona; he remains an influential advisor to both clubs. His son Jordi has also gone on to play football professionally. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and came second behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll. He came third in a vote organised by the French weekly magazine France Football consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect their Football Player of the Century.
William III of England
Military Commander
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland; it is a coincidence that his regnal number was the same for both Orange and England. As King of Scotland, he is known as William II. He is informally known by sections of the population in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy". In what became known as the "Glorious Revolution", on 5 November 1688 William invaded England in an action that ultimately deposed King James II & VII and won him the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland. In the British Isles, William ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death on 28 December 1694. The period of their joint reign is often referred to as "William and Mary". A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France, Louis XIV, in coalition with Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. Largely because of that reputation, William was able to take the British crowns when many were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James. William's victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is still commemorated by the Orange Order. His reign marked the beginning of the transition from the personal rule of the Stuarts to the more Parliament-centred rule of the House of Hanover.
Rafael van der Vaart
Soccer
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for and is the current captain of the German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker. Van der Vaart began his career at AFC Ajax's famous youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. His impact was so stunning that he was hailed as the new Johan Cruyff. He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at the club. He moved to German Bundesliga side Hamburger SV, then to Real Madrid, then on to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 2010–11 Premier League summer transfer window. Van der Vaart is well known for his passing, and the capacity to use both feet well. Following his performances in the Premier League in the 2010–11 season with Tottenham Hotspur, Van der Vaart was nominated for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, along with team-mate and eventual winner, Gareth Bale.
Johannes Vermeer
Painting Artist
Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems never to have been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings. Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work. Vermeer painted mostly domestic interior scenes. "Almost all his paintings are apparently set in two smallish rooms in his house in Delft; they show the same furniture and decorations in various arrangements and they often portray the same people, mostly women." Recognized during his lifetime in Delft and The Hague, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity after his death; he was barely mentioned in Arnold Houbraken's major source book on 17th-century Dutch painting, and was thus omitted from subsequent surveys of Dutch art for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century, Vermeer was rediscovered by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time, Vermeer's reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.
Famke Janssen
Actor
Famke Beumer Janssen is a Dutch actress, director, screenwriter, and former fashion model. She is known for playing the villainous Bond girl Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye, Jean Grey/Phoenix in the X-Men film series, and Lenore Mills in Taken, and its sequel, Taken 2. In 2008, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity by United Nations. She made her directorial debut with Bringing Up Bobby in 2011.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Soccer
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooij is a retired Dutch footballer. He is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 56 goals. He is a three-time Champions League top scorer, as well as a top scorer in three different European domestic leagues. Van Nistelrooy began his career with Den Bosch, before moving onto Heerenveen, eventually making a name for himself at PSV Eindhoven where he won two Dutch leagues. His goalscoring record at PSV attracted attention from Manchester United; a deal was in place in the summer of 2000, but because of injury problems his move was secured a year later for a then British record fee of £19 million. His time at United was successful, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Football League Cup and FA Community Shield, along with winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year twice. Van Nistelrooy hit 150 goals in just 219 games for United, as well as being their all time European record goalscorer, but fell out of favour towards the end of his tenure. Real Madrid then secured his services in 2006. Although an injury blighted the end of his days with Madrid, he did win La Liga twice and the Supercopa de España before signing for Hamburger SV during the January transfer window in 2010. After a season-and-a-half with Hamburg, he moved back to Spain with Málaga in the summer of 2011. His retirement from football was announced on 14 May 2012.
M. C. Escher
Artist
Maurits Cornelis Escher, usually referred to as M. C. Escher, was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations.
Julio Cortázar
Novelist
Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar, was an Argentine novelist, short story writer, and essayist. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenced an entire generation of Spanish-speaking readers and writers in the Americas and Europe. He has been called a "modern master of the short story."
Piet Mondrian
Painting Artist
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian was a Dutch painter. He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed neoplasticism. This consisted of white ground, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors. Between his 1905 painting, The River Amstel, and his 1907 Amaryllis, Mondrian changed the spelling of his signature from Mondriaan to Mondrian.
Hieronymus Bosch
Visual Artist
Hieronymus Bosch was an Early Netherlandish painter. His work is known for its use of fantastic imagery to illustrate moral and religious concepts and narratives.
Rutger Hauer
Actor
Rutger Oelsen Hauer is a Dutch actor, writer, and environmentalist. His career began in 1969 with the title role in the popular Dutch television series Floris. His film credits include Flesh+Blood, Blind Fury, Blade Runner, The Hitcher, Escape from Sobibor, Nighthawks, Wedlock, Sin City, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Ladyhawke, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Osterman Weekend, The Blood of Heroes, Batman Begins, Hobo with a Shotgun, and The Rite. Hauer also founded an AIDS awareness organization, the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association.
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Noble person
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands is the former queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, having reigned from 1980 to 2013. Following her abdication on 30 April 2013, she is referred to as Princess Beatrix. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. In 1948, she became heiress presumptive to the throne of the Netherlands. When her mother abdicated on 30 April 1980, Beatrix succeeded her as queen. She attended a public primary school in Canada, during World War II, and then finished her primary and secondary education in the Netherlands in the post war period. In 1961, she received her law degree from Leiden University. In 1966, Beatrix married Claus von Amsberg, a German diplomat, with whom she had three children: Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, Prince Friso and Prince Constantijn. Prince Claus died in 2002. At the time of her abdication, Queen Beatrix was the oldest reigning monarch of the Netherlands. Beatrix's reign saw the country's Caribbean possessions reshaped with Aruba's secession and becoming its own constituent country within the Kingdom in 1986 as well as the subsequent Antillean Dissolution in 2010, which created the new special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, and the two new constituent countries of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Badr Hari
Professional Boxer
Badr Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. In May 2009 he knocked out Semmy Schilt in the first round and became the first ever It's Showtime World Heavyweight champion. Hari has been a prominent figure in the world of kickboxing and considered one of the best kickboxers in the world. Hari has been involved in a number of controversies relating to unsportsmanlike conducts during fights and has also been arrested multiple times since 2006 on various assault charges against others. Hari has been officially praised by the king of Morocco, Mohammed VI, since 2009 for his outstanding accomplishments in the sport.
Eddie Van Halen
Heavy metal Artist
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-born American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. He is ranked as one of the world's greatest guitarists, and one of the most influential rock guitarists of the 20th century. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Van Halen number 8 in the list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. In 2012, Guitar World's poll named him as the greatest guitarist of all time.
Marco van Basten
Soccer
Marcel "Marco" van Basten is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played for Ajax and Milan, as well as the Dutch national team, in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time and has scored 277 goals in a high-profile career, but played his last game in 1993 at the age of 28 due to an injury which caused his retirement two years later. He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Dutch national team. Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular strikes and volleys, Van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year three times and FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992. Van Basten was voted eighth in a poll organised by the French weekly magazine France Football consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. In 1999, Van Basten was ranked tenth in the European player of the Century election held by the IFFHS, and he was voted twelfth in the IFFHS' "World Player of the Century" election. In 2004, Pelé named Van Basten one of the 125 best living footballers in his FIFA 100 list. In 2004, a nationwide poll was held for the 100 greatest Dutch people and Van Basten was number 25, the second highest for a football player, behind Johan Cruyff. In March 2007, Sky Sports ranked Van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau
Noble person
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau was a younger brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Prince Friso was a member of the Dutch Royal Family, but because of his marriage without an Act of Consent in 2004, he lost his membership of the Dutch Royal House and was no longer in the line of succession to the throne. On 17 February 2012, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche in Lech, Austria, while skiing off piste. He was taken to a hospital in Innsbruck where he was in critical but stable condition. According to his doctor, Dr. Wolfgang Koller, even though he was trapped for a relatively short time and hopes had originally been higher, subsequent neurological tests showed that after fifty minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in moderate hypothermia he suffered massive brain damage due to oxygen shortage. His initial coma later progressed to a minimally conscious state and it was unclear whether he would ever regain full consciousness. On 12 August 2013, one and a half years after the accident, Prince Friso died of complications.
Anouk
Alternative rock Artist
Anouk Teeuwe, professionally known by the mononym Anouk, is a Dutch singer-songwriter and producer. Anouk is regarded as the most popular female rock singer in the Netherlands. After her breakthrough in 1997 with the single "Nobody's Wife", she had numerous hit singles in the Dutch and Belgian charts, such as "R U Kiddin' Me", "Michel", "Girl", "Lost", "Modern World", "Three Days in a Row" and "Woman". Anouk has released eight studio albums to date, the most recent one being Sad Singalong Songs, released on 17 May 2013. She represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden with the song "Birds". Her song made it to the final - the first since 2004 for the Netherlands; and finished in 9th place with 114 points.
Dennis Bergkamp
Soccer
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp is a former Dutch professional footballer, who is the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, he was moved to main striker and then to second striker, where he remained throughout his playing career. Bergkamp has been described by Jan Mulder as having "the finest technique" of any Dutch international and a "dream for a striker" by teammate Thierry Henry. The son of an electrician, Bergkamp was born in Amsterdam and played as an amateur in the lower leagues. He was spotted by Ajax at the age of 11 and made his professional debut in 1986. Good form led to an international call-up a year later, attracting the attention of several European clubs. Bergkamp signed for Italian club Internazionale in 1993, where he had two disappointing seasons. He then joined Arsenal in 1995. It was at Arsenal where Bergkamp rejuvenated his career, helping the club to win three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies and reach the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, which marked his last appearance as a player. With the Netherlands national team, Bergkamp surpassed Faas Wilkes's record to become the country's top goalscorer of all time in 1998, a record later eclipsed by Patrick Kluivert.
Ferry Corsten
Trance Artist
Ferry Corsten, also known under the alias System F, is a Dutch producer of electronic dance music, in addition to being a DJ and remixer. He also hosts his own weekly radio show, Corsten's Countdown. He routinely plays at events all over the world with crowds in excess of tens of thousands. In 2009 Ferry Corsten ranked #7 on DJ Magazine's annual Top 100 DJ Poll, dropping to #9, #18, #22, and #42 in subsequent years.
Dirk Kuyt
Soccer
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for Fenerbahçe as a forward. He is known for "constantly racing up and down his right flank, making runs, tracking back, harrying opponents and generally battling to create space." Kuyt began his professional career with FC Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of their first team. He spent five years at the club and in his final season he won his first senior honour, the Dutch Cup, and was chosen as the season's Dutch Golden Shoe Winner. Following this, he left Utrecht in a €1 million transfer to Feyenoord. He became the club captain in 2005 and was a prolific goalscorer at the Rotterdam club; he was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, the top goalscorer in the 2004–05 Eredivisie season, and the 2005–06 Dutch Footballer of the Year. Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006 and appeared in 179 consecutive matches between 2001–06, striking up a fruitful partnership with fellow Feyenoord teammate Salomon Kalou. He left Feyenoord after three years, having scored 71 league goals in 101 appearances, and joined Premier League side Liverpool for £10 million. He made his Premier League debut late in 2006 and became part of the first team squad. He scored in his first ever UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool against AC Milan.
Guus Hiddink
Soccer Midfielder
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009. His achievements include winning the European treble with PSV Eindhoven; taking both the Netherlands and South Korea to a fourth place finish in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2002 FIFA World Cup respectively; leading Australia to their best ever finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup; leading Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008, Russia's best performance since the breakup of the Soviet Union; and leading Chelsea to an FA Cup win against Everton in 2009. Hiddink has also previously managed Fenerbahçe, Valencia and Real Madrid.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Soccer
Dirk Klaas Jan "Klaas-Jan" Huntelaar, nicknamed The Hunter, is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Schalke 04 and the Dutch national football team. Huntelaar is a prolific striker with brilliant technique and athleticism and has been compared in style to players such as Marco van Basten and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Current Netherlands and former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Louis van Gaal has been quoted saying about the player "in the penalty area, he is the best player in the world, bar none." Named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and Ajax "Player of the Year" in 2006, Huntelaar was a part of the Dutch side that won the 2006 UEFA U-21 Championship where he became the tournament's leading goalscorer. He was also named as one of two strikers in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. He is the all-time top scorer of the Netherlands U-21 national team with 18 goals in 22 appearances. In domestic competition he finished top scorer in the Eredivisie 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons. Huntelaar played previously for PSV, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid, and Milan, before joining Schalke in August 2010, for whom he won top-goalscorer in the 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga with 29 league goals.
Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Noble person
Willem-Alexander is the reigning King of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of the countries of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten. He is head of the Dutch royal house and the House of Amsberg and upon coming to the throne became the first male monarch of the Netherlands since the death of his great-great-grandfather King William III in 1890. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht and is the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and German diplomat Claus von Amsberg. He became Prince of Orange and heir apparent to the throne of the Netherlands on 30 April 1980, when his mother became queen regnant, and he ascended the throne on 30 April 2013 when his mother abdicated. Upon his accession, he is Europe's youngest monarch. He went to public primary and secondary schools, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy, and studied history at Leiden University. He married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002 and they have three daughters: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane. Willem-Alexander is interested in sports and international water management issues. Until his accession to the throne, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Water to the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, and chairman of the Secretary-General of the United Nations' Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.
Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Painting Artist
Pieter Bruegel the Elder was a Flemish Renaissance painter and printmaker known for his landscapes and peasant scenes. He is sometimes referred to as the "Peasant Bruegel." From 1559 he dropped the 'h' from his name and signed his paintings as Bruegel.
Mata Hari
Spy
Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle MacLeod, better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and convicted spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.
Ruud Gullit
Soccer
Ruud Gullit OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. He was a versatile player, playing in numerous positions during his career. Gullit was working to promote the Belgian-Dutch 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid.
Edwin van der Sar
Soccer
Edwin van der Sar OON is a Dutch former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national team's history. He currently works as an analyst and has stated an interest in coaching in the near future. He started his senior career at Ajax and is considered to be a member of a golden generation of players at the club. He remained there for nine years before moving to Italian club Juventus and then to England, first to Fulham and then to Manchester United. He is one of the few footballers to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different teams – with Ajax in 1995 and Manchester United in 2008; in the latter, he was also named UEFA Man of the Match. Van der Sar also won the UEFA Cup with Ajax in 1992. Throughout a long and successful career, Van der Sar achieved and set numerous records. In the 2008–09 season he set the world league clean sheet record by not conceding a single goal for 1,311 minutes. Along with being the most capped player for the Netherlands national team, with 130 caps, he is also the oldest player to win the Premier League, at 40 years and 205 days old. Individually Van der Sar has won several honours, including Best European Goalkeeper in 1995 and 2009, and UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009. He is considered, by critics and fellow players, as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Frank Rijkaard
Soccer
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager and former player, regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the footballing history and one of best players of his generation. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side, Sparta Rotterdam, Barcelona, Galatasaray and Saudi Arabia. Despite his penchant for spitting on opposing players, in 2010 Rijkaard was described by British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph as having been "a stylish player of faultless pedigree".
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Scientist
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is commonly known as "the Father of Microbiology", and considered to be the first microbiologist. He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology. Raised in Delft, Netherlands, Leeuwenhoek worked as a draper in his youth, and founded his own shop in 1654. He made a name for himself in municipal politics, and eventually developed an interest in lensmaking. Using his handcrafted microscopes, he was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules, and which are now referred to as microorganisms. He was also the first to record microscopic observations of muscle fibers, bacteria, spermatozoa, and blood flow in capillaries. Leeuwenhoek did not author any books; his discoveries came to light through correspondence with the Royal Society, which published his letters.
Christiaan Huygens
Mathematician
Christiaan Huygens, FRS was a prominent Dutch mathematician and natural philosopher. He is known particularly as an astronomer, physicist, probabilist and horologist. Huygens was a leading natural philosopher of his time. His work included early telescopic studies of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon Titan, the invention of the pendulum clock and other investigations in timekeeping. He published major studies of mechanics and optics, and a pioneer work on games of chance.
Patrick Kluivert
Soccer
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a Dutch former footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for Ajax, Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He was their all-time leading goalscorer with 40 goals until surpassed by Robin van Persie in 2013. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary observances.
Carice van Houten
Actor
Carice Anouk van Houten is a Dutch actress and singer. She has won five Golden Calf Awards for Best Actress for her roles in Suzy Q, Undercover Kitty, Black Book, De Gelukkige Huisvrouw and for Black Butterflies. Her role in Black Book launched her international career and she has starred in the Hollywood films Valkyrie and Repo Men. Since 2012 she has played the role of Melisandre on the HBO television series Game of Thrones. As a singer, she released a pop-rock album entitled See You on the Ice in 2012. She is the older sister of fellow actress Jelka van Houten.
Ryan Babel
Soccer
Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for Kasımpaşa in the Süper Lig. He can play as a striker or left winger. Babel began his career at Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad. He played three seasons for the first team before he was transferred to Liverpool in mid-2007, where under three successive managers he failed to secure a regular first team position. Babel was sold to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January 2011, for a sum around half of that which Liverpool paid for him. His time at Hoffenheim was marred with disciplinary problems with three managers at the club. In the summer of 2012, Babel bought out the remaining final year of his contract, making him a free agent. He then re-signed a one-year contract with Ajax. After a year-long season with Ajax, Babel went on to sign with the Turkish underdogs Kasimpasa on June 21, 2013. Babel has been part of the Dutch national football team since 2005, and has represented his country at all youth team levels.
Marianne Vos
Professional Road Racing Cyclist
Marianne Vos, is a Dutch cyclo-cross, road bicycle racer and track racer who has drawn comparison to Eddy Merckx as being "the finest cyclist of [her] generation". After winning a junior European and world championship in road racing, she continued in senior cycling by becoming world champion in cyclo-cross and road racing at the age of 19. Vos added track racing world championships when she won the points race in 2008 and the scratch race in 2011. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in the points race; in the 2012 Summer Olympics, gold in the women's road race. She is a 3 times World Road Race Champion – in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Mark van Bommel
Soccer
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a former Dutch professional footballer. He is also the son-in-law of the former Dutch national team manager, Bert van Marwijk. When he played for FC Bayern Munich he was the first non-German captain to win a German Championship title. During this period, he led the team to two Championship titles, and finished runner-up in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final. He won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona and was part of the team that finished runner-up of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His FIFA World Cup profile describes him as "a tackling machine and expert ball-winner, but he also boasts a fine array of passes and a powerful shot, having been a free-kick specialist during his PSV days." Between 2000 and 2011 he won eight national Championship titles in four different competitions, four with PSV Eindhoven, two with FC Bayern Munich, one with FC Barcelona and one with A.C. Milan.
Kevin Strootman
Soccer Midfielder
Kevin Strootman is a Dutch international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie A club Roma.
Geert Wilders
Politician
Geert Wilders is a Dutch politician and the founder and leader of the Party for Freedom, the fourth-largest political party in the Netherlands. Wilders is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives. In the formation in 2010 of the current Rutte cabinet, a minority cabinet of VVD and CDA, he actively participated in the negotiations, resulting in a "support agreement" between the PVV and these parties, but withdrew his support in April 2012, citing disagreements with the cabinet on proposed budget cuts. Wilders is best known for his criticism of Islam, summing up his views by saying, "I don't hate Muslims, I hate Islam". Wilders' views regarding Islam have made him a controversial figure in the Netherlands and abroad. Raised a Roman Catholic, Wilders left the church at his coming of age. His travels to Israel as a young adult, as well as to neighbouring Arab countries, helped form his political views. Wilders worked as a speechwriter for the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, and later served as parliamentary assistant to party leader Frits Bolkestein from 1990 to 1998. He was elected to the Utrecht city council in 1996, and later to the House of Representatives. Citing irreconcilable differences over the party's position on the accession of Turkey to the European Union, he left the VVD in 2004 to form his own party, the Party for Freedom.
Ibrahim Afellay
Soccer
Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder or winger for FC Barcelona in La Liga. Afellay, of Moroccan heritage, was born and raised in Utrecht and played youth football at Elinkwijk before joining the PSV youth academy at age 10. After debuting in 2004, he represented PSV for eight seasons. During this time, Afellay won four Eredivisie titles, one KNVB Cup and one Johan Cruijff Shield. He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year in 2007 and was appointed captain in 2010. In 2011, Afellay moved to FC Barcelona. In his first months, he won La Liga and the Champions League with the team. Afellay suffered a heavy ligament injury in September 2011, which ruled him out for seven months. After recovery, he was loaned to Schalke 04 but he only played incidentally because of new injuries. While recovering, he returned to Barcelona in 2013. Making his Netherlands national team debut in 2007, Afellay appeared at the 2010 World Cup, contributing to the Dutch side's second place in the tournament. He was also present at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.
Paul Trijbits
TV Producer
Paul Trijbits is a Dutch born film and television producer living in London, with his wife Patricia Kruijer and children Jakob and Lea.
Guido van der Werve
Film Director
Guido van der Werve is a film director.
Candy Dulfer
Smooth jazz Artist
Candy Dulfer is a Dutch smooth jazz and funk alto saxophonist who began playing at the age of six. She founded her band, Funky Stuff, when she was fourteen years old. Her debut album Saxuality received a Grammy Award nomination. Dulfer has released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. She has performed and recorded songs with musicians including her father Hans Dulfer, Prince, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison, and Maceo Parker, and has performed live with Alan Parsons and Pink Floyd. She hosted the Dutch television series Candy meets..., in which she interviews fellow musicians. In 2013 she became a judge in the fifth season of the Dutch version of The X Factor.
Michael van Gerwen
Man
Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player. He has long been described as a darts prodigy. He began playing darts at the age of 13 and had won the World Masters and thrown a televised nine-dart finish within four years, becoming the youngest player to do either. However, after this initial burst onto the darting scene, Van Gerwen struggled for consistent form until his breakthrough year in 2012. Going from world number 38 at the start of 2012 to number 4 at the beginning of 2013, the year included his first major PDC title at the Grand Prix and a final at the 2013 World Championship. He has since won the 2013 Premier League of Darts and is the current world number two.
Robin Haase
Tennis Player
Robin Haase is a Dutch tennis player. Haase is currently the second-highest-ranked Dutch player, achieving his career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 33 in July 2012. He is left-handed, but plays with right hand. He is endorsed by Robey, Head, Tempo-Team and iTennis.nl.
C.C.Catch
Euro disco Artist
C. C. Catch is a Dutch-born German pop singer, best known for being discovered by Dieter Bohlen.
André Hazes
Levenslied Artist
André Gerardus Hazes was a Dutch singer in a genre called levenslied, popular music about everyday life sung in the Dutch language. André Hazes was one of the most successful singers in this genre. Hazes recorded 31 studio and live albums and he released 54 singles.
Doutzen Kroes
Fashion Model
Doutzen Kroes is a Dutch model and actress, who is a Victoria's Secret Angel. She started working for the brand in 2004 and became an Angel in 2008. She is on contract with L'Oréal. In 2012 she came in fifth on the Forbes top-earning models list, estimated to have earned $6.9 million in one year.
Louis van Gaal
Soccer Midfielder
Louis van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager who is the current manager of the Dutch national team. He was formerly coach for Ajax, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich. Before his career as coach Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ. Van Gaal is also a fully qualified gymnastics teacher, and has worked as such at high-schools during various stages of his career as a semi-professional football-player. After a brief spell as coach at AZ, Van Gaal served as assistant coach under Leo Beenhakker at Ajax, and eventually took over as head coach in 1991. Under his lead, the club won three league titles, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League. Van Gaal moved to Barcelona in 1997 and won two Spanish league titles and one Spanish Cup. After some disagreements at Barcelona, he was appointed coach of the Dutch national team, but then failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Another brief spell at Barcelona followed, before he became manager of AZ. After having won the Dutch championship with AZ in 2008–09, he was hired by Bayern Munich on 1 July 2009. In his first season at Munich, he secured the German league title and won the German Cup, and made it to the final of the Champions League.
Hugo Grotius
Philosopher
Hugo Grotius, also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. He was also a philosopher, theologian, Christian apologist, playwright, historiographer and poet. Grotius's influence on international law is paramount, and is acknowledged by, for instance, the American Society of International Law, which since 1999 holds an annual series of Grotius Lectures. Additionally, his contributions to Arminian theology provided the seeds for later Arminian-based movements, such as Methodism and Pentecostalism and he is acknowledged as a significant figure in the Arminianism-Calvinism debate. Because of his theological underpinning of free trade, he is also considered an "economic theologist".
Willem de Kooning
Painting Artist
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In the post-World War II era, de Kooning painted in a style that came to be referred to as Abstract expressionism or Action painting, and was part of a group of artists that came to be known as the New York School. Other painters in this group included Jackson Pollock, Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Anne Ryan, Robert Motherwell, Philip Guston, and Clyfford Still. In September 2011 de Kooning's work was honored with a large-scale retrospective exhibition: de Kooning: A Retrospective September 18, 2011 – January 9, 2012 at MoMA in New York City. Organized by John Elderfield it was the first major museum exhibition devoted to the full breadth and depth of de Kooning's career, containing nearly 200 works.
Royston Drenthe
Soccer
Royston Ricky Drenthe is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Reading in England. Although he primarily plays as a left winger, he can also operate as a left back, speed being his main attribute. He started his professional career with Eredivisie side Feyenoord in 2005, having graduated from the club's youth academy, and he made 37 appearances for the side, before switching to La Liga side Real Madrid in 2007. During his five years in Madrid, he made 65 appearances for the club, spending time on loan at La Liga side Hércules and English Premier League side Everton, making 19 and 27 appearances for those clubs respectively. He joined Russian Premier League side Alania Vladikavkaz in February 2013 on a free transfer, making six appearances in a brief spell at the club, before he joined current club Reading in June 2013. Drenthe made 17 appearances for the Netherlands under-21s between 2006 and 2008, and was a member of the team that won the 2007 European Championship. Since then, he has made one appearance for the Netherlands B team, and one appearance for the full national team.
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Monarch
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial power. Outside the Netherlands she is primarily remembered for her role in World War II, in which she proved to be a great inspiration to the Dutch resistance.
Khalid Boulahrouz
Soccer
Khalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF. His nickname is "The Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" the opposition. He is noted for his tackling and versatility in the back.
Juliana of the Netherlands
Monarch
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry. She was married to German aristocrat Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, with whom she had four children: Princess Beatrix, Princess Irene, Princess Margriet, and Princess Christina. During the Second World War she lived in exile with her children in Ottawa, Canada. She became Queen of the Netherlands with her mother's abdication in 1948 and was succeeded by Queen Beatrix after her own abdication in 1980. During her reign both Indonesia and Suriname in 1975 became independent from the Netherlands. Her birthday was celebrated annually as Koninginnedag, until the accession of her grandson King Willem-Alexander to the throne, when it was replaced with Koningsdag. Upon her death at the age of 94, she was the longest-lived former ruling monarch in the world. She is commemorated in space, in the name of the asteroid 816 Juliana.
Marco van Ginkel
Soccer Midfielder
Wulfert Cornelius "Marco" van Ginkel is a Dutch professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Netherlands national team. Van Ginkel began his career in the youth ranks of SBV Vitesse, joining the Arnhem-based club as a seven year old in 1999. After making his way through the various youth levels at the club, Van Ginkel debuted for the senior team in 2010 before sealing a transfer around £8 million to Chelsea in 2013. At the international level, Van Ginkel represented the Netherlands at the U19 and U21 levels before making his senior team debut against Germany in November 2012.
Paul de Leeuw
Musical Artist
Paul Henri de Leeuw is a Dutch television comedian, singer and actor. De Leeuw gained national fame in the late eighties and early nineties with television shows for broadcasting company VARA. Though satire was only a part of these shows and much of its humour was essentially harmless, he came into publicity with satire about Dutch show business personalities who were often ridiculed. Besides, many obscure musical acts were featured in his shows, many of which managed to gain national fame after they had been in De Leeuw's show. VARA has since continued his shows apart from a few interruptions, often with considerable success. In the early nineties, Paul de Leeuw also had some shows celebrating the new year. In the 1993-1994 show he satirized the new commercial television station RTL 5 by announcing another new station, "RTL 6". This led to a lawsuit by the RTL company, who demanded that De Leeuw withdraw his joke. He and his husband, Stephan Nugter, have adopted two children: son Kas and son Tobey.
Arantxa Rus
Tennis Tournament Champion
Arantxa Rus is a Dutch tennis player. In 2008 she won the Australian Open for juniors, defeating Jessica Moore from Australia. With this win she went from the 35th to 2nd place on the junior ranking, ultimately becoming the world junior No.1 player. Rus' biggest successes to date are a second round shocker over World No. 2 Kim Clijsters at the 2011 French Open, saving two match points in the second set, reaching the 4th round at the 2012 French Open, and defeating World No. 5 Samantha Stosur in the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.
Anton Corbijn
Film Director
Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard is a Dutch photographer, music video director, and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both bands for almost 3 decades. Some of his works include music videos for Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence", U2's "One", Bryan Adams' "Do I Have to Say the Words? and Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box", as well as the Ian Curtis biopic Control, George Clooney's The American, and A Most Wanted Man based on John le Carré's 2008 novel of the same name.
Heintje Simons
Singer
Hendrik Nikolaas Theodoor Simons, known as Heintje and later on as Hein Simons, is a Dutch singer and actor. Heintje was born the son of a coal miner who had to retire because of silicosis, reducing the family to near poverty. The family opened a small cafe where Heintje used to sing along with the jukebox. When he was 11, he entered a local singing contest. He beat out 30 competitors to win the contest. Producer Addy Kleijngeld heard about him and went to audition him at his home. After hearing only a few notes, he took him on as a client and became his manager. On becoming wealthy, Heintje moved his family back to his father's birthplace, Neu Moresnet in Belgium, where he still lives to this day. He became particularly famous as a child singer, with hit song "Mama" in 1967, and as a child actor, with his appearances in numerous German films in the 1960s and 1970s. He also enjoyed success with English songs, notably of which is "I'm Your Little Boy". In 1971, The Los Angeles Times described him as, "the hottest property in Europe." The same article quoted the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as saying of him, "No one is bigger in German show business."
Bauke Mollema
Cyclist
Bauke Mollema is a Dutch professional cyclist currently riding for Belkin Pro Cycling. Mollema is a climbing specialist.
Maarten Stekelenburg
Soccer
Maarten Stekelenburg is a professional Dutch football goalkeeper who plays for Fulham in the Premier League and also the Netherlands national football team. Stekelenburg is a product of the Ajax youth system, where he followed in the footsteps of Edwin van der Sar, who he succeeded in the Dutch national team, with whom he reached the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Joran van der Sloot
Man
Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot is a Dutch citizen who lived in Aruba. He pled guilty in Peru to the murder and robbery of Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez, who died in the Peruvian capital Lima on May 30, 2010. Van der Sloot was apprehended on June 3, 2010, in Chile and was deported to Peru the next day. On June 7, he confessed to causing the death of Flores Ramírez and was transferred on June 11 to Miguel Castro Castro maximum security prison in Lima. He attempted to legally retract his confession, claiming that he had been intimidated by the National Police of Peru and framed by the FBI. However, a Peruvian judge ruled on June 25, 2010, that the confession was valid. On January 13, 2012, he was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for the murder of Flores. Earlier, Van der Sloot had been indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States for wire fraud and extortion related to the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba on May 30, 2005, exactly 5 years before the death of Tatiana Flores Ramírez. The Holloway and Flores Ramírez cases both attracted widespread media attention. Van der Sloot continued to be the subject of international news coverage from prison, leading to controversies that resulted in the investigation and suspension of Peruvian officials. Time magazine declared Van der Sloot's arrest the top crime story of 2010.
Jaap Stam
Soccer
Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a Dutch retired football player who is currently an assistant coach at his former club AFC Ajax. He played for several European clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, A.C. Milan and Ajax before retiring in October 2007. As well as club trophies, he won several personal awards, inluding being voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He was known for possessing "a rare combination of speed, strength and ball-playing ability". Stam played 67 international matches for the Netherlands, scoring three goals. He was in their squads for two European Championships and two FIFA World Cups.
Rita Reys
Jazz Artist
Rita Reys was a jazz singer from the Netherlands. At the 1960 French jazz festival of Juan-les-Pins, she received the title, "Europe's first lady of jazz".
Nigel de Jong
Soccer
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Netherlands national football team. He joined the Ajax youth academy as a youngster and worked his way through the ranks to make the first team at age 17. Two years later, he made his international debut and won a 2010 World Cup runner-up medal. De Jong moved on from Ajax in 2006 to join Hamburg in search of first team football and then moved to Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million, where he became an important part of City's holding midfield. A tireless grafter, he has garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that has earned him nicknames such as "The Terrier" and "Lawnmower". He moved to Italian side Milan in August 2012.
Loona
Eurodance Artist
Marie-Jose van der Kolk also known by her stage names Loona and Carisma, is a Dutch singer, songwriter and dancer. She is most noted for her collaboration with DJ Sammy, and performing as a duo under the stage name of DJ Sammy feat. Carisma.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel
Soccer Midfielder
Ricky van Wolfswinkel is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for English team Norwich City. He has been capped twice by the Netherlands national football team. On 22 March 2013 it was announced that he had agreed a deal to join Norwich City for the 2013–14 season, a deal thought to be worth £8.5m. While playing in Portugal he was nicknamed O Lobo, although during his early days in the Netherlands he was known as HatRicky because of the number of hat-tricks he scored.
Theo van Gogh
Film Director
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor. Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims. On 2 November 2004 he was assassinated by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch-Moroccan Muslim. The last film he completed before his death, 06/05, was loosely based on the assassination of the Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn.
Giedo van der Garde
Racing driver
Giedo van der Garde is a Dutch racing driver.
Ronald Koeman
Soccer Midfielder
Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman. He was renowned for his long-range accuracy, especially in free kicks.
Phillip Cocu
Soccer
Phillip John-William Cocu is a Dutch football manager and former player, currently coaching PSV Eindhoven. Cocu was born in Eindhoven but raised in Zevenaar, playing youth football for local clubs DCS and De Graafschap. After a year at AFC '34, he started his professional career at AZ. In 1990, Cocu moved to Vitesse. A broken fibula disrupted his first season, but he became a first-team regular in the following four seasons. In 1995, he joined PSV Eindhoven, where he won the KNVB Cup and the Eredivisie title in 1997. Cocu played for FC Barcelona between 1998 and 2004. There, he would become club captain, win La Liga in 1999 and play two Champions League semi-finals. At his return to PSV in 2004, he was the foreign player with the most league appearances for Barcelona. During Cocu’s second stint at PSV, he won another three Eredivisie titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals. After a year at Al Jazira, Cocu retired. Cocu debuted for the Netherlands national team in 1996 and appeared at the 1998 World Cup, scoring two goals but missing a penalty in the semi-finals against Brazil. He also played at the 2006 World Cup, as well as the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships. Cocu reached the semi-finals in the latter two tournaments and in 2004, he served as captain of the Dutch team. With 101 caps, Cocu is fifth on the list of most Dutch international appearances. During his career, he mainly played as a defensive ‘playmaker’ midfielder, but became equally known for his ability to be fielded as a defender, wing back, winger or forward.
Igor Sijsling
Tennis Player
Igor Sijsling is a Dutch professional tennis player. He is coached by Dennis Schenk. Sijsling reached his career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 55 on 8 July 2013, and is the No. 1 ranked Dutch player on the ATP Tour.
Semmy Schilt
Martial Artist
Sem "Semmy" Schilt is a Dutch former Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist, one time Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam champion and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won, with four. He has also competed in mixed-martial arts fights for the Pride Fighting Championship, UFC and Pancrase organizations. Schilt is known for using his enormous height and reach to his advantage through mastering the Ashihara Karate techniques, avoiding getting hit while landing devastating jabs and front kicks. He is the most decorated heavyweight kickboxer in history, having won five major tournaments, and is widely regarded as one of the division's all-time greats. As of January 2013, Schilt is ranked the #1 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com. He also holds notable MMA victories over Akira Shoji, Guy Mezger, Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Kondo, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Bob Schrijber, Pete Williams, Gan McGee, and Siala-Mou Siliga
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Swimmer
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.
Axelle Red
Pop Artist
Axelle Red is a Belgian singer-songwriter.
Junkie XL
Electronica Artist
Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, is a Dutch multi-instrumentalist, producer, and engineer. He uses the name JXL in cases where the term “Junkie” might cause offense. Says Holkenborg of his name, “I called myself Junkie XL from the point of view that once you’re completely overworked, you never want to go there again. The ‘XL’ stands for expanding limits; broadening up your vision.”
Robert Gesink
Professional Road Racing Cyclist
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Belkin Pro Cycling. His major victories include the 2012 Tour of California, the 2011 Tour of Oman and the 2010 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Gesink also won the Giro dell'Emilia twice and offered some good performances on Grand Tours, thanks in part to his climbing and time trailing abilities.
Sylvie van der Vaart
Actor
Sylvie Françoise Meis is a Dutch television personality and model, also popular in Germany. She is of part Indonesian origin.
Gregory van der Wiel
Soccer
Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel is a Dutch international footballer who plays professionally for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, as a right back. Born in Amsterdam to a father from Curaçao and a Dutch mother, he is a product of the renowned Ajax youth system, who plays an attacking right back and is known for his speedy runs down the flank. In 2010, Van der Wiel was awarded the Johan Cruyff Award for "Young Player of the Year" in the Netherlands. He made his debut for the Dutch national team in February 2009, and participated in the Netherlands' silver winning performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Dutch team-mate John Heitinga has labeled him the spiritual successor of Michael Reiziger for the Netherlands.
Piet Dankert
Politician
Piet Dankert was a Dutch politician, a member of the Dutch Labour Party. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1968. There he was spokesman for foreign affairs and defence. In the late 1970s he moved to the European Parliament, and was President of the European Parliament from 19 January 1982 to 24 July 1984. In the third government of Ruud Lubbers he was Secretary of State for European matters. He subsequently served a second period in the European Parliament, where he devoted himself to working for the accession of Turkey to the European Union.
Olaf Swantee
Organization leader
Olaf Swantee is the CEO of telecommunications firm, Everything Everywhere.
Henk Otte
Film Director
Henk Otte is a film director, film producer, screenwriter and film editor.
Tom Erisman
Cinematographer
Tom Erisman is a cinematographer.
Marlies Heuer
Actor
Marlies Heuer is an actress.
Roberto Bakker
Film Producer
Roberto Bakker is a film producer.